Seeing Red
April 13th, 2006If Republicans want to stop the political bleeding, they’d do well to search their souls for the truth about their recent failures. As it stands, they’re willing to blame a relatively unimportant Congressional figure, unimportant in regard to public opinion, and label him the “Minority Maker.” Because Tom DeLay’s crooked leadership, the inept and seemingly cold-hearted response to Hurricane Katrina, the Republican Party’s inability to cut spending, their in-fighting about immigration and the mishandling of the Iraq War — these things have nothing at all to do with it.
Jacques Chirac is a childish buffoon. While this article makes excuses for him, there’s none for his behavior. Madeline Albright wrote in her memoirs that a French diplomat told her that his country’s leadership envies America. Perhaps the French would have more to be proud of if they didn’t see fit to trash the nation that rescued them from Nazi tyranny at a time when they wouldn’t rescue themselves. Maybe if French Presidents didn’t see fit to retrieve the gall of De Gaulle every time America attempts to do something — anything — in the world.
To close, this article is one of the more maddening ones I’ve read. You thought our debt was bad, but you have no idea.
April 13th, 2006 at 2:28 pm
“the inept and seemingly cold-hearted response to Hurricane Katrina”
Hm. After Hurricane Ivan, Gulf Shores, AL and Pensacola, FL did not receive “Katrina-outcry.” Where was support from the left when Ivan destroyed Pensacola? I guess since I am white and do not live under water I am not applicable for nationwide support from folks like Hillary Clinton or Ted Kennedy (yourself, even?).
In terms of power, there’s hardly a difference between Ivan and Katrina. They both made landfall as a Cat 3 hurricane. In fact, Hurricane Ivan made landfall with sustained winds at 130MPH opposed to Katrina’s 125MPH.
The greater Pensacola area carries little threat in terms of flooding from a hurricane. It is highly unlikely that one would see Katrina-esque flooding in my hometown. However, Pensacola Beach is, well, on the beach. Showing no mercy, Ivan wiped it out in a period of 12 hours. The rest of Pensacola was virtually destroyed.
Oh, and Tropical Storm Arlene and Hurricane Dennis rolled around in ‘05, slapping us with a double whammy of sorts.
Again, I suppose Gulf Shores and Pensacola didn’t get the outcry from so-called “Liberals” like yourself because most of us are white down here, yes? George Bush hates black people, right? Or is it that more of us need to die before we get the attention of the elites? Sure, we can debate all day long whether or not NOLA received adequate aid from the government. You can blame those eeeeeeeeevil Republicans for not caring about black people. I’ve learned to ignore the bad attitudes and obnoxious and stupid comments that spew from the mouths of your party over Katrina.
Had it been in my power to do so, I would have helped the Katrina victims to the max. My heart goes out to those who have endured tribulation after tribulation because of the tropical cyclone’s rampage. I’ve lived on the Gulf Coast most of my life, and one thing I have learned is this: hurricanes happen. I’ve been through Erin, Opal, Danny, Georges, Ivan, Dennis, various tropical storms, and even Katrina, but you learn to live (or die!!!111) without aid from the government. FEMA helped me only after Ivan, by the way. Other than that I never received any more assistance from the government, save bottled water and perhaps an MRE.
“…The inept and seemingly cold-hearted response to Hurricane Opal…”
“…The inept and seemingly cold-hearted response to Hurricane Ivan…”
“…The inept and seemingly cold-hearted response to Hurricane Dennis…”
Why do you hate me ’cause I’m white?
April 13th, 2006 at 2:33 pm
Oh, that’s right: the Democrats were silent on Ivan’s destruction because of John Kerry’s busy campaign schedule! Woops!
April 13th, 2006 at 2:37 pm
Eminem says “John Kerry don’t like white people.”
April 13th, 2006 at 2:55 pm
“Jacques Chirac is a childish buffoon.”
Indeed, and he’s worse than George W. Bush! CHIRAC HATES OLD WHITE PEOPLE!
April 13th, 2006 at 6:29 pm
I don’t defend any of the Bush Administration’s responses to hurricanes and I deplore the way FEMA has been looked upon by the Bush White House. In describing the response to Katrina, I was discussing the manner in which it was looked at by most of the public — and, I’m sure you’ll agree, the response to the hurricane was inept and seemed to be somewhat cold-hearted.
