David;
Have you ever noticed that the folks in the Bush administration wouldn’¥ be able to predict that smashing you thumb with a hammer would hurt, but they can predict that you'll be able to drive a nail into tempered steel by gently pushing on the head of the nail?

The Only Way Democrats Can Win A Majority

By Michael Lind

Can the Democratic Party regain the kind of majority enjoyed by the New Deal Democrats between the 1930s and the 1960s? Not an occasional bare majority, but the kind of solid, enduring majority that permits the passage of major legislation?

The answer is yes--but only if the Democratic Party ceases to be defined by social liberalism. As a social liberal party with economic liberal and economic conservative wings, the Democrats are doomed to perpetual minority status. As an economic liberal party with social conservative and social liberal wings, the Democrats might have a chance--but only if the social conservative Democrats outnumber the social liberal Democrats in the Democratic Party itself.

Aug 04, 2005 -- 02:48:52 PM EST

First, a word about definitions. By liberal and conservative I mean center-left and center-right, not far-left and far-right. An economic liberal supports welfare-state capitalism, not far-left democratic socialism. A social conservative is a moderate traditionalist with qualms about abortion and gay marriage, not a far-right Christian fundamentalist who thinks that Satan controls the UN and that every unimplanted embryo is a child.

The United States has a right-of-center majority with respect to social issues and a a left-of-center majority with respect to economic issues. The stability of this popular consensus recently has been illustrated by the nearly simultaneous popular rejection of gay marriage and Social Security privatization. Social liberals are too far to the left of most Americans on social issues; economic conservatives are too far to the right of most Americans on economic issues.

This combination of moderate social conservatism with moderate economic liberalism explains the success of the New Deal Democrats and the failure of the party that succeeded them, the Civil Rights Democrats.

The 72 year period from 1932 to 2004 divides neatly into two 36 year periods, with 1968 as the turning point.

During the 1932-68 era the New Deal Democrats were an economic liberal party, with a social conservative wing and a social liberal wing. The social conservative Democrats--white Southern and Western Protestants and northern Catholics--outnumbered the small number of social liberals, most of them northern liberal Protestants and Jews. Even when the racism of many Southerners and white working-class Northerners is factored out, the New Deal Democrats were a predominantly social conservative party. Most New Deal constituencies were not liberal on the questions of abortion, gay rights, censorship, and other issues which were dealt with at the state and local level, so that Roosevelt, Truman, Kenney and Johnson never had to take positions on them.

As a result of the Civil Rights Revolution, the civil rights coalition of blacks with Northern white Protestants, Jews and, increasingly, Latinos replaced the old farmer-labor coalition of the New Deal Democrats. Despite a few holdovers from the New Deal era, the post-1968 Civil Rights Democrats were a new party whose actual precursors were failed Northeastern parties of the nineteenth century: Liberal Republicans, Whigs and Federalists. The Civil Rights Democrats were (and remain) a social liberal party with an economic liberal wing (the pro-union "Old Democrats") and an economic conservative wing (the free-business "New Democrats").

Between 1968 and 2004 the Democrats went from dominating U.S. government at all levels to being the minority party at all levels. Their 36 year downfall was a direct result of the fact that they define themselves by social liberalism. There aren't enough social liberals in the U.S. to sustain a social liberal majority party.

As Al From has pointed out, in 2004 45 percent of American voters identified themselves as moderate, 34 percent as conservative and only 21 percent as liberal.

You need 51 percent to be a majority. That means that a majority Democratic party at the very least must be 30 percent moderate and only 21 percent liberal. The larger the Democratic majority, the less important social liberals would be within the Democratic party.

The "moderate" category is somewhat misleading, since it includes two distinct groups: libertarians and populists, who hold opposite views about everything. Libertarians are social liberals and economic conservatives. Populists are social conservatives and economic liberals.

Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, the only two presidents the post-1968 Civil Rights Democrats have elected, ran as social conservative, economic liberal populists. But once they got elected by appealing to the populist vote, they betrayed the populists and promoted policies favored by moderate libertarians--that is, a combination of social liberalism and economic conservatism. Carter, in power, supported affirmative action and abortion (social liberalism) and broke with the New Deal tradition to push for economic deregulation (economic conservatism). Clinton, in power, defended affirmative action, abortion and gays in the military (social liberalism) and, after the failure of his business-friendly health care proposal, broke with most of his party to promote NAFTA, the WTO, and balanced budgets (economic conservatism).

The populist voters aren't stupid. Twice they were burned by Carter and Clinton, who pretended to be social conservative economic liberals only until they won election and then revealed the Democratic Party in its true colors as a social liberal party in which disagreement about abortion is banned but disagreement about free trade is acceptable. Instead of teaming up with Perot's populists against the economic conservatives, Clinton teamed up with the economic conservatives against Perot's populists. Clinton echoed the economic conservatives, announcing: "The era of big government is over." This was so far from being true that Clinton's successor George W. Bush, doing a reverse Clinton (that is, betraying the economic conservatives to side with the populists), presided over the biggest expanstion of socialized medicine in the U.S. since Lyndon Johnson, in the form of the Medicare drug benefit.

Many "New Democrats" and "neoliberals" approved of Clintonism, on the grounds that instead of reaching out to working-class white populists the Democrats should reach out to upscale libertarians who support choice and free trade. In one respect, this strategy succeeded. In recent elections, the Democrats have been gaining more and more of the socially liberal, economically conservative professional and managerial elite.

Unfortunately for the Democrats, working-class white populists with a high school education greatly outnumber elite professionals in the U.S. electorate. Some Democrats hope that Latino immigration will boost the Democrats into majority status. But Latinos tend to be social conservatives, and are likely to vote more like white populists than like loyal black Democrats as they assimilate.

Given the large number of populists and the small number of libertarians, a liberal-populist alliance can defeat a conservative-libertarian alliance--but a conservative-populist alliance, of the kind found in today's Republican party, can easily defeat a liberal-libertarian alliance, of the kind found in today's Democratic party.

All of this means good news for Democrats and bad news for social liberals.

The good news for Democrats is that they can regain the majority if the now-dead Civil Rights Democrat coalition of 1968-2004, a coalition of social liberals who agreed to disagree about economic issues, is replaced by something like the New Deal coalition of 1932-68, a coalition of economic liberals who agree to disagree about social issues.

The bad news for social liberals is that in a Democratic majority defined by economic liberalism the social liberals would be the minority in their own party and the socially conservative, economically liberal populists would be the majority. Not only would social liberals have to welcome back pro-middle-class-welfare-state social conservatives to the Democratic party, but also they would have to consent to being the junior partners, as in the New Deal era.

Social liberals can be the minority in a majority party. Or social liberals can be the majority in a minority party. But social liberals can't be the majority in a majority party--not in the United States, not in the foreseeable future. There just aren't enough social liberals in the American electorate.

*****end of clip*****

When the majority of senators are liberal, I just don't see how democrats can win back the senate??

This article is absolutley correct. No liberal/progressive has EVER been elected president. Clinton and Carter had moderate social views, as opposed to Losers such as Mondale, Dukakis, and Kerry. Democrats only seemed to win the presidency when they had a candidate with moderate social views. Why do you think Hitlery is moving to the Center?? Because she knows social liberalism is only confined to the a few states, not enough to win the MAJORITY!

Where is Pat Robertson when we need him?? I thought he would talk with God and move the hurricane to that bastion of evil, L.A.

I am sure Joel Olsteen and Dobson are offering their mega-churches as temporary housing to the refugees streaming out of Gulf States.....

Jonnyboy

Johnnyboy, where are the environMentalists Leftists Wackos when you need them?? Bush's environmental policies are responsible for these hurricanes!!! This is all Bush's fault!!!

Tim L.
Lets' give those stupid liberals some of their own sarcasm right back. Those intellectual liberal elite morons have been complaining about the loss of wetlands for years, and now when the President has added thousands of acres of wetlands in one fell swoop, without the use of taxpayer dollars they'll complain some more.

My wife heard on radio that Bush's popular numbers have spiked higher with this hurricane. Go figure it out!

Someone also said on radio that if a dirty bomb was dropped what plan would we have? Under Bush America is a disaster waiting to happen.

Hurricanes are acts of God. Bush cannot nuke God but he can nuke God's children.

