fiercebunny | Entries tagged with current events

Back to obsessing about the disaster.

I've been thinking about how odd it is that people are shooting at helicopters. The media's spinning it as part of the excuse as to why the evacuation was/is going so slow, because people are being crazy down there. But consider, a lot of the news coverage that we're seeing is shot from the air. Meaning if you're on the ground, you're seeing helicopters fly overhead constantly and nobody's stopping to come get you. They're ignoring you for days. Isn't it possible that they're shooting to draw their attention and not out of an intent to harm? Damn, I would be shooting guns in the air too. (In fact, I'm making a mental note right now that should I ever get caught up in a heinous situation like that, I'm gonna pay a visit to my local gun shop with brick in hand. And I don't even like guns.)

Also, Anne Rice posts. It is the best thing I've read from her in years.

Anne Rice makes me cry, Newt Gingrich says something that I agree with. . . I'm grabbing a towel and bottled water because the world really is coming to an end.

I read this via Blastmilk.com, which in turn was previously posted at Washington Monthly and I'm just going to copy and paste the whole thing right here because it bears reading.

"January 2001: Bush appoints Joe Allbaugh, a crony from Texas, as head of FEMA. Allbaugh has no previous experience in disaster management.

April 2001: Budget Director Mitch Daniels announces the Bush administration's goal of privatizing much of FEMA's work. In May, Allbaugh confirms that FEMA will be downsized: "Many are concerned that federal disaster assistance may have evolved into both an oversized entitlement program...." he said. "Expectations of when the federal government should be involved and the degree of involvement may have ballooned beyond what is an appropriate level."

2001: FEMA designates a major hurricane hitting New Orleans as one of the three "likeliest, most catastrophic disasters facing this country."

December 2002: After less than two years at FEMA, Allbaugh announces he is leaving to start up a consulting firm that advises companies seeking to do business in Iraq. He is succeeded by his deputy, Michael Brown, who, like Allbaugh, has no previous experience in disaster management.

March 2003: FEMA is downgraded from a cabinet level position and folded into the Department of Homeland Security. Its mission is refocused on fighting acts of terrorism.

2003: Under its new organization chart within DHS, FEMA's preparation and planning functions are reassigned to a new Office of Preparedness and Response. FEMA will henceforth focus only on response and recovery.

Summer 2004: FEMA denies Louisiana's pre-disaster mitigation funding requests. Says Jefferson Parish flood zone manager Tom Rodrigue: "You would think we would get maximum consideration....This is what the grant program called for. We were more than qualified for it."

June 2004: The Army Corps of Engineers budget for levee construction in New Orleans is slashed. Jefferson Parish emergency management chiefs Walter Maestri comments: "It appears that the money has been moved in the president's budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq, and I suppose that's the price we pay."

June 2005: Funding for the New Orleans district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is cut by a record $71.2 million. One of the hardest-hit areas is the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project, which was created after the May 1995 flood to improve drainage in Jefferson, Orleans and St. Tammany parishes.

August 2005: While New Orleans is undergoing a slow motion catastrophe, Bush mugs for the cameras, cuts a cake for John McCain, plays the guitar for Mark Wills, delivers an address about V-J day, and continues with his vacation. When he finally gets around to acknowledging the scope of the unfolding disaster, he delivers only a photo op on Air Force One and a flat, defensive, laundry list speech in the Rose Garden."

Current Mood: angry

The news from the Gulf Coast states is breaking my heart. And making me furious.

"No one can say they didn't see it coming."

Condi Rice goes shoe shopping.

Scientific American magazine predicts disaster four years ago.

I'm tired of seeing my country get its ass kicked like it didn't see shit coming, when clearly, shit was on its way. And now precious time is being wasted while people are suffering, injustices rampant and the apocalyptic scenes are broadcast live. If we Americans can't get it together for our own citizens, how can we expect our government to go to other countries and try to reorganize them? It's been over four days now. You know, I really want the current administration to prove me wrong. Just do the right thing already.

Current Mood: sad
Current Music: "bob dylan's dream" - bob dylan

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one day i am going to grow wings

let down & hanging around

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