I am not a subscriber to the George Bush hates black people, and so let me tell you that your indignation over racial issues is better directed at someone else — Kanye West? — than me. I never made a racial case about Katrina and I don’t buy the racial argument, either. I didn’t use the word “evil” either, merely “inept.”
If it were up to me, all hurricanes would be handled well, and there would be an outcry after every poor hurricane rescue effort.
April 13th, 2006 at 7:36 pm
“I don’t defend any of the Bush Administration’s responses to hurricanes and I deplore the way FEMA has been looked upon by the Bush White House.”
What about Clinton’s “handling” (as if it is the President’s job to deal with hurricanes; I believe local government should step up to the plate) of Erin, Opal, Mitch (Mitch did not hit the Gulf Coast), and Georges? Had Georges turned a bit more east and made a straight shot north, we would have had Katrina much, much earlier. Why didn’t Clinton say “Hey, we need to goose the power of NOLA’s levees” after Georges?
“I’m sure you’ll agree, the response to the hurricane was inept and seemed to be somewhat cold-hearted.”
Sure, I do agree — but I do not place blame on the President himself. Indeed, I agree more effort should have been put into the levee system, since the 2004 hurricane season was simply an omen for ‘05. If I were a partisan nut, indeed, I would blame Clinton for his lack of response after Georges.
“I am not a subscriber to the George Bush hates black people, and so let me tell you that your indignation over racial issues is better directed at someone else — Kanye West? — than me. I never made a racial case about Katrina and I don’t buy the racial argument, either. I didn’t use the word “evil” either, merely “inept.””
Good.
“If it were up to me, all hurricanes would be handled well, and there would be an outcry after every poor hurricane rescue effort.”
Yes, yes — and if it were up to me, we would all live blissfully in a land of chocolate buildings and candy corn houses. Nobody would starve to death, and we would all sing the theme song to Full House. Unfortunately, we live in a world where disaster happens. You are fooling yourself if you think “all hurricanes can [would] be handled well.” That’s what I call “pride,” and not the good kind, either. When a person begins to believe they’re in control of everything and begin to “play God,” that’s where the real trouble can be found.
First, you must realize the aftermath of even a Cat 1 storm will be tough to deal with. Hurricanes and tropical storms knock out power. Usually, 250,000+ people will be raging mad because their power is out.
Second, in some cases the damage done to homes and lives cannot be repaired. This will be the case for the many Katrina victims. Even if each person received a brand new home and a million dollars, their lives will never be the same again. The experience of going through a hurricane will be ingrained in one’s memory.
Third, you must realize Katrina was a special situation. NOLA wasn’t prepared to begin with — that’s what I find disturbing. America should learn from its mistake and start taking action. Pointing fingers is a waste a time, by the way, be it a Democrat or Republican in office.
How does one handle a natural disaster “well”? Granted, we can try our best to ameliorate the situation of the victim(s) in the aftermath of any storm, but you cannot — and will not, sad to say — handle a natural disaster “well.” It’s impossible. Short of God Himself taking action, hurricanes — that is, natural disasters in general — will never be handled “well,” especially when loss of life in involved.
Furthermore, by your own admission you say that a natural disaster cannot be handled well: “…and there would be an outcry after every poor hurricane rescue effort.” Well, why would there be an outcry when every hurricane would be handled “well” (by your own standards, of course)?
Finally, I must say this. If I were to agree with your statement that the response to Katrina was “inept and seemed to be somewhat cold-hearted,” I would then reply thus: George W. Bush and his Administration remain human and, last I checked, they did not proclaim themselves to be gods or God. Too many people, Democrats and Republicans, exult the president above human nature depending on party affiliation which is, in my opinion, disgusting.
I know from experience: a hurricane can be overwhelming. “Well,” you might say, “a leader is supposed to have back bone!” Granted, and well noted. Have you ever been through a hurricane, Greg? It can be frightening. Peering into the lives of those affected by a troublesome storm — knowing that they need food, supplies, clothes, shelter — must be paralyzing.
Nevertheless, there is no excuse for the lack of a proper levee system. Mind you, I am sure Republicans blame Clinton for the lack while Democrats blame Bush. Oh well.
