And he was like, George Bush doesn't care about black people

[Cuore di un Phoenix]

What do you think about Kanye West's accusation towards Bush? Do you agree or disagree with this? Why do you think he thinks that?  

[ioioouiouiouio]

Oh yeah, let's all listen to someone just because they're famous. I mean, everyone knows that being on TV raises your IQ a whole bunch.

stare

Seriously, the guys a moron. Or paranoid. Not sure which.

1) theres about the same (if not more) white people in the devastated areas then black people. Bush reacting slowly had nothing to do with race and everything to do with the fact that IT'S NOT HIS BLOODY JOB.

2) Was there some anti-black bias in the media? Maybe. However, when you think about it, 65% of New Orleans is black. Therefore, look outside your window in there and you have a 65% chance of seeing a black dude. Also, black people made up for the majority of those families that, for one reason or another, wouldn't/couldn't leave. White folks, they saw a big hurricane coming and whent 'hmm.... Maybe satying here isn't such a good idea.'.

3) If anyone screwed up royally, it was the mayor and governer. It's not the presidents job to fix the economic problems of a single city. Neither is it his job to help people who got screwed in the event of a natural disaster. Again, the mayor, the governer, and FEMA (if the first two cant get the bloody thing done) get that job.

Did he make someone bad the head of FEMA? Eh, probably. It's not like nepotism is that much of a new thing. Heck, it's a long-standing tradition on Capitol hill. He just had the bad luck of being the first dude to get screwed by it.  

[Woodlock]

Lets get a few things straight, yes?

1: Bush had the largest relief force ever assembled sitting in the gulf ready to help. The head of the state has to give the government permission to enter a disaster state with releaf aid (it's called First Responder Rights). The call wasn't made for a long time. Not Bush's fault.

2: Most of the people left were on welfare and refused to leave or criminals released from prisons because no one in the state government could be bothered to make an evac plan for the prisons. I know several people who evacuated, black and white. Most of those that stayed didn't want to risk losing their welfare check on the chance that something bad might happen, and figured if they did nothing the rest of us would just swoop in, save them and give them more money and attention for going through harship rather than stoning their sorry hides in the street for being stupid like they should have.

3: They could have walked out. After Katie was done it took 3 days for the water to get high enough to prevent evac on foot. I believe that anyone not crippled is capable of doing so, and it's not too much to ask someone to walk a few miles to save their life.

4: There were numerous white people in the disaster zone. However, they for the most part pitched in to help and improve their circumstances, and that's not nearly as interesting as some chubby black lady that can barely speak english bouncing up and down balling because she hasn't had a shower and it took more than a day for them to get her to a shelter with only basic amenities. Blech.

5: Nowhere else was there such an upsurgance of crime than New Orleans(shooting at rescuers, come on people) and the shelters where the New Orleans people were evac'd to. This is not desperation, this is psychotic.  

[RazorGod]

Quote:

Lets get a few things straight, yes?

Yes, let's do that. Because you started out well informed, and ended up getting lost somewhere.

Quote:

2: Most of the people left were on welfare and refused to leave or criminals released from prisons because no one in the state government could be bothered to make an evac plan for the prisons. I know several people who evacuated, black and white.

This isn't even remotely true. The problem was that no required evac was issued until two days BEFORE Katrina hit, and there are effectively only two ways out of New Orleans...it being built on a swamp and all....the people who got out had vehicles and the money to evacuate. Most of the welfare people you're putting down, couldn't leave because they either had no vehicles, or their vehicles weren't in decent enough working order to get them out of New Orleans. Any vehicle that attempted that trip needed to be able to sit in a non moving line for hours without breaking down, because traffic was killer. New Orleans traffic is always backed up, I can only imagine how much worse it was with a life or death situation at hand. There was no government (local or otherwise) effort to get these people out, they were basically ignored....

(Houston couldn't even effectively evacuate the city, and they started a good 4 days earlier than New Orleans had...and they had used buses for those people who couldn't afford to evac.)

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3: They could have walked out. After Katie was done it took 3 days for the water to get high enough to prevent evac on foot. I believe that anyone not crippled is capable of doing so, and it's not too much to ask someone to walk a few miles to save their life.

