Why Katrina changes everything

[Birthmark]

I've been saying for the last few days that Katrina changes everything. I was somewhat surprised that no one asked me to explain further. Now I think I know why no explanation was requested - or needed. I think I have found the words.

The New Orleans Catastrophe was Bush's and only Bush's fault. That is NOT a political statement. It is a moral statement. No one else had the power or authority to intervene that Bush had. I knew by Tuesday night that if massive rescues or food and water drops weren't achieved by Wednesday that hundreds, perhaps thousands, would die. Surely, Bush or his advisors knew the same. When it became apparent that the rescue efforts simply couldn't rescue that many people that quickly, and that food and water wasn't getting to those that needed it to live, the HUMAN thing to do is to get it to them.

Bush has the ability as Commander-in-Chief to give direct orders to military personnel. Had he gotten on the phone and said, "I want food and water gotten to those people at the Convention Center NOW! I don't care how you have to do it and I don't give a damn for the law. There are lives at stake." Commanders WOULD have made it happen to the utmost of their ability. Yet Bush didn't do this.

So, what we have is actually two failures. The first is the more familiar and somewhat political failure of leadership. This is the fight that the few Bush supporters left will stress. Who filled out what form when and who ordered whom to do what will be their complaint.

The second failure is so egregious and so horrifying that no one has really said it out loud to my knowledge. There is a failure of humanity. Bush has failed as a human being. No human being with an ounce of self respect allows another human being to suffer and die needlessly. This is especially true of Americans, where an element of national pride enters the mix.

- No American leaves other Americans hungry and dying of thirst to fend for themselves when they can possibly fix it.

- No American allows cries of help from other Americans to go unheeded, without a damned good reason.

- No American leaves the bodies of his countrymen in the streets of an American city to be scavenged upon by rats, dogs, and other animals, without a damned good reason.

- No Americans allows our elderly to die of neglect and thirst in wheelchairs under a blazing sun or our children to die in their mothers' arms, without a damned good reason.

Every single person reading this knows that allowing those things is wrong under all but the most extenuating circumstances. Paperwork or protocol certainly don't meet the standard of extenuating. Only someone truly sick in mind or spirit would allow such trivialities to keep them from helping their fellow Americans.

It is this failure that has caused the change I alluded. We can never look at George W. Bush the same way again. There is something missing in him, and evidently those under him, that was displayed this past week for all to see. There is a basic human portion of life called compassion that simply escaped him this week.

This failure as a human being is what has changed America. The ins and outs of protocols and paperwork can go to hell. They have no bearing on Bush's failure as a human and an American. And now we all know it.

Katrina changes everything.

[autorank]

1. :I thought the same thing and I agree! Recommend

[Cronus Protagonist]

7. But but but but George was there comforting the people... (pic)

[robbedvoter]

15. NY Post had this page one: "I'LL FIX IT"

Then ABC came over with the BS poll than noone blames W. And the snowjob, well, snowballs.


"Bush's style is to be nowhere if things that carry a bit of fear happen. During Vietnam, he kept all dental appointments. For the World Trade Center attack, he first froze in a classroom in Florida. Then he flew off in his plane for long hours. Three days later, he got to New York where a flunky placed a retired firefighter, alongside him atop a truck. Then Bush called out a football dressing room speech over a bullhorn."

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. kicked and nominated n/t

[blossomstar]

3. So well said, thank you!

Yes, it does change everything... including my own dead ass sitting here and being quiet and not having the guts to SPEAK OUT! NO MORE. Life will never be the same again... I was made to feel "unpatriotic" when I was so upset about going to Iraq... when they were not responsible for 911, it upset me so badly, that I relatively remained silent around all the war mongers who were taken in by the cloak of "patriotism" dished out by this administration. YES, Life has changed. The SILENCE has ended. This is UNACCEPTABLE!

[calimary]

18. Welcome to DU!

Katrina DOES INDEED change everything.

Good for you for refusing to be silent any longer!

Face it: NOW there are MORE of US than there are of them. And our numbers are growing EVERY HOUR.