When do you believe Bush will nuke Iran? JUST IN - Bush's band of morons (his selected band of scientists) are saying that Iran's testing to produce nuclear power has altered atmospheric conditions that caused Katrina. If Bush can convince the American people of this phony charge, Iran will be nuked by years end.

John Benson, aren't you a liberal though?

BTW, read the article I've posted, this guy is absolutely correct.

Mr. David Corn,

Another good post. I think you should stay on the ineptitude of Bunnypants and his mindless drone blind supporters and the lickpspittle sycophants. I LOVE to hear them coming unglued at thier hinges. Better than an "E" ticket ride at Disneyland!

Some just see the world through "Rove Colored Glasses" I guess and from the hate filled invective offered as political discourse you are rightly getting under their skin (good show mate!)

Keep up the good work! (loved the troll trap) HA!

Thanks again for all of your work.

Kirk

John Benson,

OMG, I had never thought of it that way.

Food for thought, free wetland restoration has got to be the best deal going so far. . .

I must seriously stew on the profundity.

Thanks (maybe you are converting me?)

capt

John,
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.
Lovely.

Capt, you say Bush supporters blindly support Bush, but don't you BLINDLY hate Bush? I have never seen you give him one iota of credit for anything good.

"Some just see the world through "Rove Colored Glasses" I guess and from the hate filled invective offered as political discourse you are rightly getting under their skin (good show mate!"

And what rose-colored glasses did have on prior to November 2, 2004!?!? You thought Bush would lose!!! Bwhahahahah!!!!!!

When Business Week doesn't write about all the good possiblities to come from the hurricand and the Today Show won't show the stupid heartwarming dog saved from the hurricane stories you know the administration is in trouble.

Dave/Capt and #s109 and 110 from the prior thread; awesome posts. Thanks.

Dave: You obviously know a great deal about this Yes, 100 time smarter than Bush), and I agree about the problems in implementing any sensible eco-friendly energy technology or conservation measure against entrenched, incestuous interests in the government and lobbyists for oil and utility corps. But even if it is demonstrably not cost effective for me, I am willing to try to retrofit my home and take some other actions myself so I personally am not such a part of our gluttonous disastrous national adiction to petroleum. Maybe with a few examples to see up close, ideas will catch on with others and costs will come down (You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one!)

I saw a show on cable last week ("Future home" or something like that) kwhere they reviewed the latest improved technology (and at lower costs) for a home wind turbine, dramatically more efficient photo-voltaic cells, and a newer heat pump that circulates water (not air) deep under ground and is suitable to my area. Please direct me to vendors/resources if you know of any, or if you work in these areas let me know how to get in touch!

Tim,
The capt's eyes are wide open. Reality isn't pretty but it's there. And the fact that Bush won shouldn't be something to sing about. New Orleans is a disaster that happened under Bush's watch. He had an obligation to this country to have funds available make sure a disaster would be planned and executed well. This is a disgrace. What, are you his cheerleader? After all you've seen and heard? You must be related to him.

Who Is Smearing Whom?

By Alan Wald

Wald, Professor of American Culture, University of Michigan, is the author of The New York Intellectuals: The Rise and Decline of the Anti-Stalinist Left (1987), and other books about radical culture in the United States.

Last week HNN published Alan Wald's critique of an article written by Michael Lind for the New Statesman in which Mr. Lind argued that defense policy in the Bush administration is orchestrated by a group of people, many of whom are Jewish, who were allegedly shaped by Trotskyism. This week we publish an exchange between Mr. Lind and Mr. Wald. Below is Mr. Wald's statement. Click here for Mr. Lind's.

After four months, Michael Lind is still unable to produce even one piece of credible evidence to prove the exaggerated and unhelpful claims made in his widely-quoted New Statesman article of April 7th. So he issues a lengthy rant discussing a wide range of other matters. Some of his new arguments are too general to be controversial. Other statements, perplexingly, are attributed to me even though they are nowhere to be found in my critique of his original essay.

Let's be clear about the argument of Mr. Lind's "The Weird Men Behind George Bush" that garnered him so much publicity. He states that, instead of looking to socio-economic and reactionary cultural explanations for Bush's foreign policy, we must understand that "the world's only global power is being made by a small clique that is unrepresentative of either the US population or the mainstream foreign policy establishment." Moreover, the "core group now in charge" are "neoconservative defence intellectuals" of whom "many started off as anti-Stalinist leftists or liberals...." He says that "most neoconservative defence intellectuals...are products of the largely Jewish American Trotskyist movement of the 1930s and 1940s...." He also states that their political philosophy of "Wilsonianism" is "really Trotsky's theory of permanent revolution mingled with the far-right Likud strain of Zionism." This Jewish Trotskyist Wilsonianism contrasts with the "Genuine American Wilsonians," who "believe in self-determination for the Palestianians."

Mr. Lind presented us with a list of the "neoconservative defence intellectuals." Those "inside the government" are Paul Wolfowitz, Donald Rumsfeld, Douglas Feith, Lewis Libby, John R. Bolton, and Elliot Abrams. Those "outside" are James Woolsey and Richard Perle. Lind then moves to a discussion of a "metaphorical pentagon" surrounding these figures, one that includes the Israel lobby, the religious Right, and conservative think-tanks, foundations and media empires. In this last category he mention's Rupert Murdock's Fox Television Network, William Kristol's Weekly Standard, Conrad Black's National Interest, and the Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Washington Times. Linking all of these is William Kristol's Project for the New American Century. Lind states of this group: "Using a PR technique pioneered by their Trotskyist predecessors, the neo-cons published a series of public letters, whose signatories often included Wolfowitz and other future members of the Bush foreign policy team." Moreover, these "neocon defence intellectuals" came to power because "they took advantage of Bush's ignorance and inexperience."

My objection to Mr. Lind's argument is first of all that he gave no evidence that "most" of this "small clique" that is "in charge" of U.S. foreign policy has any significant connection, personal or ideological, to what he calls the "largely Jewish-American Trotskyist movement." In his answer to my critique, Mr. Lind still refuses to provide documentation of such a sensational charge. Instead, he attributes to himself a different claim: "I stand by the observation that there is a distinct Trotskyist political culture, which shows residual influence on individuals who renounced Trotskyism or who were never Trotskyists but inherited this political culture from their parents or older mentors." But nowhere does he show us how a single member of the "small clique" either "renounced Trotskyism" or "inherited this political culture" from anyone.

I would be the last person to dispute that the political cultures of Trotskyism, Communism, anarchism, New Deal Liberalism, etc., can exist and be transmitted. For example, in regard to Trotskyism, it can be demonstrated that critiques of Stalinism from Marxist premises, a sympathy for the radical potential of literary modernism, and an internationalist view of Jewish identity together comprise a subcultural tradition that might be passed on. One might even write a whole book about the subject. (We might call it, "The New York Intellectuals: The Rise and Decline of the Anti-Stalinist Left.") Moreover, such a study would point out that the original group coalescing as "neoconservatives" in the 1970s included a few prominent intellectuals who had passed through a wing of the Trotskyist movement, especially an anti-Shachtmanite tendency known as the "Shermanites" (led by Philip Selznik, aka Sherman). But even in the 1970s, among the strands of ideological DNA that formed to create "Neoconservatism," Trotskyism was very much a receding one. Now, thirty years later, in regard to a group of mostly younger people that some are also calling "Neoconservatives," it is close to non-existent.

*****end of clip*****

Hard to believe proven liars and practiced prevaricators especially when trolls post whole articles (they know better) and NEVER provide a link to the original source because the source has less credibility than the troll (if that is even possible).

Poor manners and bad form is the hallmark of slugs and lemmings.

But I repeat myself.

Of course the distraction is from the thread and troll posts shy away from the subject on the thread (it is their little job).

SCHWING and a miss (as always)

capt

The shrub says that he isn't looking forward to this trip. WTF does he think this is a picnic, try living there for four days without your handlers asshole! He needs to get a wake up call, like hordes of americans out in front of the White house, ours by the way. and with pitch forks torches, and a rope, that might make him take a little turn at the reality barrel. Asshat!!

