Katrina, finally
Some of the three of you who read this blog might have been wondering why I've been so callous and neglectful on the subject of the New Orleans tragedy. That is, of course, unless you already knew that I'm a callous and neglectful person about most things that don't concern me. I have no loved ones in New Orleans, and besides I figured that most of the smart ones would have evacuated when they issued the storm warnings, so I felt relieved for myself and mine, said a quick prayer, and that was that.
But what's drawing the commentary out of me now is all this criticism against the government for not being adequately prepared. Pick your goddamn battles, man! It was a natural disaster; they happen like on a weekly basis in California, whether it's earthquakes or fires or landslides...or hell, even riots every time the Lakers win, or a Korean shopowner does something that's interpreted as racist. How about the government intervening every now and then for those?
The time and the place to talk about our resources being wasted in Iraq or about our leaders bloating the oil empires for their own personal profit was...um...the elections? Sorry Louisiana, you all voted red, so you can't complain about the big inefficacy that this country has become. This is what happens when you drag down everyone and the common good to suit your own selfish needs. Apparently it wasn't enough of a reason to stop the war because zillions of innocent people were dying and starving and witnessing mind-numbing violence like it was a lifestyle; but now that you have no roof and no electricity, everyone is suddenly starting to realize that it's better to guard the common good, after all. Pick your battles. It was a natural disaster, something that all of us have to suck up if we're unlucky. God forgive my lack of sympathy.
But what's drawing the commentary out of me now is all this criticism against the government for not being adequately prepared. Pick your goddamn battles, man! It was a natural disaster; they happen like on a weekly basis in California, whether it's earthquakes or fires or landslides...or hell, even riots every time the Lakers win, or a Korean shopowner does something that's interpreted as racist. How about the government intervening every now and then for those?
The time and the place to talk about our resources being wasted in Iraq or about our leaders bloating the oil empires for their own personal profit was...um...the elections? Sorry Louisiana, you all voted red, so you can't complain about the big inefficacy that this country has become. This is what happens when you drag down everyone and the common good to suit your own selfish needs. Apparently it wasn't enough of a reason to stop the war because zillions of innocent people were dying and starving and witnessing mind-numbing violence like it was a lifestyle; but now that you have no roof and no electricity, everyone is suddenly starting to realize that it's better to guard the common good, after all. Pick your battles. It was a natural disaster, something that all of us have to suck up if we're unlucky. God forgive my lack of sympathy.
posted by Rex at 9:13 PM
2 Comments:
Actually, the county in which New Orleans is located, Orelans Parish (it's techincally a called a "parish", not a county) voted 78% for Kerry in 2004.
I suspected as much even as I wrote that. I think the main thing that might have sparked my grievance this time are my fellow blues. Clearly the Democrats are the ones who are spreading the word about "let's blame the government for Katrina, and let's revive the war controversy." To me, this is both dumb and pathetic. We've seen how brilliant a rhetoric the Republicans are churning out in their infamous little think tanks, and this is the best we can do? Blame the government for a natural disaster? State the obvious, yet again (though I admit that there are plenty of people who don't get the obvious)? It's almost a little exploitative.
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