Katrina: Giving the "thumbs up" to terrorists everywhere

[toman]

Could it be any more obvious now that this country is unprepared for a large scale emergency of any kind, or that our government doesn't give a damn about it's people? If there were any terrorists with enough balls to attack the U.S. (which I doubt there are) with say, a biological weapon or even just a small nuclear device, we'd have no chance. But hey, we have all the money and resources in the world to go fuck up someone else's country, right?

[morningsunshine]

Could it be any more obvious now that this country is unprepared for a large scale emergency of any kind, or that our government doesn't give a damn about it's people? If there were any terrorists with enough balls to attack the U.S. (which I doubt there are) with say, a biological weapon or even just a small nuclear device, we'd have no chance. But hey, we have all the money and resources in the world to go fuck up someone else's country, right?
I was actually thinking about that the other day. Only when people got to the point of rioting did the gvmt do anything. Also, we are completely unprepared for a terrorist attack of any kind, with all of our troops split between Iraq and assisting with Katrina aftermath. This is the ideal time for terrorists to attack us and I doubt we're the only ones that know it...

If there was no Iraq war, we'd be much more able to handle the current situation. I've heard Bush cut money from the levee-repair funding to send it over to Iraq (but I don't know if this is true or not), and that there aren't enough helicopters for the relief effort because they're all overseas. Plus, with all the extra troops we'd have if they weren't over there, there would be more effective aid going to the victims of the hurricane. And does anyone know why it took Bush 5 days after the hurricane to actually get over to the affected states?

Speaking of which, I wish I could go over there and do something... I feel so helpless, just sitting here and watching everything on the news. I know that the South Florida counties have donated quite a bit of money because we're kind of sympathetic here because of Francis and Jeanne, but I feel like I, myself, can't do anything but watch, and maybe donate the $18 I've got in my wallet right now. I just can't believe something so terrible has happened, I'm worried sick about the well-being of those people, and the people that haven't yet been found.

[treehugger]

Open letter from Michael Moore to Prez. Bush:

Dear Mr. Bush:
>
>Any idea where all our helicopters are? It's Day 5 of
>Hurricane Katrina and thousands remain stranded in New
>Orleans and need to be airlifted. Where on earth could
>you have misplaced all our military choppers? Do you
>need help finding them? I once lost my car in a Sears
>parking lot. Man, was that a drag.
>
>Also, any idea where all our national guard soldiers
>are? We could really use them right now for the type
>of thing they signed up to do like helping with
>national disasters. How come they weren't there to
>begin with?
>
>Last Thursday I was in south Florida and sat outside
>while the eye of Hurricane Katrina passed over my
>head. It was only a Category 1 then but it was pretty
>nasty. Eleven people died and, as of today, there were
>still homes without power. That night the weatherman
>said this storm was on its way to New Orleans. That
>was Thursday! Did anybody tell you? I know you didn't
>want to interrupt your vacation and I know how you
>don't like to get bad news. Plus, you had fundraisers
>to go to and mothers of dead soldiers to ignore and
>smear. You sure showed her!
>
>I especially like how, the day after the hurricane,
>instead of flying to Louisiana, you flew to San Diego
>to party with your business peeps. Don't let people
>criticize you for this -- after all, the hurricane was
>over and what the heck could you do, put your finger
>in the dike?
>
>And don't listen to those who, in the coming days,
>will reveal how you specifically reduced the Army
>Corps of Engineers' budget for New Orleans this summer
>for the third year in a row. You just tell them that
>even if you hadn't cut the money to fix those levees,
>there weren't going to be any Army engineers to fix
>them anyway because you had a much more important
>construction job for them -- BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN
>IRAQ!
>
>On Day 3, when you finally left your vacation home, I
>have to say I was moved by how you had your Air Force
>One pilot descend from the clouds as you flew over New
>Orleans so you could catch a quick look of the
>disaster. Hey, I know you couldn't stop and grab a
>bullhorn and stand on some rubble and act like a
>commander in chief. Been there done that.
>
>There will be those who will try to politicize this
>tragedy and try to use it against you. Just have your
>people keep pointing that out. Respond to nothing.
>Even those pesky scientists who predicted this would
>happen because the water in the Gulf of Mexico is
>getting hotter and hotter making a storm like this
>inevitable. Ignore them and all their global warming
>Chicken Littles. There is nothing unusual about a
>hurricane that was so wide it would be like having one
>F-4 tornado that stretched from New York to Cleveland.
>
>
>No, Mr. Bush, you just stay the course. It's not your
>fault that 30 percent of New Orleans lives in poverty
>or that tens of thousands had no transportation to get
>out of town. C'mon, they're black! I mean, it's not
>like this happened to Kennebunkport. Can you imagine
>leaving white people on their roofs for five days?
>Don't make me laugh! Race has nothing -- NOTHING -- to
>do with this!
>
>You hang in there, Mr. Bush. Just try to find a few of
>our Army helicopters and send them there. Pretend the
>people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are near
>Tikrit.
>
>Yours,
>
>Michael Moore
>MMFlint@aol.com
>www.MichaelMoore.com
>
>P.S. That annoying mother, Cindy Sheehan, is no longer
>at your ranch. She and dozens of other relatives of
>the Iraqi War dead are now driving across the country,
>stopping in many cities along the way. Maybe you can
>catch up with them before they get to DC on September
>21st.
>

[CowboyHippy]

one good thing to note however

a lot of other countries are offering aid, money, skilled people and what not

there was a guy at work belly-aching that we are always first to help out and never get any help, we have a lot of help here, we just aren't using it to the fullest.

thanks australlia, russia venezuela, and countless others, your gifts are appreciated, as soon as George WWIII gets his head out of his ass we may actually be able to accept your help (that goes for you mr Castro and your donated 25 tons of medical supplies, sitting 90 miles off our coast....)

