“The good news: If you’ve survived Hurricane Katrina, the government will let you register for help online. The bad news: But only if the computer you’re using is running Windows,” Gary Krakow reports for MSNBC.
“Yes, it turns out that to make a claim with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Individual Assistance Center, your Web browser must be Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 6 or higher and you must have JavaScript enabled. It even says so right on the page itself. One problem: IE6 isn’t available for Macintosh or Linux computers,” Krakow reports. “The safest way for non-Windows users to register for assistance is to call FEMA directly at 1-800-621-FEMA (1-800-621-3362) or for the hearing/speech impaired at TTY: 1-800-462-7585. FEMA says the phone lines are staffed 24/7.”
Full article here.
Ars Technica reports that this IE-only situation “has become a considerable problem for relief workers, who are attempting to setup as many kiosks as possible for refugees. Workers on the ground have told Ars Technica that they would prefer to avoid setting up Windows XP workstations because they take longer to setup, and even longer to properly patch and configure for use. You may recall that in an experiment performed last year, a Windows XP SP1 box put on the Internet was compromised in 4 minutes flat. While Service Pack 2 and recent updates undoubtedly improve XP’s defenses, techs are wary of using the OS in this situation.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: More short-sighted Windows-only bullshit from the U.S government. Don’t bug FEMA right now, they’ve got enough problems. Complain to your congressperson and/or your senator:
Contacting Congressperson: http://www.house.gov/writerep/
Contacting Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
[UPDATE 9/7, 9:24am ET: added Ars text and link.]
Related articles:
Donate to The American Red Cross Hurricane 2005 Relief fund to help Hurricane Katrina victims – September 03, 2005
World Wide Web Consortium objects to US Copyright Office’s Internet Explorer-only browser plan – August 25, 2005
U.S. Copyright Office: Use only the world’s most insecure browser to secure your copyright – August 17, 2005
U.S. Copyright Office: is it okay if our new website only works with Internet Explorer? – August 11, 2005
Survey identifies strong demand for Macintosh and Firefox web conferencing support – August 11, 2005
Using Apple’s Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger’s included fax capabiltes – July 22, 2005
Security report shows Microsoft’s Internet Explorer was unsafe for all but seven days of 2004 – March 22, 2005
Penn State’s IT Services recommends dumping Microsoft Internet Explorer immediately – December 09, 2004
Security expert: Don’t use Microsoft Windows, Office, Outlook, Internet Explorer – December 09, 2004
German Federal Office for Information Security: Internet users should ditch Internet Explorer – September 13, 2004
Web Standards Project: Abandon Microsoft Internet Explorer and ‘Browse Happy’ – August 25, 2004
Security expert: Microsoft Internet Explorer ‘just cannot be trusted, use alternate browser’ – July 02, 2004
Security firm warns of new Internet Explorer flaw, advises ‘use a different browser’ – July 01, 2004
Microsoft axes Internet Explorer for Mac – June 13, 2003
Well it is very difficult to make a web-page compatible across different platforms, especially if it uses Java.
This government couldn’t organise a piss-up in a brewery.
Help save Mac users from death! Donate some money to the Red Cross. Their site is Safari-compatible. Their donation page (Mac-compatible) is at: http://give.redcross.org/
Hmmm…….don’t recall such a foul mouthed slipup from MDN before. But perhaps they can post “related articles” in which they did.
emaN:
No, it isn’t. Java is, as distributed by Sun, multi-platform. Unless of course you use the bastardized version MS developed AGAINST the liscense agreement they had with Sun. EULA’s are only enforceable on individuals, but not always on corporations.
Most Mac users escaped Katrina because Mac users also own cars and could afford gas to get out of town while listening to iPods.
FEMA is the worst. Agency. Ever.
It is filled ENTIRELY with political hacks with NO experience in disaster management.
And look at this:
FEMA Chief Sent Help Only When Storm Ended
Make sure you check out the PDF memo at the very end of the article. What a retard. This man should be fired immediately before he can do any more damage as head of one of the most important agencies in the US government.
Contact the folks at W3C and tell them about FEMA “IE only policy”
They are very interested in supporting universal web standards than a strictly proprietary one. They make thier point intelligently, instead of some 20 year old Machead rant.
But do complain that your a Mac user and IE doesn’t exist on your platform and to please support universal web standards set by the W3C.
http://www.w3.org/
Pages for ALL browsers ain’t rocket science.
How about people with old PCs and older browsers? Left out in the cold with the Macs and Linux.
It isn’t like FEMA is helpful in the first place!
Playful jabs at MDN aside, that title is too much. Consider how life-altering this disaster is. Consider that a computer is the last thing on most people’s minds. Consider the choice of operating system is even less of a concern. Well… maybe just take some time to consider before doing anything actually.
And all you jackasses jumping on the MDN’s witch hunt style of news commentary/reporting should be ashamed of yourselves.
MDN, you are so full of **** for doing this! How ******* disgusting!
Can someone please tell me WTF super feature a federal emergency site needs so badly that it requires special proprietary technology?
“Well it is very difficult to make a web-page compatible across different platforms, especially if it uses Java.”
Why do you need Java to enter a form? Form validation can be done with javascript, Perl, CGI, even PHP. That’s ALL you need for a site like this. You don’t need ActiveX or Java or Flash or weird crap just to register yourself into a web database. That’s ridiculous and it just screams “short-sighted management and lazy programming”
I helped write a validation engine with just one other person for an international ecommerce site and it works on Safari, Firefox, and IE (all using the same code). It’s not THAT hard.
Funny thing I looked at the time line for the recent Tsunami. Help was on the way 2 days after as opposed to 5 days after.
That’s the danger of being the greatest nation on earth, you tend to forget that the greatest is all nations of earth working together.
Same with the red cross link, maybe you should consider this one.
http://www.icrc.org/
It’s “international” a concept I am sure that escapes most navelistic americans. Which is sad.
Maybe I could sell my Mac, but a PC, and donate the change.
‘buy a PC’ I meant to say
Road Warrior,
Yeah, in the Tsunami, ALL nations worked together. When something bad happens to the US, we are left to fend for ourselves, with no help from anyone else. Yet when something happens overseas, we are usually the 1st to arrive with help.
Many nations offered to send help to the hurricane victims. Even Cuba which the US has snubbed and ignored for decades. To all of those nations, as a citizen of the US, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart.
As to FEMA, it just makes one wonder just how much Bill donates to the Republican party, and just who is in his pocket?
MacPC Guy said, “Consider that a computer is the last thing on most people’s minds.
<snort> Not the last thing on your mind apparently… Your hanging out cruising the Mac news sites. Hehehe.
And Joe McConnel with, “Hmmm…….don’t recall such a foul mouthed slipup from MDN before.”
