Blog
Saturday September 10th, 2005
The disaster in Dixie is heartbreaking. Not entirely unexpected, but heartbreaking nonetheless. But I don't think I can turn on my TV anymore until they start showing programs again that DON'T have anything to do with hurricane Katrina. Last night there was a telethon on LITERALLY EVERY CHANNEL. And I have hundreds of channels. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a good idea, and I donated a good chunk of $ to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation Displaced Residents Fund. Everyone who can give should. But the other tragedies and misfortunes around the world have not stopped. Other things are gonig on. You would think 15 channels of 24/7 news might take a break from Katrina for a minute or two to mention what ELSE is going on in the world. But they don't.
If there is anything good that can come out of this ordeal, it's this:
Of course, disasters bring out the best in many people, as we saw after 9/11. This country came together like never before, showing solidarity and compassion that I didn't know was in us. Being a NYC resident, and traveling halfway across the world on a honeymoon a month after those events, I was moved by all the good people, thousands of miles away, who demonstrated compassion and concern.
Disasters also, unfortunately, bring out the worst in others. As we heard during the months after 9/11, and even a bit after the tsunami, there were a number of illegitimate "charities" taking donations and turning them into profit.
But the most promising thing I see is that so many previously intelligent and caring people, who have in the last several years allowed their minds to be clouded by the rampant Bush tax cuts, are now finally beginning to see just who is running this country (into the ground), and what they're really all about.
The response to the hurricane and its aftermath was nothing short of appalling. As everyone has said several times over, it seems that the U.S. is the first one on the scene of every disaster around the world, with a helping hand ready to lend. This may not be entirely true but it sure seemed that way. Certainly the hurricanes that affected Florida last year were a blessing for the Bush re-election campaign. He responded quicker to that than he did to the 9/11 attacks. I suppose it had something to do with the fact that the Governor of Florida is the President's brother. But in this instance, it was 3 or 4 days before anyone saw any kind of federal assistance. And in many cases the state and local authorities didn't have the wherewithal they needed to get the job done.
Now I've heard folks say it's simple racism; that the response was slow because the vast majority of victims were black. I don't agree with that, at least not entirely. It's not so much a racial thing as it is an economic thing. The folks left behind were too poor to get out of town. It just so happens that most of the poor folks in that area are black. I have heard from a lot of bastards that say, "those people could have left if they wanted to." Well, whoever says that cannot possibly understand not having $200 for a train ticket/bus ticket/plane ticket/car rental. And in many cases the folks left behind were unable physically to leave, due to medical conditions.
In any event, what has now become abundantly clear to many Americans, some for the very first time, is this:
The president dismantled and restructured FEMA, after 9/11, so that it did not have the power or authority to do what needed to be done as quickly as it was needed. This was a bad move. FEMA did a fine job in the 9/11 situation, and they didn't need an overhaul. What needed an overhaul was the military, defense, law enforcement and intelligence agencies, all of which bungled their job so completely and utterly.
The divisive state of politics in the USA is partly to blame. The president had a previous beef with the governor of Louisiana. The mayor of New Orleans spoke out publicly against the lack of response (God love him). New Orleans is an *extremely* "blue" (Democratic) city. That Bush was somehow punishing these folks politically is a bitter pill to swallow, but I would not put it past him. Take the Plame leak for instance. These guys stoop lower than any politicos ever have.
In the end, the Big Oil companies that really run the country are going to make out like bandits, eh?
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Posted by Jamie
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