SlipLive

Used to be if your pants were down in the Oral Office it meant you were getting some action. Now it's just another sign of the "status quo": coast along, play golf, let someone else figure it out (sound familiar?). The same apathy and lack of preparedness that led to additional loss on 9/11 is the same method used to allow people in New Orleans to literally die like flies.

Now George "Where's my Golf Ball" Bush is visiting to see what he can do. It's already too late. We should send 100,000 guard troops to help stop the raping and pillaging, but they are all in Iraq. We're lucky to scrounge up 10,000. And people wanting to drive down to help are being turned away. The cops say "oh, don't worry, we have the situation under control".

This week has been a disturbing and depressing one for our country. We have shown the world that we are still completely unprepared to stand up to any kind of major disaster.

Now read this:

http://www.americanprogressaction.org/s ... =1364537#3

Zeppelin saw this coming, it would seem (from these lyrics):

When The Levee Breaks
(Bonham/Jones/Page/Plant/Memphis Minnie)

If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break, (X2)
When The Levee Breaks I'll have no place to stay.

Mean old levee taught me to weep and moan, (X2)
Got what it takes to make a mountain man leave his home,
Oh, well, oh, well, oh, well.

Don't it make you feel bad
When you're tryin' to find your way home,
You don't know which way to go?
If you're goin' down South
They go no work to do,
If you don't know about Chicago.

Cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good,
Now, cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good,
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to move.

All last night sat on the levee and moaned, (X2)
Thinkin' about me baby and my happy home.
Going, going to Chicago... Going to Chicago... Sorry but I can't take you...
Going down... going down now... going down....



Now while I'm on my tirade, I guess I was wrong to think it was more dangerous to be in a religious pilgrimage than in the eye of the latest hurricane. Even though Katrina is nowhere near as deadly as the Tsunami, it is apalling that the US can't help its own citizens who are in mortal peril (and I reiterate are dying like flies).

If we think the survivors in New Orleans are just flies who noone will care when they die, we are thinking along the wrong party lines.

God, flag and country? That's the madness we are living in. I am ashamed to be a citizen of the United States. We only seem to be United where money is involved.

-Fucking Nazi Maggots!!!

Phrazz

what's it gonna take for americans to actually react?
to get together, stand up, realize you are constantly being fucked over, and finally revolt!?!?
how many more lives?
it blows my mind that at least half the people (on paper, anyways) takes this shit on the bullshit spoon its fed to them. fuck your government. it has to start from the ground up, but when are people going to get it?

this whole thing is a mess. an unfathomable mess. im filled with sadness, sympathy, anger, frustration, confusion, etc, etc.. it's not even my homeland.

whatever the best is, it's all we can hope for, and i wish for it to turn out that way. i cant say it cant get much worse... cuz im sure it can.. i just really hope, for the sake of a shitload of people, that it doesnt.

sm wrote:what's it gonna take for americans to actually react?
to get together, stand up, realize you are constantly being fucked over, and finally revolt!?!?
how many more lives?
it blows my mind that at least half the people (on paper, anyways) takes this shit on the bullshit spoon its fed to them. fuck your government. it has to start from the ground up, but when are people going to get it?

sm- you'll never know how many of us are asking the same question. i feel like antibalas, "who is this america?". these are sad days indeed and i honestly think this is mentally affecting me more than 9/11. i'm incensed over this whole thing, how we're supposed to be the greatest nation on the earth and we cannot even take care of our own people because of our ignorance and corruption. we're a falling empire and everyone sees this but us. i was watching tv last night and became so frustrated when i realized i could either watch the horrid scenes from NOLA or tune in to the type of programming that keeps us all ignorant and blind(ex. pimp my ride, trading spaces, cops etc etc). i needed a machine gun to clear my head so i put in jimi hendrix at the isle of wright. there was a interview with dick cavett and jimi said "there are alot of sleeping people out there". sadly, he'll never know how right he was...

Machine gun,
tearin' my body all apart.
Machine gun,yeah,
tearin' my body all apart.
Evil man make me kill you.
Evil man make you kill me.
Evil man make me kill you,
even though were only famlies apart.
Well,I pick up my axe and fight like a farmer,
You know what I mean?
Weh,hey,and your bullets keep knockin' me down.
Hey,I pick up my axe an' fight like a farmer,now,
yeah,but you still blast me down to the ground.
The same way you shoot me baby,
you'll be goin' just the same,three times the pain.
And with your own self to blame,machine gun!