We just need to stay strong and resolute. Because these people won't go down without a fight.

Visualize IMPEACHMENT!!!!!!!!!!
Then go DO something about it.

[Booster]

33. Welcome, blossomstar. I, too, am guilty of sitting on my dead ass

but Katrina changed that. For 2006 I am going to get off it and go to Dem meetings, volunteer for my local Democratic office, send letters to people in Wash DC, etc. I will not let these foul people ruin my country without at least trying to stop them. I am, however, still waiting for the Dems in Wash DC to do great things for the people in the south, but the only thing I've seen so far is that they are proposing resolutions to help the people, but we all know each and every one will be shot down by the Repugs. What a terrible state this country is in.

[GreenPoet64]

4. Recommended n/t

[MuseRider]

5. Agreed.

Well stated. Nominated.

[OneGrassRoot]

6. kicked and recommended....thank you....n/t

[ClayZ]

8. Impeach, Indict, Imprison!

:grr: :grr: :grr:

Get the heartless SOB

[Hidden Stillness]

9. Exactly! Anti-American, Un-American Treason!

Beautiful statement! This is the way it should be thought of and told: it is antiAmerican; treason. Exactly. Our worst enemy, the worst terrorist has not murdered as many Americans as George Bush and the Republicans just did, refusing to respond to cries for help--from the victims, and from the local and state officials. Vacationing, eating cake with McCain; sickening to think about. We can now reach that Dreyfuss "J'accuse!" moment, as this horror is now so real, the neo-con threat made real, and now we know that we the American people are their target, their enemy, whenever we have needs that only government can answer, "taking money away" from their corporations. The New Deal generation would have been all over this treason by Bush. Republicans really are first, last, and always, the Party of bankers.

[Prodemsouth]

10. This has to be among the top 5 if not the most profound posting I

have ever read on this website. If any "leader" in the USA cares about the future of this country regardless of political affiliation they should say what Birthmark posted verbatim. Very Powerful!

[tomg]

11. Great Post. And you are so right.

"The failure of <*'s> humanity" says it all.

[Totally Committed]

12. It has changed nothing. He's gotten away with it.

ABC poll -- 46% approve of Bush's handling Katrina, 47% do not approve.

Once again, he has escaped the righteous justice that should have taken him and his Party down.

Our largely silent Democratic Party "leaders" are complicit.

As wonderful as you post is, it is preaching to the choir. No one here would give the ratbastard a pass for all the reasons you outlined. But, it appears, 46% of the American public would.

Face it: Bush is Teflon.

TC

[robbedvoter]

16. Well, the teflon is manufactured and not real. But yeah, people

will buy the polls and the BS and will forget in time as they did after 911.
One reason I'll keep reposting this Breslin paragraph:

http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-d4411450sep04,0,978593,print.column?coll=ny-rightrail-columnist
Bush's style is to be nowhere if things that carry a bit of fear happen. During Vietnam, he kept all dental appointments. For the World Trade Center attack, he first froze in a classroom in Florida. Then he flew off in his plane for long hours. Three days later, he got to New York where a flunky placed a retired firefighter, alongside him atop a truck. Then Bush called out a football dressing room speech over a bullhorn.

[Karmakaze]

13. Hmmm

great sentiments, but really you and I both know its not exactly true don't we?

Reports of people left lying in gutters, dead, for hours or days with no one calling police - even stepping OVER the body - are not uncommon.

The fact is Bush has simply done on a national scale what occurs frequently on a personal or local scale - he said "not my problem" and left them to it.

What you describe is the IMAGE of America - what happened in NO is all to often the REALITY of America.

[Tace]

14. You Are Very Talented

In addition to agreeing with everything you've said, I'm struck by the eloquence and effectiveness with which you said it. I think you're a pro. Are you?

[calimary]

17. STELLAR Post. STELLAR Meme! "Katrina Changes EVERYTHING!"

GREAT response to those who'd burble "9/11 changed everything."

Well, yeah. fine. Now, Katrina's CHANGING IT BACK.

KATRINA CHANGES EVERYTHING!!!!!!!

