A New Orleans reality check: Residents scoff at President Bush’s plea

[jobycom]

Residents scoff at President Bush’s plea for tourists to return

NEW ORLEANS - New Orleans awoke to a massive fire at a debris storage site Friday, just one day after President Bush declared the Big Easy dramatically changed.

The flames roared through a 100-foot high mountain of storm refuse in the Lower Ninth Ward. It took almost every weapon the beleaguered fire department had to bring it under control.

As he gutted his New Orleans East home, 27-year-old Joshua Robichaux was still angry Friday afternoon. He called President Bush’s rosy assessment and statement that “New Orleans is reminding me of the city I used to visit” ridiculous.

The lights are on in only 34 percent of the city. Only one out of three grocery stores has reopened. Where there were once 2,000 hospital beds, there are now just 200. And the plan to make things better is also in trouble.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10841651/

[ClintonTyree]

1. My daughter returned to Tulane University last week.........

to finish her Senior year. She and her roomies took a driving tour of the entire city including the ninth ward. We've seen all the pictures, read ll the articles and viewed all of the footage about Katrina's aftermath, but she said NOTHING can prepare you for what you see with your own eyes. She was in tears which is WAY out of character for her, she's usually in control of her emotions.

This was just another photo-op for bush. New Orleans in not that much farther along then they were right after they got the city drained. I can see trying to put a positive spin on it, trying to get the tourists back and the economy on it's feet, but outright lying to people is dangerous.

The President of Tulane (a complete ass if you ask me) told the returning Freshman in orientation this week to "not get sick or hurt" since there's a three hour wait for an ambulance and precious few hospital beds if you DO finally get there. Added to all the other negative issues, it doesn't sound like the sort of place I'd want to vacation to in the near future.

I'm going down in May for graduation, I wonder how much progress they'll have made by then? bush's remarks were, as usual, stupid and dangerous. Why can't this idiot keep his mouth shut for once?

[jobycom]

2. Yes, it's sad.

Pictures can't describe it. Same with Pass Christian and Waveland. And the feds are just leaving the area to rot. There is recovery in areas, but not enough.

[radfringe]

3. When you live in a bubble

...you don't see the trouble..

especially if the bubble is rose-tinted

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. I'm sure that Bush was being accurate.

He probably only visited certain select areas of the city, and chances are, they were the first to receive aid. He probably hasn't bothered to tour the rest of the city.

[Swamp Rat]

5. Scoff is an understatement.

:mad:

[jobycom]

6. The statements weren't meant to fool New Orleaneans, obviously

They were meant to convince the rest of the nation not to worry about New Orleans, so Bush won't be blamed for the government's dereliction.

[neoblues]

7. Bush and his rose colored glasses

I wouldn't have been surprised to hear him cajoling them that all was turning up roses while simultaneously brow-beating them for their whiney attitudes... after all, it was just a little water, and who's ever been hurt by a little water?

I'll answer that question. We've been hurt by a little water, a little water on the brain of our "President". Bush's only real concerns here are (a) how to direct public funds into the pockets of his wealthy compatriots (conspirators rather) in as excessively profitable a manner as possible, and (b) how to ensure that history will only record his associated actions in a manner flattering to him. The people who have suffered are merely a means to an end, a part of the process by which the hiring of corrupt Corporations can be enabled. Beyond lip service, not only should people not expect any real assistance, but they should expect to be treated as though they were nothing more than unwanted, bothersome troublemakers (you know, they want to participate in the rebuilding/have jobs and that sort of thing).

Unwanted, dirty step-children whose only value is that of slave labor. By this point, you might be thinking I'm describing the Republican attitude towards the majority of non-wealthy people from New Orleans. Actually, I am. However, while that probably represents the Republican view, most notably that of the Bush Administration, we should realize that this attitude goes much farther; it actually applies to the majority of American citizens. They feel the same way about everyone who lacks God's favor, which is easily discernable from their annual tax returns (I Chronicles 29:12, 'Both riches and honor come from Thee'--so your financial condition is a direct extension of God's favor/your standing with God). In other words, in addition to holding a public dislike for Democrats, Liberals and minorities, they hold a similar disdain, albeit less publicly, about everyone who isn't wealthy. One gets what one deserves, apparently, and this is true even if you receive nothing as a direct consequence of dishonest, unethical behavior by those who have recieved great wealth.

To be popular among them is easy. First, convert, if you can, to caucasionism. Then become Christian. Then, obtain great wealth while showing that you know that God's favor (wealth) is, if anything, greater for those who've been ruthless in their pursuit of it. For example, Tom DeLay, but for his being caught and publicly censured, was approaching sainthood by thier measures. According to their private interpretations of their Bible, the "Law of Man" doesn't really carry any weight in the eyes of their God and while you weren't supposed to worship Mammon, they would contend that having a close relationship with him is no sin (or some similar excuse).

