I was listening to the BBC World News Service broadcast on NPR. The lead story from the U.S. was President Bush’s response to Katrina. They paraphrase his statement this morning as saying, essentially, “We will take any means necessary to restore law and order, in New Orleans. Looting, gas gouging, and insurance fraud will not be tolerated.”
Listening to CNN now, a reporter confirms gunfire in the city, and agrees with the characterization that New Orleans is “going over the edge.”
Everywhere this story is shifting from a humanitarian disaster, for which we were ill-prepared, and for which our federal government’s response has been poor, into a story with this headline:
Bush Declares War on Insurgents on the Gulf
of Mexico. Will Fight Terror of Disgruntled Minority
I just see this whole thing being spun in a Rovian manner. Pile on enough MSM images of people looting. Mass unrest. Hindering the national response. As a way of managing the colossal fuck-up that this was.
Reports of shots fired at helicopter now. It is a full blown fucking insurgency.
Fuck this information. Poor people were left behind. Largely black people were left behind. They have been rotting without any effective response for days. They can steal all the food, clothing, and guns they fucking want in my book. God bless them for trying to fucking survive. And, now, the greatest mobilization, at least it seems from the news I am getting, is to suppress their insurgent activity.
It reminds me of a comedian’s line during the controversy surrounding the beating of Rodney King. “If you ever see me in that situation, put down the fucking camera, and help me.”
Am I insane, or is this the political gambit that is going to be played? Even white, Democratic Governor Blanco is in on the act, saying words to the effect that, “We will do what it takes to restore law and order.” Why don’t you do what it fucking takes to restore food and shelter? Fucking worried about fucking insurance fraud. Vomit.
Also, just to throw this in. Fucking Haley Barbour – “It’s going to be hard.” Everything that the Republicans fuck up, is now explained away as being “hard.” Fuck off. Leading is hard. Step the fuck out of the way if you don’t want to do it.
The reaction to this disaster is one of the worst moments I have ever seen in this country. Fucking ridiculous.
Just my two cents.