The busheviks can run, but they cannot hide from their indifference, arrogance, corporate cronyism, greed, and pure callousness. GWB, the pathetic bastard, (in January 2001) appointed Texas pal Joe Allbaugh to head FEMA, even though Joe had ZERO experience in disaster management. Then GWB announced he was going to privatize and downsize FEMA -- while Joe says it is an "oversized entitlement program." The inept, inexperienced Michael Brown replaced Joe, when Joe decided to "assist" companies whoring for business in occupied Iraq.

Brown's background that qualifies him to head up FEMA? Nada. Zero. Zilch. Ahh, but he did serve as legal counsel to the Int'l Arabian Horse Association.

Where is Frist and company now? Why have we not interrupted our vacations earlier this week to rush back to Washington to deal with this crisis in New Orleans?? (Maybe we need to attach a feeding tube to the dead and dying in the streets and claim that we are going to remove it to get some action) Those in poverty or the wrong skin color don't warrant the same outrage and concern I guess. Or maybe there is not a political advantage to be gained??
Jonnyboy

FEMA Director Offers New Spin On Broken Levees

Yesterday, Bush said "I don’t think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees." Today, FEMA director Mike Brown was asked about that comment on ABC’s Good Morning America:

GIBSON: Mike, with all due respect to you and with all due respect to the president, I was amazed to hear him say to Diane yesterday, We didn’t know the levees were going to break. We didn’t know the dams wouldn’t hold.
We all were talking about that on Monday morning, that the levees were only built to withstand a category 3 hurricane. There’s batches of reports that say that. And you knew a 4 or 5 was coming all weekend long.
BROWN: I think we were all taken aback by the fact that the levees did break in so many places and caused such widespread devastation. And so we’re responding the best we can to help those people that are stuck in this ongoing disaster.

So the new story is: that administration knew the levees would break but didn’t think it was going to cause so much devastation. How could the administration not know that the flooding of a major city would cause massive devastation?
(The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette headline on 10/17/04: New Orleans In Danger of Drowning; Hurricane Ivan Passed It By, But a Direct Hit By Another Storm Would Swamp Its Levees and Leave Thousands Dead.)

*****end of clip*****

Bunnypants lie? Well I never! HA!

The world is watching and Bunnypants is showing his ass (as usual). No wonder the rest of the planet has no, none, ZERO respect for the CIC (Coward in Crawford).

Bunnypants think he can change the history that has already been recorded. He cannot.

"This only is denied to God: the power to undo the past." ~Agathon (448 BC - 400 BC), from Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics

Note to troll: you seem to have an unhealthy obsession with the capt, get over it. It is real creepy. I do not post to you and I will not reply to your pathetic plaintiff whining.

You post lies and made up stuff you cannot back up with anything. Case in point. "Capt hates America" I posted in general for anybody to reference where such a lie might have originated. I was answered with a made up quiz from some psycho that I was suppose to reply to? PLEASE. You post crap about me posting as you? I cannot pretend to be that stupid pal, play your games with someone that wants to play, that is not me.

Reasonable political discourse has never encumbered any of your posts but if you ever want to be taken seriously you will have to at least pretend.

For now you should just quit it. I will leave the board anytime you post. You can have it. I will return only when you are gone. GET IT?

I do not have any interest in you or your posts. Do me the same favor in return? Please? Seriously? You are just too pathetic for words.

Now: it might sound like I am hanging up the phone, but I’m not so hang on the line, I’ll be right back.

And with that, my like minded friends. I will return to the shadows of the lurk and enjoy all of your posts.

Good day all!

capt

Click Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Here you go! Friday, September 2nd, 2005 Dear Mr. Bush: Any idea where all our helicopters are? It's Day 5 of Hurricane Katrina and thousands remain stranded in New Orleans and need to be airlifted. Where on earth could you have misplaced all our military choppers? Do you need help finding them? I once lost my car in a Sears parking lot. Man, was that a drag. Also, any idea where all our national guard soldiers are? We could really use them right now for the type of thing they signed up to do like helping with national disasters. How come they weren't there to begin with? Last Thursday I was in south Florida and sat outside while the eye of Hurricane Katrina passed over my head. It was only a Category 1 then but it was pretty nasty. Eleven people died and, as of today, there were still homes without power. That night the weatherman said this storm was on its way to New Orleans. That was Thursday! Did anybody tell you? I know you didn't want to interrupt your vacation and I know how you don't like to get bad news. Plus, you had fundraisers to go to and mothers of dead soldiers to ignore and smear. You sure showed her! I especially like how, the day after the hurricane, instead of flying to Louisiana, you flew to San Diego to party with your business peeps. Don't let people criticize you for this -- after all, the hurricane was over and what the heck could you do, put your finger in the dike? And don't listen to those who, in the coming days, will reveal how you specifically reduced the Army Corps of Engineers' budget for New Orleans this summer for the third year in a row. You just tell them that even if you hadn't cut the money to fix those levees, there weren't going to be any Army engineers to fix them anyway because you had a much more important construction job for them -- BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ! On Day 3, when you finally left your vacation home, I have to say I was moved by how you had your Air Force One pilot descend from the clouds as you flew over New Orleans so you could catch a quick look of the disaster. Hey, I know you couldn't stop and grab a bullhorn and stand on some rubble and act like a commander in chief. Been there done that. There will be those who will try to politicize this tragedy and try to use it against you. Just have your people keep pointing that out. Respond to nothing. Even those pesky scientists who predicted this would happen because the water in the Gulf of Mexico is getting hotter and hotter making a storm like this inevitable. Ignore them and all their global warming Chicken Littles. There is nothing unusual about a hurricane that was so wide it would be like having one F-4 tornado that stretched from New York to Cleveland. No, Mr. Bush, you just stay the course. It's not your fault that 30 percent of New Orleans lives in poverty or that tens of thousands had no transportation to get out of town. C'mon, they're black! I mean, it's not like this happened to Kennebunkport. Can you imagine leaving white people on their roofs for five days? Don't make me laugh! Race has nothing -- NOTHING -- to do with this! You hang in there, Mr. Bush. Just try to find a few of our Army helicopters and send them there. Pretend the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are near Tikrit. Yours, Michael Moore

I had to savor that. Ahhh.

A few "conservative" memes and we get "Wait I thought this guy was a liberal." So much for the advanced critical thinking the right likes to prattle on about. It's even better when you can use it twice. That you can explain the premise in detail and openly solicit volunteers is priceless. I think I'll go have a snack and chuckle to myself.

It's kind of like being the witch in Hansel and Gretel, except you get to put out the bread crumbs, post signs saying Danger Fake Bread Crumbs. Only at the very end is the question asked, "Wait, is that an oven?"
I think that's a winning formula for more than Rush Limbaugh. It's mean when I do it for a joke, because we are a capitalist society I assume it's OK to profit by such means.

"This is an agonizing time for the people of the Gulf Coast," Bush said from the Oval Office.

What an inane comment! It's time to airlift GWB to NO and drop him into the muck. That stoooooopid, shallow, callow bastard has blood on his hands from Iraq, now he should be covered with excrement.

GIVE US THIS DAY YOUR DAILY LIE:

"Flood control has been a priority of this administration from Day One," Scott McClellan said.

TWO OF THEIR LIES THAT ARE WORTH REPEATING BECAUSE THEY ARE SO BLATANTLY FALSE:

At a press conference a few months after 9/11, Condoleezza Rice said, "I don't think anybody could have predicted" that someone would try to use "a hijacked airplane as a missile."

GWB said on "Good Morning America": "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees."
__________________________
Why aren't more Americans enraged -- or at the least, disgusted -- that this inept, arrogant administration plays its citizens for fools?

Long cut and paste coming, but interesting. It's from an MD who is a friend of a colleague at my company and stayed in N.O to help. I edited out names and personal info. Why indeed can't we airdrop some basic supplies and medicine?

"Thanks to all of you who have sent your notes of concern and your prayers.
I am writing this note on Tuesday at 2PM . I wanted to update all of you as
to the situation here. I don't know how much information you are getting
but I am certain it is more than we are getting. Be advised that almost
everything I am telling you is from direct observation or rumor from
reasonable sources. They are allowing limited internet access, so I hope to
send this dispatch today.

Personally, my family and I are fine. My family is safe in Jackson, MS, and
I am now a temporary resident of the Ritz Carleton Hotel in New Orleans. I
figured if it was my time to go, I wanted to go in a place with a good wine
list. In addition, this hotel is in a very old building on Canal Street
that could and did sustain little damage. Many of the other hotels
sustained significant loss of windows, and we expect that many of the guests
may be evacuated here.

