Katrina

Katrina is a natural disaster beyond the likes of which we have seen in this country for along, long time. It has reduced a great city to a lake and thrown several states into third-world condiitions.

Relief efforts have been stymied by a lack of rescue personnel (caused in part by the number of them serving in Iraq), equipment (the same), general chaos at the disaster site, and widespread apathy at the top.

This didn't have to happen. People in new orleans and Louisiana new that the levees were vulnerable and needed reinforcing. But Bush slahed their budget to free up money for Iraq and Homeland Security. I think preventing your cities from being submerged in water counts as homeland security, but what do I know?

To fill the void, many groups have sprung into action. but are still in desperate need of assistance. Visit Smiling Neocon's blog for a list of major organizations helping with the cause.

By far the boldest response to the disaster came from Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, still fresh in the public eye after Pat robertson's now-infamous call for his assassination. Since that incident, Chavez had been increasing his efforts to get good PR in America, first by offering discounted heating oil and eye operations to America's economically disadvantaged. Now, he has pledged $1 million as well as food, fuel, and aid workers to help the hurricane victims. "It's a terrible tragedy that our North American brothers are living through," Chavez said. "We have a battalion from our Simon Bolivar humanitarian team ready in case they authorize it for us to go there, if they give us the green light." Thus far, the U.S. has not accepted any Venezuelan aid, dismissing such unsolicited offers as 'counterproductive.'

Whatever you think about the man, he has chutzpah to spare.

In my opinion, this hurricane is worse than 9/11. There is more devestation, more chaos, and more harm to our economy. The price of gas has been surging, and there's no telling when it will abate, or what the U.S. might do to bring the price down.

It lays bare how this government views its citizens, leaving thousands trapped in the sweltering heat without food or clean water while Bush stays on vacation, only returning to the White House after the negative publicity became untenable. If anyone thinks the government's indifference and the fact that New Orleans has a 28% poverty rate are unconnected, I don't buy it. The middle and upper classes were evacuated at the start; the poor were left behind. The people of Louisiana and Mississippi won't forget this, and I hope we won't fogret them.

UPDATE: The U.S. has agreed to accept Venezuela's offer of aid. I guess sanity wins out over pride eventually.