9/1/2005
Prisoner of the Present: At the Mercy of Another Untreated ADD President
I finally realized that I'm inspired to do a blog when I'm stirred up, aroused, upset. Yesterday morning while watching CNN news and the Today Show, I said to my wife, "Where in the hell is Bush?"
Then I saw his picture on page 2 of the Dallas Morning News playing a guitar.
President Bush on August 30, 2005 He apparently was in San Diego at a prescheduled trip to a military base. He was showing every one he's "one of the guys," but he was a prisoner of the moment – instead of being in the Gulf Coast area and in our homes on TV being a leader in a time of great crisis.
Senator Mary Landrieu on August 30, 2005
Of course we're now hearing excuses about "these things take time." But last Friday morning, 6 DAYS AGO, we heard on the news that Hurricane Katrina had crossed Florida and was gaining strength in the Gulf. It was predicted at that time that it would hit New Orleans this Monday and that this would be a likely major disaster because of the fact that New Orleans is several feet below sea level and almost completely surrounded by water.
Today we learn that George W. cut his 30-day "working vacation" 2 days short and flew over the disaster dropping to within 1700 feet and said something like "what a mess!"
Later he gave a speech filled with platitudes, reassuring 100's of thousands of victims – basically "we feel your pain" and "we'll all end up stronger."
Jeff Stahler understands how Bush "feels their pain" Of course the majority of the victims didn't hear the speech because they're without power!
I have believed for a long time that George W is ADD. Three years ago I was sitting across the desk from my physician discussing the results of my stress test and physical. He reassured me that physically I was 40 - the same as our president. But our president couldn't sit still for his post evaluation meeting with the doctor. He ran on the treadmill while getting his report.
Then I saw an interview with an official who had just left his White House staff position. To paraphrase one of his comments - it's hard to communicate with Bush, you can only hold his attention for a couple of minutes. Then you see him on TV when he's not the center of attention and he's acting up like a playful school kid - making faces, etc. It's part of his charm, but unfortunately, also a symptom of his ADD. Next week, in a detailed article on the latest science of Attention Deficit Disorder, I will describe 2 subtypes of ADD - One is boredom/need for stimulation and associated with proneness to addiction (i.e. Clinton and Monica). The other subtype is deficit in executive functioning/maturity in thinking causing inability to separate important from the unimportant (George W sitting in classroom for several minutes on 9-11 and plunking a guitar on 8-30-05). Most ADD individuals have symptoms of both, and many people who are ADD have a lot of positive traits.
The best treatment option when ADD traits are causing problems for self or others is the use of medication. You can stimulate the brain of a bored ADD individual with Adderall XR or Concerta … or by starting a major project - like - a war. You can smile with amusement as the absent minded professor doesn’t get it,
Wow! What devastation! or you can be more realistic - and panic. Our president is not with the program. In a recent book by a prominent psychiatrist, Justin Frank, MD (Bush on the Couch), he details evidence for George W.'s ADD and other emotional results of a traumatic childhood. Dr. Frank quotes Bush as saying, "I don't spend a lot of time trying to figure me out … I'm just not into psychobabble." The author goes on to say, "For all his simplicity and affability, George W. Bush has remained, to paraphrase Sir Winston Churchill, 'A mystery wrapped in an enigma.'"
Frank makes a convincing argument that our president lacks empathy. I didn't vote for Clinton because I don't believe the federal government can solve all our problems, but fair is fair - he kept us out of war, he balanced the budget, and if he were president now, he would be on the Gulf Coast and the victims of Katrina would know that he would lead us through this major crisis.
We don’t have a leader right now. We need to be proactive - if nothing else, go to the Red Cross and get involved.
Are we now at the mercy of big business?
Questions to think about:
- How long would it have taken for Bush to take definitive action if the Gulf Coast had been attacked by a foreign army (answer in microseconds)?
- What lobby group is representing the hurricane victims?
- How can big business benefit from Katrina? Raise oil and gas prices? Tax subsidies to Insurance companies?