I don't know where you heard this non-sense...but now I know you haven't ever been to New Orleans. First of all, leaving and comming in requires a bridge, since the city is surrounded by swampland. The lack of such bridges prevented people from just walking out, and it was a large hold up for getting relief crews in....which is why they came by boat and helicopter. Maybe if the local government had set up shelters with water and food, these people could have gone to those shelters instead...but no such shelters were set up. Although people were told to go to the Superdome, but surprisingly, none of this stuff was kept stocked there.

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There were numerous white people in the disaster zone. However, they for the most part pitched in to help and improve their circumstances, and that's not nearly as interesting as some chubby black lady that can barely speak english bouncing up and down balling because she hasn't had a shower and it took more than a day for them to get her to a shelter with only basic amenities. Blech.

There were numerous white people in the disaster zone, but I laugh at your idea that they were "improving their conditions..." They were just as miserable as everyone else. The only way to improve your condition was to stock up on stores before the storm, after the storm there was no food or water to be had, unless you broke into a store and took what you needed.

It would of have been a lot better if the shelters had stocked up on things it needed to be considered a shelter. As it was, it turned out to be a cess pit of rape, violence and hunger.

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5: Nowhere else was there such an upsurgance of crime than New Orleans(shooting at rescuers, come on people)

Nowhere else, were people completely trapped in a city with no food or water...No doubt some of these people were opportunists who took advantage of the situation...but to paint everyone as just lazy and ignroant, is unfair and untrue. There was real desperation and misery down there, and you shouldn't judge the plight of the many, by the stupidity displayed by the few. Te actions of the few were more news worthy then the pain and sorrow of the many...so guess which one you saw on TV?

I was a volunteer for a month straight at the Astrodome, I met a large number of these people. They aren't the animals you are trying to portray them as. Geological confinement and government incompetance is to blame for this...  

[rftkfan]

Lets put it like it is. Mr. Bush does not give a hoot about you. Mr. Bush does not give a hoot about me. Mr Bush only cares about his own. Making himself rich. The oil crisis is a perfect example. Mr. Bush is a oil tycoon. A very rich oil tycoon. I could go on and on but I will get off this topic for a while.  

[Tarrou]

Woodlock

1: Bush had the largest relief force ever assembled sitting in the gulf ready to help. The head of the state has to give the government permission to enter a disaster state with releaf aid (it's called First Responder Rights). The call wasn't made for a long time. Not Bush's fault.

George Bush had declared a state of emergency in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi by August 27, two full days before Katrina made landfall in New Orleans. That declaration, which had been requested by Louisiana governor Kathleen Blanco, was all that was needed to authorize FEMA to begin exercising it's disaster relief authority. Additionally, Blanco and other Guld Coast governors had requested, as early as August 26, that United States Army begin operating in those states in preparation for the hurricane.

The Federal government in no way lacked the authority to intervene in New Orleans, simple as that. Now, you could arguably blame, say, FEMA's incompetence on Mike Brown, but the fact of the matter is that he was appointed by Bush. As they say, the buck stops (or should stop) with the president. Yes, the response of local and state governments to Katrian was flawed too, but that in no way excuses the federal government's lousy performance.

Woodlock

2: Most of the people left were on welfare and refused to leave or criminals released from prisons because no one in the state government could be bothered to make an evac plan for the prisons. I know several people who evacuated, black and white. Most of those that stayed didn't want to risk losing their welfare check on the chance that something bad might happen, and figured if they did nothing the rest of us would just swoop in, save them and give them more money and attention for going through harship rather than stoning their sorry hides in the street for being stupid like they should have.

You're a paragon of Christian charity and understanding, Woodlock. Isn't there something in the bible about feeding the hungry, comforting the sick, visiting the prisoner, etc? I don't believe Christ ever said 'Stone the poor'. Of course, you're probably one of those faith-not-works Revelation Christians who prefer to believe that following Christ's teachings necessitates nothing more than a healthy dose of wrath and a holier than thou attitude. Remember, Woodlock:

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.

Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Oh, and prove it. Do you have some evidence to back your claim?  

[Curium]

Woodlock

5: Nowhere else was there such an upsurgance of crime than New Orleans(shooting at rescuers, come on people) and the shelters where the New Orleans people were evac'd to. This is not desperation, this is psychotic.

Did you mean around the world? Or did you just mean in the U.S. after Katrina hit?  