[treehugger]

one good thing to note however

a lot of other countries are offering aid, money, skilled people and what not

there was a guy at work belly-aching that we are always first to help out and never get any help, we have a lot of help here, we just aren't using it to the fullest.

thanks australlia, russia venezuela, and countless others, your gifts are appreciated, as soon as George WWIII gets his head out of his ass we may actually be able to accept your help (that goes for you mr Castro and your donated 25 tons of medical supplies, sitting 90 miles off our coast....)

Damn right, Cowboy. Betcha Dubya turns up his nose to Castro's donation...Venezuela too? I didn't know that one.. (sigh)

I'm broken up over this; New Orleans was my FAVORITE city ever. Lots of good memories there. But we also, can't forget about the other cities ravaged by the hurricane in Mississippi, too. :(

Very, very sad, indeed.

Kath

[morningsunshine]

thanks australlia, russia venezuela, and countless others, your gifts are appreciated, as soon as George WWIII gets his head out of his ass we may actually be able to accept your help (that goes for you mr Castro and your donated 25 tons of medical supplies, sitting 90 miles off our coast....)
Not to mention smaller countries that are dipping into their own, tightly stretched budgets to help out... like the Dominican Republic and the countries still recovering from the tsunami, like India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand... :) And even Afghanistan and Cuba are pitching in... I love it when people help each other out! I wish it could be like this all the time... only without the national disaster part.

And I guess we're going to be getting another Michael Moore movie in theatres soon, I can't wait. His letter made me smile, but I hardly think it'll be taken seriously...

[toman]

Yeah, I appreciate most of what Moore has to say, but it doesn't help his cause or his supporters' causes when he comes off as a big fat idiot, always shooting his mouth off and acting like an ass. You'd think liberal America could find a little bit more respectable spokesperson... And as for all the aid from other countries, yes, thanks! But it'd sure be nice if we could make use of all that we have, first. But what the hell, right... Now that they're sending in the Marine Corps, (which, technically is illegal), everything will be straightened out in no time. Who needs the National Gaurd anyway...

[unclejoe]

Moore is a big fat loudmouth.
he stated what every broadcaster wishes they could say on the air.
he's right. :cheers:

Bush has already said 'no thanks'. typical.

morningshine, there's alway prayer to your preferred diety. :group_hug

(this thread reminds me of what we :hippie: did during the 60's.)

[morningsunshine]

Yeah, I appreciate most of what Moore has to say, but it doesn't help his cause or his supporters' causes when he comes off as a big fat idiot, always shooting his mouth off and acting like an ass. You'd think liberal America could find a little bit more respectable spokesperson... And as for all the aid from other countries, yes, thanks! But it'd sure be nice if we could make use of all that we have, first. But what the hell, right... Now that they're sending in the Marine Corps, (which, technically is illegal), everything will be straightened out in no time. Who needs the National Gaurd anyway...
Yeah, that pisses me off, that we're refusing aid (Looks like America's gotta save its reputation as a macho country... we don't need help from Indonesia, that little speck of an island!!! :mad:), and sending away busloads of doctors willing and able to help. FEMA's a bunch of crap, now even more so because they can't do whatever they want, they have to get through a bunch of red tape first because they've been "absorbed". They didn't do a very good job down here either after Francis and Jeanne, FEMA was still here after 8 mos. because they were slow and inefficient, and the damage was not nearly as bad... very localised flooding near the beach & river, and some pretty extensive roof damage and fallen trees, but nowhere near as bad as this one. I can't even begin to imagine how long they're going to be dealing with Katrina.. if they'd just accept some extra help maybe things would go quicker.

Why is bringing in the Marine Corps illegal? As you can tell, my knowledge of the Armed Forces is pretty extensive *falls asleep during recruiting speech in the gym*

[morningsunshine]

Moore is a big fat loudmouth.
he stated what every broadcaster wishes they could say on the air.
he's right. :cheers:

Bush has already said 'no thanks'. typical.

morningshine, there's alway prayer to your preferred diety. :group_hug

(this thread reminds me of what we :hippie: did during the 60's.)
Lol the Tao is not confined by such labels as "diety" :D

*meditates*

[Herbmama]

this back out here...and see what happens... ;)

crafty :bandit:

[toman]

Why is bringing in the Marine Corps illegal?
That's the point of differentiating between military and the National Gaurd. The military is designed to go overseas and blow the fuck out of people, the Gaurd is designed to protect and help us at home. But, with no war actually being declared, our government has sent the Gaurd overseas, so now they're going to bring in the military to fix us up, in effect turning a portion of the USA into a "shoot first ask questions later" military state.