New Orleans is but a symptom of a much more pervasive attitude on the part of leading Republicans, be they of the elected variety or the wealthy behind the scenes type. Indeed, this attitude is actively cultivated and has been successfully planted to varying degrees in all Republicans. Note that an inseparable but unspoken component of this message is the belief in and acceptance of the basic tenets of Aristocracy. Psychological studies have documented the in-built attitude of Republicans of being so comfortable with disparate levels of wealth (wealth, health, necessities, comfort, etc) that they might be said to take pleasure in them (especially when they are on the advantaged/privileged side of the equation). It should be obvious by now, but if not, here it is: Republicans have declared war on the "real" traditional American values (while claiming they represent them) and specifically, the middle class. It's inconsistent with their world view, they can see no value in having a large segment of semi-poor people who constantly interfere with and insist upon protections from (regulation of) Business (Corporations). As the only real needs for their Free Market system is to have a wealthy upperclass who control everything and do the hard work of creating jobs and products, and a vast under-class to provide a large supply of politically docile, easily controlled, inexpensive labor.

Don't look now, but they're succeeding in remaking the world in their image. Every year the disparity between the haves and have-nots grows significantly. They already control our government (all three branches), have Congress in their pockets and a President that supports them unquestioningly. The battle may already be effectively over with the losing side having been so thoroughly conditioned and manipulated that they didn't even know a war was underway. The conditioning was performed by ensuring that our educational system failed to provide students with a real understanding of our history, of how our government works, of politics and it's importance--of their very civic duty and responsibilities as citizens. It was further expanded to include the shaping of attitudes across the board, from basic beliefs about life, liberty, society and government to ensuring a dedicated ignorance on many issues--by means of television, radio and print. Control of the media was essential, else some might actually discover some truth and think for themselves (I can't imagine why they haven't clamped down on the internet--the last bastion of alternate information/truth; so I would recommend watching for such an effort because it must be resisted at all costs). Thus, we have a population that is politically uninvolved and even significantly unaware, that is interested in a wide range of unimportant, but time consuming, distractions (entertainment, tv, sports, etc). The economy has been shaped to ensure that people have to spend more time working, just to survive, and to levy costs for necessities at a rate that reduces or limits people's abilities to save or have enough money left over to make much of a difference if they ever did choose to support a cause. So, between having little free time, being trained to waste what free time we do have, and being prevented from amassing any real savings or wealth (thus keeping us dependent on working long hours), it's no wonder that as a society, we are well described as being politically apathetic (asleep, inactive, unaware, uninvolved). It's also no coincidence that the belief that we are insignificant, helpless, powerless and that our government is hopelessly corrupt (it certainly is corrupt) to the point we can't do anything, is a prevalent and perhaps even intentionally promoted. Since people who believe they have no power or are facing a situation in which there's nothing that they can do... will do just that, nothing.

If we don't change our beliefs, organize and at least try to alter the course that's been set by the political leadership, things will get progressively worse. At some point, we may indeed be helpless and unable to resist. I've just given an example of why we're in trouble... I said "at least try". That's simply not strong enough, it allows for failure (and assumes a certain weakness). We MUST do MORE than just try. We must not take 'NO' for an answer. We must be prepared to do more, give more and suffer more for our freedoms or they will be taken away. That's the most clever element of the opposition's approach... they are taking away our freedoms, rights and even our basic involvment (we don't even have a "right" to vote--and our voting system has been rigged to the point our votes may not even count), and they are taking them away... slowly. Over time, just a little here, a little there... soon enough, we (and the next generation who never knew different) even forget how things "used to be". We become accustomed to our more limited liberties... and soon they take away another little bit here and a little bit more there. Do this over 20 years, and the whole world has shifted. Suddenly we'll find that there are only a handful of mega-media corporations that control "all we see and hear" (just like in the Twilight Zone), and that they don't bother with the "truth" anymore--they just parrot the government's message (why not, since they will have "chosen" that government by supporting only candidates they prefer and assisting in destroying candidates they don't like--and the people won't even know they only got one side of the story). Oh, wait, that's already the case...

Well, how different will things be in 20 mor years? 10 years? Even just five years... Much of it will directly depend on what we do here and now. New Orleans was a wake up call, but how many will hear it?

[ComerPerro]

8. Bush has learned that anything he says becomes true

and so therefore he sees no reason not to lie and be an arrogant prick.