September 04, 2005
The Pointed Finger
I didn't want to point any fingers for the disaster that is New Orleans, or any of the Gulf Coast that was hit by Katrina. I didn't want to think that there are people out there that would blame Bush for a force of nature. But some on the left have and if not answered it will become truth. "What Roper, the left has truth?" No, dear reader, members of the left (not all, if you are a lefty and this doesn't apply to you - good!) are fostering a bunch of lies, but if not answered, those lies will become a truth for the majority of people not hearing any real truths.
There is much to point fingers at, things done wrong, things left undone that should have been done, things no one thought of that should have been done. This is indicative methinks:
Much of New Orleans is below sea level, kept dry by a system of pumps and levees. As the hurricane charged through the Gulf of Mexico, more than a million people were urged to flee. Forecasters warned that a direct hit on the city could send torrents of Mississippi River backwash over the city's levees, creating a 20-foot-deep cesspool of human and industrial waste.What can I say except that this was not about Katrina, but about IVAN, almost a full year before Katrina hit. So, one must wonder why those lessons weren't learned.Residents with cars took to the highways. Others wondered what to do.
"They say evacuate, but they don't say how I'm supposed to do that," Latonya Hill, 57, said at the time. "If I can't walk it or get there on the bus, I don't go. I don't got a car. My daughter don't either."
Advocates for the poor were indignant.
"If the government asks people to evacuate, the government has some responsibility to provide an option for those people who can't evacuate and are at the whim of Mother Nature," said Joe Cook of the New Orleans ACLU.
Some facts we know. We know that President Bush called the Governor of La. and urged evacuation a full 24 hours before the Governor and Mayor of New Orleans , Ray Nagin did in fact order it.
We know that despite the fact that school and city busses were part of the plan to evacuate the poor, the medically compromised and those without transportation, those busses weren't even taken to higher ground, they sat where they were parked and "drowned." We know that when the Superdome was declared a "last ditch" shelter, that sufficient plans were not made to have any where near adequate supplies of food, water or medicines let alone security. We know that the "belief" that the government would take care of everybody and that the hurricane would probably miss and it wouldn't be a bad one anyway and the tooth fairy is just around the corner mentality was rampant in The Big Easy.
We know that the Governor of La. did not order the La National Guard to New Orleans until well after the crisis was already present. We know that City Police were part of the looting. We know that there was insufficient coordination between the state and FEMA.
We know, at least reports are, that the 17th avenue levee's old part, the part not worked on, didn't fail, the new part failed when struck by a barge.
We know that the levee system was designed for a Catagory 3 hurricane not a four or five, but this has been known for more than 40 years through both Democratic and Republican administrations but that hasn't stopped some on the left from laying the entire blame on President Bush.
We know that when Katrina entered the gulf and turned northward, many folks attitude was that it was going to hit Florida again, but that there was sufficient warning to know that it was headed for New Orleans.
We know that there was political pressure to re-roof the Superdome replacing a roof that had already withstood high winds with a new roof that did not.
We knew, or should have known, that disaster always brings out a few folk that would rather loot for the betterment of themselves than work constructively within society for the betterment of all.
We knew that the race-baiters would be out since NOLA is some 65+% black and this was too good an opportunity for them to decry republicans rather than take responsibility for being race-baiters and race-hustlers themselves.
We know that a huge cleanup costing billions of dollars is in the works, if NOLA is to be rebuilt. We also know that the shipping facilities that NOLA provided are essential for our national defense and for our agricultural industry so that not re-building is not an option.
We know that almost no lefty is going to accept any reasoning that punctures their own little scenario since it is the perfect chance to bash the McChimp, the evil Bushitler, the devious and evil Karl Rove or the duplicitious Halliburton/Cheney axis. We know.... Oh yes, we know all right, and we aren't going to let the left who want to spread the lies get away with the lies.
Posted by GM Roper at September 4, 2005 01:18 PM | TrackBackDon't clean up the city or fix the levees. They can't rebuilt New Orleans on that site because that area is now "wetlands," which historically is more important to the left than people. I bet they can find some endangered fish or snail in that swamp, previously known as a city, and say that it's home has to be protected and that the people can just find somewhere else.
Posted by Woody at September 4, 2005 01:38 PM
Actually, GM's right. Right there, where all the destruction is, is the 5th largest port in the world. There's no other option but to rebuild. It might be a better idea to recreate N.O. as more industrial and those who work there should be able to live nearby, but perhaps it's a bad idea to rebuild so many residential neighborhoods.