Things were obviously bad yesterday, but they are much worse today.
Overnight the water arrived. Now Canal Street (true to its origins) is
indeed a canal. The first floor of all downtown buildings is underwater. I
have heard that Charity Hospital and Tulane are limited in their ability to
care for patients because of water. Ochsner is the only hospital that
remains fully functional. However, I spoke with them today and they too are
on generator and losing food and water fast. The city now has no clean
water, no sewerage system, no electricity, and no real communications.
Bodies are still being recovered floating in the floods. We are worried
about a cholera epidemic. Even the police are without effective
communications. We have a group of armed police here with us at the hotel
that are admirably trying to exert some local law enforcement. This is
tough because looting is now rampant. Most of it is not malicious looting.
These are poor and desperate people with no housing and no medical care and
no food or water trying to take care of themselves and their families.
Unfortunately, the people are armed and dangerous. We hear gunshots
frequently. Most of Canal street is occupied by armed looters who have a
low threshold for discharging their weapons. We hear gunshots frequently.
The looters are using makeshift boats made of pieces of styrofoam to
access. We are still waiting for a significant national guard presence.

The health care situation here has dramatically worsened overnight. Many
people in the hotel are elderly and small children. There are ID physicians
in at this hotel attending an HIV confection. We have commandered the
world famous French Quarter Bar to turn into an makeshift clinic. There is
a team of about 7 doctors and PA and pharmacists. We anticipate that this
will be the major medical facility in the central business district and
French Quarter.

Our biggest adventure today was raiding the Walgreens on Canal under police
escort. The pharmacy was dark and full of water. We basically scooped the
entire drug sets into garbage bags and removed them. All under police
escort. The looters had to be held back at gun point. After a dose of
prophylactic Cipro I hope to be fine.

In all we are faring well. We have set up a hospital in the French
Quarter bar in the hotel, and will start admitting patients today. Many with
be from the hotel, but many with not. We are anticipating to dealing with
multiple medical problems, medications and acute injuries. Infection
and perhaps even cholera are anticipated major problems. Food and water
shortages are imminent.

The biggest question to all of us is where is the national guard. We hear
jet fighters and helicopters, but no real armed presence, and hence the
rampant looting. There is no Red Cross and no Salvation Army.

In a sort of clichÈ way, this is an edifying experience. Once is rapidly
focused away from the transient and material to the bare necessities of
life. It has been challenging to me to learn how to be a primary care
physician. We are under martial law so return to our homes is impossible.
I don't know how long it will be and this is my greatest fear. Despite it
all, this is a soul edify experience. The greatest pain is to think about
the loss. And how long the rebuild will. And the horror of so many dead
people .

PLEASE SEND THIS DISPATCH TO ALL YOU THING MAY BE INTERSTED IN A DISPATCH
From the front. I will send more according to your interest. Hopefully
their collective prayers will be answered. By the way suture packs, sterile
gloves and stethoscopes will be needed as the Ritz turns into a MASH."

1) "Energy independence" in the real world means the OPPOSITE of what it does in the La-La Leftist universe. "Energy independence" means actually getting REAL energy from REAL sources and applying it to REAL-life uses.

2) "Energy independence" in the silly world of the Left means, first, "blame Bush"; second, mumble the same tired cliche' about "alternative energy sources" (that don't exist); third, "blame the Oil companies and Bush"; fourth, go with the non-sequitur about "global warming" (which may exist, but which has ZERO demonstrable tie to any human activity, and is more likely to be the manifestation of the natural cycle the Earth has been going through long before Homo sapiens ever arrived on the scene); and fifth, "blame Bush."

3) REAL "energy independence" is going to consist, first, in shutting up the loony Left, hanging a few Enviro-Nazis from street-lamps (hopefully in New Orleans, if that can be arranged), and finally moving forward to doing what we know we can do, right now: Drill for petroleum domestically, develop the rich oil fields in the Gulf off the Florida coast and in the Pacific off California, as well as Alaska, and shooting you b*st*ards on sight the moment you open your ****ing yaps about it.

4) In essence, America is on the verge of recognizing that we need independence from Pinkos first, then we can move forward to real progress.

There, hope that clears it up for ya.

HOw about moving in two divisions with their helicopters and MPs? Think they might work? Since they are only 250 miles away in Texas, so what is the problem? Plus watch this for more events. If this is the first opportunity for the HSA to show how well it can handle something like an emergency, I am not impressed. Asshats?

Assessing the President

There are generals and church people who say that George W. Bush was chosen to be president by God. I cannot prove or disprove what people are saying. So, I offer you my assessment with some trepidation.

George W. Bush and his regime have been an experiment in mendacity with the American people. His disciples claim that he is the messianic messenger but his message has obfuscated the American people. His character lacks the probity to be a leader and his actions are more reflective of a nefarious person. George W. Bush expects Americans and the media to obsequious to what he says because he says it.

Before I accept the hyperbole that George W. Bush was chosen by God to be president and that God speaks to him, he must possess the virtues of my God which are humility, love, mercy, and patience. Personally, Mr. Bush does not possess any of these virtues. I see him more as a controlling, punitive, and vengeful person, totally lacking in compassion.

George W. Bush displays a depraved indifference toward the killing of living human beings.

jonnyboy - my thoughts exactly! frist and company stampeded back to washington for an emergency session to "save" terry schivo. and remember ... bush was "awaken in the middle of the night" to sign the schivo bill. on tuesday, 24 hours after the hurricane, bush was in california playing the guitar!

Capt. WTF,
Do you find yourself wondering if Airfarce Won was pulling a banner that read "Mission Accomplished."

Corporations and Persons

I watched Television Ontario (TVO). The program title was "The Corporation-The Pathology of Commerce." The program mentioned that the Supreme Court ruled that a corporation is a person than surely a person is a person. The program highlighted a checklist for mental disorders. Since a corporation can be considered a person, the mental disorder checklist can be applied.

Here is the checklist.
1. Callousness toward people
2. Impersonal relationships with people
3. Disregard for the safety of others
4. Deceitfulness
5. Incapacity to experience guilt
6. Failure to comply toward social norms to benefit people

From the checklist corporations displayed a psychopathic mental disorder. If we use the same checklist for our two highest leaders, then we would have to conclude that george w. bush and dick chaney display the same mental disorder. It would be my perception that the above two men are unfit to be president and vice-president, respectively. They hold too much power for men who have a possible mental disorder.

CNDTBMBLT;
Excellent point! We need to keep doing things just the way we have been all along. It's pure folly to try and reduce our consumption, we need to extract every available drop of oil domestically.

Ps. I was reading yesterday that those pinko leftists are eating people now. The savages.

Micki post 24

At a press conference a few months after 9/11, Condoleezza Rice said, "I don't think anybody could have predicted" that someone would try to use "a hijacked airplane as a missile."

GWB said on "Good Morning America": "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees."

"There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame on—shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again."—Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002 GWB

WTF - can't do that, the people won't let them land, they're busy looting and raping and pissin in the streets. How about the comments that the looters are stealin jewelry? Yeh, the jeweler just left the good stuff behind when he evacuated, bushilt.

#26 There are no Leftist Thugs.

Another cheerleader for the republican reich sounds off out of his ass again. What do we expect? Not anything that he would really want to do, no balls because he ain't in Iraq, no better to make loud noises and no balls oh well, let him rant, so he can beat his wife when she doesn't want to have sex with him.

Attack on Unity

The attack on unity comes from the attack on truth. Tell endless lies and the weak will believe the lies. The repugnants are involved in a diabolical plot. Bush and his henchmen are also into deviant behavior.

The neocons and the fundamentalists are also attacking our thinking process. Neocons view money as the truth. The fundamentalists have end time and rapture as the truth but to achieve their truth you must have killing and a nuclear holocaust. They talk of moral issues but how can killing be acceptable with people who talk endlessly about moral issues but glorify killing.

Neocons see truth in money, power, control, and humiliating people who differ with them. The fundamentalists talk for God but their truth is in wars and a nuclear holocaust.

Attack on unity in America is achieved with the repugnants' attacking truth about gender, families, religion, etc. Only the fundamentalists can talk about religion because they have the true religion? Membership is gained by attacking the truth of the various religions. Unity will disappear when the truths are attacked through lies about the poor, health care, environment, corporate fraud, etc.