VISUALIZE IMPEACHMENT!!!!!!!!!!

Then go DO something about it.

Sorry to yell, but I'm YELLING ANYWAY!!!

[dxstone]

19. Well-said, though I can't understand why people haven't seen this...

...a LOOOOOOONNNNNNNG time ago.



See also my related thread:

New Orleans Changes EVERYTHING
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4623288

The Dems have GOT to step up NOW!!!... We have crossed the Rubycon; this is the best opportunity we are likely going to get.
d

[Ladyinblack]

20. About Bush

Good article. He reminds me of some of the prisoner I worked with.
I worked in a prison for years. It was amazing to watch a good sociopath interact with staff. They had the uncanny ability to read others and know just what to say and do. I have seen staff become caught up in their schemes, loose their jobs,and go to prison. I have seen attractive well educated women become emotionally and sexually involved with a good sociopath. Something very basic in their character is missing and that is the ability to empathize and care for others.
I think Bush is a good sociopath with some narcissistic features. He knows what to do and say in front of the camera (and loves being in front of the camera) but he does not actually feel for others. One sees glimpses of the real person from time to time. The same is true I believe of much of his adm.

In other words, in my opinion, he is warped (Badly warped) and that will never change. It is who he is.

[Arugula Latte]

32. Welcome to DU, Ladyinblack!

I think you have hit the nail on the head. That's what I've been calling him this week: a sociopath. I've never seen someone who has attained a high position -- albeit in his case the election was stolen for him -- with a complete absence of humanity. He is chillingly evil.

[AspenRose]

21. And therein lies the problem....to so many people....

blacks in this country aren't considered fellow Americans. They are black first and American by happenstance.

[Birthmark]

22. Thanks to everyone for your kind words.

I have never been so angry at or ashamed of my country as I have this week.

[MojoXN]

25. "...never been so angry at or ashamed of my country as I have this week."

Neither have I.

[Lindsay]

23. That is so eloquently said, Birthmark.

Thank you so very much for writing it.

Katrina changes everything.

[MojoXN]

24. Well Said... I'LL never look at Bush quite the same.

We call Chairman Mao a mass murderer for letting his people suffer and starve under insane economic and farming plans at his direction. We called the Somali warlords geocidal war criminals for withholding food and water from their people. George W. Bush is no different, and that has been laid bare for all the world to see. What an evil hour for our American nation... I greatly fear that the chaos and carnage, the death and the destruction in New Orleans is only the beginning.

MojoXN

[Birthmark]

28. I think I disagree with one of your analogies.

I think Mao actually believed his programs were for the good - why is anyone's guess. Bush, like the Somali warlords you mention, KNEW what he was doing (or rather NOT doing) was wrong. If he didn't know that, then I am correct in my assessment. In neither circumstance should he be running the United States of America.

[union_maid]

26. Personality disorder

I know it's been said before, but it's true. Bush is lacking something essential in his make-up. And I think he really is stupid, or at least terminally uninformed.

[mom cat]

27. It is also the puppet masters who are controlling the strings who are

to blame. He is not calling the shots. He is a front, quite like Reagan was a front for the vast corporate-military-industrial complex. Follow the money.

[Birthmark]

29. One thing at a time.

Bush is the immediate problem. The rest of the Mummenschanz Gang that are running things will have to wait for another day.

[Misunderestimator]

30. My god... what a great post! Thank you.

:applause:

[lucca]

31. Thank you so much. You are right-on.

What a sad,sad time for America.
It is so disgraceful....how could this happen?

My god, if we all don't learn from this tragedy, and rise up to embrace, support and love our fellow-man....then what is left?
What kind of a country are we living in....

I cringe at the thought of * in power; of the msm falling back to their old habits, and spinning for this loser.

Your are right: there has been a "failure of humanity".
Is it too late...can we be saved?

I hope so.
I won't give up...ever!

[Birthmark]

34. Thanks for your kind words, lucca.

Of course it's not too late. It never is while we're alive. It may not be easy, but it might prove easier than any of us think at this point.