I also want to thank CNN for asking the hard questions while the NBC morning news group is being nice.
Trackback uri
Below the first entry




24 Comments »
9/1/2005
Hallie Webb Murphy, LPC :
Dx: Axis I- ADD
Axis II - Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Axis III - Genetic Deficiency (NOS)
Axis IV - Vacation too short
Axis V - Dys
SHANE BROWN :
AW' HECK, IF HE WAS THERE IN ONE DAY YOU WOULD FIND SOMTHING TO BITCH ABOUT ANYWAY. WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO IS THIS, YOUR POLICTICAL LEANINGS WILL DICTATE HOW YOU VIEW THE ACTIONS OF ANY PRESIDENT. I FAULT CLINTON FOR THE FAILURE TO RESPOND TO THE ATTACK ON THE USS COLE AND THE FIRST TRADE CENTER BOMBING. BUSH WILL NEVER MAKE YOU HAPPY BECAUSE YOU FEEL WE SHOULDNT BE IN IRAQ AND THE WAR IS ABOUT OIL AND BLAH, BLAH, BLAH,.
Mike Hancock :
Wayne, you give a convincing argument for Bush having ADD - one problem, one must have more than a brainstem to have ADD.
Mike
Jeannie Wright :
I've been wonderding where Georgie Porgie was ever since he was campaigning for governor! I'm damn sick and tired of being manipulated by the media and our "government"! The day before the hurricane was to hit land local authorities were calling for mandatory evacuation of everyone and on the tube I saw these "dumb asses" saying how they were gonna' ride it out and nobody was gonna' tell them when to leave, etc..and then I saw them on their roof tops or crawling from their attics through holes they had chopped in the roof waving for help. I have no sympathy for them and mostly they are the ones now that are shooting guns to get attention, screaming and yelling about being treated unfairly. Well, hell that's a real damn shame. So what the hell is fair? Lots of really dedicated caring people are separated from their families and are risking their lives trying to rescue these idiots. Who do you suppose will be picking up the tab for all the clean-up and rebuilding? How long can local churches house and care for these people?…and then what???? I'm sorry that bad things happen to good people and mostly I'm pleased when bad things happen to bad people because it's like there is a little justice in this whole thing we call life. (I know Dr. Jones is gonna' jump on that!)
I'm really tired of "picking up the tab" for all the bad shit that happens in this world. Who died and made the USA lord over all!!? How many countries have sent money, military, food, etc..to help with our devastation from all the hurricanes we've had this year? Where are our so-called allies? George baby "signs a blank check" to rebuild Iraq(that's after we blow it all to hell)and like why did we do that in the first place..for the "dramatic fall" of Saddam's statue or so Georgie could play GI Joe and fly onto an aircraft carrier or so Saddam could be pulled from a hole in the sand?!! That don't impress me much!!!!!! There are "multitudes" of "Saddams" out there. I thought it was Bin Laden that we were gonna' get course there are "multitudes" of "Bin Ladens" as well. We're building them (Iraqis)shit they never even had and don't know what to do with it now that they've got it, but Georgie pleads with "Uhmercuns"(that would be me and you) to give generously to help our fellow neighbors. Well, I'm sick of helping every damn person in this freaking world! When are we gonna' help our own? Georgie says we don't have money for our children's school text books but we are spending millions on building schools, and supplies for the children of Irag. Of course, they won't go to these schools because it's too freaking dangerous to leave your home….well hell it's too dangerous to be in your home. We have people who have to choose between food or medication every month or day as the case may be. Georgie says that's a shame but it takes time. We have people who can't afford health insurance. We have people who are homeless and hungry. We have people who have no jobs. We have people who have been "stripped" of their life's savings because of "Big Business Greed". I feel like I'm being "raped" everytime I put gas in my vehicle. Does anyone really give a damn? I don't think so. Georgie's answer to everything is that it takes time….well personally I believe we're freaking running out of time! What are we supposed to do with all these "refugees of Katrina"? They have no homes to go back to. They have no jobs to go back to and how long will it be before they have homes and jobs and if they ever do who's gonna' supply them? I think these "refugees" should be bussed right on down to Crawford to "The Ranch" and Georgie and Laura can do the "neighborly" thing and take care of them. They have the resources. There's lots of wide open spaces there…plenty of room for "Bush City" ! They could move mobile homes in on "The Ranch" and just be all cozy. They have lots of beef for barbecues. He and Laura could have hayrides and all kinds of stuff for all of them and she could read to them(George doesn't read)around the campfire and she could cure her "empty nest" syndrome by teaching the children. She could be like "The First Lady Teacher"! She and Georgie could make sure that no child is left behind. Georgie would have a "captive" audience. He could take them fishing and they could have fish and chips…kinda like the Jesus fish dinners and he could ride bikes with them…I can see it now…..a caravan of bikes "hittin' the dusty trails"! What an example for all us "Uhmercuns"! Wow, I'm feeling better already!