Slipup? I hope not, It better be completely intentional… If I had to read, “More short-sighted Windows-only doo-doo ca-ca from the U.S government.” I think I’d vomit.
Why do readers continue to be surprised at MacDailyNews and it’s headlines and comments… It’s the same News site I’ve been reading since I discovered it… While others say, “Golly! I can’t believe they said that!” I’m thinking, “Hunh? I totally expected them to say that! That’s what they’ve been saying for years! That’s the whole MacDailyNews experience and that’s why I keep coming back!”
Hint to the bores, there are a million other Mac news sites that carry the same headlines and news… And they all keep it easy and tame just for <yawn> you. Do a search and go check them out.
Thanks for keeping it real, MacDailyNews.
The current administratin would screw up a two-car parade.
Yankee Doodle was more technically advanced than this anti-science group of interlopers.
Hint to the bores, there are a million other Mac news sites that carry the same headlines and news… And they all keep it easy and tame just for <yawn> you. Do a search and go check them out
Right on, tumok. He should go to MacObserver.com. You can’t say “damn” there without the self-righteous lame mods getting their panties in a wad.
I saw that PCs running Windows were being set up in the Houston Astrodome, and now this browser thing. Just like libraries, all PCs. What amazes me is the nerve some of the PC apologists have complaining about Apple’s dominance of the digital music business, and it’s not artificial like this, it’s just what people want.
> When something bad happens to the US, we are left to fend for
> ourselves, with no help from anyone else
Just because your government was too stupid to accept help immediately when it was offered doesn’t mean you have to believe this bullshit of Fox News propaganda: “We help the world to heal but everybody hates us”.
Well as a Brit I can tell you we’re currently airlifting out food, water, medical supplies and blankets to those hit hard in this disaster. Currently around 96 Brits are missing too.
Politically speaking what can you expect from a government system that has not been changed since the 1800’s, even an American reporter on CNN International said that the US government system is designed to be like this by the founding fathers so as to allow freedom of speech and other freedoms. The reporter went onto say that even individual states are permitted to make their own laws like private thiefdoms.
As suggested by MDN, write to your congressman as well as your senator with your complaints and don’t stop, even spam them is my 2 cents worth. In fact bay for their blood especially one leader who sits at the very top. The one who is to conduct an inquiry into his own screw up.
Last year, fema.com was days away from expiring into oblivion before I emailed them about the need to renew it. At the time I assumed it to be one missing detail, let something as important and giving as fema was somehow safe from the ax of ignorance.
Little did I realize the shear depth to the incompetence installed at the highest levels of our government.
Now I know what the F in fema stands for.
> Yeah, in the Tsunami, ALL nations worked together. When something bad happens to the US, we are left to fend for ourselves, with no help from anyone else. Yet when something happens overseas, we are usually the 1st to arrive with help.
The US is certainly not the only country that helps others out. Your government refused any help for a long time. (Too proud?) Or to even look at the problem itself. (Vacation was more important!) They locked thousands of people in that stadium! Don’t tell me it’s so hard to get some buses there! BS! You wanted help from outside for that?! Every country has expressed their heartfelt sorrow over this tragedy and would love to help out. Don’t indulge yourself in so much self pity. Instead get working on this! Your government won’t!
Darknite
Please read this:
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/US/09/06/international.aid.flows/
and this
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5259960,00.html
The world does care. If anything, the world is simply shocked that the US needs such serious help.
To add to Lee’s comments, I’ve blogged about a related article in the Washington Post Express. See washingtonpost.com/express, or <a >”my blog”</a>. All you guys throwing around the “this country, that country” BS need to get over it. Some people are like that, but a lot of us everywhere (even in America) aren’t, and you don’t have to be either.
I congratulate MDN’s take for not encouraging people to attack FEMA right now – one of the best decisions I’ve seen from this site in a while.
MW: activity…yep.
This is why one browser should NEVER be a standard for web services.
The whole point of the internet is that EVERYONE can access the information.
ALL browser types should be supported and this should be compulsary for ALL web content.
This sort if thing makes me sick – the internet was concieved as a system for everyone.
It’s people like Microsoft that are fragmenting the internet and putting people in groups.
If this was anything other than the internet is would be called ‘racism’.
Just got this in an e-mail, FWIW:
A few facts are in order:
President Bush declared Louisiana a disaster area two days before the hurricane struck the New Orleans area.
President Bush urged New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco to order the mandatory evacuation that was issued on Sunday, August 28.
First responders to a disaster are always state and local emergency agencies. FEMA is there to supplement the state and local activities.
The hurricane threatened an area as large as 90,000 square miles covering three states. Immediate relief could not possibly have been delivered to all the places that required attention.
An AP photo showed a large fleet of New Orleans buses soaking in six feet of water. The mayor apparently had the means to evacuate many of the folks who ended up stranded at the Superdome and the convention center.
FEMA began its activities immediately, not expecting the magnitude of the flooding, the non-response at the city and state level, and the anarchy that resulted.
The local and state governments had rehearsed for a different scenario. Disaster drills in New Orleans had taken place, but with a false assumption that the levees would hold.
Both the law and protocol prohibit the president from ordering military troops into a state without a formal request to do so from the governor of the affected state.
Hey FEMA,
Thanks a lot.
I am a Mac user AND I happen to be one of the recipients of Katrina’s wrath. Thank you for adding to my list of hassles by forcing me find a still-functioning Windoze PC, using IE 6+, in order to file a claim with you. As if I don’t have enough crap to put up with…
Fsck you very much.
Jake:
HOLY SHIT! Do you only watch FOX and have conservative friends?
What you are spouting is ALL neo-con spin?
The Gov. of Louisiana IN WRITING made the request of Bush on the 26th!
Bush did no urging until it was asked of him by the local officials in the affected areas. Rather than actually do anything to deal with the situation even after the storm had hit Bush was getting his photo taken with McCain celebrating VJ day… 2 weeks after THAT had passed!
The idea that the administration is anything but an embarassment right now is absurd.
Oh, Macs rule (had to keep the post on topic).
Is this because they like to develop web-sites in .Net? I worked on a project where the online/web portion was developed in .Net and we had to get the entire company to quickly upgrade to IE 6.
And BTW – to all the Bush apologists – enough already. We have a grossly incompetent President who is running our country into the ground and leaving people to die. That’s who YOU elected. Forgive me if I don’t say thank you.
Across America, millions of people are responding to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina by opening up their hearts and checkbooks to help those in need. Across the Gulf Coastarea, volunteers and rescue workers are responding to the horror by working around the clock, some risking their lives to pluck victims from rooftops and rivers.
