Quote:
Originally Posted by iamnotafraid
What amazes me is that we AMERICANS expect a bailout. I live along the Gulf Coast and no person or government agency could begin to measure the scope of such a disaster as some of the hurricanes we've had. FEMA is not perfect, but they did and still are helping. They helped my family and friends. Are things back to normal..............NO!!!!!!!! But with time it will be.
Some people love to lay the blaim at President Bush's feet, that is insane. And so is blaming FEMA. Mistakes were made, but most people are playing the Monday morning quarterback game.
I'll stop my little rant by just saying that we should appreciate how much our citizens and Government helps.
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I agree with you that we are responsible for ourselves. Many of my friends helped each other with the sandbags, moving of furniture upstairs, transportation out of the city, etc. So, I think the vast majority of people did help themselves. But, and again, what is the 80 year old poor and sick woman with no family and no money to go anywhere going to do?
Having said that, government, FEMA in particular, has taken on that role. They are the ones who provide disaster relief. They did not do so in a timely manner in the case of Katrina despite advance warning. That is a proven fact - just look at that article I posted earlier that contains that quote from Michael Brown to Gov. Blanco, that was a lie - not to mention W's declaration of NOLA as a Fed. Disater Area PRIOR to the storm. Then the machinery for the photo ops only and the manipulation of Blanco by Rove -- all while people were dying and in misery. Why is not okay to fault them? I mean if FEMA could bring in the calvary when it did, why couldn't it have done it earlier with just a little preparation, despite the bad acts of Blanco and Nagin, which were many? These are legitimate questions, esp. when the head of FEMA is telling you not to worry.
As for playing the "Monday morning quarterback game" - I remember flying back from Alaska on that Sat. and seeing the storm from the plane (it was that large) -- I remember thinking along the lines of "the govt. better have their shiitte in gear for this one." Sadly, all three did not. However, that W and his cronies played politics on Louisiana (D) but not in Mississippi (R) and that it took FEMA days when it should have and could have taken hours because they were well warned (W declared it an emergency area prior to the storm
) -- speaks volumes (read that CNN article about Brown attitude and emails - - it speaks volumes and that Brown treated it as a thing to joke about) . Also, FEMA actually turned away trailers full of water from large stores like Wal Mart because they were waiting to go in en masse. How fukced up is that esp. considering the sheer amount of water available -- it would have been enough for everyone? Then, W had the effrontery to try to spin it by saying "YOU'RE DOIN A HECK OF JOB BROWNIE" when he damn well knew that was not the case. How can you defend that?
Should we be appreciative of the govt.? Yes, we should. In fact, for the most part and though some mistakes have been made, the Feds have been very efficient post Katrina. And, the actions of the Coast Guard and all the other immediate service providers in NOLA and the Gulf Coast was great. The Coast Guard began airlifting people out almost immediately -- KUDOS to them! But, not to cry foul and hold those accountable for the death and misery (even of the "human debris" as the unlearned and mostly bigoted neophyte put it) that could have been prevented with any timely action whatsoever is irresponsible. Mind you, I think if you (generally) could have gotten out and did not, you have no room to bitch about the govt. for any of you misery. In fact, I blame you for the deaths of the people you may have caused by making the Coast Guard waste time by air lifting your able body from your home. You caused that alone and you should be ashamed of yourself. So, I am not all about blaming the govt. I am just pointing out that W and his cronies made a mess of it and the R's are trying to spin it into no blame for them. For goodness sake, Michael Brown was in Baton Rouge having long lunches (unbothered by pesky phone calls) and discussing how his wardrobe read on camera apparently oblivious to the people dying or about to die less than 100 miles away. That was why he was in Louisiana in the first place
Again, I am all for blaming Blanco and Nagin as well. But the level of fraud and disconcern by W and his cronies is far more jarring.