I found a couple stories about how every official govt agency seems to have cocked up the relief efforts for Katrina. Thus furthering my point and making me look smart. I like to do that.

Report from Refugees

Show us your tits, and we’ll rescue you

3 students rescue survivors in a Hyundai

During the Bush Administration, Louisiana received more Corps money for flood control than any other state, but spent hundreds of millions of dollars on pork projects

So I used to love him on Sportcenter when I was 13. I would watch him every morning before I got on the bus. Then he decided that he didn’t want to talk sports anymore and he wen’t to a “real” channel to talk news. His show Countdown is pretty sweet, but I hardly ever catch it. Like most interesting things I found it on them thar intarwebs. It really fits with my last post about Katrina. link at the bottom.

I think I’ve decided that I hate politicians in general. If you really want to make a difference then don’t become a politician. Don’t become a reporter either. Just get out there and do something. Be a teacher, a Missionary, Join Greenpeace, join the peace corps, the real work is on the ground level. Speaking in general stereotypes, all politicians are corrupt, some are just better at hiding it.

via KO is a badass

I’ve been trying to come up with an angle to talk about this whole situation. I’ve been watching clips on CNN all day about what’s going on in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. It started this morning on Elliot when a woman called in to “complain” that Walmart was giving 15 million to the relief effort. I think we would all agree that that is a small amount for them. But it’s still 15 million dollars, then she spent about 5 minutes ranting about how Walmart puts “mom and pop” stores out of buisness.

That is the proplem with all this coverage and complaining about the response to the Hurricane. Everyone feels the need to project their political agenda into every conversation about it. Bush did this, Walmart could do more, We didn’t evacuate the poor people without cars, we did more for the tsunami victims.

I know people who don’t like bush, I know people who really like bush. I don’t understand what a president actaully does in a disaster. I really don’t even know what a president does in general What I remember about the Clinton presidency is this… He always looked like he knew what he was doing. He was a very good speaker. Nothing really really major happened during his watch. During the last 5 years we’ve had a major terrorist attack, a war, and now the worst natural disaster for America in the last 40 years, maybe ever. I don’t know if there’s been a worst time for us. I hope he knows what he’s doing, I hope this works out and the aid gets to the right people. I don’t care who is president I just want to save everyone we can, but it’s going to take time.

I don’t want to really go into the Walmart argument right now. But here’s my short feeling. I like Walmart. I like paying cheaper prices. I know that they have grown to be one of the biggest stores ever, and they might not always treat everyone right (employees, suppliers) But they are a company not a church. They are in buisness to make as much money as possible. From what I’ve read they seem to have given the most money as anyone. so make your argument some other time.

We didn’t evacuate the poor people without cars what???? I obviously know that I’m only 24 and I don’t know everything. But when have we ever evacuated people ? Hurricanes only happen like 5 times every year. It seems to me that these people had been through other hurricanes and thought they could ride it out. I’d heard the doom and gloom senarios on the news on monday and I didn’t really take them seriously either. It’s like when they tell you that yellowstone is a supervolcano that could wipe out all life on earth. It could happen but you hope it never will. I think the evacuation plans went fine. It’s too bad that these poor and sick people got stuck in the city. I feel for them but….

When you say that we did more for the tsunami victims that is total bullshit. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. Tsunami = giant wave comes in, giant wave goes out. begin cleanup… Katrina 140mph winds and rain come in, flatten everything, storm surge pushes water in, levees break, water does not go out… They’re not the same thing at all. Also unless the plague breaks out in NO, then many many more people died in the tsunami.

What makes me sick about all this is what the people who are left in NO are doing to eachother. This is what I think is wrong with America, and the world today, there aren’t enough people left here that care for one another. Instead of helping some are out looting, raping, and shooting. I can’t say that I would pass up *free* stuff. I can only hope that my morals would prevail over the desire to have a new tv. But some evacuations and rescues had to be stopped because of sniper fire, roving gangs of armed men, and fires set by arsonists. Apparently women have been raped inside the Superdome and maybe a shooting. That makes me sad. What the fuck is the matter with you. I’m not going to start supporting eye for a eye justice, but I hope someone finds you and hits you in the balls with a hard sharp object.

One of the only reports that made me hopeful was a press conference by Rep. Elijah Cummings (MD) Unlike others he wasn’t just blaming other people. Although he did voice his displeasure with FEMA’s response to the issue. It could just be that he is a well spoken man. But he also offered hope along with his complaints. We don’t need to be blaming others. We need to help. In his address he recited this verse. I think it’s the thing that stuck with me most.

“Then the
King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father;
take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the
world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was
thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me
in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked
after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ ³⁷“Then the
righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or
thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a
stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When
did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ ⁴⁰“The King
will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of
these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

via cnn