And then there are those in New Orleans itself who, confronted by the devastation, reacted in a way that reminds us, not of the fearful power of Mother Nature, but the tragic depths of human nature: The stole everything that was not tied down.
These were scenes that made me shake my head in disbelief: Looters casually filling plastic bags, shopping carts, even handtrucks with loot, all in clear view of their neighbors, the media, even National Guardsmen.
What hit me like a punch wasn’t the looting itself as much as it was the attitude of the looters. Reporters challenged them, asking the thieves and thugs if it was their own stuff they were taking, and the looters just laughed.
One man, who had about 10 pairs of jeans draped over his left arm, was asked if he was salvaging things from his store.
“No,” the man shouted, “that’s EVERYBODY’S store.”
Moms and their kids lugged cases of beer and soda out of a grocery store, smiling at the TV cameras they passed. Men with bundles of clothes lumbered nonchalantly out of stores on Canal Street in the French Quarter, while others busted out windows to grab “emergency essentials” like jewelry and luggage.
Where were the cops, you ask? According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune website, they were at the Wal-Mart on Tchoupitoulas Street, helping themselves to computers and flat screen televisions.
A crowd in the electronics section said one officer broke the glass DVD case so thieving teenagers wouldn’t cut themselves. “The police got all the best stuff. They’re crookeder than us,” one man groused to the press.
One looter, 25-year-old Toni Williams, shrugged when confronted by a reporter as she loaded up with stolen supplies. “It must be legal,” she said. “The police are here taking stuff, too.”
The more I watched, the more stunned and angry I became. The more I listened, the more outraged I felt—as when Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu defended those people looting stores of food and water (“That’s understandable,” she told MSNBC). Instead of condemning this opportunistic thievery outright, this Democratic Senator urged Louisiana’s looters to “use good judgment.”
What does that mean—only steal from Republicans?
One news story quoted a local named Mike Franklin, who stood nearby and watched the looters’ progress. “To be honest with you, people who are oppressed all their lives, man, it’s an opportunity to get back at society,” he said.
Again and again as I watched these sickening images of brazen looting from an American city, I asked myself: Who ARE these people? Who are these pathetic losers who raise little kids to be lookouts while they steal and teach him the phrase “86” to warn of approaching police? Who are these people who, surrounded by the bravery of law enforcement and rescue workers in the midst of a crisis, choose to give into their lowest, most base selves? Who is this Mike Franklin who excuses this shameful theft and thuggery as a legitimate response to “oppression?”
“Get back at society?” You mean the society that gives you, for free, 12 years of education? Whose cops patrol your streets and whose taxpayers provide billions in welfare payments, health care and other benefits—not to mention billions in FEMA money? Is that the “oppressive society” you have in mind?
Because, speaking as a member of the oppressing class, I want my stuff back. The jeans and the computers and the beer and the chips—I want the selfish dirtbags who stole it to bring it all back. I want their ingratitude acknowledged and their shameful acts undone.
Because the store whose doors they kicked in did not belong to “everybody.” Those stores, and the products for sale on their shelves, represented work. They represented investment and sacrifice and saving and risk-taking, all to build a successful business that one day would face the unavoidable devastation of a hurricane and the unforgivable destruction committed by their fellow human beings.
It’s offensive to hear anyone, from a US Senator to a street-cruising sneak-thief defend this looting as legitimate. This thievery was not inevitable and it’s not excusable.
My family and I were in Richmond, VA in September 2003 when Hurricane Isabelle hit and knocked out power and water for more than a week. Like hundreds of thousands of others with rotting food in our fridge and thirsty kids at home, we had to stand in hours-long lines for water and ice just to get by…and we did.
No riots, not stealing, no jumping the ice truck and trying to hijack it. Just people standing in line waiting their turn. Why couldn’t that be New Orleans?
I believe the looting occurred because of what President Bush calls the “soft bigotry of low expectations.” When aUS Senator excuses your crimes and a neighbor can explain it as a sociological reaction, then why not? Why not steal? Why not (as occurred in New Orleans) shoot a fellow looter for getting better stuff than you? Or why not (as also happened) shoot a cop in the head for trying to stop the looting?
If you live in a community whose culture celebrates lawbreaking, and your neighbors and leaders expect no better from you, it must be awfully tempting to give in.
In many parts of America, a rising tide like the one in New Orleans would bring out the best, the most generous, and the most responsible elements in the human character. For whatever reason, the culture of New Orleans’ inner city instead brought out the very worst.
Insurance companies are talking about $25 billion in damages from Hurricane Katrina. But the damage to the image of the American character may be far more destructive than that.
Jim & Elaine Gallagher
Charlotte, NC 28277
From a different perspective!
I received a e-mail blaming the Bush administration for New Orleans
problems. This is in direct reply. Who really is responsible? Beats me!
This is surely the other side of the story.
dubya
In case you aren?t familiar with how our government is SUPPOSED to work: The chain of responsiblity for the protection of the citizens in New Orleans
is:
1. The Mayor
2. The New Orleans director of Homeland Security (a political appointee of the Governor who reports to the Governor)
3. The Governor
4. The Head of Homeland Security
5. The President
What did each do?
1. The mayor, with 5 days advance, waited until 2 days before he announced a mandatory evacuation (at the behest of the President). The he failed to provide transportation for those without transport even though he had hundreds of buses at his disposal. 2. The New Orleans director of Homeland Security failed to have any plan for a contingency that has been talked about for 50 years. Then he blames the Feds for not doing what he should have done. (So much for political
appointees) 3. The Governor, despite a declaration of disaster by the President 2 DAYS BEFORE the storm hit, failed to take advantage of the offer of Federal troops and aid. Until 2 DAYS AFTER the storm hit.
4. The Director of Homeland Security positioned assets in the area to be ready when the Governor called for them, before the flooding.
5. The President urged a mandatory evacuation, and even declared a disaster State of Emergency, freeing up millions of dollars of federal assistance, should the Governor decide to use it.