Keith Bass :
What an article!! I really appreciate your office staff notifying me of your blogs! I cannot add anything to this one…..in my opinion, you told it exactly as it is! Your comments on an ADD diagnosis for George W. I find particularly intriguing! It makes me think back to seeing our President via television on many occasions, and commenting to my mother on his odd mannerisms (smirking, blank staring, etc.). By reading your psychiatric explanations in these blogs, it certainly raises my own awareness of the psychological component's (often hidden) importance in our daily lives. I would really love to read a book by you! I know beyond any doubt that you are one of the elite experts in your field. On a personal note, you certainly saved my life (literally) with regards to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and I will always be eternally grateful to you and your staff. Keep 'em coming, Dr. J! -Keith in Waco,TX-
nicole ortmeier :
Okay. I'll buy that Bush may have a little ADD—
I have it and I do see some symptoms in him, but
I would never put myself in the situation of asking a city of people let alone a country to depend on me to protect them either. So, if we
can diagnose Bush as having ADD, then what can
we diagnose all the people with who voted for him? I don't know if there is a lable, but the
word DENIAL comes to mind. We are in fact, a
country of DENIAL! The president should reflect
our own ideals and priorities. Even now, we want
to believe that we are doing all that we can and all is going fine and well under control, as our
president tells us on T.V. Yet, we see with our own eyes that this is not the truth! The fact is that we wanted a person from the moral majority
in office and that's why we voted for Bush — I wanted someone who would be wise and proactive and I didn't care if he fooled around with the
office clerks, but I guess it bothered more people than I thought. So, in truth, we got what we voted for. A man who is going to fight evil.
Hurricanes aren't evil. I'm just waiting for him to send in all the troops to shoot the looters!
Give me a break! Meantime, it's too late to be
proactive, but let's get off the computer and go see what we can do about the 25,000 survivors that are on their way to Texas! Next election, think about the difference between morals and
and character! Think about who you'd want to be
in office if you were in a natural disaster and
all the troops were across the ocean fighting crime! Nicole
9/2/2005
nicole ortmeier :
This is very close by if anyone is interested in donating.
Subject: FW: Residence Inn - Dallas (Free Garage Sale to Victims) 1:00
p.m. FRIDAY 9/2
This is a great way to help all the families.
Hello All,
We have quite a few (about 30 families and growing ) hurricane victims
staying at our hotel and it is heart breaking to see how they have been
affected. They are all so humble and are so thankful for any help they
can get. We are trying to do what we can do to help, so I came up with an
idea. We are having a FREE Garage Sale for the Hurricane victims at our
hotel on Friday at 1pm. If you have any items (clothes, toys, food,
kitchen stuff, blankets, pillows, etc. - ANYTHING) laying around the
house, please bring it to the Residence Inn Park Central by noon on Friday
. We will also be having another one on Tuesday at 1pm also. Any one
attending the Garage sale will have to present an out of State license for
admittance.
Please help us help the Victims of Hurricane Katrina. Your help is
greatly appreciated.
