When I began this blog in 2001, I was appalled by President Bush's headlong rush to an illegal war (we were not in fact under attack). As time wore on and Bush began his assault on the Constitution and any people bold enough to criticize, I believed that "the republic is endangered more by actions of our own government than by those of any terrorist." With the election of a high-minded, compassionate, intelligent man like Barack Obama, my fears have ceased.
"Honor them with peace, not war"
United for Peace
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
An article in the New York Times has Pres. Bush saying he's responsible for failures of the federal government in theaftermath of hurricane Katrina.
But he's not at all saying it's his fault FEMA screwed up. That's rsponsible in quotes: '' responsible.'' As in ok, I am the president, so in some distant, kind of technical way, I'm responsible -- but I don't personally run FEMA so don't blame me. This is not something I'm gonna be confessing to my priest"
Note in the following excerpt, that Bush does not anwer thequestion, he merely rephrases it. This is an avoidance tactic.
Says the Times:
In other words, 'Should Americans be concerned? -- good question.'
I say, the answer is yes! Yes, we should be concerned. If it were simply a matter of errors being made, corrections could be made to right things. But this is a failure of will, not ability. A functioning Federal Emergency Management Agency was in place, andunder Bush it was subsumed under the mythical 'homeland security' agency, and then dismantled and unbudgeted. You call that a 'mistake?' I dont. I call that a policy.
Apparently they had no idea the American people would care. So now Bush is back-pedalling, trying to make it seem like a simple mistake that can easily beforgiven and that he will fix.
So stop talking about it, okay??
I fully expect the press slip back into compliant mode and move on now. Most of the immediate emergency is passed, it appears, so why not?
Well, think of what will not be covered adquately or at all if the press moves on:
There are, no doubt, other questions waiting to be addressed; I hope you readers will suggest them.
Copyright © 2001-03 Pam Shorey
(except the specific sources credited in quotes)
President Says He's Responsible in Storm Lapses - New York Times
An article in the New York Times has Pres. Bush saying he's responsible for failures of the federal government in theaftermath of hurricane Katrina.
But he's not at all saying it's his fault FEMA screwed up. That's rsponsible in quotes: '' responsible.'' As in ok, I am the president, so in some distant, kind of technical way, I'm responsible -- but I don't personally run FEMA so don't blame me. This is not something I'm gonna be confessing to my priest"
Note in the following excerpt, that Bush does not anwer thequestion, he merely rephrases it. This is an avoidance tactic.
Says the Times:
In response to a reporter who asked if Americans, in the wake of the hurricane, should be concerned about the government's ability to respond to another disaster or a terrorist attack, Mr. Bush said: 'I want to know how to better cooperate with state and local government, to be able to answer that very question that you asked: Are we capable of dealing with a severe attack or another severe storm? And that's a very important question."
In other words, 'Should Americans be concerned? -- good question.'
I say, the answer is yes! Yes, we should be concerned. If it were simply a matter of errors being made, corrections could be made to right things. But this is a failure of will, not ability. A functioning Federal Emergency Management Agency was in place, andunder Bush it was subsumed under the mythical 'homeland security' agency, and then dismantled and unbudgeted. You call that a 'mistake?' I dont. I call that a policy.
Apparently they had no idea the American people would care. So now Bush is back-pedalling, trying to make it seem like a simple mistake that can easily beforgiven and that he will fix.
So stop talking about it, okay??
I fully expect the press slip back into compliant mode and move on now. Most of the immediate emergency is passed, it appears, so why not?
Well, think of what will not be covered adquately or at all if the press moves on:
- Is all that emergency money going to help the displaced and ruined (mostly black) people who lived in New Orleans? or going to enrich (mostly white) contractors
and real estate speculators? - What has become of the displaced? Do they all live in Texas now? How are they faring?
There are, no doubt, other questions waiting to be addressed; I hope you readers will suggest them.
Palema
7:06 AM
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Copyright © 2001-03 Pam Shorey
(except the specific sources credited in quotes)
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