Meanwhile Journalists become, well, journalists
The president's 35-minute Air Force One flyover of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama was the perfect metaphor for his entire presidency: detached, disconnected, and disengaged. Preferring to take in America's suffering — whether caused by the war in Iraq or Hurricane Katrina — from a distance. In this case, 2,500 feet.
-Arianna Huffington
There will be several good things to come out of the Katrina nightmare - a better understanding (at least by some) of the horrors of poverty, a federal government which will be eyed more suspiciously by the public, and perhaps a new awareness by the media of how to do their jobs.
- Hoffmania
How Cindy Sheehan and Katrina Woke the Media from their Somnolence
I have a codeword for it. I call it "Sharks and Condit". Others may call it different things. What "it" is is, for lack of better words, journalists resting on their laurels, otherwise known as arses. (Rhymes, perhaps too well, with farces.)
You saw it on 9/10 and the months before. And it has been the zeitgeist from whence these well-heeled articulates go to bat for their corporate sponsors. I mean, report the news. You'd almost think that they were paid to keep their mouths shut. But alas, this is America, and things like that don't happen here. Not in an ideal America. But we haven't had an ideal America since, let me check, never.
This may be changing, as journalists find themselves surrounded by their suffering brothers and sisters...and perhaps realizing that for many at the watercooler of the flyover presidency, having them drown in the bathtub of the inland Gitmo should cause no great loss of nap. For whatever reason, there has been some excellent reporting coming from New Orleans, and just the fact that they are there, not only eyewitnessing, but earwitnessing and nosewitnessing the "Hell on Earth" that the Bush Administration is all too good at creating or allowing, is a service to humanity, and should be commended. So I will. I hope Mr. Pulitzer is noting these braves souls as they signal from the flames of this fresh Hell.
Article comments
1 - Lee Richards
Bush without a script is a man without a clue.
2 - anonyMoses
You'd think he'd at least hire better speechwriters. I think we'll just wait and hire a new president instead...if we can survive what blunders may come.
3 - Dave Nalle
And how, exactly, would troops from Iraq get back to New Orleans in time to do anything useful? Or did you just want to try to score a political point here?
The idiocy of partisan commentary like this continues to amaze me. You will literally say any hateful, deceitful and destructive thing to advance your agenda.
You don't even understand the difference between a natural disaster and 9/11. Can you not comprehend the difference between a random event of nature and something that was the result of conscious acts of evil and terror?
You're completely divorced from reality.
Dave
4 - anonyMoses
Well that was a bunch of nothing.
I was in Manhattan on 9/11. Were you?
I was also in Hugo.
9/11 was minuscule compared to Hugo.
And Hugo was miniscule compared to Katrina.
I know terror and natural disasters first hand. I KNOW the difference. Maybe it is you who are divorced from reality.
How are the soldiers useful in Iraq?
Killing people useful to you?
Getting killed useful to you?
Simply getting them out of Iraq would be useful.
Why do you defend Goliath? You're no David.
5 - Ronald C McKito
It would not take long to get troops from Iraq to new orleans
Most active military units can be ready deployable within 2 hours my unit in 25ID was. Shoot thousands from Iraq could already be in New Orleans
6 - Dave Nalle
Actually, I learned today that 300 Airmen are being flown back to help with a flooded air base near New Orleans.
That said, there are plenty of reasons why we can't just pull large numbers of men out of Iraq.
And AnonyMoses, if you think that hurricanes and 9/11 are comparable then you don't understand the difference between a natural disaster and an act of intentional violence, so there's not much point in discussing it with you.
Dave
7 - anonyMoses
Ronald -- thanks for the info. I didn't think it should take all that long. And besides...New Orleans and region is going to take a long time.
If you are over there right now, I wish you the best and hope you get back home safely. The soldiers have everyone's support. Any squabbling you hear is in regards to the suits back home who stay in air conditioned offices and have all their needs met...many times over.
Kind regards,
Dave
8 - anonyMoses
Nalle -- Had you read my piece you would have seen that I covered the topic already. (Scan for "malice".)
Again I ask you...have you been in a natural disaster and/or terrorist attack? I have been in both, and would argue that it gives me an empirical understanding of each, and their differences.
Besides...Iraq didn't have anything to do with 9/11. Arabs attacked us, not Iraqis. This was a war to pad the pockets of the Bush family of corporations. It was not even preemptive. Nothing to preempt.
Bush seems to think thusly:
"When you find yourself in a hole...stay the course."
Is this your mantra as well?
Do you have any experience with natural disasters or terroristic disasters?