By the way: The Gulf Coast has a 47% chance of getting slammed by a hurricane this year.
Usually the number is, I believe, 30%. What I am hearing from the so-called “experts” is that the east coast is going to get slammed this year, not the GOM. Maybe we will get a break…
April 13th, 2006 at 7:47 pm
My dear friend, by my own admission I am not a historian on Hurricanes. I do agree that local governments need to step up more and the blame on Bush is over-exaggerated. My main point in this post was certainly not to present a detailed analysis of hurricanes and Katrina but to make mention of the many things causing pain to the Republicans politically. I think it is unfair to confront me with a list of flaws in the past and present and misrepresent what I was saying. In my post I wasn’t even making any sort of assault on the Bush Administration’s response. All I said was that it was inept and appeared to have been cold-hearted to the American public.
You’re reading far too much into what other Liberals have said and other things you’ve read, such as with your fury over the Kanye West remarks. In case you haven’t checked, this is the Office of the Independent Blogger not the International House of Bush Hating (the UN?).
I don’t defend Clinton’s FEMA anymore than Bush’s, although in fairness I will say that James Lee Witt appears to have been a very competent man in charge. I understand your passion about the issues here, but I think you are overreacting to my post quite a bit. Not that I don’t think what you’re saying isn’t valid, but that the tone and context are both a bit off.
April 13th, 2006 at 8:24 pm
“All I said was that it was inept and appeared to have been cold-hearted to the American public.”
&&
“Not that I don’t think what you’re saying isn’t valid, but that the tone and context are both a bit off.”
You included the response to Katrina as one of the few recent failures of Republicans. A lack of response to a hurricane is nothing new, be it under the Clinton or Bush administrations. If you were being facetious (at first I believed this to be sarcasm) when you said “…these things have nothing at all to do with it,” I admit that I took your statement out of context, and I apologize for the lengthy analysis.
Had I chose a different point, such as “the Republican Party’s inability to cut spending,” and debated you blow-for-blow, would I have taken that out of context, too? All I did was this: I selected one of the topics you listed that described a failure of the Republican Party and went with it. I have a love-hate relationship with hurricanes, and I’m pretty educated on the topic, so I chose thus. Lambasting such-and-such party can be fun, I suppose, but it doesn’t mean jack if you don’t know what you’re talking about. I dissected ten words from your post, ten words pertaining to one of the supposed “Republican failures.”
BTW, you should know I was jesting about the race deal. Gee, Greg. You are white, are you not? Did I not make my jest clear when I said “Why do you hate me ’cause I’m white?” Why wouldn’t this apply to my mention of Mr. West? Had you clicked on one of the “George Bush hates white people” links, you would have known this.
;)
If I violated a policy in regards to commenting, I apologize. If one must cover the whole post when replying (point-for-point), I will remember to do so in the future.
Have a good evening.
April 13th, 2006 at 8:31 pm
You haven’t violated a single policy, mate. Besides, I owe you a great deal, and so you could post whatever you wanted here and NOT be considered to be in violation of anything.
If Republicans want to stop the political bleeding, they’d do well to search their souls for the truth about their recent failures. As it stands, they’re willing to blame a relatively unimportant Congressional figure, unimportant in regard to public opinion, and label him the “Minority Maker.” Because Tom DeLay’s crooked leadership, the inept and seemingly cold-hearted response to Hurricane Katrina, the Republican Party’s inability to cut spending, their in-fighting about immigration and the mishandling of the Iraq War — these things have nothing at all to do with it.
I labeled it a failure of the Republican Party, and I stand by that in the context of public opinion, as that’s what I was talking about. Katrina was a failure at every level in every way imaginable, and its failure transcends politics in reality — just not in perception. By that I mean that Americans have been quick to assail the Bush White House over it, and the Congress. Is that fair? Probably not. But it’s one of the many things blamed to them that have pinned them down for electoral dysfunction in November.
You don’t have to follow any format in replying to my posts, and there’s nothing specific about what you can reply to or not. I’m just saying that your comment seemed a bit off when you take the context and meaning of my post overall. As to its validity, I don’t dispute your reasoning or argument. I’m just saying that I wasn’t making a policy judgement of Bush but a political one. Although I do believe he failed, but I believe everyone failed through Katrina, so that’s moot.