"A DESPERATE S.O.S." - DISGRACEFUL!!

"I know people want everything to happen yesterday." - Bush - Good Morning America

"I don't think anybody anticipated a breach of the levies." - Bush - Good Morning America

President Bush on Wednesday flew over New Orleans and parts of Mississippi's hurricane-blasted coastline in Air Force One. Turning to his aides, he said: It's totally wiped out. ... It's devastating, it's got to be doubly devastating on the ground.” - NBC, MSNBC and news services

It seems in the past 24 hours I've gone from numbing sadness to abject rage regarding the incomprehensible aftermath of that rabid bitch of nature - Katrina.

THINGS ARE SIMPLY OUT OF CONTORL

Some observations:

Thousands of desperate people are at the convention center in New Orleans without security, food, water, medical supplies, or even any information about what is happening -this is shameful! Babies, old people have literally died where they were sitting. The dead left in wheelchairs - wrapped in sheets and left on the ground. An MSNBC reporter on Keith Olberman's show (I believe his name was Tony Zambado) spoke about these people having no support being left to fend for themselves. He spoke about people looting to survive and feed their children - people who followed directions - law abiding citizens - who went to the convention center - did what they were told - and were forsaken. He said there were 82 busses sitting outside New Orleans because it was felt that it was unsafe for them to go in to start evacuating people.

Lawlessness, chaos, fires, shootings - bands of armed criminals in the streets of New Orleans - the evacuation of the superdome had to be halted because there was a report that a helicopter was shot at.

People dying in hospitals without electricity or medical supplies - people dying while waiting on hospital rooftops because evacuations that were supposed to take place were arbitrarily cancelled - people firing on the helicopters. People firing on and looting hospitals.

The mayor of New Orleans has put out a "desperate S.O.S." to try to enlist more help from the federal government.

People trapped in houses since the storm hit on Monday without food water electricity, etc.

People wading through filthy oil and chemical contaminated water up to their chests awaiting rescue days after the storm.

IS THIS AMERICA?

WHERE IS THE PLAN? WHERE IS THE LEADERSHIP?

This isn't like 911 - WE KNEW at least a category four hurricane, with the possible capacity to breach and/or over spill the levee was coming days in advance. Even if it wasn't this past Monday - even if it wasn't this year - WE KNEW IT WAS COMING, and have known for YEARS.

Why then does it seem that the federal government was so woefully unprepared?

How can we have ANY faith that the Government is prepared for a terrorist attack after seeing these shocking images?

Meanwhile, the President, the Head of FEMA, Louisianasianna Sen. Landreu (D), and the like, are thanking eachother for their valient humanitarian efforts, rattling off lists of how many gallons of water, how many ready to eat meals, etc. are being sent, patting themselves on the back, and telling us that they are doing all that can be done while we watch the panic and chaos live before our eyes. Even in the wake of this overwhelming catastrophe, the political bullshit brigade continues without disruption.

There is a definite parallel here with Iraq (actually several).... We have our intelligence insulted by Bush who unwaveringly advises that we are making progress in Iraq and that everything is going well - while we watch and read about an unstable Iraq in the grip of carnage and chaos. Once again - WHAT WE ARE BEING TOLD DOES NOT MATCH REALITY.

It's important to note that the people who deserve thanks are the ones on the ground slogging through the floodwaters saving lives and putting their own lives in jeopardy in service to others - police, military and civilians alike.

Other countries besides Germany who have offered help include Russia, Japan, Canada, France, Honduras, Venezuela, Jamaica, Australia, England, Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, Hungary, Columbia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, China, South Korea, United Arab Emerates, Singapore, and NATO. Nato has also offered financial aid - as well as disaster relief expertise.

The leaders and the fools are making themselves known in the wake of this immense disaster - just as they did after 911.

I look into the eyes of the crying traumatized children, and not only wonder what they make of their plight, but who will help them deal with the psychological aftermath?

Ted Koppel's Nightline interview with the head of FEMA, Michael Brown, pretty much summed it up -

Koppel took him to task for grossly underestimating the number of hurricane evacuees, not knowing about the desperate convention center situation until Thursday, why supplies were not being delivered, why we are dispatching national guard troops instead of seasoned military personnel, why help was taking so long, for focusing on what will be done instead of what is actually being done, being surprised by how many people were unable to evacuate New Orleans, why trucks, trailers, busses, etc., were not dispatched by the federal government before the storm to evacuate the city - - - among other things. (I have always been a fan of Koppel because he is a deadly serious journalist who doesn't pander to guests in fear that they may not appear on his show in the future.)

I am appalled and disgusted. My heart is breaking.

God help these people.