Props to Shaq . . .

[westkoast]

Let me see if I have this straight.  

The Bush admin has gone too war in Iraq without a formal declaration, which only Congress can give.  It has tortured prisoners in direct violation of longstanding treaties and derided them as quaint.  It holds people incommunicado without filing charges in direct violation of the Constitution.  It sent John Ashcroft around to file Federal, CAPITAL charges against accused criminals after various states had declined to seek the death penalty.  It has interfered with state decisions in order to prevent terminally ill patients from using marijuana.  After years of reasoned debate among legal and medical experts and a numerous state level decisions Bush and company suddenly decide to try and "save" a woman who has been dead for years.  These last two come in the context of the supposed "States Rights" and "Strict Constructionist" philosphies supposedly espoused by this admin and it's supporters.  

Now, suddenly, in the face of a monstrous, horrific crisis that threatens to take the lives of tens of thousands American citizens the adminsitration is suddenly confounded by a bureaucratic TECHNICALITY?  

Ray Nagin and company screwed up royally and thousands payed the price.  He should be called to account for it.  However, the Bush admins excuse that they had to be asked to come in simply another in a long line instances of the Bush admin invoking rules only when it suits their purpose in a particular case.

Thats some good ish Jn  :up:  You bring up some very good points that escaped a few of us in this thread.

[Reality]

I am no fan of any government, indeed, I am politically neutral, but no way this can be laid at the feet of FEMA or the Federal goverment, this was failure at the state and local level that defies imagination, failure that killed people, failure that is inexcusable, failure that IMO makes the mayor of New Orleans and the governor of Louisiana almost criminally negligent. Whether the levee's were unable to handle what Katrina threw at them or not is not the point, if the city evacuation plan had been followed let alone even ordred enacted in a timely manner, which it was not, this would not have been anywhere near a fraction as bad as it wound up being, and THAT my friends, was the the mayor's fault, nobody elses.

Dan and I know of an organization whereupon we KNOW contributions will be used in the most beneficial way possible.  No skimming, no scams, no salaried directors, etc.  Do not wish to post hence it be misinterpeted as a solicitation, however do want to give another huge shout out to be extremely careful whom you donate to.

Has been plenty of exposes by the media how much scamming is done by so called reputable organizations.  I wont mention any but the one called Red ___ has been a extremely corrupt entity in many very recent disasters, including the fires of San Diego County in both 2002 and 2004.

 

[JoMal]

It gets better.

First off, after 9/11 and now Katrina, it is clear Bush is the wrong president to have when the Nation is faced with a crisis and the leader of our country must act quickly and decisively. His initial response is to freeze up. This is not good and does not ease the fears of the U.S. populance.

In the case of 9/11, his eventual response was to attack the right country, initially, and oust the Taliban in Afghanistan, but then he allowed himself to be "persuaded' to devote nearly all workable resources to invade the WRONG country, Iraq, which essentially left nothing in reserve to confront any subsequent crisis that might come alone. Like a devastating hurricane.

But ... and this is where his true talent comes forward..... he learned quickly from his Iraq experiment that there was money to be had in REBUILDING that country using specially chosen companies run by close friends and business associates both in and out of the White House. This was quite a little boon coming out of the Mess'o' potania (Jon Stewart's term) that otherwise would make him have to think, "every day. Every single day." about his exit strategy that isn't going anywhere anyway.

So what do you think Bush did first thing to "galvanize" the federal government into action to rebuild New Orleans???

Hmmmm?

That's right. He awarded those hefty and costly contracts to affiliates of the SAME COMPANIES REBUILDING IRAQ. Without taking any competitive bids, same as in Iraq.

Bush and his mob of cronies are making a fortune off the hardships of Americans.
He must be drooling over Ophelia as it pounds North Carolina.

[westkoast]

It gets better.

First off, after 9/11 and now Katrina, it is clear Bush is the wrong president to have when the Nation is faced with a crisis and the leader of our country must act quickly and decisively. His initial response is to freeze up. This is not good and does not ease the fears of the U.S. populance.

In the case of 9/11, his eventual response was to attack the right country, initially, and oust the Taliban in Afghanistan, but then he allowed himself to be "persuaded' to devote nearly all workable resources to invade the WRONG country, Iraq, which essentially left nothing in reserve to confront any subsequent crisis that might come alone. Like a devastating hurricane.

But ... and this is where his true talent comes forward..... he learned quickly from his Iraq experiment that there was money to be had in REBUILDING that country using specially chosen companies run by close friends and business associates both in and out of the White House. This was quite a little boon coming out of the Mess'o' potania (Jon Stewart's term) that otherwise would make him have to think, "every day. Every single day." about his exit strategy that isn't going anywhere anyway.

So what do you think Bush did first thing to "galvanize" the federal government into action to rebuild New Orleans???

Hmmmm?

That's right. He awarded those hefty and costly contracts to affiliates of the SAME COMPANIES REBUILDING IRAQ. Without taking any competitive bids, same as in Iraq.

Bush and his mob of cronies are making a fortune off the hardships of Americans.
He must be drooling over Ophelia as it pounds North Carolina.

Wait wait....contracts were given to those same companines "rebuilding" Iraq??  Please link me to a story if you know where its at.  I had no idea about that.

 :puke:  

[JoMal]

Wait wait....contracts were given to those same companines "rebuilding" Iraq??  Please link me to a story if you know where its at.  I had no idea about that.

 :puke:

Here is one story about it. I heard most of it on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart last night, probably the best source for these things you can find out there.

I have heard this contract is in the neighborhood of $57 billion.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/3335685

I found another one.

http://www.infowars.com/articles/new_orlea...orm_cleanup.htm

[westkoast]

Wait wait....contracts were given to those same companines "rebuilding" Iraq??  Please link me to a story if you know where its at.  I had no idea about that.

 :puke:

Here is one story about it. I heard most of it on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart last night, probably the best source for these things you can find out there.

I have heard this contract is in the neighborhood of $57 billion.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/3335685

I found another one.

http://www.infowars.com/articles/new_orlea...orm_cleanup.htm

Wow.  Thanks for the links JoMaL.