At the risk of being insensitive…
Is it cynical of me to wonder whether the President will visit storm-ravaged New Orleans anytime soon? He’s on his vacation, after all. He famously said that he “need[ed] to get on with his life.” The deaths of hundreds, the devastation of a city, would these prompt him to forego clearing brush for just one day?
I know that had this happened on Clinton’s watch, had the circumstances been identical, he’d have been there. He’d have parachuted down into New Orleans if he had to. Our current President, though, seems to be at an arm’s remove from any emotional connection to the world around him. And that’s why I have to wonder if an impromptu, unscripted visit to New Orleans is in the offing, because such a visit would be uncharacteristic.
Here’s hoping for the best for the people of Louisiana. May the damage be not as great as we’ve feared.
I know that had this happened on Clinton’s watch, had the circumstances been identical, he’d have been there. He’d have parachuted down into New Orleans if he had to.
I’m not going to fault W for not planning a trip to NO just yet — let FEMA and the Red Cross get in there first before they have to deal with a presidential visit and a photo-op of him filling two sandbags.
But, let’s all imagine if President Clinton were hanging around Martha’s Vineyard or Camp David or wherever while a thing like this was happening. You would never shut O’Reilly and Hannity up about it (not that you could shut them up anyways).
Speaking as one who’s landmarks of his past are currently being washed out to sea…(why yes, I used to live on the shore of Lake Ponchetrain which is currently flooding the city), I know for sure Bush will be there with his best sincere smirk in place.
😈 You hit the nail on the nose with the image of Clinton vs Bush participating in the aid of the victims in LA. This is a sad day in America and if this was Bush first yr in term he would have NOT gotten re-elected with the way he’s handling this. To fly over in a plane then go back to Whitehouse with his suit and tie on to report was sorry.
You know what frightens me, Young? I wrote that, posted that, Monday evening, after the hurricane made landfall, before the levees broke. Who could have thought how prescient that would be, that Bush the Lesser (my friend Terri’s name for our Dear Leader) would putz around the country for two days, strumming on a guitar, and planning nothing useful. Now we have a President begging for private donations, a Speaker of the House saying that New Orleans should be abandoned and not rebuilt, and thousands dead as the remains of the city descends further into anarchy.
Here’s the really frightening thing about Hurricane Katrina. If this is how the federal government will react to a natural disaster, one for which we had some warning, how will this same government react to a man-made disaster, like terrorist attack on American soil?
First let me say your ideas for Kzin in Trek were quite good. Now about the hurricane/president situation:
1)There was a MANDATORY evacuation. Anyone who was physically able to leave, and didn’t suffered the consequences.
2)The STATE of LOUISIANA should have made arrangements to evacuate those not physically able, and failed to do so. The States are the legal, and responsable first line in any disaster. For example when northern states shut down for severre snow, and blizzards it is the state government that declares the shut down, makes arrangements, sends out snowplows, etc. During floods in south Texas in the last several years again the state dclared the emergency, made appropriate notices, and took apropriate actions. The national gaurd is a state organization controled by the governors, not the federal governement. FEMA never shows up until 4 or 5 days later. The same with the Mississippi flooding a few years back.
3)Your probably right about “Slick” parachuting in. That self serving bastard would never miss such a photo op.
4)due to the strange american idea that having the army run around the streets of this country is a bad thing, the federal government cannot, let me repeat, CANNOT send in military forces unless, and until it is formally, and officially requested by STATE government.
5)The Mayor of NO, and the Governor of Louisiana got out of town so fast they couldn’t be bothered to call any agencies, or officials, leaving their own people to die.
6)You don’t see this sort of degeneration and behavior during 9/11 in New York, multiple annual hurricanes in Florida, earthquakes in California, or blizzards and snowstorms in the north and north east. Apparently Louisiana just doesn’t have its shit together. That isn’t the presidents fault, whoever he may be at the moment.