I ain't afraid of your bullets no more,baby.
I ain't afraid no more.
After awhile,your,your cheap talk won't even cause me pain,
so let your bullets fly like rain.
'Cause I know all the time your wrong,baby,
and you'll be goin' just the same.
Machine gun,tearin' my family apart.
Hey yeah,alright,tearin' my family apart.

the mayor of N.O. expresses how he feels on a radio interview

everyones pissed. this is a disaster. i feel as helpless and angry as everyone else does. its frightening how the system controls how we feel and react. what can i do to help? what can i do to help NOW? should i get a bus and drive down and try to evacuate people? should i raid my foot cabinet and give it to the red cross? we are all so detached from one another through our jobs and our daily routines. we have relied on the gov to relieve our issues, and when beurocracy, red tape, and monkeys in suits get in the way, we get fucked.

Everyone shoud be angry and upset.

Everyone is being affected by this. We're seeing some of the people hardest hit on TV, but there's also the people who got away from the area and have to rely on friends and family for a while, and don't know if they'll have a home or job to return to. My best friend from when I was growing up has lived in the middle of the French Quarter for about a year. It took 3 days just to get through to her cell-phone's voicemail, and I've only heard second-hand that someone spoke to her on Wednesday and she is OK. I still don't know where she is and how far away from the area she managed to get. I'm going back to my hometown this weekend and am hoping I'll be able to get in touch with her family to see if there's anything I can do to help, but still... yeah, I feel helpless too.

Please do raid your cabinets for canned goods, or give money or blood to the Red Cross. It's hard for individuals to feel like they're making much of a difference but by contributing to the groups that can get down there and do some good, you can help. If you're angry about what the Federal government is or isn't doing call or e-mail your representatives in Congress; anyone can do it and there are people whose job it is just to listen to constituents and take note of what they think.

i am so sickened and saddened..... i don't know what to do with my thoughts or my feelings........

where do i direct these?

how do i help?

which already-late bill do i push back further to throw in some dollars? i wish i could convince the owners of my apartment building to donate my $800 rent to the south. maybe i should try that.

maybe it will take a tragedy and negligence of this magnitude to get bush impeached. that's the only bright side i can see to this horror.

i listened to that interview with the mayor and my heart just broke. holy fucking shit.

i found it interesting that in the link you posted, diesel, the writer kinda makes the drug addict comment out to be more condemning and scathing, whereas in the interview the mayor sounds a lot more sympathetic and really just trying to offer an explanation.

i read this today, as well..

A man walked past the bodies dragging a pallet loaded with big bottles of ginger ale, some plates and a frying pan. To the rest of America watching the tragedy unfold on their televisions, he was one of the looters, denounced by President Bush.

But to the people inside the convention centre, he was one of a band of heroes keeping them alive. "The people who were going into the stores would give us water and food, said Edna Harris, Henry Carr's aunt. "There would be ladies with babies and they had no milk, and these guys would break in and bring them milk."

Point your fingers in the right direction:

You can read the official Southeast LA disaster Plan:
http://www.loep.state.la.us/plans/plansindex.htm

They predicted that something like 135K people did not have the means (ie car) to evacuate and that buses would be needed for a cat 3 or greater. The local gov't never called for the buses thus the shelters got overrun. That's not the only part of their plan they failed to follow.

The Mayor of NOLA has so far escaped culpability for this (although it appears that's changing), and especially how on Saturday, before the storm hit, the LA Governor's office rejected the Fed's offer to take over the immediate response to the storm. The Mayor didn't even order the city evacuated until Sunday, after President Bush declared the area a disaster area. Reportedly when Bush called Nagin on Sunday morning, he "strongly suggested" that Nagin order the evacuation immediately.

Now he is screaming for help (from a air conditioned hotel room), when he should be screaming at himself.

Jeff...where's your source [for the report on the reject of help, etc.]

The blame falls largely on FEMA and the lack of alacrity of government bureaucracies to move fast in the face of an impending disaster. Our government is supposed to protect us from major disasters (not terrorist attacks). Regardless of whether mayors, governors, etc are pissed enough (or stupid enough) to refuse help (I'd like to see the reference you're talking about), the Fed still has a direct and immediate responsibility to get emergency teams into place. Seems like a week later they're finally getting somewhat mobilized, but the help is still quite short of the mark. I've read a lot on this matter, and will gladly read more if you provide your sources.

Moving FEMA under DHS is a gigantic mistake, which we will pay for again with our lives when there's another major disasters.

