Progressive Democrat Issue 41: THOUGHTS
This week's big news is of course Katrina. As with most hurricanes, I mostly ignored it except to wonder if we would get the remnants up here in NYC. Joy, of course, watched the Weather Channel and was more informed. But I just thought, "Oh, another hurricane."
Then I heard one morning that it was catagory 5. THAT got my attention. I know what that means. I don't want to politicize this too much, but I have to say that Bush should have ended his vacation as soon as the hurricane was known to be catagory 5. At that point there was NO WAY that this wasn't going to be big. This was a major natural disaster bearging right down on the US. At that point, the entire Federal government should have been getting ready to act.
But then, the next day, I heard that Katrina had been down graded to a catagory 1 hurricane (not so bad, right?) and that damage wasn't as bad as expected. That is where I thought the story would end.
Wow...I had missed when the hurricane--a catagory 4 at the time--hit the Gulf coast. And the effects were as bad as anyone could have predicted if not worse. Federal aid should have been POURING in at that moment (the day after Katrina hit).
Global warming means that New Orleans will eventually be underwater. It will take a huge, expensive effort to prevent it. This is inevitable. I think we have just witnessed one stage in the innundation of New Orleans. Understand this: global warming means this is the fate of much of coastal America. New Orleans was ALREADY below sea level (much like Venice, Italy and Amsterdam). And it is in the path of hurricanes. So it was almost inevitable that the innundation of the coast would hit New Orleans first.
We have witnessed history and global warming in action. This should be a wake up call.
How incompetant was Bush and the Halliburton Republicans? Well, they did have some warning. And certainly when Katrina was catagory 5, Bush's administration SHOULD HAVE PREPARED. They didn't. They dropped the ball.
Bush remained on vacation well after the hurricane hit and its damage was known. He failed as a leader much like he failed on 9/11. In the end, maybe he will provide the needed aid and comfort to those harmed by this disaster. But he did enjoy himself on the ranch (or was he hiding from Cindy Sheehan?) while New Orleans and the surrounding area suffered. This alone shows his lack of leadership skills. But I don't want to dwell too much on that. He failed, like he failed on 9/11, to lead the way. But what is important now is that the nation pulls together and helps those hurt. ALL of those hurt--rich AND poor, black AND white. If we do that, then we can still hold our heads up as Americans. If we fail to help EVERYONE hurt by this, if we only help those who can already help themselves and leave abandoned those most in need, then America has indeed become a Bannana Republic and we have failed to fulfill the dreams of our founding fathers.
Mr. Bush, history's eyes are upon you.
As for this issue of the newsletter, I am going to keep it short and keep it focused MAINLY on issues related to Katrina.
Then I heard one morning that it was catagory 5. THAT got my attention. I know what that means. I don't want to politicize this too much, but I have to say that Bush should have ended his vacation as soon as the hurricane was known to be catagory 5. At that point there was NO WAY that this wasn't going to be big. This was a major natural disaster bearging right down on the US. At that point, the entire Federal government should have been getting ready to act.
But then, the next day, I heard that Katrina had been down graded to a catagory 1 hurricane (not so bad, right?) and that damage wasn't as bad as expected. That is where I thought the story would end.
Wow...I had missed when the hurricane--a catagory 4 at the time--hit the Gulf coast. And the effects were as bad as anyone could have predicted if not worse. Federal aid should have been POURING in at that moment (the day after Katrina hit).
Global warming means that New Orleans will eventually be underwater. It will take a huge, expensive effort to prevent it. This is inevitable. I think we have just witnessed one stage in the innundation of New Orleans. Understand this: global warming means this is the fate of much of coastal America. New Orleans was ALREADY below sea level (much like Venice, Italy and Amsterdam). And it is in the path of hurricanes. So it was almost inevitable that the innundation of the coast would hit New Orleans first.
We have witnessed history and global warming in action. This should be a wake up call.
How incompetant was Bush and the Halliburton Republicans? Well, they did have some warning. And certainly when Katrina was catagory 5, Bush's administration SHOULD HAVE PREPARED. They didn't. They dropped the ball.
Bush remained on vacation well after the hurricane hit and its damage was known. He failed as a leader much like he failed on 9/11. In the end, maybe he will provide the needed aid and comfort to those harmed by this disaster. But he did enjoy himself on the ranch (or was he hiding from Cindy Sheehan?) while New Orleans and the surrounding area suffered. This alone shows his lack of leadership skills. But I don't want to dwell too much on that. He failed, like he failed on 9/11, to lead the way. But what is important now is that the nation pulls together and helps those hurt. ALL of those hurt--rich AND poor, black AND white. If we do that, then we can still hold our heads up as Americans. If we fail to help EVERYONE hurt by this, if we only help those who can already help themselves and leave abandoned those most in need, then America has indeed become a Bannana Republic and we have failed to fulfill the dreams of our founding fathers.
Mr. Bush, history's eyes are upon you.
As for this issue of the newsletter, I am going to keep it short and keep it focused MAINLY on issues related to Katrina.
posted by mole333 | 6:06 PM
|
5 comments
5 Comments:
Does race play role in hurricane relief?
The hurricane victims plucked from rooftops and slogging through waist-deep water on TV newscasts have been mostly the poor, usually black.
this is a super deal for website hosting. Please look at;
www.webhostingpremiere.com
nice blog!
Hey there,
Just a thought - as an avid email subscriber, you might want to link here (to your blog) in the newsletter so that we may more easily find you.
Or did you, and I'm just blind?
Amy
Bush cut funding for strengthening the levies in February, money was diverted to Iraq as well as National Guard troops and helicopters that should have been there to help in this situation. Remember how he eventually sprung into action when Wall St. was struck on 9/11? His inaction proves that if you got no large, you got no Bush.
To answer the question: Does race play a role in hurricane relief?
Clearly it does. It shouldn't, but it is so clear that race and wealth determine who gets saved and who doesn't in America today.
Things are getting less equal in America. The splits between groups (rich and poor, black and white, Christian and non-Christian) are gaping wide and wide under Bush. America is declining and the Republicans are doing nothing to help.
Post a Comment
<< Home