People should already imagine that I generally have only one speed when it comes to dumping shit on the government: Full. As a result, already on Tuesday morning, having just heard about the levees bursting in New Orleans, I was already looking for ways to pin this on the Bush Administration. Of course they can’t control nature, but they can control some things, and in all those things, they have come up woefully short. From a lack of national guardsmen, flood-specific boats, and helicopters in the area hit by Katrina (they are all in Iraq, natch), to underfunding/rolling back programs designed to help protect New Orleans (wetlands preservation, levee construction—Saud quipped, “drove my Chevy to the levee, but the funding was dry”), the White House has fumbled the ball every time, constantly betting against the safety of the United States.
Perhaps the best omnibus smackdown I’ve read so far is here. The writer manages to maintain a level of outrage without veering into screaming and yelling. Included are some blog posts making the rounds as well as WaPo stories pointing out how a whole lot of shit is going to wash up, as it were, at the front steps of the White House.
But nothing gets me as much as this photo to the left, taken yesterday, as in, after the levees broke. Sure, New Orleans missed a direct shot, but it turns out it wasn’t the wind that has destroyed Nola. It’ll be the floods. So as a portion of the US sits underwater with (poor, African-American) victims hiding in their attics, breathing their last breaths, unable to evacuate because the government relied private vehicles to run the evacuation, George Bush plays guitar on a Navy base, playing soldier with the seal emblazoned on his new toy. (One dKos commenter suggested that the guitar had the words “This Machine Loves Fascists” inscribed on it.) The U.S. finally has their Nero.
For comparison’s sake, consider Bill Clinton’s response to Hurricane Floyd: he cut his trip to New Zealand early to be in DC before the storm even struck. Bush has returned to DC today—a much shorter flight—after the strike, after the levees broke, and still had time to clown around while one of the most beloved cities in the nation was getting donkey punched. This is offensive.
Some might say it’s too soon to be criticising the government—we need time to grieve. That may be, although we can be certain that the government doesn’t take time off to grieve. Instead, they have been taking time off to be negligent.
PS: the news coverage has been vapid as hell, too, zooming straight to the human interest stories, yet still focussing on looting. Anyone calling anything anyone is doing in New Orleans “looting” is a heartless prick. That property is all covered (or should be), and people are probably taking either supplies or barterable goods. Lay off your hardon for private property, jerks. It was a treat, however, to see the mayor of New Orleans light into the Bush admin for pulling back on wetland conservation (those wetlands buffer surges) to Aaron Brown last night, but the Brown sort of blew it off like he was shocked that the mayor would be so direct. Well, maybe the fact of that shock is indicative of something, too.
August 31st, 2005 at 15:54
Call me a heartless prick, but the looting sounds pretty rough. Not a matter of people taking things they need (one FEMA official pointed out that most of the items taken constituted “benign” looting–i.e., they were taking stuff they needed to survive). That point’s been made, and that’s not what the concern is: among the first items to clear the shelves were guns. Apparently the entire gun section of a Wal-mart store was empty. People there say there are armed gangs roving the streets. Sorry, but that’s fucking scary.
RoxPopuli posted one eyewitness account here.
Also, here’s her readers’ takes on that lovely photo.
August 31st, 2005 at 16:23
Oh yeah. Also, white people are putting cash on the flooded registers while all those black people, who stayed behind for this very purpose are enjoying their lootish [sic] behavior.
In related news, TPM Cafe put some more info on the NO levee debate.
August 31st, 2005 at 18:15
I don’t fully understand what you’re trying to say, Manan.
Lee, I’m going by what they’ve been showing on the news, etc. On CNN last night, there was no talk of people grabbing guns, etc. Though apparently someone on Hannity asked if it was ok to go pick off “looters.”
August 31st, 2005 at 19:06
I think they’re picking each other off. It’s all over the internet news feeds, though. A cop got shot in the head, a looter got shot in a firefight with another one, a group of cops stranded on top of a hotel had to duck a bunch of bullets. The doctor who wrote the letter I linked to above said he heard regular gunfire within earshot of his hotel.
So, no, it’s not like the gratuitous looting that happens during a big blackout–these people have no idea when they’re gonna get clean water or food or diapers–but all the same it isn’t exactly a big happy cooperative survival effort either. Just more evidence that people are assholes.
It’s a nice object lesson, though, in why the “arm everyone” strategy doesn’t actually prevent crime. Not like we needed an object lesson, but hey. Like Iggy said, “eat or be eaten.” Or, like Iggy also said, “in the space age, the village idiot rules.”
August 31st, 2005 at 20:53
My understanding was that the pic was taken before the levees broke. I’ll try to do some research.
September 1st, 2005 at 11:22
i heard he read my pet goat after the guitar solo.
that might just be a rumor, though.
September 1st, 2005 at 22:31
To my understanding, Summer, that’s not usually what he does with goats.
Anyway, I’m currently waiting for the “war against weather” and the “illegal enemy tornado detention center.” Just saying.
September 1st, 2005 at 22:42
I take back some of my hate about the coverage. CNN has had it. They are pissed. All night I watched as host after host took down gov’t officials and started practically yelling at them. Aaron Brown lost it when he was told that the Astrodome is already full. Larry King stuck it to Barbour. Paula Zahn to the guy who runs FEMA, which has been gutted in the name of privatisation.
But this takes the cake: Anderson Cooper tears at Mary Landrieu.
Landrieu’s a slippery DLC snake—she’s done some good, but she’s looking like a total ass now.
Finally, the looting is still being misrepresented. Military helicopters can’t continue rescue missions because of small fire? Like that shit would fly in Iraq? Everything is disorganised. Everything. And CNN is pissed. Watch the Cooper video!
September 1st, 2005 at 23:19
Sure enough, the picture was taken on Tuesday at 1:30 ET:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmp.....0108301730
I.e. after the first levee broke. So, you were right. Bush strummed while New Orleans drowned.
It would be weird, after watching CNN fall desperately to the right for the past several months under the leadership of the one figurehead who is possibly dumber than GWB, turn into the Voice of the People as its anchors go one by one over the edge. I wish I had cable to see it happen.
September 1st, 2005 at 23:38
@lee: lmbao.
and, uh, will somebody tell me why all the black people loot while the white people find shit? just a question.
September 2nd, 2005 at 0:20
summer, what was it reggie white said? white people are good at organising, so naturally, they’d find stuff!
whet: that’s a brutal imitation of a g-chord Bush is playing, too. I think I’m glad I wasn’t around to hear it.
September 2nd, 2005 at 0:54
Summer–I have no idea. How dare you question manifest destiny?
Whet: They knew the levee was gonna break before the levee broke. If GWB didn’t, he was the last to know. And that’s just sad.