Eternal Vigilance
Contained in Bush's speech from the French Quarter last night (9/15/05) is this:
If these statements were made by a different administration, one not controlled by the neo-cons, I would be less concerned about them. But, this administration's track record is not known for its transparency, its diplomacy, or its concern for life.
It has shown itself to be a liar going to war with a country that had nothing to do with 9/11. In going to war it sent its soldiers without sufficient number or proper armor. It allowed or was complicit with what happened at Abu Ghraib. And now, it has left its own people to starve and die in New Orleans.
Our federal legislators have no better record by letting this administration go to war in Iraq, passing the Patriot Act, and doing all it can to ensure that the wealth of the nation goes to only a few people who couldn't care less that New Orleans' levies were breached from lack of funding.
Given the way we went to war with Iraq, the lack of armor for its soldiers, the kind of stories to come out of Abu Ghraib, the massive killing of innocents and the flattening of Najaf, and now New Orleans after Katrina added together with the kind of secrecy this administration likes to practice, I am far less inclined to believe anything noble about Bush's statements expanding federal authority in the states and broadening the role of the Armed Forces within the country.
I'm not the only with these thoughts. See this and this at DailyKos and this by Stan Goff. Be vigilant. Be very vigilant.
Yet the system at every level of government, was not well coordinated and was overwhelmed in the first few days. It is now clear that a challenge on this scale requires greater federal authority and a broader role for the armed forces -- the institution of our government most capable of massive logistical operations on a moment's notice.
[snip]
So I have ordered every Cabinet secretary to participate in a comprehensive review of the government response to the hurricane. This government will learn the lessons of Hurricane Katrina. We are going to review every action and make necessary changes so that we are better prepared for any challenge of nature, or act of evil men that could threaten our people.
If these statements were made by a different administration, one not controlled by the neo-cons, I would be less concerned about them. But, this administration's track record is not known for its transparency, its diplomacy, or its concern for life.
It has shown itself to be a liar going to war with a country that had nothing to do with 9/11. In going to war it sent its soldiers without sufficient number or proper armor. It allowed or was complicit with what happened at Abu Ghraib. And now, it has left its own people to starve and die in New Orleans.
Our federal legislators have no better record by letting this administration go to war in Iraq, passing the Patriot Act, and doing all it can to ensure that the wealth of the nation goes to only a few people who couldn't care less that New Orleans' levies were breached from lack of funding.
Given the way we went to war with Iraq, the lack of armor for its soldiers, the kind of stories to come out of Abu Ghraib, the massive killing of innocents and the flattening of Najaf, and now New Orleans after Katrina added together with the kind of secrecy this administration likes to practice, I am far less inclined to believe anything noble about Bush's statements expanding federal authority in the states and broadening the role of the Armed Forces within the country.
I'm not the only with these thoughts. See this and this at DailyKos and this by Stan Goff. Be vigilant. Be very vigilant.
posted by NeoLotus at 2:47 PM
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