Oh and by the way, the levees that broke were the responsibility of the local landowners and the local levee board to maintain, NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. The levee board has collected taxes for decades and spent the money on buying a casino, and a private airplane for their use. You haven’t heard much about that in the news, but watch for it, as it’s going to have to come out sooner or later. The disaster in New Orleans is what you get after decades of corrupt local and state government going all the way back to Huey Long. If you don’t remember him, he’s worth looking up. Funds for disaster protection and relief have been flowing into this city for decades, and where has it gone, but into the pockets of the politicos and their friends. (See “levee board”, further down) Decades of socialist government in New Orleans has sapped all self reliance from the community, and made them dependent upon government for every little thing, or a small welfare state of loyal voters. Political correctness and a lack of will to fight crime have created the single most corrupt police force in the country, and has permitted gang violence to flourish. The sad thing is that there are many poor folks who have suffered and died needlessly because those that they voted into office failed to protect them. For those who missed item 5 (where the President?s level of accountability is discussed), it is made more clear in a New Orleans Times-Picayune article dated August 28:
NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? In the face of a catastrophic Hurricane Katrina, a mandatory evacuation was ordered Sunday for New Orleans by Mayor Ray Nagin. Acknowledging that large numbers of people, many of them stranded tourists, would be unable to leave, the city set up 10 places of last resort for people to go, including the Superdome. The mayor called the order unprecedented and said anyone who could leave the city should. He exempted hotels from the evacuation order because airlines had already cancelled all flights. Gov. Kathleen Blanco, standing beside the mayor at a news conference, said President Bush called and personally appealed for a mandatory evacuation for the low-lying city, which is prone to flooding. The ball was placed in Mayor Nagin?s court to carry out the evacuation order. With a 5-day heads-up, he had the authority to use any and all services to evacuate all residents from the city, as documented in a city emergency preparedness plan. By waiting until the last minute, and failing to make full use of resources available within city limits, Nagin and his administration dropped the ball.
Mayor Nagin and his emergency sidekick Terry Ebbert have displayed lethal, mind boggling incompetence before, during and after Katrina. As for Mayor Nagin, he and his pathetic police chief should resign as well. That city?s government is incompetent from one end to the other. The people of New Orleans deserve better than this crowd of clowns is capable of giving them. If you?re keeping track, these boobs let 569 buses that could have carried 33,350 people out of New Orleans?in one trip?get ruined in the floods. Baton Rouge is not that far up the road, so they could have made multiple trips. Whatever plan these guys had, it was a dud. It probably would have worked if they?d bothered to follow their emergency preparedness plan, already in place. As for all the race-baiting rhetoric and Bush-bashing coming from prominent blacks on the left, don?t expect Ray Nagin to be called out on the carpet for falling short. You want to know why? Here?s why: It?s more convenient to blame a white president for what went wrong than to hold a black mayor and his administration accountable for gross negligence and failing to fully carry out an established emergency preparedness plan. To hold Nagin and his administration accountable for dropping the ball amounts to letting loose the shouts and cries of ?Racism!?. It?s sad, it?s wrong, but it?s standard operating procedure for the media and left-wing black leadership. Mark my words: you will not hear a word of criticism from Jesse Jackson Sr., Randall Robinson, the Congressional Black Caucus, the NAACP, or Kanye West being directed toward Clarence Ray Nagin Jr. Why? Because he is just another black politician, instead of a responsible elected official who happens to be black. In the mindset of more-blacker-than-thou blacks, black politicians who are on their side can do no wrong.
>The more I watched, the more stunned and angry I became. The more I listened, the more outraged I felt—as when Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu defended those people looting stores of food and water (“That’s understandable,” she told MSNBC). Instead of condemning this opportunistic thievery outright, this Democratic Senator urged Louisiana’s looters to “use good judgment.”>
Loot responsibly.
Dark Knight,
The way your president said it, help was not asked for and he was not expecting any.
I think it would be more accurate to say that the US really prevents ALL nations from working together.
You are usually the first ones to arrive to help to feed your egos, or you just happen to be there ready to invade some nearby country.
It’s hard to make web pages work under multiple platforms? Uhh, no, you have to go out of your way to make them incompatible. HTML, PHP, Java, Javascript, and CGI are all cross-platform technologies that are not dependant on the browser. There’s no benefit to using proprietary ActiveX that you can’t achieve more easily and with better, more expandable results with these other standards.Thankfully, IE-only sites are a dying breed, and a site this important should not have such a restriction. At least they also provide a telephone number.
I personally think that Microsoft should be banned from all government sites. Aren’t there laws against doing business with convicted monopolists?
As for our wonderful President: You people voted for him. He had no experience for the job. He put his friends in high ranking positions. Do you really expect anything more from FEMA when their director had no experience for the job?
I heard on TWIT that Condaleeza Rice was shopping in NYC on Saturday and people started screaming at her and the Secret Security had to get her out of the store.
Point well taken Jim & Elaine. And did all of you write your Representatives & Senators to protest FEMA’s platform bigotry?
I went to those sites and had no problem.
And if it was Safari-only you would be saying, “Another reason to buy a Mac. Macs save lives” or whatever other hypocritical BS that completely misses the real issue.
RE Bush: The system in general failed us. No one person is responsible.
“That’s the danger of being the greatest nation on earth”
How arrogant.
“When something bad happens to the US, we are left to fend for ourselves, with no help from anyone else.”
How naive.
Road Warrior said: >>I think it would be more accurate to say that the US really prevents ALL nations from working together.
You are usually the first ones to arrive to help to feed your egos, or you just happen to be there ready to invade some nearby country.<<
That is one of the most pathetic things I have ever read. Ironically, it is your very sentiment that is at the heart of much international non-cooperation. You obviously have neither grasp of history nor reality. The U.S. and its citizenry have a long tradition of helping others out that has nothing to do with ego or invasion. Your sort of rhetoric is just amazing. As an American who has been troubled by many things, both Democratic & Republican, but also has been proud of what I see many Americans do for others, all I can say is f*** you.
In the interest of keeping this on topic:
The hurricaine victims don’t have electricity. Unless FEMA’s online service supports a browser powered by treadmill, it kind of doesn’t matter.
Road warrior, your tired rant smacks of ideoligical idiocy. According to your post, whether the U.S. shows up or not, it’s wrong either way. And of course, the entire combined world can’t work together, and it’s all the fault of the U.S. Your comments are filled with racism, though it’s subtle. The world’s full of different cultures, but do you really think the average american is that much worse than the average ____ (put your own country here). If so, get a head check. Your one of those sick people who haven’t lifted a finger to help anyone else, at least not unless they meet your approval. In fact you’re what you’re accusing the U.S. of – of course humans are so often hypocritical that it isn’t even a surprise to encounter.
I think what Jake is saying is that the blame starts with the Mayor, goes on to the Governor and ends with Bush. Personally I put more blame on the Mayor for waiting until the last minute to order a mandatory evacuation and then blaming everyone else for the mess. They had a plan that they did not even attempt to implement. Only blaming Bush just shows how biased people are. The “leader” of FEMA and Homeland Security should both be fired of course, but the Mayor and Governor are idiots too.
realist – beautiful summary.
Reality Check, is that really you?
I posted on this also, opinions welcome on <a >ransomedhome.blogspot.com</a>.
MacDoctor: Not sure how far you got, but I went all the way through the character recognition pages only to be stopped cold by an IE6-only page.
MW word: “truth” as in not much of it on this page I am afraid.
