Hurricane!

[Walsingham]

We certainly do not have enough men on teh ground in teh classical sense. However, at present levels we arebr relatively unobtrusive, which is how the majority of Afghans want it. We should be focussed 100% on training the ANA and local police forces (and making sure they get paid on time).

 

HURRICANE:

 

I saw a clip from the US Daily comedy show or somesuch comparing Katrina with the Lewinsky scandal. This is just sad. No-one died because the Chief couldn't keep his wang in his pants. Yet Bush will ultimately catch less flak than Clinton did.

[Lucius]

I was talking about the battle of Tora Bora, not now as such, I don't think he's there anymore.

 

I don't think that Bush will catch less flak than Clinton, the media have nailed him and his inept administration this time. His charmingly stupid-like cowboy attitude won't get him outta this one. And if his "I'm-gonna-hold-two-black-girls-on-TV" trick is gonna fool the American public, I might (just might) implode.

[Junai]

The truth about Katrina!

 

I knew it was KGB all along..

with some help from the Yakuza of course.

[Walsingham]

Welcome aboard, Junai.

 

It does have to be said that I was recapping my knowledge of WW2 recently and noticed that with the exception of 6th June 1944 the weather uniformly went against us, and for the Nazis. Sometimes ridiculously so, with winter weather being felt in May, teh fiercest storms recorded in 50 years and so on and on.

[Junai]

Thanks.

Heh.. who knows. Maybe there's something to it after all.

[Delta Truth]

FEMA director recalled to D.C.

Cnn

 

Coast Guard Vice Adm. Thad Allen will replace Michael Brown

[Walsingham]

Thanks.

Heh.. who knows. Maybe there's something to it after all.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I doubt it, but it sounds like something Hellboy or somesuch would have to stop :

 

"Seize the Nazi weather control device and hold it for the duration of our landings." heh.

[Judge Hades]

Replacing one body with another body will solve nothing if the system itself and those who are truly in power are flawed.

[Calax]

The director of Fema was replaced today.

[Commissar]

The director of Fema was replaced today.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, he wasn't. I was excited when I heard that, too, but basically all they did was call him back to Washington to handle "the big picture."

 

You know what's so sick about all this? Midterm elections are probably still going to go Republican. The spin machine'll have plenty of time to gear up and make people forget just how truly horrible this was.

[EnderAndrew]

A big part of that is that liberals don't show up to vote.

[Commissar]

A big part of that is that liberals don't show up to vote.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey, I voted.

[EnderAndrew]

So you were that one liberal that showed up.

[Commissar]

So you were that one liberal that showed up.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not in 2000. Back then, I was naive enough to vote for Bush. I was like the moderate, progressive soccer moms who said, "Oh, he's a middle-of-the-road Republican!"

[vaxen83]

Ever since he was elected, the people in the military have been one having a heck of a hard time with avoiding war and civilian casualties.

[EnderAndrew]

I'm a liberal by 90% of my political beliefs, and I voted for Bush both times, despite not liking him. I voted for Bush because I loathed his opponent both times.

[Commissar]

Ever since he was elected, the people in the military have been one having a heck of a hard time with avoiding war and civilian casualties.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah. I personally shot five of 'em.

[EnderAndrew]

Slacker. God only loves you when you kill infidels.

[Cantousent]

One of these days, I'll have to share my political views. I'd have to do so as an alt account, though, so folks would feel free to flame me and I would be able to flame back. hahahaha. (just kidding)

 

I would hate to give myself a warning. I've only had to give warnings twice on this board, though, so maybe not so much flaming.

 

As far as the debacle in New Orleans goes, I don't think the whole thing can be dropped in Bush' lap, but he is the commander in chief. He gets the fancy house so he can take the blame. That's simply how it works. Sometimes it's unfair, but you don't run for President of the United States in order to find fairness in life.

 

The feds made some mistakes, along with the state and the city. It was a learning experience for a set of circumstances that really only occurs once every hundred years or so. For that reason, I think the next time something like this happens somewhere, the feds, state (whichever one it is), and city (likewise) will once again be caught off-guard. Won't matter if the Republicans, Democrats, New Whigs, or the Free Pot party in power at the time, either.

[EnderAndrew]

I still think it is unreasonable to say this wouldn't have happened if the war in Iraq didn't happen, which some have suggested. They say the War is responsible for budget concerns, and that is why the leevies haven't been maintained in decades.

