The Buck Stops Here?

[HARDCORE]

Bush: ?I take responsibility? for U.S. failures after Katrina!!

It may be a little late, and public pressure may be (at least) partially responsible for this revelation, but kudos to the President for finally realizing that the man (or woman) on top must bare the ultimate responsibility!

HOWEVER - It must also be noted (in all fairness) that there was plenty of blame to go around. Short sightedness, screw-ups, profiteering and incompetence a-plenty, lead to an almost anarchistic state of affairs in the afflicted regions, and the repercussions of this natural disaster, compounded by human error and arrogance, will be felt for some time to come I fear!

There is one helluva lot more to leadership, be it federal, state or local, than just image and public perception. Or as the sage once said: ?Actions talk, bull shit walks!?

Again, this phenomenal foul-up permeated the air on all sides of the aisle, either from its inception or as an after thought! Buying shoes, attending stage shows, sitting around with one?s thumb woefully stuck up their ass (regardless of political party), is akin to Neville Chamberlain?s romancing of disaster, right up until the final curtain call!

Katrina, unfortunately, may be just a harbinger of things to come? Live and learn, but have we ever learned. For that matter - ?WILL WE EVER LEARN??

VERITAS

[MarineAO]

Originally posted by HARDCORE



For that matter - ?WILL WE EVER LEARN??

VERITAS

Question: When have we ever (as a socieity that is)?

[Boats]

Nope

[HARDCORE]

"AIN'T IT THE (UNFORTUNATE) TRUTH!!"

RICK

Boats I know your right, but I hope someday we will learn. Usually people learn the hardway. Katrina was a pretty hard lesson.

[HARDCORE]

RJ -

WE HAVE RARELY (IF EVER) LEARNED, AND THEREIN LIES THE RUB!

VERITAS

[Old Seabee]

I'd like to put my two bits in, if I may. I feel that there are some people in this here US of A that will never learn from our past. I don't kknow about everyone else but what's going on now in the Iraq smells a lot like what most of us went through in 65-75 on the other side of the World. We did get out of their thank God, but doesn't sound to me like we'll be getting out of their soon. Maybe it will end up like ROK, you know peace keeping for the next fifty years. Just my thoughts, I do hope I am wrong, but I don't think so.

[Keith_Hixson]

I don't think we are ever totally prepared for the ravages of mother nature. I don't believe any administration would have done any better. We as human beings have a tendancy of not doing much until we have to. In other words we procrastinate. I still wonder how much responsibility we have to people and cities which build on hillsides without proper bedrock for good footings, those who build in flood zones, and of course building in the shadow of a major volcano like Seattle and Tacoma. However, we as a compassionate people need to reach out to hurting people. I do get upset with political parties making a natural disaster a political issue. It is very hard to know before hand just how to respond to a disaster until after the disaster and assements can be made. I believe for the most part the government agencies are doing a pretty good job of getting things back to "normal" in Lousiana. Of course if you are living there you might feel different.

Keith

[Jerry D]

Last nite on MSNBC they were interviewing Mayor Ray Nagin I heard him say something Amazing he thanked President Bush for sending him a "John Wayne" General in the form of Lt General Russel Honore . I thought it would be years before I heard a Democrat Elected Official thank a Republican It seems Governor Blanco is having inferiority complex, every-time she is interviewed she has to remind the Viewers "She is the Governor"

[82Rigger]

Okay...here's two cents from someone who has reflected on this subject for a long time. And when one is in the MIDDLE of a raging hurricane, such reflection tends to be rather intense.

I am no fan of George Bush. But, in all fairness, for anyone to lay this at this man's feet is totally unjust.

You all ask the question, "When will we ever learn?".

My question to you is. "When will we ever learn WHAT?".

You're asking the right question, but you're asking it in the wrong classroom.

Keith, I think, comes closest to the root of the issue.

Has anyone noticed that we seem to handle the MAN-MADE disasters real well, but have trouble with the NATURAL disasters?

The response to 9-11 was rapid and effective. Not only at the scene, but all over the nation. Did you know that air traffic controllers safely grounded over 5,000 in-flight airliners within three hours with no pre-planning and no warning?

And what about the Oklahoma City bombing? Rescue units on the scene in minutes , heavy equipment and engineers there within hours...and that effecient response saved many lives.

The Tsunami in Indonesia was very difficult...as was Katrina.

WHY?

The area devastated at the World Trade Center covered 16 acres and the energy that created it was a fraction of a kiloton.

The area devastated at the Murrah Building covered 9 acres and was created by 1/200th of a kiloton of explosives.

During her life, Katrina relocated 10 BILLION TONS of water inland.

The area devastated by Katrina was about 90,000 square miles.

The energy unleashed against New Orleans, Biloxi, and Gulfport was the equivalent of a 10 MEGATON nuclear weapon going off every 20 minutes for eight hours.

So...what is it, exactly, that we need to learn?