Did anyone else hear that Rob Enderle is in New Orleans looking to interview people who were hurt by flying iMacs and other dangerous Apple products?
Glad that when the dust settles the blame for the delays won’t just be on George W, as to my mind he’s the target for most of the sniping for all the wrong reasons, Iraq being number one of course.
Go America…
…& Apple
Look, I’m a Mac user and have been for years, but right now, this should be one of the absolute least of our worries. Helping those in the shelters with all of their needs is all we should be concentrating on. Besides, I doubt 99.99% of them saved their computers (Mac or PC) from their home before the storm/flood hit anyway. This isn’t a time for partisan politics, nor is it time to argue PC vs Mac. Priorities people.
The fact of the matter is the Mayor of New Orleans and the Gov. of LA, Mrs. Blanco are first and directly responsible.
There are hundreds of trucks and school buses in New Orleans that could have been used to evacuate people, not to mention thousands in the entire state!
The Governor of LA authorized using the states school buses to evacuate people in New Orleans AFTER the hurricane.
The Governor of LA admitted they trained for a worse case scenario in New Orleans and knew exactly what was going to happen. They simply didn’t want to prepare or charge the taxes neccessary to have a plan in place. They knew 200,000 people would stay, either they couldn’t afford to leave or physically handicapped.
Further proof is the State of LA has no emergency communications grid to coordinate anything once the telephones went down.
Mrs. Blanco publically stated she wanted 40,000 troop “in any uniform” including returning troops back from Iraq to help coordinate relief efforts.
Now think, this lady has no communications, wants troops back from Iraq which would take months and doesn’t even know that Federal troops by law cannot be used in law enforcement on US soil.
How many more people would have died? Do you see why the White House requested Mrs Blanco to coordinate efforts with a Let. General of the US Military?
FEMA is nothing, it’s been absorbed into the Dept. of Homeland Security because terrorists running around with backpack nukes is a hell of a lot more dangerous problem.
The fact of the matter is the Mayor of New Orleans and the Gov. of LA threw caution to the wind and expected the Federal Government to bail them out for everything instead of adequatly preparing.
They killed the people of New Orleans with their incompetance, failure to work together, prepare, supposed “loss of power” and political hatred, not Bush.
Federal Government is not this bottomless pit with endless resources, they are busy fighting a war against terrorists who are capable of killing millions of people. Just look how many Feds are working in airports, every Navy ship that comes in is escorted by several smaller gun boats.
Terrorism is taking a lot of our resources! It’s time to get off the Federal government teet and take care of yourselves.
Ask NOT what your country can do for you, ask what YOU can do for your country – John F. Kennedy.
I just sent the following letter to both of my senators and my congressman. I’ll be posting on my website later today (http://www.musingsfrommars.org):
——-
Hello,
I am moved to write because this is the second instance in two months where a federal agency has decided on its own that the public must use a Windows computer and Internet Explorer in order to take advantage of their online services.
Last month, the Patent Office issued rules proposing that online applications would have to be submitted using Windows and Internet Explorer. Today, I learned that FEMA–in our greatest time of need–has a web site that makes similar demands on the public. These rules are bad for many reasons, not the least of which that they discriminate against users of other browsers and operatings systems.
This is anathema to the whole idea behind the world wide web. It was designed to be totally platform-neutral, so that anyone with any kind of computer could communicate with anyone else on any other kind.
Not only that, but it’s become clear in the last couple of years that Windows systems are highly dangerous to take online, because they are so subject to viruses, worms, and the like. And of the browsers one could choose on Windows, Internet Explorer is by far the most exposed to these hacker tools.
I use a Macintosh both at home and at work, a choice I’ve made because it’s easier to use, is faster to use, and is not prone to viruses etc. Despite what you may have heard, the Mac’s immunity from viruses is not a function of its status as a minority computing platform. It is fundamentally more secure than Windows, and Microsoft’s mistakes with ActiveX and other Windows technologies are the reasons why this country is spending so much money to protect our computers today.
My request today is simply to stop federal agencies from writing web applications geared to one browser and one computer operating system. The World Wide Web Consortium has issued standards for web pages and applications which, if all browser makers adopted, would realize the cross-platform vision of the web’s founders.
It’s useful to remember that the technology that enabled the world wide web was originally designed on the operating system that is the direct ancestor of Apple’s Mac OS X. Like other Unix operating systems, Mac OS X is far superior to Windows in many respects, and Apple’s user interface is a marvel of ingenuity and innovation.
The federal government should not be taking any steps that limit competition in these areas and should, in fact, be encouraging companies that make products which can help reduce the rising cost of maintaining computer security today. That rising cost is directly attributable to the mistakes of one company–Microsoft. Yet it is the public that bears the burden.
Thank you for listening. Please help make sure Federal websites remain open to all citizens.
Regards,
Leland Scott
——
The real question is… Can the United States of America survive until President Bush is required to leave office. At this rate the odds aren’t looking that good.
Also: Kudos to Leland.
“Well it is very difficult to make a web-page compatible across different platforms, especially if it uses Java.”
TOTAL BS!
Lazy web developers with limited ability is the reason for this kind of idiocy.
“Terrorism is taking a lot of our resources! It’s time to get off the Federal government teet and take care of yourselves.”
GO FSCK YOURSELF YOU SELF RIGHTEOUS SON OF A BITCH!
The last thing those people need right now is a some moronic Republican lecturing them on personal responsibility!
You people wouldn’t last a day without your silver spoons.
You and your ilk make me want to vomit!
One New Orleans woman interviewed on CNN said she’d “live wherever they put me, I’m never coming back.”
How sad. So steeped in the Liberal cycle of entitlement that she will end up living wherever the government puts her. She’s completely subservient, as long as she gets her paltry check and food stamps each week (or however often they come).
These people actually thought the U.S. Government was their daddy. And, then one day, the truth slapped them squarely in the face.
Welcome to the real world. Go to school, get a good education, work hard and you won’t end up floating face down in New Orleans shit.
I have news for you: I don’t kill myself working so hard to pay taxes to support some giant, fat, Oprah-watching, welfare mamas’ massive pancakes and MacDonald’s daily intake. I resent it. And I have a hard time feeling compassion for them because they swallowed all of my hard-earned cash in the form of bacon and can’t even walk a short distance to save their fat asses. What do these people contribute to society except more useless welfare-dependent lard asses that just cause even more problems?
Take care of yourself. The government is not your daddy.
inaminit & Jim,
I thought my sarcasm was pretty evident in that post. I would have used an emoticon, but then I would have lost the coveted first post.
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There is no technical reason that prevents any site from being compatible with a wide variety of hardware or web browser. The real reasons are likely political/business deals the federal government has with Microsoft to support their products and force us to support them as well.