 

Consider that logic.

 

Local governments haven't maintained the leevies for decades, but that is really due to a recent event on the federal level.

[Cantousent]

Folks who think Iraq was a mistake will undoubtedly take any opportunity to blame the war for all variety of things. *shrug* They'll torture logic to the extent that it 'proves' their point. That's just the nature of politics.

[Commissar]

Folks who think Iraq was a mistake will undoubtedly take any opportunity to blame the war for all variety of things.  *shrug*  They'll torture logic to the extent that it 'proves' their point.  That's just the nature of politics.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

True enough. Kind of like folks who support all that is Bush suggesting that the right thing to do on 9/11 really was to sit there like a stump when informed of the attacks.

 

Partisan politics, eh?

[Commissar]

One of these days, I'll have to share my political views.  I'd have to do so as an alt account, though, so folks would feel free to flame me and I would be able to flame back.  hahahaha.  (just kidding)

 

I would hate to give myself a warning.  I've only had to give warnings twice on this board, though, so maybe not so much flaming.

 

As far as the debacle in New Orleans goes, I don't think the whole thing can be dropped in Bush' lap, but he is the commander in chief.  He gets the fancy house so he can take the blame.  That's simply how it works.  Sometimes it's unfair, but you don't run for President of the United States in order to find fairness in life.

 

The feds made some mistakes, along with the state and the city.  It was a learning experience for a set of circumstances that really only occurs once every hundred years or so.  For that reason, I think the next time something like this happens somewhere, the feds, state (whichever one it is), and city (likewise) will once again be caught off-guard.  Won't matter if the Republicans, Democrats, New Whigs, or the Free Pot party in power at the time, either.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, Eldar. Nobody who put on their thinking caps was caught off-guard by this. Bush can suggest that nobody thought the levees would break before they actually did; there's plenty of proof to the contrary. We all knew New Orleans was going to get slammed.

 

Off-guard? You really want to use that? Because that's twice this particular administration's been caught off-guard, then. I'll give you 9/11 because, "no one could have predicted it," but come on. You want to chalk this up as a learning experience, a, "we're-all-responsible-so-no-one's-responsible," type of thing, I can't stop you.

 

Somehow, I doubt you'd be so cavalier about massive inefficiency at the federal level if you were the one sitting in the Superdome without food or water, or if it was you fording the streets of New Orleans in search of baby formula. The states screwed up, sure, but are you really trying to make the argument that any state in the nation would be capable of handling this on its own? You've got to be kidding me. We all knew that this was going to require federal emergency management, and they completely and totally dropped the ball.

[Walsingham]

The budget thing is totally spurious. Bush was lined up to cut Federal aid for anything he could even if he'd never thought of Iraq. Moreover, the US doesn't use real money any more. If the gov wants a few billion it just magics it out of the banks. The genius of not being on the gold standard. You have no real limits.

 

Anyway, a more pressing point is that the handling of the relief work was below par for many other countries. There was a surfeit of equipment and manpower, which was crippled and uncoordinated. My understanding is that this is failure of the culture of leadership in both the military and govt. Rather than individuals as such. The individuals are at fault, but if you want to fix it you need to do more than just fire a couple of people. The culture in question is one where people are promoted for towing the line, and not rocking the boat. For being yes men, rather than focussed on their jobs. Such people are common everywhere but they are a disease, and must be fought tooth and nail.

 

On a related note, reflecting on Bush's statements I'm not certain he is bonkers on this occasion. I find it more likely that he was not told how serious it would be by the packs of yes men beneath him. Nor was he told the leadership was weak. By the same yes men.

 

On the other hand organisational studies have shown that dogmatic highly religious leaders attract yes men and actively persecute anyone who disagrees with them by painting bad pictures. So maybe it does come back to teh Chief in the end.

[EnderAndrew]

The federal government isn't in charge of making sure the leevies don't break in NO.

 

We have state charters which clearly outline what a state has authority over, etc.

 

Then we have local charters, etc.

 

The federal government does not tell the states where to spend state revenues.

 

The state does not tell the city where to spend city revenues.

 

The city was responsible for the upkeep of city property.

 

Blaming the federal government for this implies that you think the federal government should control all actions on the state and city level.

 

If that is what you are really saying, then you are arguing for toltarianism, and I will scoff at you.

 

If that is not what you are saying, then I will call you an opportunist spin doctor.