insomnomaniac

Where's the telethon for Katrina victims?

How blue do you think we'll turn holding our breath waiting for the do-gooders of the European world to blare the rallying cry for aid to the U.S. for the victims of Katrina? I'm guessing as blue as the state I'll soon be leaving (also ironically the least charitable in the nation in terms of dollars contributed to charity per capita).

No, instead the Guardian UK thought it more important to wonder:

...whether the authorities could have done more to prepare for the catastrophe and whether the emergency provision against terrorism has led to the dangers of natural disasters being ignored will have to wait while the battle to find the missing continues and attempts are made to avert further disaster from spilling over the floodwalls.

What a bunch of asswipes. As if diverting funds from Homeland Security could have stopped water from destroying levies designed to withstand "100 year storms" or worse. Don't get me wrong, there was more that could have been done, but it would have to have been started long before 9/11 and our fears of terrorism prompted spending in that direction. A project to strengthen the levies was proposed, but it was projected to cost (at the time, would be more now) at least $17BIL and (predictably) politicians didn't want to back it. Were they wrong? Hindsight would indicate that the answer is YES, but politicians in MA backed the spending of the same amount on the Big Dig, and its ineffectiveness and corruption and premature obsolescence is now legendary. Look up "boondoggle" in the dictionary today and I bet you see the synonym "Big Dig!"

A better question for the Guardian to ask would be why is it that Tsunami victims were so much more worthy of their pity, and why their governments (who didn't have even the most rudimentary warning system in place) are not to blame for their fate? What's the threshold of poverty and misery thath warrants worldwide action? Where's Jimmah Cahtah? Where's Bubba Clinton? And for the love of Christ, where's Ange-fuckin'-lina Jolie? Are starving sick and thirsty poor black babies only worthy of attention if they live in Africa?

Perhaps we should reconsider our aid to Africa in the wake of this disaster. Perhaps we should take care of our OWN for a change, and let the Euroweenies take care of those they so obviously deem more "worthy" of their concern.

God bless the people of New Orleans. All I can think about are the babies and the pregnant women and mothers. Occupational hazzard I suppose, but let's face it, there are countless thousands of them out there, and the WILL die if help doesn't reach them soon. The WORLD needs to respond. We are ALWAYS there for them, do they honestly think this is Bush's fault also? What did he do, sneeze too hard and he caused this too?

What do you bet on some level the fuckers are sitting there saying "serves him right."

Pray for these people.

Posted by insomnomaniac at September 1, 2005 4:59 AM