Do the fundamentalists say that we are all God's children? No, they do not! For example, the poor are poor because they want to be poor or they are lazy or God is punishing them. How do these lies unify our country?

With Bush's endless lies America's unity has disappeared. Through lies and disunity of the American people the repugnants will remain in power forever.

conservative kkkristian evangelicals

Dear conservative kkkristian evangelicals:

This is an open letter to you. You have deep love for your bushgod. I know it and you know it. I encourage you to volunteer for military service to prove your love for him.

Military recruiters will not reveal to you or to Americans the two highs from military duty. Let me take the time to share these highs with you.

In the military you will only have these highs that are totally unexplainable, such as the smell of napalm in the morning. The other high is the smell of burning human flesh from a flamethrower that will flush out the enemy. Now, the military is using chemical warfare in Iraq. The chemical causes the human flesh to rot away and there is no stopping it, not even water.

With your time in military service, you will never forget these highs. In fact there are soldiers who volunteer for more tours of duty in Iraq that is how glorious these highs are for our mean, lean, fighting machines.

REMEMBER, LOVE BUSH AND LOVE ENDLESS WARS!!!

Sincerely,

Gerald

American Guidelines

I would like to share with you a 60 plus page booklet that describes Americans. Stephanie Faul, an American, has resided in many countries. She wrote "Xenophobe's guide to the Americans." You may receive a copy by writing to Ravette Books, P.O. Box 296, Horsham, West Sussex RH138FH.

America is a nation of misfits, convicts, adventurers, and religious fanatics. The demographic mix has changed little in nearly 400 years.

Being number one is very important to an American. How you play the game does not matter, you are only to win. Winning is central to the American psyche. Winning makes Americans feel good. The most widely prescribed drug (psychiatric drug) is an anti-depressant drug. The American reaction to any kind of disaster or crisis is to feel good about it, if it is possible accentuate the positive about disasters and crises. America is a country of insecurity and depression. Americans see conspiracies in every event.

In some countries disgraced politicians kill themselves. In America they run for office. Americans are an obsessed people from growing old, being fat, dying, and gadgets. The only thing Americans think about is money. They are into class and social status. A man's car is his castle. Americans are perpetual teenagers. No matter what kind of sex Americans are having, it could be better. Adultery is widely practiced but publicly condemned. The American cultural ideal, which bears no relationship of any sort to American cultural reality, is monogamous marriage between two virgins.

Americans are intrigued with good manners, in part because they don’¥ have any. Americans tend to run late, especially if they are important and wealthy.

Americans want to stay healthy because American medical care is the finest that money can buy but you need money to afford it. Americans love to apply the word, system to everything, such as the environmental system, the educational system, the health care system, the get rich quick system, the corporate fraud system, the rigging elections system, etc.

Americans believe that college is a good idea as long as you don't have to learn anything. America is a nation of lawyers. Americans love to shift the blame to any handy object-parents, spouses, neighbors, etc. Americans are never at fault. In practice, innocent means convicted in the newspapers but not in the court of law. Speedy trial means before the accused dies of old age. Reading a person his or her rights does not mean gentle treatment. The quality of mercy is meted in the USA depends on the region in the country.

A stick and a carrot? WTF?

Lt. Gen. Steven Blum of the National Guard said 7,000 National Guardsmen arriving in Louisiana on Friday would be dedicated to restoring order in New Orleans. He said half of them had just returned from assignments overseas and are "highly proficient in the use of lethal force." He pledged to "put down" the violence "in a quick and efficient manner."

"But they are coming here to save Louisiana citizens. The only thing we are attacking is the effects of this hurricane," he said. Blum said that a huge airlift of supplies was landing Friday and that it signaled "the cavalry is and will continue to arrive."

ANOTHER CONVENIENT LIE FROM A BUSHEVIK, FROM AN AP STORY:

"Michael Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said FEMA just learned about the situation at the convention center Thursday and quickly scrambled to provide food, water and medical care and remove the corpses."
_____________________
I guess Mr. Brown was otherwise occupied and didn't get the news?

Proportionality

Moral decisions in and of themselves cannot be considered immoral unless you know proportionality. There are three actions to consider in proportionality, such as intentions, circumstances, and consequences. I cannot judge bush but I have perceptual opinions.

Here are my perceptual opinions regarding bush's attack upon Iraq.

1. Intention-bush wanted to make himself look like a big man to his father and to himself. Oil may have also been an intention as well as permanent military bases.

2. Circumstances-bush lied to Americans that Iraq was an imminent threat to America's safety and security. If we do not go into Iraq, they will come here and we will no longer be safe and secure. Do we feel any more safe and secure now? The Nazis control Americans through fear.

3. Consequences-bush's decisions laid the groundwork for war crimes, mass murders, crimes against humanity, torture, and rape of a foreign land. Americans have their freedoms and rights taken from them through the Patriot Acts. America's economy is such that the middle class is being dissolved. Contracts are given to boyfriends and Americans do not know where the money is going. bush's attack upon Iraq raises proportionality to a level that his decision to attack Iraq was and is an immoral act. Grave eternal consequences are upon his person and soul and also with the people and their souls who have agreed with his brutal and inhumane actions upon the Iraqi people.

Airboaters stalled by FEMA

The pilots stand ready to go help hurricane victims but have not been allowed to do so.

Nancy Imperiale
Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted September 2 2005

As a flooded New Orleans sinks further into despair, up to 500 Florida airboat pilots have volunteered to rescue Hurricane Katrina victims, transport relief workers and ferry supplies.

But they aren't being allowed in. And they're growing frustrated.

"We cannot get deployed to save our behinds," said Robert Dummett, state coordinator of the Florida Airboat Association. He said the pilots, who range from commercial airboat operators to weekend pleasure boaters, "are physically sick, watching the New Orleans coverage and knowing that the resources to help these poor people is sitting right in our driveways."

On standby since Monday, the pilots -- many from Central Florida -- have spent thousands of their own dollars stocking their boats and swamp buggies with food, water, medical supplies and fuel.

But the Federal Emergency Management Agency will not authorize the airboaters to enter New Orleans. Without that permission, they would be subject to arrest and would not receive security and support services.
-------------
They are being told it is too dangerous. WTF?? Is bushco TRYING to make this as bad as possible?

America's Future

Bush was chosen by the majority of Americans to be their god. The majority of Americans are familiar with Bush and they consider him like themselves-ignorant. I read an article and the person in the article said that Europe is tired of crusades. Europe has been involved in crusades for 1,000 years. America's history is different. Our history is 225 years. We have been in many wars and with our hate and kill mentality America will continue to fight endless wars. With more and more Americans facing unemployment, the only employment will be in the military armed services and learning to kill, shoot a gun, and throw hand grenades. That is America's future-killing and endless wars.

Every thing happens for a reason whether it is man's reasons or God's reasons. Events are not chance encounters. For example, Bush chose to attack Iraq because he wanted to be the War President. There are probably other reasons but Bush feels comfortable as the War President.

Bush Strafes New Orleans
Where is our Huey Long?
by Greg Palast
Friday, September 2, 2005

The National Public Radio news anchor was so excited I thought she'd piss on herself: the President of the United States had flown his plane down to 1700 feet to get a better look at the flood damage! And there was a photo of our Commander-in-Chief taken looking out the window. He looked very serious and concerned.

That was yesterday. Today he played golf. No kidding.

I'm sure the people of New Orleans would have liked to show their appreciation for the official Presidential photo-strafing, but their surface-to-air missiles were wet.

There is nothing new under the sun. In 1927, a Republican President had his photo taken as the Mississippi rolled over New Orleans. Calvin Coolidge, "a little fat man
with a notebook in his hand," promised to rebuild the state. He didn't. Instead, he left to play golf with Ken Lay or the Ken Lay railroad baron equivalent of his day.
---------------
Compassionate conservatism at it's finest!

#41 Saladin, relief was held back until Bush decided to visit the hurricane sights and give the impression as someone who can get things done.

That is the reason. Every thing happens for a reason. Now Americans have the impression that he was able to move circumstances. His popularity will rise to an all time high.

Americans are nothing but sheep being prepared for the slaughter.

