Where is OUR support?

[Scholar in training]

Are any of you on your way to help?

Of course not, for you see, power is consolidated just for purposes such as these! We give our officials power, and when they screw up, we blame them while typing at our computers. Then the officials blame everyone above them. Unfortunately for this administration, they don't have the luxury of blaming anyone.

 

[Scribbler]

There are many frustrations happening right now...feeling overwhelmed is one of them. However, this is not a nation short on resources, Katrina was NOT a surprise, and if it would have hit at the Hamptons or Cape Cod or on communities more affluent than the Gulf then I am sure we would be witnessing something markedly different in the preparation and response.

The majority of evacuation planning is done at the local level, by people of all colors. As far as the response, the NatGuard was called out 7 AM the day of the Hurricane. Sheltering and relief was coordinated by the local level, and assisted by the NOPD, Salvation Army & N.Guard. Reaching the people has to be done by helicopter, of which there are few.
Current relief efforts are hampered my the victims themselves, with rampant lootings and attacks against those attempting the rescuers..liquor stores have been looted, and Charity hospital & Drug Stores robbed of their medicines, and guns looted form local stores...further adding to the chaos. I can't see these things being an issue, were this tragedy to have occured on Cape Cod, the Hamptons, or Martha's Vineyard, for that matter.
Let's not use this tragedy to wage class warfare.

 

[Borealis]

Let's not use this tragedy to wage class warfare.

Why not? Any excuse is as good as another when it comes to senseless blame-fests. It's racism, it's Bush, it's America, it's the National Guard, it's God, it's...

It's endless, it's pointless, it's utterly unhelpful. You want to blame someone? Blame the people who decades ago decided that the levees were good enough. That's not Bush, just in case you didn't know.

 

[EIChief]

Some quotes I have been posting around are from leadership, while others are not. The links posted in this thread from the major papers around the world are not neccessarily from the leaders of those countries, so I will make sure that is clear now. With so many posts being made today it looks like I referred to the wrong ones here, and I apologize for the confusion.

That being said, I don't think that it detracts from the point being made, which is only that some of these countries don't help because they don't want to. They do not look upon the U.S. favorably, and the amount of people we help across the World will do little to change that.

 

[starchild]

So I was thinking that given all of the help the US has given for other natural disasters around the world that maybe the world would respond and help us out given the enormity of Katrina. So I Googled "hurricane relief" and I came up with.....1. The Canadian Red Cross is telling it's supporters to send money to the American Red Cross.

What about the rest of the world? Nada, zip, zilch the biog donut!!!

Here's my problem with the world...they are perfectly willing to criticize the US when we do something the disagree with; they are perfectly willing to tell us that we don't help enough when other countries have natural disasters but when it comes to them helping us? What a bunch of stinkin' hypocrits!

All those falsehoods in one little post.

Venezuela specifically has offered support - probably to thank Pat Robertson and prove him more of a lump than he is.

I heard on the way home on the radio that countries have offered "anything we need" including oil reserves.

And the tsunami affected areas has offered anything they can provide.

They acted faster than Bush did, eh?

 

[Ginny]

I've done more for the US than Bush, and yes I've sent what I could for the victims.

Wow! Someone needs to get you a few secret serviceman right away. What arrogance to assume you know anything the President has done for these victims. Just say he has given a great deal of money? You have no clue. Christians are so blinded by hatred for a person that they cannot even fathom the judgement they have on other individuals. There is no way that you can say without a doubt 100% that you know anything Bush has personally done for these victims. Unless you are omnipresent, I wouldn't confidently say you have done more than Bush.

I'll bet Bush won't open any of his properties so some victims may have a place to stay, neither will cheney, kerry, rice, rumsfeld, etc, etc, etc.

Funny how you named all republicans....and I could have swore I saw every democrat known to mankind right there outside the Superdome... you know what, you are totally correct. This is such new information I am surprised it was not mentioned already.

This is so unbelievable, yet worthy enough for a stand up comedian.

These plugs for the hatred of GWB for things not even related to the hurricane are getting so old.

 

[starchild]

Are any of you on your way to help?

NOTE: The government has SPECIFICALLY asked that we not do that - not add to the problems there - and I'd like to respectfully request that people with the cute little colorful elephants by their names stop suggesting it.

BUT !!! Red Cross dot org!!!

There's a way to help - check if your company is matching donations!

 

[Smoke Screen]

After five days? Five days ago, the hurricane hadn't even hit yet, SmokeScreen. I pointed that out to you already in another thread, and you continue to repeat it.

Wrong. The hurricane hit on Monday. Today is Friday, hence 5 days ago.

 

[seebs]

I am not on my way to help, because I'm frankly incompetent to do much but try to earn money so I can pay taxes and donate to fund the people who are competent.

But on the other hand, it's not my full-time job to respond to large emergencies in America. I think we have a guy who took on that job.

 

[NothingButTheBlood]

NOTE: The government has SPECIFICALLY asked that we not do that - not add to the problems there - and I'd like to respectfully request that people with the cute little colorful elephants by their names stop suggesting it.

