[Mefustae]

Originally posted by IPAndrews
Maybe your country should have been "prepared" then Mefustae? Just a thought. Crazy I know.

Mefustae
Valkyrie

Location: Sydney, Australia

eh?

[IPAndrews]

Originally posted by Mefustae
eh?

My bad. I assumed since you were defending the US govt (who are I figure are pretty much indefensible) then the only explanation is that you lived there

[Mefustae]

Woah, woah, woah...You've got me mixed up with Mongoose and such, i'm one of the people attacking the US Government for this debacle...! Where did I come across Defensive of said Government might I ask...?

[IPAndrews]

lol. Oh well. Good. Carry on .

[redmenace]

Originally posted by IPAndrews


Because he had the power to prepare the country for eventualities such as this, and didn't? Because he had the power to kick everyone's asses into motion as soon as it happened, and didn't? Because he should have got on the first plane back from his holiday, and didn't?

Actually, it is the the responcibility of the state and local gov't to prepare for natual disasters. They are better able to deal with such eventualities.

[Stealth]

Originally posted by IPAndrews


Because he had the power to prepare the country for eventualities such as this, and didn't? Because he had the power to kick everyone's asses into motion as soon as it happened, and didn't? Because he should have got on the first plane back from his holiday, and didn't?

yeah i know, i'm agreeing.  the question was rhetorical, because someone said you "can't blame the federal government for the action taken", and i said if no one's blaming the federal government, then why is everyone blaming bush?  because he's responsible...

[NGTM-1R]

Actually I'd put that down to people blaming the President for everything that anyone remotely in authority does, but hey...

[Stealth]

true.

but i do blame the president though... cause ultimately the ball rests in his court.  if the mayor of new orleans is begging for help, then suddenly it does become the federal government's responsibility, that's why they're there in the first place, and that's why FEMA is federal

[IPAndrews]

Climate change and the change in weather patterns it has brought threatening the US is a national concern. In fact it's an international concern. Bush has not only condemned his own people with his "stick fingers in ears and hum" attitude. He's condemned all of us. The guy is a spineless short-sighted moron and the sooner the political world is rid of him the better.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by redmenace
Actually, it is the the responcibility of the state and local gov't to prepare for natual disasters. They are better able to deal with such eventualities.

But, what about national disasters such as this, where it not only spans several states (requiring a co-ordinated relief effort across all of them and beyond), but also requires resources above that a state can manage even when not already crippled by said disaster?  Surely it's FEMAs responsibility to plan for and manage disasters of this scale, especially when they can paralyze local and regional government?

[redmenace]

FEMA was established to react to these crisis. Honestly, they were not prepared for this. Now, I wouldn't blame Bush for this. But if I were him, I would take responcibility for the failure of immediate action because as a certain former president said, "the buck stops here." However, this has crippeled the City of NO, but has not crippeled Louisiana as a whole. Frankly Louisiana needed to be better prepared. The only thing that might warrant the federal gov't is the fact that they don't have the military grade hardware to get supplies through flooded areas such as trucks or UH-60s. Although, the state does have a national gaurd unit which should have capable hardware to get the job done.

[Kazan]

redmenace i WOULD blame bush for FEMAs lack of readyness - he GUTTED FEMA.

Bush appointed a guy who was a lawyer and the director of an international horse breeding association to be the Directory of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

PEOPLE WERE FIRED FROM FEMA FOR TELLING THE [current] DIRECTOR SEVERAL YEARS AGO THAT THE NOLA LEVES NEEDED MORE WORK.

The idiot ******* he has in charge of FEMA cannot even comprehend that some people were incapable of evacuating [like they didn't have a car!]

[redmenace]

Originally posted by Kazan
The idiot ******* he has in charge of FEMA cannot even comprehend that some people were incapable of evacuating [like they didn't have a car!]

umm, actually the state law Louisiana states that public agencies can and should volunteer things such as school buses, which IIRC, are still sitting in a parking lot in NO. Frankly, FEMAs and Bush's incompetence is only dwarfed by the incompetence of the Mayor and company of NO and the State Government of Louisiana. These are the people at the grassroots, these people did not prepare themselves for these situations. Honestly, how hard would it have been to create an action plan ahead of time? On a side note, I am not even sure I support FEMA. It is the job of the states and local Gov't to prepare themselves, honestly.

[aldo_14]

Any incompetence in the face of national disaster is unacceptable; it doesn't matter how exactly the various mistakes interact, just that they exist.  Measuring 'levels' of incompetence is simply a get-out clause for criticism; there is no acceptable level for incompetence.

To focus on Bush, he has a responsibility as a figurehead and the ultimate decision maker; I think he's failed there.  Many others have failed, too.  That doesn't mean any should be exonerated, or exempt from criticism.

[redmenace]

I agree, "the buck stops here." But I get the feeling that certain people want to focus all their angre towards bush and don't want to look towards the grassroots authority, which honestly have a greater responcibility to prepare for this situation than the federal gov't ever could.

[Stealth]

yeah to an extent that's true.

just certain stuff pisses me off though... like the fact that Bush didn't cancel any of his engagements the day the hurricane hit, even though none of them were unusual or highly important.

if something that big happens to your country, can't you at least cancel your speaking arrangements?

[redmenace]

What would you rather have him do? What good would it be for Bush to cancel his engagements? Supposedly FEMA was prepared to handle such a situation(although they were not).

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by redmenace
What would you rather have him do? What good would it be for Bush to cancel his engagements? Supposedly FEMA was prepared to handle such a situation(although they were not).

It's normally seen as a sign of respect for the victims to do so, for one thing.  The other is that - or at least with a halfway competent leader - it's often a morale boost to see them taking command, even from a figurehead position.  Doing the converse is often seen as simply ignoring the problem.

Bush has somewhat of a knack for stupid Pr, though;

"We've got a lot of rebuilding to do ... The good news is — and it's hard for some to see it now — that out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic Gulf Coast, like it was before. Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house — he's lost his entire house — there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch." (Laughter) —President Bush, touring hurricane damage, Mobile, Ala., Sept. 2, 2005

(Given that Lott is somewhat minted with several houses, and that he's a rich accussed racist whilst the majority of refugees are poor and black, it's somewhat of an insensitive comment to make)

http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/currentevents/a/katrinaquotes.htm

[Bobboau]

I thought you were makeing that up, did he actualy say that?

[karajorma]

While we're talking about absurdities.

FEMA will only help you if you use IE.