[vampy dave]

I don't think it's right that everone is in such an uproar over New Orleans. I mean if my city got desimated by a hurricane, no one outside of my state would care probably. Even if Savannah got hit like NO did, we probably wouldn't get as much attention. Yes, they need help right now, but we are all only human and can do only so much. *sigh* but that is life I guess.  

[rftkfan]

I agree with you. New orleans is a party town Savanna is a regular town. Mr. Bush could have cared less.  

[HonorBoundKnight]

rftkfan

Lets put it like it is. Mr. Bush does not give a hoot about you. Mr. Bush does not give a hoot about me. Mr Bush only cares about his own. Making himself rich. The oil crisis is a perfect example. Mr. Bush is a oil tycoon. A very rich oil tycoon. I could go on and on but I will get off this topic for a while.

rftkfan

I agree with you. New orleans is a party town Savanna is a regular town. Mr. Bush could have cared less.

And you, being a close, personal friend of Mr. Bush are so kind in sharing the details of his thought pattern, that you've experienced in close quarters and are an expert on. Right?

I'm not gonna say he did everything right. Heck, that'd just be a stupid comment, all things considered. But I'll ask you not to give your personal opinion as to how he thinks about things when it's highly unlikely that you have any @#$%@#&#xin;g clue.

And, despite what people think, Bush has at least been trained to some extent in his job. He will do it better than half the laymen on the streets who go around shouting him down.  

[rftkfan]

The one thing I can say is I would not be out to settle a vendita at the expense of my country. I voted against him and would do it again. We are where we do not belong. Some one said he is like hitler. I am glad he is not up for re election. Because this country could not take another term. (notice I did not cuss or use funny symbols even though I could) I have lost a friend because of this war.  

[ioioouiouiouio]

rftkfan

The one thing I can say is I would not be out to settle a vendita at the expense of my country

Do you even know why we have lost 'so many' (which is actually not true. a few thousand in a war? relatively bloodless.) in the war? Because we are to nice.

Oh, curse that geneva convention for making us fight with morals.  

[Seority]

its hard to be a president that has to deal with a huge terrorist attack and is diliked by the very pppl who voted for him.
im hearing all around that ppl said "i didnt vote for him" well then who did? he won the election didnt he? and how better would it of been with Kerry? his veiws were a little wack, but anywho.
all i see is that us lazy americans have to blame the problems on other ppl which makes for a lousy unity between any of us. what we should do is say, "well whats happened has happened, and now all there is to do is to get threw it TOGETHER because there arnt any heros coming to save us all (i mean politcally not spiritually) so WE must deal with OUR problems, not leave it to a man who is pressured with the blame of messing every thing up.
you know why his desition was silly, it was because we became seperated blaming other ppl when we should take our responsblitys.
do you get what im trying to get at?
maybe instead of sitting there like a baby pointing a finger at Bush, TAKE THE RESPONSIBLITY that is everybodys and DO SOMETHING! now you cant do much about politcal stuff, but you can always unite and help others, so that all of us can get through these crazy times TOGETHER instead of individual. stop trying to figure out who deserves punishment or who should be blamed for anything, because one were will that get you? and 2 its OUR responsiblity to get threw these issues and become stronger.
^____^' hope that made some sence  

[rftkfan]

You want to talk about fighting with morals. About why we are there. Talk about that to a woman who loved her husband that is DEAD because of this war. Talk to his kids who will not see daddy this christmas or any other christmas. We are fighting with morals in a place we have no business being in. I see her every day. She works for me. Where I work we are doing something for her and her kids.  

[Tarrou]

Cometh The Inquisitor

Do you even know why we have lost 'so many' (which is actually not true. a few thousand in a war? relatively bloodless.) in the war? Because we are to nice.

Well, we could always just start leveling entire cities, if you think that would help. Consider, though, that we are not engaged in total war, we want to avoid destroying Iraq's infrastructure, and being less 'nice' than we're being right now would probably serve no other purpose than to drive more moderates toward the insurgency.

Additionally, given that the number of specifically documented Iraqi deaths since the 2003 invasion is somewhere between 27,000 and 30,000, and with some estimates placing the total number of Iraqi deaths at upwards of 100,000 (although such statistics are of questionable accuracy), I would hardly call the conflict 'bloodless'. And that is to say nothing of the 15,000 odd U.S. combat wounded, many of whom would be dead but for modern battlefield medicine.