Letter to WRH

This is only the beginning. We will ultimately all be in similar situations.
BTW....Did you hear that Venezuela has offered their Medical Airlift Command for the evacuation of peoples trapped in these devastated regions. Holland has offered the resources of their Public Works Ministry (and who are the acknowledged World Experts for below sea level water evacuation procedures) Russia has offered over 100, 000 temporary living structures, along with Military Personal to assist their American counterparts; Iran has offered 1 Billion US Dollars in immediate assistance and guaranteed 5,000,000 barrels of oil at 35,00 US Dollars; China has offered their Miliary Rescue Forces (Who are acknowledged as one of the best in the world for rescuing peoples in flood ravaged areas.)

ALL OF THESE OFFERS and more, the Military Leaders of US have declined. US Dept. Bulletin NCO:13788...in which it states that this remains an INTERNAL ACTION.
-------------
I think it has become perfectly obvious that this disaster is being made purposely worse. One good question, why was the helicopter assigned to sandbag the levees diverted from that project?

Quotes from Michael Brown, director of the Fumbling Emergency Mismanegment Agency (FEMA):

"Considering the dire circumstances that we have in New Orleans -- virtually a city that has been destroyed -- that things are going relatively well," Brown said.

What? How's that again???

Is he serious? Wasn't it his f**king JOB to make sure that the city was not destroyed in the first place? Does this debacle actually pass for a success in his diseased mind and within this inept administration?

Man, I'd sure hate to be near any place where this feckless idiot thought things were going badly. There would probably be a lot of magma and horned guys with pitchforks involved.

More pearls of wisdom from Mr. Brown:

When commenting on the plight of those people who foolishly chose to live in poverty, become old and frail, picked this time to be in the hospital, and all the selfish fools who chose to remain behind with their loved ones:

"Unfortunately, that's going to be attributable a lot to people who did not heed the advance warnings," Brown told CNN.

"I don't make judgments about why people chose not to leave but, you know, there was a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans"

Asked later on CNN how he could blame the victims, many of whom could not flee the storm because they had no transportation or were too frail to evacuate on their own, Brown said he was not blaming anyone.

"Now is not the time to be blaming," Brown said. "Now is the time to recognize that whether they chose to evacuate or chose not to evacuate, we have to help them."

Oh, I get it now; earlier in the interview was the time to be blaming. Now that the interviewer was talking about his band of village idiots, it seems the time for placing blame has just expired.

Is this guy related to Saddam's Information Minister (Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf)? Or is he just a student of that master of spin?

The most ironic thing to me is that for having these thoughts, I, a lifelong Republican, will almost certainly be branded as some kind of leftist loony. Republicans USED to be able to spell, think, and debate without resorting to ad hominem attacks in their opening statements. Now it seems that the fools who have hijacked the Party of Lincoln have a lot of trouble with words of more than two syllables, and when anyone points out in a calm and reasoned way that they are full of sh*t, they want that person executed immediately. Just like this "Bunnypants" guy you all keep talking about, and his pet preacher, Pat "The Hitman" Robertson.

The funny thing about this crowd is that, although they talk a lot about "God's love" and "Christian values", they elected and continue to mindlessly defend a president who as governor executed more people than any other in history, a man who launched a war of aggression upon the people of Iraq, and they choose as their spiritual leaders men like Pat Robertson who see religion as a weapon they can use to deliver God's wrath (or theirs) upon the heads of people they don't like. There seems to be some sort of violent, repressed sexual psychopathic process operating here. They are obsessed with seeking revenge for every insult, great or small. The Instruction Manual of their faith seems to advise against these hateful actions:

From the Book of Matthew, Chapter 5, Verse 2:

5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5:5 Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.
5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
5:10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."

And from Verse 38:

5:38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' 5:39 But I tell you, don't resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. 5:40 If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. 5:41 Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 5:42 Give to him who asks you, and don't turn away him who desires to borrow from you.

5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.' 5:44 But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, 5:45 that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don't even the tax collectors do the same? 5:47 If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don't even the tax collectors do the same? 5:48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

I can"t seem to find anything in there about killing people who piss you off. No "blessed are the guys who beat gays to a pulp and leave them tied to fences to die", no "if a man selleth you not oil at a fair price, sendeth thee thine elite snipers to bloweth off his head".

Thanks to CNN for this priceless material:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/09/01/katrina.fema.brown/index.html

and to Jeshua ben Joseph for this:

http://worldenglishbible.org/web/indexfr.htm

David writes: Yet usually the poor and working poor are invisible and not part of the national discourse.

Boy, ain't it the truth. Air America played a clip of Limbaugh having an argument with an imaginary "lib" in his head. Why did these stupid people stay behind, Rush asked. Some of them don't have cars, answered Rush as the "lib". Rush blubbered shrilly back at himself, "Well, why don't they!?"

The horrible, stupid, evil question still echoes in my ears.

Thanks for all you do, David.

#26

Shouldn't you be murdering someone in Iraq instead of trying to think.

TimL. #2 -

bravo! at least 60" of post devoted to smirking at lefty liberals as if they were concerned with the '06 election! how apropos! man, you certainly give a good impression of (f)right wing priorities don't you? you have exceeded yourself this time pally!

Shrub couldn't find his ass without help. FACT!

David,

I would like to add another comparison. Upon hearing about 9/11 Mr. Bush waited 7 minutes before doing anything, while he sat and "read" a children's book. Upon hearing of the impending hurricane Katrina on Friday August 5th, Mr. Bush waited a full 7 days before starting any federal relief effort. 7 minutes to 7 days. What a president.

While FEMA and the state governments are still in turmoil and having trouble dealing with the disaster, early last week Hugo Chavez, the President of Venizuela, offered to send personnel and supplies (including gasoline, if I'm not mistaken) to help. Why is another government more prepared to deal with a US distaster than our own?

Why were the President and ALL of his chief aids on vacation at the same time? I know that the President believes very strongly in his vacation time, but it is inappropriote to leave the helm completely unattented. Way to go! Every effective manager knows that there must be someone in charge while he goes on vacation (they should even teach this at such schools as Harvard Business School) so that productivity is not lost.

Please, Americans, remember how our government responded to this crisis in a year as you vote for new representation in Washington. We cannot get rid of Bush for another 3 years, but we can at least mitigate the damage he is doing by replacing the Republican congress (and Republican governers, such as the one in Mississippi, who I hope is up for election and reminded of his blind approval of Federal relief efforts).

Chad

Ok Saladin,
Here goes. I'm beginning to think your right although my human instincts are fighting the urge to believe it. I think they let New Orleans sink into anarchy because...they want to rebuild. That was a huge gift to developers in the Tsunami ravaged regions. Developement. That's the ticket.

It will be a no bid contract with guess who to get the contract? Give up, it starts with H

It is time to get the USA back under adult supervision. Robert Reich described the two reactions to the anti-authority rebellion of the '60s. If you were more economically liberal, you rebelled in the well know ways, and as you grew up you had to temper idealism with practical methods. He described the new conservatives (led by Grinich at the time) as being those who rebelled more like nasty school boys, wanting to tear down and destroy things, idealistically pursuing a stripped down fed govt that was only good for defense (or offense as we now see). They believe its better to let those in need not get what the need, in order to assure that some people do not abuse government assistance. There idealistic model is mistrust and a lack of adaptability to challenge their own beliefs. They are just school boys, and its time to get them out of the government and let the adults take charge.

Jeanne, I am waiting to see them do one positive thing to help those people, like allowing others who are ready, willing and able to go in, no matter the risk, and damn the torpedoes. My God what the world must be thinking of us. Without diebold the neocons will lose the south over this, but what difference will it make at this point?

In my above post (51) I meant Friday August 26, when the storm was predicted to hit New Orleans.

There are 500 Airboats in florida ready and loaded to go in and start rescue opertions and these guys know what they are doing, the reason they can't go there is because the HSA won't give them permission to go in there. First save the people second save the people then parade in front of the cameras, but these buttheads have their priorities all messed up, must come with the Kool aide.

Yelnats, that has been the consequence of allowing the federal govt. to become the uncontrollable behemoth we have today. They worry, on the surface, about the few who take advantage of assistance, but never acknowledge the corrupt pork barrel policies so rampant in DC. When the feds step in and usurp state rights it is always a clusterfuck of epic proportions. They are very efficient at creating laws that they refuse to provide funding to enforce. Put DC pack in it's rightful position and let the states do what they do best, look after the best interests of it's citizens. I think DC has proven, without a doubt, where their loyalties lie, in the pocketbooks of the lobbyists.