Drop Off Time: Anytime between Now and Friday 12 pm for 1pm FREE Garage
Sale Friday or by Tuesday at 12 pm for 1 pm FREE Garage Sales Tuesday
Please pass this to anyone who you think may be able to help. If you
would like to help, we would love to have you. Thank you in advance for
your support.
Melissa Van Sickels
General Manager
Residence Inn - Dallas Park Central
7642 LBJ Freeway
Dallas, TX 75251
(972) 503-1333
(972) 503-8333 - fax
melissa.vansickels@marriott.com
www.marriott.com/dalrp
Pam Caldwell :
I think you are the one that needs medication. I am no longer interested in anything you have to say. You should have stuck to what you supposedly know about and keep the president bashing to yourself. I am truly insulted that you sent this crap to me.
Suzi High :
Thank you, Dr. Jones, for your insight into the existing situation in New Orleans and the lack of immediate response from "our President" and his administration in getting needed assistance to people in obvious stress and pain.
I continue to believe that "W" is out of step with this nation's needs and the direction it should be taking for its citizens. As well, I think it "fatal" in our foreign relations position, that as a "super power" our response to this natural disaster (Katrina) mirrors that of similar responses made by third world nations to their own disasters. One must ask, "Is this how we will respond to a similar terrorist disaster?" As well, "Where and how are the monies funnelled into the new Homeland Security Department being spent?" And one more, "How can the President continue to keep the head of FEMA when this guy wasn't even aware of a the thousands of New Orleneans gathered at the Convention Center awaiting assistance or transport–for over three days!!?" Well, too many questions…..
The evidence is in however, we're not a "happy" country. We've got so many problems. The sad truth is that we've had an arrogrant, seemingly unaware President surrounded by "every thing is ok" staff and upheld by a radical religious right group and numerous media "faces" instead of accountable "dyed in the word" journalists. Everytime someone like a "me" talks about this administration's follies, we get stamped as "unAmerican", disloyal, etc. But the social and political results are getting closer to catastrophic everyday. The qualifers being "what's catastrophic" and "to whom is catastrophy upon?"
I imagine if we ask the wealthy or even a good segment of the middle class if their lives are going well and if this Presidency is doing a good job, we will still get a "thumbs up!" But if we ask numerous experts in numerous fields of expertise from healthcare, medicine, immigration, education, environment, world affairs, etal, as well as the poorer classes amongst us, the answers we get will be significantly different and decidedly concerned about the future of this country.
I really didn't want to take your comments down a trail of politics but its what I believe and why I'm getting involved in several activist gtoups.
Thanks again for your remarks and have a great weekend.
janice cunningham :
I agree. thank you.
Ben Lopez :
Dr. Jones, great blog entry! My mom is a long-time patient of yours (Tina B) and I was a short-time patient of yours a long while ago. I enjoy your ability to associate your politics with your medical expertise in such a harmonic way that blends beautifully. Take care, and keep blogging!
paula gentry :
Oh! So that is what is wrong with Bush! Thank-you for confirming that. But, Dr. Jones, by telling him that he will be able to make more excuses on why he keeps screwing up!
nicole ortmeier :
Friday, September 2nd, 2005
Dear Mr. Bush:
Any idea where all our helicopters are? It's Day 5 of Hurricane Katrina and thousands remain stranded in New Orleans and need to be airlifted. Where on earth could you have misplaced all our military choppers? Do you need help finding them? I once lost my car in a Sears parking lot. Man, was that a drag.
Also, any idea where all our national guard soldiers are? We could really use them right now for the type of thing they signed up to do like helping with national disasters. How come they weren't there to begin with?
Last Thursday I was in south Florida and sat outside while the eye of Hurricane Katrina passed over my head. It was only a Category 1 then but it was pretty nasty. Eleven people died and, as of today, there were still homes without power. That night the weatherman said this storm was on its way to New Orleans. That was Thursday! Did anybody tell you? I know you didn't want to interrupt your vacation and I know how you don't like to get bad news. Plus, you had fundraisers to go to and mothers of dead soldiers to ignore and smear. You sure showed her!