I know how bureaucracies work (particularly the Fed) as I am immersed in one daily. I can cite plenty of examples of how the government fails daily due to an inability to make critical decisions (whether related to my own job, Katrina, 9/11 or any other major disaster). This one is just particularly devastating because the stars were all "aligned" and even after the monster hit, Bush was still playing golf.

Blame it on the Gov'nuh? I don't think so....

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp ... 1001054570
http://rhosgobel.blogspot.com/2005/09/h ... rison.html
http://www.democraticunderground.com/di ... 04x4605183
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050903/ts ... &printer=1
http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana ... =louisiana
http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana ... =louisiana
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 00576.html
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05246/565143.stm
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/katrina_national_guard
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/8/31/235829/261


Just like on 9/11, Bush is playing with crayons and fixing his make-up. He is sorely unable to run this country, even in times of clear sailing. If I had him on my combat team in the infantry, I would run away from him as fast as possible. He is not qualified to be our President.

When something this monstrous happens, you need BIG HELP FAST. Our government is a bunch of sorry-assed slackers clothed in designer suits, and they largely exist to represent their own trust funds. For the most part their support of the individuals in crisis is lackluster at best, and deadly at the worst (as we've seen here and on 9/11).

I'm ashamed to be an American. The help still falls short of what's sorely needed. On top of all of this mess, the reason more help wasn't sent sooner was because Bush was caught sleeping at the wheel (at a resort once again...he spents lots of his time in leisure activities and campaigning for his minions).

-Phrazz

Sun Aug-28-05

On Sunday, as headlines report "Katrina Packing Wind of Nearly 175 Mph" and New Orleans is ordered to evacuate, Bush finally resurfaces in a taped appearance. He makes brief remarks about Katrina and then discusses Iraq. Transcript: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/2005082... Later the White House issues one photo of Bush being briefed on Katrina.

Mon Aug-29-05

As the hurricane rages, Bush flies to Arizona for a "Conversation on Medicare." Upon landing, he presents John McCain with a birthday cake. He then flies to San Diego to spend the night at the luxury resort Hotel del Coronado, reportedly attending a fundraiser that night.

Tue Aug-30-05

As floodwaters inundate New Orleans and the Gulf Coast reels from the catastrophe, Bush speaks at a VJ-Day ceremony in San Diego. Afterwards singer Mark Wills presents him with a guitar. He then returns to Crawford for the night.





[Note: he's almost playing a G, but at the wrong fret. ;-}]

I am not trying to state that the local government is all to blame for lack of responce. I am stating that there was failure at both local and federal levels. I started at the local level.


Sunday, Sept. 4, 2005 12:47 p.m. EDT
Gov. Kathleen Blanco Refused Bush Aid
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005 ... 4905.shtml


Though her state has been devastated by Hurricane Katrina and thousands are believed dead in New Orleans, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco has refused to allow the federal government to take control of evacuation efforts.

"Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans," the Washington Post reported in Sunday editions.

Gov. Blanco's office rejected the request, the paper said - concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law.
The Louisiana Democrat had also failed to use more than a hundred school buses parked near the Superdome to transport stranded citizens who didn't have the means to obey earlier evacuation orders.

After the 17th Street Levee broke on Tuesday, the buses were rendered usless by rising flood waters.

State and federal officials also told the Post that Gov. Blanco did not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until Wednesday - more than 24 hours after New Orleans descended into chaos.


Many Evacuated, but Thousands Still Waiting
White House Shifts Blame to State and Local Officials
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 01680.html

By Manuel Roig-Franzia and Spencer Hsu
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, September 4, 2005; Page A01

NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 3 -- Tens of thousands of people spent a fifth day awaiting evacuation from this ruined city, as Bush administration officials blamed state and local authorities for what leaders at all levels have called a failure of the country's emergency management.

President Bush authorized the dispatch of 7,200 active-duty ground troops to the area -- the first major commitment of regular ground forces in the crisis -- and the Pentagon announced that an additional 10,000 National Guard troops will be sent to Louisiana and Mississippi, raising the total Guard contingent to about 40,000.

Authorities reported progress in restoring order and electricity and repairing levees, as a hospital ship arrived and cruise ships were sent to provide temporary housing for victims. As Louisiana officials expressed confidence that they had begun to get a handle on the crisis, a dozen National Guard troops broke into applause late Saturday as Isaac Kelly, 81, the last person to be evacuated from the Superdome, boarded a school bus.

