Feeling safer yet? Is "Homeland Security" a misnomer?

[cry baby]

This hurricane took days to get to it's destination. The Corp of Engineers (Feds) knew the levees were only built to withstand a cat. 3 hurricane. Our govt. knew, and did nothing to prepare.

How are you people in California feeling? What if the "Big One" hits you? Feeling safe?

I live near the New Madrid fault, and I am nervous.

But the question that really looms large in my mind...People around the world who hate America (many more now than before * stole the election in 2000) have seen how our federal government responds to emergencies. In response to 9/11, we attack a country that didn't attack us. Then a disaster (Katrina) hits with days of warning, and the devastation in NO happens and the feds do nothing for days. They aren't prepared. Many die. Many lose everything. Do we think there are many "terrorists" taking notes?

* and his maladministration just keep showing their incompetence. I hope it's not the end of all of us!

[Terran1212]

1. My Sister who works for homeland security blamed mayor...

True, she's just an intern, but her opinion must reflect the opinion of those she works with.

My parents were blaming FEMA and the government, but she says it was the mayor's fault for not "evacuating quickly enough."

Considering all Homeland has been doing since she's worked there (and me, too, I was contracted for 8 hours of roleplaying in terror simulation) has been setting up spy and surveillance networks throughout Atlanta, I'm not surprised they get caught with their pants down when there's a real disaster, not an imagined one.

[cry baby]

2. I just don't happen to think that the mayor could have

called up enough resources to evacuate everyone that need to be evacuated. There just aren't enough buses, cars, or planes at his disposal.

I think blaming the mayor is ridiculous. "Homeland Security" are covering for themselves.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Anybody who's ever had to deal with those clowns

at the Ministry of Fatherland Security, in even the most peripheral way, knows they're a bunch of useless political hacks. The whole agency is a huge boondoggle; a way of consolidating power and rewarding political cronies. Yes, there should be better coordination among agencies concerned with disasters (natural or man-made), but they need to be, at a minimum, competent to do the job. FEMA was a pretty good agency when it was a separate entity and headed by Witt, who actually had a background in disaster relief. The current head of FEMA used to manage a horse breeders' association, and Chertoff is a complete fool. It's obvious that if we were not as well-prepared as we should have been on 9/11, we're totally screwed now.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. Official Bush policy: Blame anyone but Bush

When did the emergency happen? Before or After the levees broke?
When did the Governor and Mayor ask for help..Wasn't it on the SUNDAY the Hurricane hit? Didn't FEMA have a 5 day warning to prepare and be on the ready for a CATEGORY 5 hurricane?!!!
Why did it take 5 days to get food and water to the victims in New Orleans AFTER the hurricane hit?

Why was Bush in Arizona and California while New Orleans was being blown to bits? Why was Condi seeing a Broadway show and buying $1000 shoes?

Why was the budget cut for the past 5 years for the engineering and construction that would have shored up the levees that could have prevented this tragedy?

Why has this administration been ignoring the warnings about climate changes and pollution that led to the increase in the temperature in the Gulf of Mexico that precipitated the change of a category 1 hurricane into a category 5 hurricane?

Too many questions..and too few answers.

What a crock of crapola to blame the Mayor! Your sister seems to have been sipping the Koolaid.

[Terran1212]

5. Remember, she's an intern...

She doesn't set policy or anything. She's probably just taking the line that Atlanta is taking right now, in the midsts of being overwhelmed.

There are 5000 people coming within the next 48 hours, sis actually has to work weekends for once...

I still remember what my dad had in response to all this: "It's about the haves and the have-nots..."

Even a man like my father who has such a belief in capitalism (hatred for bush and war, though) can see very clearly that this is a case of the government spending tens of billions on protecting its own offices and buildings and corporate centers (part of the homeland in atlanta's simulations was protecting the Suntrust bank and new aquarium) and leaving the squalors and ghettos to rot.

[BrklynLiberal]

6. Guess she is easily influenced by those she works with, being young and

all.
If she voiced an opposing opinion she would not have a job there for very long.
But I hope she does not REALLY buy into that.

[Terran1212]

9. Well, she herself is pretty liberal

Her boss's car is like a bushtopia, and the people that work there generally are your typical arrogant white males.

"Hey, time for a random joke about arabs, gays, and homeless people!"

You know...


I think it's good that more rational and liberal people like her should join the government, but not in roles where you are basically following policy, because then the policy you are following may be disagreeable or unjust. Left-wing thinkers should join as policymakers, to inflict real change, not as beauracrats or people who follow orders.

[Cleita]

7. Weirdly enough, my Repuke Assemblyman and head Ahnold

ass kisser, Abel Maldonado, was interviewed on a local segment of AAR this morning and he brought up the fact that Sacramento is surrounded by levees (it's in a wetland area)and he wondered if they would withstand a really big storm or earthquake. He said Sacramento would be flooded just like NO.

[BrklynLiberal]

8. ooops. Wonder if Ahnold will take the blame if the crap hits the fan in CA

[cry baby]

10. I'd sure be paying attention if I lived in Sacramento!

I wonder what level of devastation their levees are built to withstand?