Also the leftards have absolutely no concept of how our government works when they lay 100% blame at the feet of the President. Why would Bush call Blanco and "urge" evacuation? Because the feds only have so much power over the States' autonomy.
This from Louisiana's Emergeny Preparedness Plan: "The authority to order the evacuation of residents threatened by an approaching hurricane is conferred to the Governor by Louisiana Statute."
If pointing fingers is the game then everyone needs to stop turning to their favorite whipping boy and point in the right direction.
The N.O. mayor failed, the Governor failed and now the feds are picking up all the slack. No, they weren't quickly mobilized. Because the state should have already been mobile and ready AND THEY WEREN'T.
The mayor and the governor assured everyone they were prepared "here's our plan!". The problem is that they didn't do anything on the list of "plans". They are designated as first responders. The feds are a back up. First responders failed. Now the feds are doing it all.
Posted by Oyster at September 5, 2005 09:20 AM
Oyster, I just went to your site and saw that you're throwing in the towel. I like you and you do a great job. Reconsider.
To the other readers, go check out her site and give Oyster encouragement.
Posted by Woody at September 5, 2005 10:19 AM
Er...that's "her" site, GM. But that's okay. A lot of people assume I'm a guy until they realize I have boobies.
I'll go back to blogging. I'm too completely addicted. I'm already having withdrawal symptoms ;-) I think it was more my friend, Burlroad, who upset me than the troll. We've known each other for years and I felt he was directing his ire toward me. I may have been wrong but the night before, we met for happy hour, as we do every Friday and he was a bit rude to me then, and we'd had an argument the previous week also. So maybe I'm just being a baby. But hey, I can cry with the best of 'em.
I'll still take some time off and dedicate myself as you said, and take the war to them. Got my breastplate (er, chainmail) on and am prepared to fight.
And thanks for the words of encouragement. You're A-OK by me.
Posted by Oyster at September 5, 2005 11:12 AM
Oyster, I'm terribly sorry about the "his site" screw up. but I can acknowledge that it has since been corrected and that it was WOODY, my partner in crime on the blog that made the error.... I KNEW you had ... uh ... errrr ..... uh... breastworks, yeah, that's the word and I'm sticking to my story.
Posted by GM Roper at September 5, 2005 11:29 AM
I was just astounded and taken aback by the instant Bush bashing which occured in the wake of Katrina. Other than the utterly tasteless and disgraceful comments from the usual suspects on the left, it became pretty obvious that the strategy here was to create a massive CYA operation that would shield the local and state authorities from any blame.
Turns out to be just another variation on the moral equivalence game, everybodies to blame, so no one is (except Bush of course).
Posted by Mike's America at September 7, 2005 12:18 AM
I stand in awe at the ability of you republican bloggers to rationalize ANYTHING to the advantage ofthe conservative right wing. The absolute failure of the federal government to respond for four or more days is not easy to charge to the Democrats, but you guys seem to do it seamlessly. Congratulationss. .
Posted by James Melbert at September 9, 2005 08:51 AM
It's easy when the facts are on our side, even though the hype is on your side. Facts are slower to dessiminate but eventually prevail.
Posted by Woody at September 9, 2005 08:54 AM
James, first, thanks for the comment, as one of my favorite people, I always enjoy the joust with you. You're griping that "The absolute failure of the federal government to respond for four or more days is not easy to charge to the Democrats," is hyperbole beyond belief.
Take an honest look at what the plans were. The federal government did drop the ball on several issues, I said that at the beginning of the post:
There is much to point fingers at, things done wrong, things left undone that should have been done, things no one thought of that should have been done.Having said that, it should be obvious that many (not all and I said that too) lefties were quicker to point the finger at Bush than they were to respond to the disaster plans SET IN Louisiana BY DEMOCRATS.. Namely, the Governor and the Mayor of NOLA. If you can't accept this, that is your problem. Lastly the gist of my article is that there were MANY problems but the Democrats were at the forefront of the spin machines. Don't blame that on Republicans. Also, I will refer you to this site where the Democrats USED THE DISASTER to raise money for the DNC... How callous is that? http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--katrina-democrats0908sep08,0,3588467,print.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork
Posted by GM Roper at September 9, 2005 09:21 AM