But there remained an overwhelming display of human misery on the streets of New Orleans, where the last 1,500 people were being evacuated from the Convention Center amid an overpowering odor of human waste and rotting garbage. The evacuees, most of them black and poor, spoke of violence, anarchy and family members who died for lack of food, water and medical care.

About 42,000 people had been evacuated from the city by Saturday afternoon, with roughly the same number remaining, city officials said. Search-and-rescue efforts continued in flooded areas of the city, where an unknown number of people wait in their homes, on rooftops or in makeshift shelters. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the flooding -- 250,000 have been absorbed by Texas alone, and local radio reported that Baton Rouge will have doubled in population by Monday. Federal officials said they have begun to collect corpses but could not guess the total toll.

Behind the scenes, a power struggle emerged, as federal officials tried to wrest authority from Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D). Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, a source within the state's emergency operations center said Saturday.

The administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request. "Quite frankly, if they'd been able to pull off taking it away from the locals, they then could have blamed everything on the locals," said the source, who does not have the authority to speak publicly.

A senior administration official said that Bush has clear legal authority to federalize National Guard units to quell civil disturbances under the Insurrection Act and will continue to try to unify the chains of command that are split among the president, the Louisiana governor and the New Orleans mayor.

Louisiana did not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until Wednesday, three state and federal officials said. As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency, the senior Bush official said.

"The federal government stands ready to work with state and local officials to secure New Orleans and the state of Louisiana," White House spokesman Dan Bartlett said. "The president will not let any form of bureaucracy get in the way of protecting the citizens of Louisiana."

Blanco made two moves Saturday that protected her independence from the federal government: She created a philanthropic fund for the state's victims and hired James Lee Witt, Federal Emergency Management Agency director in the Clinton administration, to advise her on the relief effort.

Bush, who has been criticized, even by supporters, for the delayed response to the disaster, used his weekly radio address to put responsibility for the failure on lower levels of government. The magnitude of the crisis "has created tremendous problems that have strained state and local capabilities," he said. "The result is that many of our citizens simply are not getting the help they need, especially in New Orleans. And that is unacceptable."

Hey Jeff,

Not to split hairs, but your references are weak. The first advertises viagra and cialis (take a closer look at the site) and is quoting a Post article. There have been numerous "misstatements" by the Post about Katrina, and I would not be surprised if some of these "quotes" have already been retracted.

The Mayor and Governor were both extremely frustrated by the lack of Federal response, and it is pretty obvious there was some political infighting on both sides. This is not quite as relevant as the thousands who are dying because of inadequate response.

I would have to say once the local level is "decimated" it becomes rather obvious that the responsibilities lies squarely on the shoulders of Uncle Sam (not Sam no. 1 or no. 2, the big guy who takes our taxes).

I've read hundreds of articles on "typical" sites like newspapers and other "large scale" journalism to blogs on various right and left-wing sites. It seems that people even have a political agenda when it comes to saving lives (and laying blame).

I will restate the main problems: cops make bad EMTs.

FEMA is supposed to handle earthquakes, floods and hurricanes. DHS is supposed to protect us from terrorists. Putting FEMA under DHS is a humongous mistake, and we'll pay for it dearly once again. The Fed is often too big to get out of its own way...but under Bush, the Fed has never been slower, dumber and more dangerous.

I'll dig up some references on these Post "tidbits" and get some source from the actual speeches these are probably taken from.

My estimation is blames lies largely (80%) on the Fed. Considering that the local NO police force was also flooded, they are pretty helpless and this should be obvious to any smart President.

-Phrazz

This NewsMax site looks very much like "God, Flag and Country."

I am pretty pissed off they took my home state's motto, those bastards!

http://www.newsmaxstore.com/nms/showpro ... roup_ID=82

FEMA still is holding things up (so are pissed-off citizens, who should we blame?).

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050906/ap_ ... NlYwNmYw--

The president made his second trip to the disaster area yesterday, but has only flown over New Orleans and has not made an on the ground visit. It was not immediately clear whether Mr Cheney would touch down in the stricken city.

Announcing the investigation, Mr Bush said he would not play the "blame game", but would get to the bottom of why things had gone wrong with the disaster response.

"Bureaucracy is not going to stand in the way of getting the job done for the people," he said after a White House cabinet meeting.

Go here. Look at the dates.

Our government is rewriting history even as we "speak".

http://www.fema.gov/news/eventnews.fema?id=4808

This disaster is another Orwellian Epic unfolding before our eyes...