From http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/java/ “Java has become the de-facto standard language for developing cross-platform applications. Recognizing this, Apple has made Java a core component of Mac OS X.”
Okay, so Java is the “de-facto” standard for all platforms, and the feds instead choose to support only people with a Windows machine and IE6? Somebody (Sputnik?) please give me one good reason for excluding people using Linux, Mac, or Windows machines without IE6.
And also: “On other platforms, each Java application consumes some system memory, so you might end up using more memory than you need to when running multiple Java applications…Apple developed an innovative new technology that allows Java code to be shared across multiple applications…In addition, Apple has given this implementation to Sun so the company can deploy it on other platforms. It’s just one example of how Apple supports standards and shares ideas to benefit all.”
Even when Apple creates proprietary tech with Java, they share it in the interest of being compatible with as many computers as possible. Microsoft only seems focused on making sure people are forced to use their standards, and if your machine doesn’t support those standards, to hell with you…upgrade or die.
Reality is a bitch,
Talk about compassion. Wow. You do know that those people that you despise are the product of a system that allows and encourages people like you to get paid more than their worth to humanity? I don’t know you so I’ll assume that you do in fact work hard, but do you actually believe that you are any less dependant on the government that anyone else? Are you actually implying that all the people that died from this hurricane deserved to die? Wow. I’m glad more people aren’t as arrogant as you are.
First off, I apologize to the rest of you for my following use of profanity…
Road Warrior wrote..”You are usually the first ones to arrive to help to feed your egos, or you just happen to be there ready to invade some nearby country.”
Hey Road Warrior – F S C K Y O U!!!!
If the country survives until Bush’s second term is over, what makes you think that another Republican won’t be elected President? Bush, with all of his drawbacks got elected for a second term. If Hilary or some other liberal lightweight is the Democrat choice, Jeb Bush could be the next President.
The best thing to do is for everyone to write your senator(s) and congressman.
I wrote my two senators and congressman online via the links above. Quick and easy.
These are YOUR tax dollars they are spending and you can’t even use the service they are supposed to provide you.
WRITE YOUR SENATORS NOW!
It’s not one system. It has some liberal and some conservative elements. The welfare state is a Democrat or Liberal concept. The Republicans and Conservatives have worked to limit the Welfare State’s nasty wealth redistribution effects. Hopefully they keep it up.
For that, they get my vote. I am an American who happens to be black, if that matters to you.
I know generations of black people who can barley speak english, can’t write, and eat Cheetos and potato chips constantly.
I’m sick and tired of paying for them.
The reason they thought they were starving after a day was because they are so used to eating every 5 minutes.
The fact that people have been allowed to become so dependent on the government is liberal and Democrat shame. Shame. They’ve kept slavery, just called it something else.
As an educated American who happens to be black, I must vote conservative in order to try to save as many of my brothers and sisters as I can.
Take care of yourself. The government is not your daddy.
And to the rest of you liberal pieces of crap –
You want to rant about your idiotic politics? Go to crooksandliars.com. You’ll find yourself in good company – nothing but petulant liberals spewing their hatred of all things Bush.
You people disgust me. You think that Republicans and Bush are embarassing? They don’t even come close to the spineless windbags on the Left.
(btw – I did not vote for Bush and I am a registered Democrat, although I am seriously considering changing my part affiliation after watching how childish the Left has become)
Reality is a bitch hit it right on the nose. Democrats feed on lazy welfare addicted people. They promise them more free crap by taxing the hardworking self-bettering population more to pay for the lazy, hand out seeking, low lifes. There has to be a bigger push to get these people off welfare and to better themselves. The government should not be their daddies. They were too lazy to get off their asses and get the hell out of harms way. They lazily sat back hoping their loser mayor and governor would come to their house and carry them away to safety, feed them, and house them. They got their reality check courtesy of corrupt democrat leaders and Katrina.
reality is a bitch – rock on!!
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Road Warrior, GSpank, Dave H,
Are American Haters and Terrorist Lovers!
Reality is a bitch,
Those lard-asses really get in the way of our right to pay as little tax as possible. They really are a cancer on us all. I say lets set up extermination centers. Think of all the taxes we’ll save on food stamps.
10,000 dead? That’s just a start.
Reality is a bitch,
You mean you don’t wish to be identified as an “African-American” any more than I’d wish to be identified as an “Irish-American?”
BRAVO!
And, so, now we’re both just Americans. As it should be.
BTW, you’re definitely off Jesse Jackson’s Kwanza card list.
You know what I love about folks like “I got mine Jack, hands off my stack”? They take rational, common sense posts like Reality’s and then they turn them into idiotic, irrational comparisons that have no real bearing on the original point. They do it for schock value.
For “hands off my stack,”
Your attempt to obfuscate, my friend, falls flat in the face of this:
The fact that people have been allowed to become so dependent on the government is liberal and Democrat shame. Shame. They’ve kept slavery, just called it something else.
As an educated American who happens to be black, I must vote conservative in order to try to save as many of my brothers and sisters as I can.
Take care of yourself. The government is not your daddy.
The above statements are the sort of things that liberals and Democrats are loathe for the general public to hear, so they try the sort of thing “hands off my stack” tried above. Michael Moore misdirection plays, I call them. We see through them though. Especially now that Katrina’s effect on New Orleans has made it all so plainly evident.
John,
Yes, we are just Americans. I happen to have ancestors who were from Africa, like you had European ancestors.
I do not want anything special. I am smart enough and talented enough to get my own job, thanks. I do not depend on the government for anything.
I would like the government to somehow fix the mess they made, though:
Poor, mostly black, people that the government have made so addicted to handouts that they are incapable of taking care of themselves.
Otherwise, I expect nothing from the government except the usual protect our borders and pave the roads stuff.
Some people here seem to have missed quite some things. This post over on http://www.stevenberlinjohnson.com/movabletype/archives/000279.html gives a good rundown of it. I don’t understand who can still defend Bush at this point!
—
Imagine if a few weeks ago someone had polled all of the Bush critics in the country, and asked them to list the primary faults that they see in this administration. I suspect, give or take a few entries, the results would have looked something like this:
Obsession with Iraq at the cost of all other national priorities
Unwillingness to admit mistakes
Hostility to science
Embarrassing juvenile attitude
Indifference to the fates of the poorest members of society
Cronyism and unwillingness to fire anyone for incompetence
Tendency to spend way too much time on vacation
Inability to plan and execute large-scale operations effectively
If Hurricane Katrina ends up being the turning point when it becomes clear to a solid majority of the country that Bush has been a fundamentally incompetent leader, I suspect it will be because the Katrina crisis turned out expose all eight of these flaws. The hurricane itself may have swerved east and dropped down to a category 3 before it hit land, but where Bush’s political reputation was concerned, it was the perfect storm.
