"DHS is a monumental flop....and God help us if there is a terrorist attac

[rodeodance]

H"--said Bob Schiefer just now.

[rodeodance]

1. it is about time Katrinia is linked with failure of DHS--said it loud and

clear.

[rodeodance]

2. this was his closing comment on CBC (tv) just now.

[saltpoint]

3. I heard that! Gotta say, Schiefer's got it exactly right.

If DHS can't respond sensibly, swiftly, and effectively to hurricane damage, what possible use is it in the event of a bio- or chemical event?

Chertoff should be out on his ass.

[Ready4Change]

4. Behold the power of bureaucracy.

DHS is just another layer, slathered ontop of all that existed before. It drains resources, slows responses, and confusing the chain of command. And yet, because it's blessed by the terror of 9/11, it is held blameless for all it has turned to waste.

A monumental mistake put in place by one of our worst administrations and governments, ever.

[FloridaPat]

5. * didn't want it in the first place. He just used it as a election issue.

Why does anyone think he would try to make it work?

[LiberalEsto]

6. DHS really IS a mess

DHS is a conglomeration of previously-independent federal agencies like the US Coast Guard, the Department of Defense, FEMA, and many others. They have internal problems cooperating with one another because of egos, power trips, and traditions. Everyone wants to do things they own way and not somebody else's because that's the way they've always done things. They simply don't know how to share information and cooperate.

DHS gets way too much budget money, and spreads it out irrationally - with lots of security funding going to rural areas in red states as political pork, and not enough going to blue cities like New York that really need it. Contracts go to friends of the B*sh Misadministration, whether they are competent or not. People like Michael Brown, with no disaster, security or emergency response experience whatsoever, get jobs because they are Friends of Chimp.

Also, naturally, there is a focus on protecting and securing things owned by corporations -- such as data centers, chemical plants, etc., while not that much appears to be done to protect people like you and me on subways, in shopping malls, etc.

[donsu]

7. the terrorists are in the W.H. - same ones that did 9/11

nt

[SmokingJacket]

8. Yeah, and it's completely deliberate.

The more we suffer under a terrorist attack, the more we fear them, right? Perfect scenario for them.

They have nothing to gain by making this a safe country for the masses.

[rodeodance]

9. don't think deliberate--just plain old incompetant!

[SmokingJacket]

10. I mean deliberate incompetence --

They hired Brownie BECAUSE he was incompetent.

They knew they were screwing up, but they made no effort to rectify the siutation, because they didn't want to help the region, particularly New Orleans.

And they were right: for the most part, people seem to have forgotten the horrendous job they did.

TRULY incompetent people might fly around with their heads cut off, working ineffectively, but the Bushies just sat back and let the DHS do nada.