I especially like how, the day after the hurricane, instead of flying to Louisiana, you flew to San Diego to party with your business peeps. Don't let people criticize you for this — after all, the hurricane was over and what the heck could you do, put your finger in the dike?
And don't listen to those who, in the coming days, will reveal how you specifically reduced the Army Corps of Engineers' budget for New Orleans this summer for the third year in a row. You just tell them that even if you hadn't cut the money to fix those levees, there weren't going to be any Army engineers to fix them anyway because you had a much more important construction job for them — BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ!
On Day 3, when you finally left your vacation home, I have to say I was moved by how you had your Air Force One pilot descend from the clouds as you flew over New Orleans so you could catch a quick look of the disaster. Hey, I know you couldn't stop and grab a bullhorn and stand on some rubble and act like a commander in chief. Been there done that.
There will be those who will try to politicize this tragedy and try to use it against you. Just have your people keep pointing that out. Respond to nothing. Even those pesky scientists who predicted this would happen because the water in the Gulf of Mexico is getting hotter and hotter making a storm like this inevitable. Ignore them and all their global warming Chicken Littles. There is nothing unusual about a hurricane that was so wide it would be like having one F-4 tornado that stretched from New York to Cleveland.
No, Mr. Bush, you just stay the course. It's not your fault that 30 percent of New Orleans lives in poverty or that tens of thousands had no transportation to get out of town. C'mon, they're black! I mean, it's not like this happened to Kennebunkport. Can you imagine leaving white people on their roofs for five days? Don't make me laugh! Race has nothing — NOTHING — to do with this!
You hang in there, Mr. Bush. Just try to find a few of our Army helicopters and send them there. Pretend the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are near Tikrit.
Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
www.MichaelMoore.com
P.S. That annoying mother, Cindy Sheehan, is no longer at your ranch. She and dozens of other relatives of the Iraqi War dead are now driving across the country, stopping in many cities along the way. Maybe you can catch up with them before they get to DC on September 21st.
—
You are currently subscribed to Mike's Message as: lvnv7777@aol.com
To unsubscribe click on the link below:
http://go.netatlantic.com/u?id=37832818K&l=michaelmoore
9/3/2005
Martha Whitehouse :
Great observations! I'd like to believe that there is an actual organic cause for Bush's ineptitude, then there might be hope of actually treating his condition, much to the benefit of the entire world which suffers from his annoying behavior.
Travis Jones :
Is it possible to criticize the president without being called a "Bush Basher" … if only! But when I told a friend yesterday that Bush was responding too slow, she said, "support our president, blame the governor of Louisianna and the mayor of New Orleans."
Unfortunately, our system "works best" when our politicians polarize all the issues and limit our choices to A or B.
A. You're for Bush, you don't like black people, you excuse everything Bush does, you're a fundamentalist, rigid, uncompassionate person, etc.
OR
B. You're compassionate, you're against the war, Bush is an idiot who never does right, John Kerry would have done it better, etc.
I supported Bush's decision to go to Iraq, and I think he responded too slowly to Hurricane Katrina. How is this possible?
I don't support the war because of my political affiliation. I support it because I believe we have no clue how serious our fundamentalist Islamic enemies are and Iraq has been the most important hub for their actions. (Question: How do you deter and/or negotiate with suicide bombers? Answer: You don't.)
At the same time, I believe Bush blew it with his response to the Hurricane. (Unrealistic Question: If Jenna and Barbara Bush had been trapped in the New Orleans convention center, or an attic, or the Superdome … would we have gotten there any faster?) I also believe the governor of LA and the mayor of New Orleans blew it — Hey, let's send thousands of people to a shelter that has inadequate supplies!
In an earlier comment on this blog, Shane Brown said, "Your political leanings will dictate how you view the actions of any president." He's probably right … how sad.
