Waiting for Rain
Three years later. What an anniversary. So much has happened since then.
Three years ago, New Orleans was being inundated by one of the worst storms ever to hit the USA. Several million people displaced. I remember speaking with people during and right after the disaster. People were scared. They were worried about their houses, and concerned about their mortgages. Some lost their homes completely, some had their homes repaired, some had their homes paid off by their insurance companies. Some people decided to stay, and some decided to stay away.
Just hours after Hurricane Katrina made landfall, the President was in Arizona doing a photo op with John McCain, celebrating McCain’s birthday. This was over three hours after the administration found out that a levee in New Orleans was breached. Keep in mind that on Friday, Governor Kathleen Blanco had declared a state of emergency for the state of Louisiana and the Gulf States had requested additional troops from the Pentagon.
On Saturday, Governor Haley Barbour declared a state of emergency in neighboring Mississippi. Blanco had also requested that Bush declare a Federal state of emergency for Louisiana – which was granted.
On Sunday, Katrina was upgraded to a Category 4 and then Category 5 hurricane, with the National Weather Service issuing this warning: “Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks, perhaps longer. … At least one-half of well-constructed homes will have roof and wall failure. All gabled roofs will fail, leaving those homes severely damaged or destroyed. … Power outages will last for weeks. … Water shortages will make human suffering incredible by modern standards.” Mayor Nagin quickly ordered the evacuation of New Orleans.
On Monday morning, the hurricane hits, the levees were breached, and the disaster and the tragedy continues. More help is asked for from the President, who continued his California tour.
It’s Compassionate Conservatism at its best.
Now it’s an election year, and McCain is the Republican Party’s nominee for President. He is in serious trouble in the polls. His running mate is a joke waiting to happen, and he is on the downslope of a rapidly deteriorating presidential campaign. Is it any wonder that both he and Bush are paying such close attention to Gustav? It’s all a fucking dog and pony show to them, and they are trying to save Bush’s failed Presidency and boost McCain’s hopes to become President. They have to make it look like they actually give a damn about New Orleans, Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, at least for something more than the oil that comes from the region.
Personally, I think it’s all about karma. Last week, the Religious Right’s Focus on the Family released this video:
They claim it was meant as a joke. Maybe they should look into karma, because karma doesn’t work that way. Or maybe they should look into their precious Holy Bible to see that even their god does not work that way. Or perhaps they should just look at the results of their prayers: instead of rain ruining the highlight of the Democrats and their convention, the rain is disrupting the Republican Convention.
The old adage remains true: be careful what you ask for – you just might get it.