Just a few quotes to illustrate my point:
Obsession with Iraq at the cost of all other national priorities
“…the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requested $27 million for this fiscal year to pay for hurricane-protection projects around Lake Pontchartrain. The Bush administration countered with $3.9 million, and Congress eventually provided $5.7 million, according to figures provided by the office of U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.).” — the Chicago Tribune
Unwillingness to admit mistakes
“I don’t think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees.” — President Bush, on Good Morning America
Hostility to science
“A major hurricane could swamp New Orleans under 20 feet of water, killing thousands. Human activities along the Mississippi River have dramatically increased the risk, and now only massive reengineering of southeastern Louisiana can save the city.” — Scientific American, 2001
Embarrassing juvenile attitude
“‘The good news is – and it’s hard for some to see it now – that out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic Gulf Coast, like it was before. Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott’s house — he’s lost his entire house – there’s going to be a fantastic house. And I’m looking forward to sitting on the porch.’ (Laughter).” – George W. Bush
Indifference to the fates of the poorest members of society
Andrew Sullivan on the Lott quote: “Just think of that quote for a minute; and the laughter that followed. The poor and the black are dying, dead, drowned and desperate in New Orleans and elsewhere. But the president manages to talk about the future ‘fantastic’ porch of a rich, powerful white man who only recently resigned his position because he regretted the failure of Strom Thurmond to hold back the tide of racial desegregation.”
Cronyism and unwillingness to fire anyone for incompetence
From Josh Marshall: “So, just to recap, Brown had no experience whatsoever in emergency management. He was fired from his last job for incompetence. He was hired because he was the new director’s college roommate. And after the director — who himself got the job because he was a political fixer for the president — left, he became top dog. And President Bush said yesterday that he thinks Brown is “doing a helluva job’.”
Tendency to spend way too much time on vacation
Bush is being criticized for not ending his vacation the second it became clear that the “near-miss” of first reports wasn’t in fact, a near-miss at all. But just think about this for a second: we’re talking about a scenario (Category 4-5 storm hits New Orleans) that experts have long predicted would result in a massive disaster that could easily produce ten times 9/11’s loss of life. And by Saturday, all the forecasters were saying that this was the most likely path the storm was going to take. But somehow that wasn’t enough to get Bush off the ranch. (Not to mention the rest of this slacker administration.)
Inability to plan and execute large-scale operations effectively
See all the above.
Kool,
Bush is not the reason for the mess. FYI: if you knew anything about modern communications, you’d also know that Bush’s ranch is as good as being in Washington DC, but probably much safer.
You look foolish and uninformed by trying to blame President Bush.
The reason for the mess is:
• a first time try of a new system combined with a massive storm that hit a particularly weak and poor area
• the previous failure of the state to spend the money on an adequate levee system even after being warned repeatedly and loudly
• the abject poor that the Democrats have conditioned to be solely dependent on the government to the point where they cannot take care of themselves in exchange for votes.
Reality – save your breath.
You are trying to have a rational and common sense conversation with someone who is not capable of either rational thinking or a common sense approach to the worlds problems (I am talking about Kool and any other Liberal).
They are only concerned with one thing – tearing down Bush and using every means possible. They are OBSESSED with this concept.
Bush could walk on water and the Left would spin it as he was to stupid to learn how to swim.
Bush says to Brown: “You’re doing a great job!” and I am the foolish one for calling out the stupidity in that?!
The reason for the mess is:
• a first time try of a new system combined with a massive storm that hit a particularly weak and poor area
–> Those setting up that new system were apparently not very well equipped to do that! Very poor excuse!
• the previous failure of the state to spend the money on an adequate levee system even after being warned repeatedly and loudly
–> See my quote above! Read it this time!
• the abject poor that the Democrats have conditioned to be solely dependent on the government to the point where they cannot take care of themselves in exchange for votes.
–> BullShit! Helping people out of poverty is much more effective (and fair) than to keep them down and don’t give them any chance. (That’s the Republican way.) No money no chance! The Republicans only care about the rich, not the poor. Did you hear that comment from Barbara Bush! Be ashamed!!
I am angry at Bush because he is not thinking about people, he is thinking about photo ops. You’ll discover it yourself once you start living a life in which you actually share things! Sharing multiplies. I am so sick of this me me me attitude everywhere. Yuck!!!
SENATOR JOHN GLENN SAID:
Things that make you think a little……..
1. There were 39 combat related killings in Iraq during the month of January….. In the fair city of Detroit there were 35 murders in
the month of January. That’s just one American city, about as deadly as the entire war torn country of Iraq.
2. When some claim President Bush shouldn’t have started this war, state the following ..
FDR led us into World War II. Germany never attacked us: Japan did. From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost, an average of 112,500 per year.
Truman finished that war and started one in Korea, North Korea never attacked us. From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost, an average of 18,334 per year.
John F. Kennedy. started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam Nam never attacked us. Johnson turned Vietnam into a quagmire. From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost, an average of 5,800 per year.
Clinton went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent, Bosnia never attacked us. He was offered Osama bin Laden’s head on a platter three times by Sudan and did nothing. Osama has attacked us on multiple occasions.
3. In the 3 years since terrorists attacked us President Bush as liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran and North Korea without firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people.
The Democrats are complaining about how long the war is taking, but…It took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno to
take the Branch Davidian compound. That was a 51-day operation.
We’ve been looking for evidence of chemical weapons in Iraq for less time than it took Hillary Clinton to find the Rose Law Firm
billing records.
It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard than it took Ted Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick killing a woman.
Wait, there’s more………………….
Some people still don’t understand why military personnel do what they for a living. This exchange between Senators John Glenn and Senator Howard Metzenbaum is worth reading. Not only is it a pretty impressive impromptu speech, but it’s also a good example of one man’s explanation of why men and women in the armed services do what they do for a living. This is a typical, though sad, example of what
some who have never served think of our military.
JOHN GLENN ON THE SENATE FLOOR Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2004 11:13
Senator Howard Metzenbaum to Senator Glenn: “How can you run for Senate when you’ve never held a real job?”
Senator Glenn: “I served 23 years in the United States Marine Corps., served through two wars. I flew 149 missions. My plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire on 12 different occasions I was in the space program. It wasn’t my checkbook, Howard; it was my life on the line. It was not a nine-to-five job, where I took time off to take the daily cash receipts to the bank.
I ask you to go with me ! … as I went the other day… to a veteran’s hospital and look at those men – with their mangled
bodies – in the eye, and tell THEM they didn’t hold a job! You go with me to the Space Program at NASA and go, as I have gone, to the widows and orphans of Ed White, Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee… and you look those kids in the eye and tell them that their Dads didn’t hold a job.