9/4/2005
nicole :
Probably the keywords today are “in retrospect.” This disaster has been forecast for years and nothing was done. There were 2 or 3 days before the storm made landfall for emergency actions to be put into place and it appears that beyond the evacuation order, little was done.
Why weren’t water and Ready to Eat meals delivered by helicopter to the Superdome and the Convention Center immediately? How would you fare without water for 4 or 5 days? No food maybe, but water?
Here are a couple articles sent by some friends that foretell of this disaster. The article from “Popular Mechanics” was written in 2001. The second, very insightful article was published in the October, 2004 edition of “National Geographic.” It is eerie how close it describes the events we have seen this last week.
Popular Mechanics, Sept 2001: http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/1282151.html
Email about Oct, 2004 article in National Geographic:
I had heard the other night about a story in National Geographic from last year
that suggested a hurricane strike to New Orleans was one of the most feared
catastrophes we as a nation could face. I went snooping around my stack, and
found it. It is in the October, 2004, issue, and the most amazing foresight is
found in a story by Joel Bourne, on page 92. I clipped from the on-line version
and pasted it below. Remember, this was printed 10 months ago. I only hope
he overestimated how many people died.
Lord, have mercy.
"It was a broiling August afternoon in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Big Easy, the
City That Care Forgot. Those who ventured outside moved as if they were swimming
in tupelo honey. Those inside paid silent homage to the man who invented
air-conditioning as they watched TV "storm teams" warn of a hurricane in the
Gulf of Mexico. Nothing surprising there: Hurricanes in August are as much a
part of life in this town as hangovers on Ash Wednesday.
But the next day the storm gathered steam and drew a bead on the city. As the
whirling maelstrom approached the coast, more than a million people evacuated
to higher ground. Some 200,000 remained, however–the car-less, the homeless,
the aged and infirm, and those diehard New Orleanians who look for any excuse
to throw a party.
The storm hit Breton Sound with the fury of a nuclear warhead, pushing a deadly
storm surge into Lake Pontchartrain. The water crept to the top of the massive
berm that holds back the lake and then spilled over. Nearly 80 percent of New
Orleans lies below sea level–more than eight feet below in places–so the
water poured in. A liquid brown wall washed over the brick ranch homes of
Gentilly, over the clapboard houses of the Ninth Ward, over the white-columned
porches of the Garden District, until it raced through the bars and strip joints on
Bourbon Street like the pale rider of the Apocalypse. As it reached 25 feet over
parts of the city, people climbed onto roofs to escape it.
Thousands drowned in the murky brew that was soon contaminated by sewage and
industrial waste. Thousands more who survived the flood later perished from
dehydration and disease as they waited to be rescued. It took two months to
pump the city dry, and by then the Big Easy was buried under a blanket of
putrid sediment, a million people were homeless, and 50,000 were dead. It
was the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States.
When did this calamity happen? It hasn't —- yet. But the doomsday scenario is not
farfetched. The Federal Emergency Management Agency lists a hurricane strike
on New Orleans as one of the most dire threats to the nation, up there with a
large earthquake in California or a terrorist attack on New York City."
9/6/2005
Christy :
You know what….I really feel sorry for Bush! The people on the Gulf Coast were warned about this ahead of time and were told to evacuate. Unfortunately the ones who either opted to stay "to take their chances" are now seeing that they should have listened! I know that the majority of the people that stayed on to "ride it out" were poverty stricken, disabled or elderly and probably didn't have a way to leave….but who's fault is that? I personally blame the local governments of LA, MS and AL. I am really disgusted with the Louisiana government because of those levees that should have been fixed years ago! It was to only be able to hold a Category 3 and even at that it was in desperate need of repairs! I don't hear too many people blaming the local govt!!
