Sunday insights: Getting on my nerves in aftermath of Katrina

Help me write the LTTE and to the Sunday Insights staff about their lame show...


In the days immediately after the disastrous levee breach in New Orleans, I listened to right wing political radio. I couldn't find a stations where the listeners weren't asked to withhold blame. Wait until all the facts are in, they said.

There is still human suffering that needs to be addressed and yet, watching Sunday Insights I see nothing addressing the claims that funding was cut by the federal government for this anticipated breach; that we were unable to respond in time because all of our resources are deployed abroad; or even that FEMA officials withheld help that was at the doorsteps of the dying--from Walmart, from private citizens, etc.

None of these issues were addressed yet, the mayor of New Orleans was blamed for not being Rudy Giuliani. May I remind you, that 80% of New York City was not under water when Rudy Giuliani walked the streets of New York after 9/11? Emergency officials were not blocked by flood waters from responding on 9/11. How can you begin to compare the situations when the mayor of New Orleans clearly needed help because 80% of his access to resources needed to avert disaster were not available? There were no people dying or drowning when Rudy Giuliani "bravely" walked around New York and held press conferences.

Jessica McBride Sunday morning quarterbacked, laying all blame at the feet of the "local authorities"--a phrase being spouted by Republicans all over the country as if they were following some orchestrated talking point. (It makes you wonder.)

McBride says there should have been "plans," that New Orleans officials knew 1 in 6 people did not have cars and should have planned for that. Not one guest mentioned the fact that the Bush administration knew that New Orleans needed federal funding beyond the capacity of local government to prevent the levee break and that the Bush administration's response to preventive measures was to slash funding. Not one guest spoke up regarding the Bush administration's failure to plan for Iraq, for 9/11 or for New Orleans even though both 9/11 and the New Orleans disaster were laid out as major threats in 2001.

Other guests were equally audacious. Likening the disaster to 9/11 Jeff Fleming said there is no villain which is why the response was not as galvanized. Is that true, or is villain status only open to "local" officials who are being demonized while federal officials and the ultimately responsible President are unmentioned. What kind of people would protect a president who does not protect the people of his country?

Perhaps the most astonishing of all remarks came from Joel Keefish (R. Okauchee) who had the audacity to say that this disaster was not handled badly--"absolutely not." What planet was he on?

I am sick and tired of hypocrisy that allows people to selectively deny and ignore suffering, deflect blame, criticize lower level people in government who don't have the resources or power to avert disaster while they protect those ultimately responsible from criticism in the name of loving America and Christian values.

What kind of madness allows a human being who witnessed this tragedy of admitted biblical proportions to brush off the sorely needed discussion and exchange that will begin to get to the bottom of this bureaucratic failure? Charlie McBride nominated as his losers of the week those who blamed the Bush administration for Katrina's disaster. In the face of our institutions completely failing us repeatedly under the reign of George W. Bush (following prisoner torture, failure to plan for Iraq, intelligence failures and corporate scandals) I hereby nominate Charlie McBride and his ilk on the "local" level as those most likely to destroy democracy in America.

A Fruedian I take it? :)

Nice letter. I didn't have a chance to tune in, so thanks for filling me in.

Spent the weekend with the in-laws. My FIL cringed at any criticism of the federal govt on TV. Wether it was about the floods, the response times, evacuation, whatever, he would respond "It's govenor and mayor's fault. They knew the levee had to be upgraded, they should have gotten it done."

Actually, quite an intelligent guy.

Don't want to say anything that risks the inheritence. :evilgrin:

Most importantly, we share the same views on NASCAR.