This is exactly what I have been saying…
by Jack Grant…we get what we have voted for:
Evil is a chain. Did any one person do N.O.? It’s a chain. People vote for a corrupt leader. A corrupt leader puts unqualified cronies in high places and when those cronies fuck up… Evil gets done.
-Bill Maher
Thanks to a link chain starting from The Moderate Voice to Crooks and Liars.
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I would say that certainly applies to Louisiana politics of which I am most familiar; however, I, otherwise, leave it at that.
By Chrissy on 09.17.05 18:16
‘We get the government we deserve” is not a popular notion with most americans. But it is true that americans do not take their participation in government much beyond voting at the polls; sometimes with a blindfold on.
On another level; Our elected and appointed governmental representatives are reared by american parents,and schooled in american institutions.
They are products of our culture. They are the best we can do. Or are they?
By Semanticleo on 09.17.05 20:30
With Chrissy on this one. Hack that he is, what exactly did that FEMA crony do wrong, other than have boots on the ground faster than happened after Andrew, or Hugo, or Isabel? Just curious.
By Velociman on 09.17.05 20:45
Well, I don’t know if Chrissy was exactly *exonerating* the crony system we have in the federal government, now…
But… taking what I understand is the implication of your statement…
What did he “do wrong, other than have boots on the ground faster than happened after Andrew, or Hugo, or Isabel?”
Other than be the head of a system that said (after the Hurricane Pam exercise, see here) to the local authorities:
“The Federal Emergency Management Agency promised the moon and the stars. They promised to have 1,000,000 bottles of water per day coming into affected areas within 48 hours. They promised massive prestaging with water, ice, medical supplies and generators. Anything that was needed, they would have either in place as the storm hit or ready to move in immediately after. All it would take is a phone call from local officials to the state, who would then call FEMA, and it would be done.”
So… There it is.
Even if the response was *faster* than the hurricanes you name, the response was NOT as fast as was promised to the local officials.
Does this exonerate the local officials?
Nope.
But, it does not exonerate FEMA either.
I have a rather long post on the cronyism of ALL administrations, Republican AND Democrat, that I am working on.
Sometimes, it takes me a week or so to craft exactly what I want to say.
You’ll recognize it when you see it, and you are welcome to disagree as much as you like.
By Jack Grant on 09.17.05 21:00