Hurricane Rant

I haven't read too much today other than direct (but horrible) CNN in coverage. I SUSPECT that they already know how bad this is going to get. A HUGE theme in CNN interviews and reporting right now is how stupid and selfish the people are who stayed behind (when not talking about how brave their own reporters are). My TV will not survive if I hear another one of these judgmental, arrogant, non-journalistic statements.

People who didn't leave include:

You know, never the fucking mind. Just watch the footage of who is being rescued off rooftops and tell me if you think those folks have a summer home in the Hamptons to flee to. Nevermind the ones who can barely even walk due to age or infirmity. And you know, I don't read lips but I enjoyed imagining that one of those so rescued off a rooftop was mouthing to the camera: "yeah, but at least I'm not trapped in the fucking SuperDome."

As of now: No food, toilets backed up, no electricity... and CNN now says there are 30,000 inside, all of whom must now be evacuated to somewhere else.


What's coming now is a ripple effect that is so profound we've probably seen nothing like it before. It will go beyond 9/11 because it will involve increasing levels of frustration and anger AT BUSH and the whole government structure. They were clearly not at all prepared for this, despite the fact that the levees were specifically built only to survive up to a category 3. Everyone knew this when they were built. It was the best they could do at the time.

Others have pointed out how Bush vetoed money to repair this problem...though I assume other Presidents could have done it as well. But the problem is beyond that. How Bush is perceived to be handling this...well, it will bring down his presidency or bring on martial law.

The guy who is reporting with Wolf Blitzer was actually fairly open here. At one point, he asks Blitzer, "Is Bush still on vacation?" Blitzer, being what he is, took it as a serious inquiry and said, "No he cut his vacation short." then the other guy proceeds to lay into Bush suggesting that with his poll numbers he might want to get on this hurricane thing pretty quick, as last he had heard, Bush was giving a speech somewhere about Iraq.

When the bodies start surfacing, and the ability to get more people out alive recedes (and the coverup begins as well) and especially if things go real bad with the Superdome, it will present a crisis unparalleled in our history. The administration will simply come apart at the seams. They are simply NOT dealing with the enormity of this.

Neither is the fucking media. I thought I was tripping on acid when a CNN reporter (sic) went on and on with a woman from the CDC in Atlanta about the dangers of the next few days. The woman did hit some of the obvious, such as the fact that there are tens of thousands trapped in rising water that is polluted with chemical and human wastes, with no electricity and no communication.

But then they spent half the interview talking about the dangers of WEST NILE VIRUS as mosquitoes multiply due to all the standing water. WEST FUCKING NILE VIRUS. Yeah, I watch my wife pulled off by the water and I'm worried about West Nile. Oh, and here's a little clue...New Orleans has had standing water since it was formed...see, it's basically SWAMP. This is NOT the issue to be focusing on. God almighty help these poor people in LA.

Then they proceed to provide tips to all those in the affected areas about how to survive. Well, I have a little news for you...THEY CAN'T WATCH CNN RIGHT NOW. SEE, THERE WAS A HURRICANE....

And why the levee broke is a mystery. They were out of the woods so to speak. I'll have to assume a natural explanation as I think it would have been hard to have foreseen enough of the circumstances to have some kind of evil plot to destroy one of those sections. Unless you want to go into the "they steered the hurricane and had charges ready" idea. I'm not in that camp yet. But with what's going on, they might as well have as they are no less culpable for what's happening.

Now I'm just waiting for Pat Robertson to say this was God's punishment on New Orleans for being the vice capitol of the world.