There was one person who wrote on that "blog" that said that people are ticked off at Bush anyway because of Iraq so whatever comes our way whether it be this disaster or some other major catastrophe, it is all going to be blamed on Bush! Well, I am sick and tired of it! This is an unprecedented situation. Something this extreme has never happened before! Yeah, we have hurricanes in Florida and in other areas….but nothing like this that completely wipes out numerous cities (especially cities that provide the majority of the local economy). I can't see how any other flippin' President could do any better! Look at the Attacks on 9-11…that was an unprecedented occurrence…..we as a country have never dealt with something like that before….but you know who stepped up to the plate?….who took their city back before it could go into anarchy? It was Rudy Guiliani…..the local government! It all starts with the local government. The state of Louisiana should have stepped up first hand to prevent the atrocities that happened in that convention center and the looting etc….. Bush is one man!! The President has to rely on the local government in situations like this. It seems like everybody has to blame somebody….. he is just the easiest target! I am not saying that he is perfect….I am sure there were a lot of mistakes that were made here, but again, this is an UNPRECEDENTED SITUATION!!!! I don't think there is one single solitary person who could have done any better!! This poor man has been dealt disaster after disaster all through his presidency…… what did Clinton go through????? He had time to get blow jobs in the Oval Office!! Give me a freakin' break! I'll take Bush any ole day!
I am a Bush Supporter through and through….. yes, I value a person with moral values….. with strong Christian beliefs! God will have His Hand on President Bush and on the people affected by this devastation. Everybody needs to just shut up and put their energy towards helping these people.
jim :
zzz
Jon :
I dont think the actions (or inactions) that occurred in the 1st 3 days of Katrina are going to affect what will last probably 300 days. I also add this blurb from Mr. Bob Williams is president of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, a free market public policy research organization in Olympia, Wash.
"The primary responsibility for dealing with emergencies does not belong to the federal government. It belongs to local and state officials who are charged by law with the management of the crucial first response to disasters. First response should be carried out by local and state emergency personnel under the supervision of the state governor and his/her emergency operations center.
The actions and inactions of Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin are a national disgrace due to their failure to implement the previously established evacuation plans of the state and city. Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin cannot claim that they were surprised by the extent of the damage and the need to evacuate so many people. Detailed written plans were already in place to evacuate more than a million people. The plans projected that 300,000 people would need transportation in the event of a hurricane like Katrina. If the plans had been implemented, thousands of lives would likely have been saved."
9/7/2005
Ali Jones :
Dad, You never cease to live up to one of my favorite inherited traits… TELL IT LIKE IT IS! How unfortunate that our president is such an incompetent loser. I don't know about everyone else, but as soon as I graduate I'm getting the hell out of dodge. Ralph Nader would have been a better president that Bush on his best day. - Ali
Ed B. Hanna M.D. :
I find it interesting that approximately 90% of all stimulants are prescribed in the USA. Are the British, Canadians, Russians, Australians, Germans, French, Japanese etc. just STUPID or is ADD not a problem in their country?
9/11/2005
nicole ortmeier :
I think Dr. Jones should address question #21. I'd like to start a discussion on that issue. But
for now, I have more on the "sink or swim" issue
we've been talking about:I really don't like this man, but he certainly makes some good points here!
Subject: A Letter to All Who Voted for George W. Bush from Michael Moore
To All My Fellow Americans Who Voted for George W. Bush:
On this, the fourth anniversary of 9/11, I'm just curious, how does it feel?
How does it feel to know that the man you elected to lead us after we were attacked went ahead and put a guy in charge of FEMA whose main qualification was that he ran horse shows?
That's right. Horse shows.
I really want to know — and I ask you this in all sincerity and with all due respect — how do you feel about the utter contempt Mr. Bush has shown for your safety? C'mon, give me just a moment of honesty. Don't start ranting on about how this disaster in New Orleans was the fault of one of the poorest cities in America. Put aside your hatred of Democrats and liberals and anyone with the last name of Clinton. Just look me in the eye and tell me our President did the right thing after 9/11 by naming a horse show runner as the top man to protect us in case of an emergency or catastrophe.
I want you to put aside your self-affixed label of Republican/conservative/born-again/capitalist/ditto-head/right-winger and just talk to me as an American, on the common ground we both call America.