Just saw an Army Corps. of Engineers spokesman on C-SPAN saying that the levees were built to withstand "99.5%" of cases but, unfortunately, Katrina fell into the 0.5% category.

Does this sound like bullshit to anyone else? Isn't he saying that there was only a 0.5% chance that a class 4 or 5 hurricane would hit New Orleans?

WHY is Operation Blessing, Pat 'the Assassinator' Robertson's organization, being listed right under the Red Cross on CNN's on-screen list of Charities for Katrina aid? I saw it with my own eyes at 10:21am PDT, 09.02.05 Friday morning.

If any of you have the knowledge or connections to make the phone call to someone up the CNN food chain, I would want to ask CNN why it is funneling money to Pat 'The Assassinator' Robertson? This is massive free publicity for Robertson's outfit.

in unquenchable rage, & hope --

pogblog

USA Today has Op. Blessing right under Red Cross for
donations;

Fema donation page has Operation Blessing two under Red Cross;

The original alert & follow-up about the 'odious' Operation Blessing I also saw on Sploid.

#26? Why that must be "Kenny Boy" Lay posting in here, trying to protect his future livelihood. He has lots of spare time right now, you know. He-he, he-he - He said "Pinko." (Read in the voice of Beavis or Butthead.)

The New Orleans horror strikes me as a real-life metaphor for the sick fantasy that enraptures the Left Behind crowd.

Those with means fled the city and were spared. The poor have been left behind to suffer and die like animals in filth and squalor.

It seems that the ultimate sin in this society is, after all, poverty.

PRESIDENT BUSH yesterday told ABC-TV, "there ought to be zero tolerance of people breaking the law during an emergency such as this, whether it be looting or price-gouging at the gasoline pump or taking advantage of charitable giving or insurance fraud."

Zero tolerance is meaningless when the White House lets the biggest looters of Hurricane Katrina walk off with billions of dollars.

New Orleans is under martial law and will not return to normal for years. Members of the Red Cross, the Coast Guard, the National Guard, police agencies, and firefighters are sacrificing time and risking lives to save lives. Texas is opening up its school systems for homeless Louisiana children. Generous food wholesalers are giving away their stocks to passersby. The Astrodome is taking in the refugees of the Superdome.

In the midst of this charity, big oil looted the nation. The pumps instantly shot past $3 a gallon, with $4 a gallon well in sight.
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For those with the least little doubt about where bushco's loyalties lie.

Derrick Z. Jackson: 'Big Oil's bigtime looting'

My wife has the perfect comparison for this tragedy. It is the Titanic - while the rich rush to half empty SUVs, hotel-provided buses and other private means, the poor are crammed into large arenas without means for food, water, escape, or even sanitation. A majority of the deaths on the Titanic were the poor locked in holds below deck and in New Orleans and a larger and more gruesome scale it will again be the poor and people of color who will die. Knowing that this type of tragedy was very possible, it is criminal negligence that no plans were made to evacuate, or at minimum, provide for tens of thousands of people in the aftermath, when such a hurricane hit.

Saladin (post 58),

If the Republicans in the south feel so strongly that there should not be big government then each of the states involved (each of which voted Mr. Bush into office) should decline the federal aid and manage the problems themselves. However, they will be unable to do this financially, and it would be a humanitarian disaster if they decided to do this.

The federal government's resources are necessary in situations like this because there are more resources available from the entire nation than one state alone could muster. Louisiana is ont of the poorer states around, and on an individual basis the people hit the hardest are the poorest and least insured. Without resources from outside the state they would never be able to recover. Therefore the Republican small government tendancies are more of a liability for situations like this than anything else.

Besides, don't the "red", Republican: smaller federal government, states use more federal money than the "blue", Democrat: larger more supportive federal government, states? I need to dig up that statistic.

Chad

They won't recover from this until shrub is in the rear view mirror, they will withold funds from the rebuilding just like they did for the levee construction, why should they pony up now?

Post 26:

We have reliable "alternative" energy sources such as electic cars, hydrogen cars, hybrid gas electric cars, methane cars, ethanol cars. We can get electricity from solar, wind, wave and probably several other types of renewable sources.

Already in Arizona there is a true natural hydrogen production facility utilizing solar electricity to create hydrogen gas from water.

Saying that we don't have alternatives is foolish and ignorent. There are entire communities in several states cut off from the power grid and relying on these renewable energy sources (New Mexico comes to mind, where Governer Richardson has spearheaded a clean energy initiative).

Don't be fooled by the gas and coal industries. We have alternatives TODAY! Do some research, put solar panels or solar shingles on your house, put a wind generator where your weathervane is, every bit helps. Get an electic, water generated hydrogen, or hybrid car. We all need to do what we can, not only for our pocket books today, but for the world tomorrow.

Chad

Post 26:

We have reliable "alternative" energy sources such as electic cars, hydrogen cars, hybrid gas electric cars, methane cars, ethanol cars. We can get electricity from solar, wind, wave and probably several other types of renewable sources.

Already in Arizona there is a true natural hydrogen production facility utilizing solar electricity to create hydrogen gas from water.

Saying that we don't have alternatives is foolish and ignorent. There are entire communities in several states cut off from the power grid and relying on these renewable energy sources (New Mexico comes to mind, where Governer Richardson has spearheaded a clean energy initiative).

Don't be fooled by the gas and coal industries. We have alternatives TODAY! Do some research, put solar panels or solar shingles on your house, put a wind generator where your weathervane is, every bit helps. Get an electic, water generated hydrogen, or hybrid car. We all need to do what we can, not only for our pocket books today, but for the world tomorrow.

Chad

Ffolks,

My Girlfriend, Jill, got on the phone last night to her DMAT commanders and demanded that she and all other availible team members be deployed immediately.

She leaves for MS (or somewhere else) in the morning. Looks like I'll be tending the homefires for at least 2 weeks, then I might be able to spend a week in a volunteer capacity.

We had lunch with a reporter and photog for the "Greenville Journal" today. I'm curious how they're going to treat the story, but they're not exactly MSM, so I'm hopeful.

I'll be compiling an e-mail group, specifically to provide info and updates on Jill's DMAT mission and progress. If you'd like on that list, just e-mail me a quick note and I'll add you.

My e-mail link is real. I will forward all notes of encouragement and congratulations directly to Jill.

Thank you to all who've already done so!

-T

p.s. Jill's going-away dinner will be a salad of field greens, shallots and baby carrots in a blackberry vinagrette, Salmon Steaks, crab-stuffed mushrooms, grilled zucchinis and lots of cold, muscadine wine.

Can't save the planet on an empty stomach, I always say!

I just wrote a short note of support to Monica Benderman. Her email addy was at the bottom of her article that Gerald posted on the last thread. Yeah, I'm behind and still reading. Within 5 minutes that sweet lady replied to my email. Thought I'd share it with you guys.
==============================
I drove to Jacksonville, yesterday, to pick up our daughter who is visiting me from Friendswood, Texas. I lived there during the time that my husband was in Iraq. Thank you for your support.

Monica B.

Ffolks,

My Girlfriend, Jill, got on the phone last night to her DMAT commanders and demanded that she and all other availible team members be deployed immediately.

She leaves for MS (or somewhere else) in the morning. Looks like I'll be tending the homefires for at least 2 weeks, then I might be able to spend a week in a volunteer capacity.

We had lunch with a reporter and photog for the "Greenville Journal" today. I'm curious how they're going to treat the story, but they're not exactly MSM, so I'm hopeful.

I'll be compiling an e-mail group, specifically to provide info and updates on Jill's DMAT mission and progress. If you'd like on that list, just e-mail me a quick note and I'll add you.

My e-mail link is real. I will forward all notes of encouragement and congratulations directly to Jill.

Thank you to all who've already done so!

-T

p.s. Jill's going-away dinner will be a salad of field greens, shallots and baby carrots in a blackberry vinagrette, Salmon Steaks, crab-stuffed mushrooms, grilled zucchinis and lots of cold, muscadine wine.

Can't save the planet on an empty stomach, I always say!