BUT !!! Red Cross dot org!!!

There's a way to help - check if your company is matching donations!

Why would we help we don't do anything all day but make money and horde if from the rest of the world. It's the Libs who do all the helping. Remember?

 

[Smoke Screen]

Scribbler said, "After five days? Five days ago, the hurricane hadn't even hit yet, SmokeScreen. I pointed that out to you already in another thread, and you continue to repeat it."


Wrong. The hurricane hit on Monday. Today is Friday, hence 5 days ago.

August 29, 2005, 9:35am EDT [size=-1]
[/size][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]KATRINA HITS LOUISIANA, THREATENS NEW ORLEANS AND BILOXI[/font]
Hurricane Katrina, a powerful Category 4 storm packing 145-mph winds, slammed into the coast of Louisiana Monday morning, bringing torrential rains, spawning possible tornadoes and threatening devastation to the cities of New Orleans and Biloxi.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/katrina_08-28-05.html

 

[Law of Loud]

very true...
if you have medical, LE or disiater training..they NEED YOU.

if you dont they NEED your money and Donations...

My dad's fire department is sending 6 firefighters for rescue efforts, most of whom are paramedic/firefighters. That's a real gash in their paramedic force, but they're sending them with FEMA.

I'm certain they need our money and donations, considering how the federal government is happy to throw away 300 billion on Iraq.

 

[SisterGeoff]

So I was thinking that given all of the help the US has given for other natural disasters around the world that maybe the world would respond and help us out given the enormity of Katrina. So I Googled "hurricane relief" and I came up with.....1. The Canadian Red Cross is telling it's supporters to send money to the American Red Cross.

What about the rest of the world? Nada, zip, zilch the biog donut!!!

Guess you just ran right past this one then:

Venezuela's government, which has had tense relations with Washington, offered humanitarian aid and fuel. Venezuela's Citgo Petroleum Corp. pledged a $1 million donation for hurricane aid.

Saui King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz also called President Bush to offer assistance. The minister of petroleum and mineral resources said Monday that Saudi Arabia is ready to immediately increase its crude oil production to replace any market shortages and help stabilize world crude prices.

More exsamples of support are found in the article, look a little harder next time you feel like shooting your mouth off about how much the world hates us.

 

[Smoke Screen]

Guess you just ran right past this one then:



More exsamples of support are found in the article, look a little harder next time you feel like shooting your mouth off about how much the world hates us.

I heard Laura Bush mention something about the foreign support. I don't have any links, but if someone cared enough, they could try to find a transcript and see what countries were referenced by "Lara."

 

[Zoot]

Maybe Iraq can donate some National Guard.

 

[Theutonicorum]

hugo chavez offered some support *grin*

 

[Scribbler]

Scribbler said, "After five days? Five days ago, the hurricane hadn't even hit yet, SmokeScreen. I pointed that out to you already in another thread, and you continue to repeat it."
Wrong. The hurricane hit on Monday. Today is Friday, hence 5 days ago.
August 29, 2005, 9:35am EDT [size=-1]
[/size]

1.And you posted 'It's been five days and Bush will finally tour the devastation. Five Days!' At 10:41 on Friday Morning, Smoke. Do the math. 4 days, 1 hour.
2. What exactly was Bush supposed to do, grab a bucket and start bailing? He was in DC, meeting with head of relief agancies and disaster management specialists, and working out a relief bill to help those affected by the tragedy. Pretty much what a president is supposed to do in this situation. A lot more than he could've done in New Orleans.
3. With the flooding, the overcrowding in the shelters, the inability to evacuate everyone, the armed nuts shooting at rescuers, a good part of the city still underwater, rapes, killings, robberies, looting, and general mayhem going on, the folks in charge down there likely have enough to deal with already. The President coming down to the area in the middle of this is not doing anyone any favors, only complicating an already complicated situation.. He's waited a respectable time, as not to hinder relief efforts. I think, if you look, you'll find that's what Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton have done in the past.


peace.

 

[Kev70]

Too bad that 300 billion is refundable


Seriously though we need to pull together on this one thing. We really do look like idiots to the rest of the world right now since we cant even take care of ourselves on a natural disaster. We are not as powerful and wealthy as we think that we are. Like it or not, Bush took care of that in short order. However, we can still work together for a common goal. If people can aimlessly support a war in Iraq, then I cant fathom this being insurmountable.

 

[Ginny]

kev- thanks for the encouraging word.

 

[Scribbler]

NOTE: The government has SPECIFICALLY asked that we not do that - not add to the problems there - and I'd like to respectfully request that people with the cute little colorful elephants by their names stop suggesting it.
BUT !!! Red Cross dot org!!!
There's a way to help - check if your company is matching donations!

Starchild, I think, if you look, you'll find most of the threads & posts boosting relief organizations on these forums also contain that cute little colorful elephant.
The threads & posts using this tragedy to score a few political points against the opposition, however, will not.