Are we safer now than before 9/11? When you learn that behind the horse show runner, the #2 and #3 men in charge of emergency preparedness have zero experience in emergency preparedness, do you think we are safer?
When you look at Michael Chertoff, the head of Homeland Security, a man with little experience in national security, do you feel secure?
When men who never served in the military and have never seen young men die in battle send our young people off to war, do you think they know how to conduct a war? Do they know what it means to have your legs blown off for a threat that was never there?
Do you really believe that turning over important government services to private corporations has resulted in better services for the people?
Why do you hate our federal government so much? You have voted for politicians for the past 25 years whose main goal has been to de-fund the federal government. Do you think that cutting federal programs like FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers has been good or bad for America? GOOD OR BAD?
With the nation's debt at an all-time high, do you think tax cuts for the rich are still a good idea? Will you give yours back so hundreds of thousands of homeless in New Orleans can have a home?
Do you believe in Jesus? Really? Didn't he say that we would be judged by how we treat the least among us? Hurricane Katrina came in and blew off the facade that we were a nation with liberty and justice for all. The wind howled and the water rose and what was revealed was that the poor in America shall be left to suffer and die while the President of the United States fiddles and tells them to eat cake.
That's not a joke. The day the hurricane hit and the levees broke, Mr. Bush, John McCain and their rich pals were stuffing themselves with cake. A full day after the levees broke (the same levees whose repair funding he had cut), Mr. Bush was playing a guitar some country singer gave him. All this while New Orleans sank under water.
It would take ANOTHER day before the President would do a flyover in his jumbo jet, peeking out the widow at the misery 2500 feet below him as he flew back to his second home in DC. It would then be TWO MORE DAYS before a trickle of federal aid and troops would arrive. This was no seven minutes in a sitting trance while children read "My Pet Goat" to him. This was FOUR DAYS of doing nothing other than saying "Brownie (FEMA director Michael Brown), you're doing a heck of a job!"
My Republican friends, does it bother you that we are the laughing stock of the world?
And on this sacred day of remembrance, do you think we honor or shame those who died on 9/11/01? If we learned nothing and find ourselves today every bit as vulnerable and unprepared as we were on that bright sunny morning, then did the 3,000 die in vain?
Our vulnerability is not just about dealing with terrorists or natural disasters. We are vulnerable and unsafe because we allow one in eight Americans to live in horrible poverty. We accept an education system where one in six children never graduate and most of those who do can't string a coherent sentence together. The middle class can't pay the mortgage or the hospital bills and 45 million have no health coverage whatsoever.
Are we safe? Do you really feel safe? You can only move so far out and build so many gated communities before the fruit of what you've sown will be crashing through your walls and demanding retribution. Do you really want to wait until that happens? Or is it your hope that if they are left alone long enough to soil themselves and shoot themselves and drown in the filth that fills the street that maybe the problem will somehow go away?
I know you know better. You gave the country and the world a man who wasn't up for the job and all he does is hire people who aren't up for the job. You did this to us, to the world, to the people of New Orleans. Please fix it. Bush is yours. And you know, for our peace and safety and security, this has to be fixed. What do you propose?
I have an idea, and it isn't a horse show.
Yours,
Michael Moore
www.michaelmoore.com
mmflint@aol.com
—
You are currently subscribed to Mike's Message as: lvnv7777@aol.com
To unsubscribe click on the link below:
http://go.netatlantic.com/u?id=37832818K&l=michaelmoore
9/12/2005
Eyes for Lies :
President Bush does not feel sympathy or empathy.
He also doesn't believe in many things he promotoes. I am a firm believer he DOES NOT believe in GOD. He puts on a show for his platform — to keep and get the vote.
He is a sad person to watch.
9/13/2005
Danyeil Puchtler :
You Get what you give. Karma will prevail. As for every thing else we just need to do what we feel is right in our self to take control and do what is honestly Right. Not for power or money but what is good for the people.