You go with me on Memorial Day and you stand in Arlington National Cemetery, where I have more friends buried than I’d like to remember, and you watch those waving flags. You stand there, and you think about this nation, and you tell ME that those people didn’t have a job?
I’ll tell you, Howard Metzenbaum; you should be on your knees every day of your life thanking God that there were some men – SOME MEN – who held REAL jobs. And they required a dedication to a purpose – and a love of country and a dedication to duty that was more important than life itself. And their self-sacrifice is what made this country possible.
I HAVE held a job, Howard! What about you?”
For those who don’t remember – During W.W.II, Howard Metzenbaum was an attorney representing the Communist Party in the USA!!!!!!!
If you can read this, thank a teacher…. If you are reading it in
English, thank a Veteran.
To Andrew, Jake, Jim, MacDude, Reality is a bitch:
Wow, where do you guys get your news from? Listen, we left on Saturday, the 27th. The mayor was all over the newspapers and TV telling us to get out, in orderly fashion, following the state evacuation plan.
If you look at a map, you can see there aren’t a lot of ways to get almost a million people out, that’s why they have the ‘contraflow’ system, which means in-bound lanes on 10 and 55 are turned around, all lanes across Pontchartrain for outbound traffic. (works fairly well–same procedure with Ivan last time)
Lowlying areas are supposed to be given a chance to get out first, and that’s why reason Nagin issued the official mandatory evacuation first thing Sunday morning, following the state’s procedure to wait until 30 hours before landfall for the order. Don’t fall for the political spin on this you’re getting from some TV commentator or another. Nagin told us all to take this one VERY seriously, plan on leaving no ifs ands or buts on Saturday.
Also on Saturday (Aug. 27) Gov. Blanco officially asked FEMA and Bush to declare an emergency for the state, and to mobilize and send help. I’ve cut and pasted a part of her letter to Bush and FEMA she sent on Saturday:
“Pursuant to 44 CFR § 206.35, I have determined that this incident is of
such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the
capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that
supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect
property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a
disaster. “
You people with your lies and distortion of what actually happened disgust me. My family is alive, but our house and everything we owned is under water. The people who couldn’t leave included lots of lowlife criminals, and Mary Landrieu said many times she was disgusted with that kind. But most of the people stranded didn’t have cars or enough money, and a lot of people who would never leave, and sick and elderly. And sadly, thousands of them have drowned, many because of the delays in the mobilization of rescue and relief from FEMA and the National Guard.
Stop blaming us! Our mayor, the governor, Sen. Landrieu asked loudly and clearly every minute of every day once the levees broke Monday for help in evacuation and rescue. Why did it take until Friday to get ANYTHING from FEMA?
Listen, I’m not expecting much personally from President Bush, I frankly think we’d be better off if he stayed away. But he appointed that clown Brown, and apologizes for him instead of firing him, and his budgets are the ones that have cut Corps of Engineers funding for levee construction and improvement by 80-90% (And yes, it’s the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, not the poor parishes–those comments about the parishes using levee funds for gambling are outrageous right-wing propaganda).
You five (Andrew, Jim, Jake, MacDude, Reality is a bitch) should refrain from posting more regurgitated propaganda and instead inform yourself from non-partisan REAL news sources.
And back to the topic–yes, FEMA locking me out from applying online is a cruel joke on top of everything else. Of course we can just borrow someone else’s computer or call the 800 number and sit on hold, so we’re not crying about that. It’s just so symbolic of the pitiful and inadequate federal government.
“The U.S. and its citizenry have a long tradition of helping others out that has nothing to do with ego or invasion. “
True. But it has an equally long tradition of invading small countries, assassinating heads of state, financing ethnocides, etc. So to all of you one-track minds, two things:
1. See the good and the bad in everything, not just whatever side pleases you. That means the US is to be seen for BOTH its greatness and its crimes. Or any other country, for that matter.
2. You should thank your good star for using a Mac, since you hardly deserve it.
Also Chris, SG, Marty, Wally:
Four more of you with crippled brains and hearts. I doubt you all are capable of changing, but please don’t pollute these forums with your idiotic distortions and lies. Not enough space to detail how wrong all of your ‘facts’ are, just read the Times-Picayune’s archives, or any set of actual news articles.
Hint: blogs are not reliable sources of news!
As far as looting: Sen. Landrieu was talking about people without food and no fresh water foraging provisions at empty, abandoned food markets. You all are falling for more right wing racist spin to get worked up about that and calling it opportunistic looting.
Stealing Nike’s and electronics? Despicable. Desperate and hungry and the market has bottled water and bread? I’ll call that understandable foraging, and so did our Senator.
Robynola…I hope things are getting better fast for you and your loved ones. Another piece of unbelievably stupid news I read was that calling the FEMA 800 # only manages to have the forms sent to your PRIMARY RESIDENCE which, for many of you, is UNDER WATER.
Can you confirm this? If it is true, it is the ULTIMATE insult.
Best of luck to you!
Democrat liberals are scum! Keep looking for hand outs you losers. Why the F*CK did your wonderful governor and mayor not bus the dregs of society out prior to this disaster????????? That must be Bush’s fault too. Give me a break. We all know what happened here and it is no way Bush’s fault. It’s the fault of incompetent local leaders and lazy people who feed off society. This is what happens when you raise people to not educate themselves or take care of themselves.
Antoine:
You don’t know me, you don’t know much about how the world really works, and you have no good reason to offer up these half-thoughts.
I hope you get to have an enlightening education someday, but until then you’re not much to talk to. Good luck.
Liberals=Terrorist
Liberals=Looters from Society
Road Wimp = Terrorist Commie Scum!
Muck = United Hatist using aim for Bin hit Saddam guidance system. Enjoy the next hurricanes, they won’t miss the target.
Well as a Kitrina escapee, I’m sitting in a coffee house, trying to apply for aid with FEMA, but can’t because my Mac isn’t good enough for some stupid reason.
The phones here are, at the moment, totally worthless, and the internet was the last hope I had of getting answers to my questions.
Since FEMA has a MS only policy, now, I have to wait. Although I THINK my house fared ok(better than others for sure), I KNOW that my business is underwater… a recording studio with three Macs and more hard drives than I care to count.
FEMA, from what I can tell, from the initial response to my inability to apply for aid on my Mac is a total worthless MESS.
Mr. Road Warrior,
We are all curious about what country you come from?
I have heard that one before. It’s not curiosity as I have discovered it is bait. I tell and it just gives you an opportunity to bash a country.
I could be wrong but pro American = anti world