Proud to be American -- despite the pricks

I've been busy writing letters to people, in the administration, which are obviously being ignored (not that I think my opinion is so special, but realizing so many who feel the same are doing so...), and am truly heartsick. It's obvious the time has come to replace those in Washington, the folks who have consistently shamed our country. The only thing that's kept me out of a deep depression over the events of the past two weeks is the people of our country, and the people of the world.

I must say one thing clearly...I no longer believe that the US administration is merely incompetent. The foot-dragging is clearly becoming an intentional event. Much has been said of the racist issue, but I find it even more profound than that. With Bush suspending fair labor practices in the hurricane-affected areas, as well as reports of good ol' KBR-Halliburton getting the contracts for rebuilding, it seems to me the administration has absolutely no qualms whatsoever of turning every tragedy into another project to loot money. That many of the folks who have suffered so much and lost everything happen to be black is pretty inconsequential, except that it factors into keeping the dwindling redneck base loyal. Even in the Puget Sound area, notoriously Blue and liberal, if I had a dime for every time I've heard the expression 'those people', I could retire comfortably.

Sorry to be such a Gloomy Gus, but like after the 2004 national election, it is very disheartening to feel as if everything our country stands for is being pissed away. The thing that keeps me going is the resilience of the American people themselves. While the federal response was worse than shameful -- turning away every effort, here and internationally, simple things that might have helped and frankly saved lives, there were thankfully home-grown rebels, who did their best to sneak in water, medicine and food. Then there is the folks in the area. The media has led us to believe the worst of humanity, but the stories are starting to come out about the best. Little enclaves in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and New Orleans itself, of people pulling together, sharing what meager resources they have, and not wanting to leave what little they have behind. Don't forget, unless you've got batteries and a portable radio, these are people since before the storm living strictly on a local basis.

Oh, and did you hear? Ports around the world are full of emergency supplies earmarked for Katrina, and governments in Europe and elsewhere are quite puzzled. They didn't even get the dignity of a response from W.

Now we, out here in the Safe World, are being told that the estimates of dead in New Orleans may have been overestimated. Hmmm. Is this counting those who died on the buses during shipping, or those who died after reaching Points East, West, or North? Like everything in the relief effort from the federal arena, these numbers are non-existent. As are any real numbers, images, or truth coming from now-federally-by-default controlled New Orleans. Given the record of the admin, I doubt we'll ever get a true count.

I actually credit W's mom's comments...as they truly show how the 'haves' view this disaster.

I'm a lucky have-not. I have a nice place to live - small, but I love it. I have a temporary position at a major insurance company, that may or may not go permanent...or considering the current events, may go away completely. If I were laid off Monday, I would still be much better off than the hurricane folks; not only are their homes damaged or destroyed, so are their workplaces, their very jobs. They are getting offered $2000 per family (vague in itself), the availability of which changes from day to day. People, paperwork is designed to discourage people from RECEIVING government aid; this is not new. When our reserve folks, our guard folks, in what was 'normal' times, were returning from year-long deployments in Iraq not only to have no job left, being denied veteran benefits, when regular active troops had families living on base that qualified for FOOD STAMPS, there were those of us who were (and still are) pointing this out. Advocating for the troops, we were painted as traitors, as if we don't support the troops. And when a mom of a regular Army guy has the audacity to ask exactly why her kid had to die, all W can come up with is that we must honor those who've died by sending more to die.

The sad truth is our president sent us into Iraq over money. Oil.

The sad truth is that Iraq had nothing to do with the September 11, 2001 terrorists' attacks.

The sad truth is that our money has been wasted on ineffective 'homeland security'. Imagine if the terrorists had bombed the levees.

The sad truth is that our president got re-elected on the 'don't change horses in a war' theory, waging a war he created, and is losing -- due to his own poor planning, understaffing, lack of armor and equipment, his own mis-management.

The sad truth is that Iraq itself, and its lack of basic services combined with the decent into a new Islamic state by the US-deadline-forced current pending constitution, is actually worse off than it was under a hated dictator.

The sad truth is that our president is even incapable of making an executive order, one which should have been done by the 30 of August, to simply airlift water, medicine, food and supplies, to American citizens in the south.

The sad truth is we have a president who is not compassionate, not personally connected, loyal only to his makin'-money cronies, and simply has no CAN DO.

In short, we have a president that is not an American.

Many of us who are have noticed.