All the ugliness
Today, the ugliness reigns supreme in New Orleans.
But, it also reigns in the national dialogue.
Unlike our last disaster, 9-11, rather than the best being brought out in people, now, evil s being brought out in people.
Take what is being said by some on the left:
1) Global Warming is responsible for Hurricane Katrina.
James Glassman notes that this is an absurdity, and that global warming had nothing to do with it.
2) According to Sidney Bluementhal, the Bush administration did not build the dikes in time.
However, in the same article, he notes that in there has only been a 40% cut since 2003. So, where were the plans to increase to have the height of the levees increased by August 28, 2005. No specific plans were noted in his article by those responsible for the levees.
3) The Louisana National Guard is now in Iraq, and could not help out.
However, there were some units left to tend to New Orleans. The hurricane happened on Sunday night, and it was not until Tuesday that the levees broke. This statement was made on Wednesday. And how long does it take for it to mobilize? And the rioters began on Tuesday. Even if they had been here, it is doubtful if they would have been in a position to put a halt to the looters. Remember, there were plenty of National Guard units in 1992, but riots happened, anyway.
If we wish to play the blame game, we can shift some blame, too.
1) The cops have been neutralized from taking stronger actions due to accusations of "police brutality" that the left has been pushing for decades. Had they been able to use more force, like gunpower, almost all of the rioting would have stopped.
2) Much of the thug class now controlling New Orleans is due to four decades of failed social policy - welfare and more liberal divorce laws breaking up the (young) family. And, sex without consequences resulting in single-parent (read - single mother) families. So there is no father around to smack a brat when he gets out of line. Hence he stays a brat, and becomes a thug. Such thugs are now hampering part of the rescue effort, and are now victimizing some of the refugees.
Indeed, President Bush was not exactly fiddling in Crawford. He did declare a state of emergency (or whatever you do) on Sunday, August 28, so that FEMA crews could be down to that region to take care of problems from the hurricane.
Now, the ugliness is not exclusive to this country. Muslim extremists are declaring that the hurricane is now part of the jihad against us. One Kuwaiti official has proclaimed that this is Allah's work for the stuff we did that was so offensive in the Middle East - for example, like liberating his country, and by giving Shiite Muslims in Iraq greater freedom (to do such things like practice Islam) in our liberation of Iraq.
Nonetheless, we must put things into perspective. Such ugliness did not exist in our prior tragedy. Some people are willing to crassly exploit tragedy to discredit their enemies, push their agenda's, all while using exaggerations and misrepresentations of the facts to attribute blame. This started with the Vietnam era, and the spoiled, ungrateful baby boomers (on both sides of the political spectrum) used this to destroy the civicness that used to characterize oppostion. There are now two medias of almost equal strength, and such ugliness, if carried forward, will help tear our country apart, like having two spoiled, spiteful children having tempertantrums without parents ever being around.
We need to be honest. There is enough blame to go everywhere. As one columist noted (link noted below). If we stop pointing the finger, we can provide aid to those who need it.
Links to follow.
But, it also reigns in the national dialogue.
Unlike our last disaster, 9-11, rather than the best being brought out in people, now, evil s being brought out in people.
Take what is being said by some on the left:
1) Global Warming is responsible for Hurricane Katrina.
James Glassman notes that this is an absurdity, and that global warming had nothing to do with it.
2) According to Sidney Bluementhal, the Bush administration did not build the dikes in time.
However, in the same article, he notes that in there has only been a 40% cut since 2003. So, where were the plans to increase to have the height of the levees increased by August 28, 2005. No specific plans were noted in his article by those responsible for the levees.
3) The Louisana National Guard is now in Iraq, and could not help out.
However, there were some units left to tend to New Orleans. The hurricane happened on Sunday night, and it was not until Tuesday that the levees broke. This statement was made on Wednesday. And how long does it take for it to mobilize? And the rioters began on Tuesday. Even if they had been here, it is doubtful if they would have been in a position to put a halt to the looters. Remember, there were plenty of National Guard units in 1992, but riots happened, anyway.
If we wish to play the blame game, we can shift some blame, too.
1) The cops have been neutralized from taking stronger actions due to accusations of "police brutality" that the left has been pushing for decades. Had they been able to use more force, like gunpower, almost all of the rioting would have stopped.
2) Much of the thug class now controlling New Orleans is due to four decades of failed social policy - welfare and more liberal divorce laws breaking up the (young) family. And, sex without consequences resulting in single-parent (read - single mother) families. So there is no father around to smack a brat when he gets out of line. Hence he stays a brat, and becomes a thug. Such thugs are now hampering part of the rescue effort, and are now victimizing some of the refugees.
Indeed, President Bush was not exactly fiddling in Crawford. He did declare a state of emergency (or whatever you do) on Sunday, August 28, so that FEMA crews could be down to that region to take care of problems from the hurricane.
Now, the ugliness is not exclusive to this country. Muslim extremists are declaring that the hurricane is now part of the jihad against us. One Kuwaiti official has proclaimed that this is Allah's work for the stuff we did that was so offensive in the Middle East - for example, like liberating his country, and by giving Shiite Muslims in Iraq greater freedom (to do such things like practice Islam) in our liberation of Iraq.
Nonetheless, we must put things into perspective. Such ugliness did not exist in our prior tragedy. Some people are willing to crassly exploit tragedy to discredit their enemies, push their agenda's, all while using exaggerations and misrepresentations of the facts to attribute blame. This started with the Vietnam era, and the spoiled, ungrateful baby boomers (on both sides of the political spectrum) used this to destroy the civicness that used to characterize oppostion. There are now two medias of almost equal strength, and such ugliness, if carried forward, will help tear our country apart, like having two spoiled, spiteful children having tempertantrums without parents ever being around.
We need to be honest. There is enough blame to go everywhere. As one columist noted (link noted below). If we stop pointing the finger, we can provide aid to those who need it.
Links to follow.
posted by EricMatthew at 9:28 PM
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