Boy, those bushies FUCKED UP BIGTIME! You mean the levees were not strong enough? But we slashed funding to those programs! You mean emergency response teams were disorganized and ill-equipped? But we created a whole new beaurocratic department to deal with large-scale destruction (terrorism)! You mean hurricanes are getting more powerful and destructive? But we encourage the wasteful use of gasoline and discourage any energy policy that does not make large energy companies even richer! FUCK YOU BUSHBOTS! You got told, there is no escaping this blunder. Get your heads out of your asses or go get them blown up in Iraq. Get out of my country, we have no more room for the likes of you. 1-800-USA-ARMY or 1-800-GET-A-CLU

You young whippersnappers don't remember Galveston back in 1900, but I do. I don't mean to be a "bummer" like you young kids would say, but there ain't no rebuildin' this one, I'm afraid. Get the folks out that you can, forget about it, move on, and let's get to organizin' that little necktie soiree for Dumbass and President Cheney. Harrumph. 'Nuff said.

Hajji at #71. Can I come over for dinner? I am looking at a late meal of chips and salsa washed down with a couple beers. Cheers.

I just watched Democracy Now. Beverly Wright and Damu Smith were talking about the race problem in NO. Both are concerned about the redevelopment and the treatment of the poor and middle class blacks in the city. Here is the excerpt.

DR. BEVERLY WRIGHT: And I also worked as director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice. We have been working with people for the last 15 years dealing with what we call environmental injustice. So, I see it in two ways as a person who was born and raised in New Orleans and loves the city very much, and on the other hand looking at what the response has been, not only to the tragedy of Katrina, but what the response has been now for years, the toxic exposure for people living in the Mississippi river chemical corridor. We have no emergency response for that. So, it's not surprising that the emergency response for this catastrophic situation seems to be non-existing. But what I really see happening is that people are not taking into consideration -- when I say people, I'm talking about the government. The pre-hurricane conditions of the city. Then we have to deal with what the post-hurricane conditions are, which are intrinsically tied to the pre-hurricane conditions. And then moving on to what we call the rebuilding stage, there are so many factors directly related to class and race, for those of us who live in New Orleans, it's mostly race and class follows race. It's because of our race that our class is what it is. People forget that New Orleans is 67% black. That's of the ones that are being counted. More than 50% of that 67% live below poverty. This is mostly driven by the economic base of the city, which is tourism. That means that low-paying jobs as waiters, dishwashers and cooks. Literally I would say that there's been a huge resistance to raising the minimum wage that would raise the quality of life for most of the people in New Orleans. A second part of that is that the poverty in New Orleans for the most part has been hidden. Because the people in New Orleans have a very long history they have been there since it was under control bit French and Spanish. So the history is long. That's why the culture in New Orleans is such -- is just so enticing, people want to come from all over the world for the music and the food. It has to do specifically with that history. But I am very concerned about what is happening since the hurricane. I don't need to go back into what we have been seeing on television. All of that is true. I have an uncle that is missing. My house is completely destroyed. The houses of all of my friends -- houses are underwater. My friends are all over. They're in Houston, they're in Atlanta, for the most part, but they're also in Birmingham and San Antonio, and Jackson, Mississippi. So we are completely ripped apart, and what we are asking is why in that we have been knowing that the levees needed to be shored up for a very, very long time. I mean, worst case scenarios have been presented at national meetings all over the world about what would happen to New Orleans, but yet we have not gotten the kind of response, I would say, pre-hurricane, from the White House that we should have gotten. I remember our legislators and our congress people fighting to get monies for our wetlands, fighting to get monies to shore up our levees. So, the army corps of engineers needed another $208 million to finish the levee projects which they did not get. President Bush sent $10 million. So, now we are going to have to spend $26 billion on a project that could have cost us $208 million. I hear people say, you know, well, people shouldn't live there. People have been living here for more years than the United States has been in existence. This is the first time we are having something this catastrophic. This is after learning how to build dams and sending people to the moon. You know, so, as a citizen of New Orleans, I am very angry, and I really, really believe that it's driven by race. People can say what they want, but when you look at who is left behind, it is very -- it is very disturbing to me, not to mention the fact of what's going to happen afterwards. Who will be involved in the rebuilding, and the redesigning of New Orleans? Just before the hurricane, African-Americans, middle class African-Americans, our grassroots people were basically fighting for their life. We were fighting gentrification at a rate we have never seen before. We were fighting the takeover of our public schools. We were fighting the dropping of the residency requirement. Hope Six wiped out a housing project that had 7,000 African-Americans. They were displaced the same way that we have been displaced. Crime and violence was rampant because of the displacement of about 7,000 people, poor people who had no place to go. All of this discussion about what's going on, crime and violence in the city, well, that was going on before the hurricane and we didn’¥ get the attention or help we needed to deal with a looming drug addiction problem, and a small number of people who are thugs and murderers and drug dealers. Well, they're there now. What you are seeing now is no more than what we saw then, and these people were also preying on our communities before the hurricane. Now, we have to deal with the rebuilding. Who will be involved in the rebuilding of New Orleans, in the clean-up, you know, in the construction, and what I am experiencing, trying to find housing, the discrimination is rampant.

AMY GOODMAN: Dr. Beverly Wright, director of The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice University at -- is it Dillard University?

AMY GOODMAN: Speaking to us from Atlanta, her home destroyed in New Orleans. I wanted to end with Damu Smith. President Bush was asked by Diane Sawyer in a White House interview about the issue of zero tolerance. Diane Sawyer said what about those who are desperately trying to get food and water?

DAMU SMITH: Well, I want zero tolerance for that kind of language being used by leaders of our government to discuss poor people, poor black people, who are trying to survive in the -- under the most desperate, insane circumstances. I want zero tolerance for thousands of our troops being sent to Iraq when we need them here. I want zero tolerance for public officials going before the airwaves talking about all of the wonderful things that they're doing when the head of FEMA yesterday said that he didn't even know that there were thousands of black people, thousands of people at the New Orleans convention center between 15,000 and 20,000 people are there with no food and no water and last night, he said he didn't know this. How is that possible? I want zero tolerance for the kind of behavior being exhibited by our national government. Under the leadership of president Bush, which has neglected our people in New Orleans. That's what we need zero tolerance for.

AMY GOODMAN: I want to thank you very much for joining us, Damu Smith, founder of Black Voices for Peace. Lived in Louisiana, for ten years.

Bush's Tirades

Do you have the felling that Bush is a complete jerk?

Riff,

Just so long as you bring the salsa and beers!

-T

The great cover-up is beginning...as soon as W. came out with soundbyte "the federal response has been unacceptable"--- the groundwork has been laid. Blame will be deferred. Once again, "we got bad intelligence on WMD" -------- " we didn't expect the levees to break" ------ I am sure the FEMA heads will roll as did George Tenet while emperor still stands there with no clothes on. "Mission Accomplished"
Jonnyboy

F'in Hotmail won't let me broadcast this e-mail...

________
Ffolks,

Finally, Jill has been deployed to assist her DMAT team in the Hurricane Katrina ravaged Gulf Coast.

The loss of life, devestation and displacement of humans from their homes due to this storm is unprecidented. Her deployment, this time, will bear little resemblance to her rather comfy trip to recover the Florida Gulf Coast last year. It will be at least a 2-week deployment to the heart of tragedy.

As proud of and concerned for her as I know all of you are, I hope that you'll understand the need to ask that you refrain from attempting to contact her via her cell-phone as access will be limited and filling up her voice mail could very well keep an emergency message from getting to her.

Please accept my humble plea to divert any messages to MY e-mail, thajji64@hotmail.com or MY cell phone...(864) or the home phone (864) I will save all correspondence for her. In the event of an extreme and TRUE emergency and inability to contact me by the methods above, my work # at St. Francis Hospital ER is (864)
I will post updates and information regarding her mission via e-mail to this list, as she and her team are able to contact me. She has been highlighted on WYFF-TV 4 and was interviewed and photographed for the the Greenville Journal, today.

If you wish to be removed from this list, please reply with "REMOVE" entered on the subject line.

Thank you all for your concerns.

-T

Uhm....I didn't mean to post that....
-T

In KATRINA AND DUNKIRK? it says "When the water [in New Orleans] recedes...". The water can't recede. Its already at the bottom of a bowl. The only way the water (and sewage, oil, chemicals, etc.)