As we used to say at a now-defunct high tech company where the internal information systems were - shall we say - primitive, "real men don't plan, real men just do it".
Bush et al either think that a category 5 hurricane doesn't really need planning or that the response that you can conjure up after the fact will be OK. In any case, that's not why he's president. He's president so that he can wage unprovoked wars. As Steve says, blowing things up is a lot easier.
Posted by JB (not John Bolton) at September 12, 2005 11:41 AMthe big question is: do they "drop" the ball on purpose or by negligence. In other words, would they have "caught" the ball if they had really wanted to.
Posted by T2 at September 12, 2005 12:00 PMT2, that is what I have been wondering. This was a big political fiasco. What is Rove planning? What is the endgame?
I hope that Newsweek article doesn't have any info from any "anonymous senior WH aides" in it.
Posted by ann at September 12, 2005 12:04 PM"Fix it."
Another milestone by the C+, MBA-run administration. Criminally Negligent.
Failure to exercise the degree of care considered reasonable under the circumstances, resulting in an unintended injury to another party.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Reprinted on Dictonary.com
Just read that the incompetent chief of FEMA, Michael Brown, has resigned.
Jonathan
Posted by at September 12, 2005 12:12 PMYou can't look at the 8/6 PBD in a vacuum either.
In late July 2001 Bush was in Genoa Italy for a G8 conference. There were anti-aircraft guns around the city and Bush retreated to a US warship at night rather than sleep in the city, because of intelligence that bin Laden might be planning to crash an airplane into the building where the meeting was being held. This is two short weeks before the infamous PDB.
Now, doesn't that put the warnings about bin Laden being determined to strike inside the US and the possible use of hijackings into a very different light? If someone possessed even the smallest amount of intellectual curiosity, wouldn't that raise a red flag?
Posted by Kilgore Trout at September 12, 2005 12:22 PMHe was recalled to Washington to clean out his desk. Bush woul dnever fire anyone (he sees that as being disloyal.) Brown was 'allowed' to resign and become the fall guy for the incompetence and ineptitude. It was all Brown's fault...although the administration won't say that because then they would have to admit they appointed someone that couldn't do the job. Then they would have to answer the questions 1)why was Brown appointed if he couldn't do the job? and 2)what other incompetents have been appointed? which
Posted by the professor at September 12, 2005 12:22 PMI think that Times' piece this weekend might have some answers to what went wrong (spinwise) after Katrina. It answers the question: where was Rove when Bush was sauntering around the country eating cake and playing guitar while New Orleans was drowning? Why didn't someone realize what a terrible political statement that made?
And as if the West Wing were suddenly snakebit, his franchise player, senior adviser and deputy chief of staff, Karl Rove, was on the disabled list for part of last week, working from home after being briefly hospitalized with painful kidney stones.
Posted by Mary at September 12, 2005 12:28 PMThe bad news on this early morning, ... was that the president would have to cut short his five-week vacation by a couple of days and return to Washington.
5
week
vacation
in the first few days, Bush was given nothing but good news and statistics about how things were going. He still wasn’t watching the news to see what was actually happening
Because he's a petulant, spoiled, unfeeling, and mostly IMMATURE child, nobody would tell mr action figure the truth of what was happening. So now we know why he did nothing. Didn't know he needed too. But later he felt bad, or at least as bad as a sociopath can feel.
Now we know why the Feds, given that the Gov and Mayor were begging for help, given that the State and City had already conceded that they couldn't handle the situation, given that the Feds had the authority to do what needed to do, did nothing while people died.
Because the cowardly and sychophantic White House personnel didn't want to bother dear leader codpiece.
Reminds me of another dear leader, when his empire fortress was challenged by an invasion from the West. They had their orders, do not disturb the Father while he slept. Until the critical phase of the invasion was past and the forces of the West could no longer be dislodged was he told, after he woke from his twisted sleep.
Posted by Duckman GR at September 12, 2005 12:31 PM
What is Rove planning? What is the endgame?
There is no endgame. bushco is simply rule by chaos, fear and intimidation. And while the media and peasants are cowed, they loot the national treasury.
I've worked in companies where the same management tactic is used. A unit manager will set group managers against each other to purposely create an environment of chaos and paranoia. Consequently, the unit manager is looked upon to make the final decisions and therefore retains power.
bushco rule will continue until we rise up and throw them out. Even then, and as bush continues to drop in polls, I anticipate a preemptive nuclear strike in Iran or Syria to perpetuate the chaos (John Bolton is laying the groundwork). bushco will probably gin up some political act and blame Syria because they're weaker than Iran.
Posted by Jim Faith at September 12, 2005 12:31 PMI hope they were especially large and jagged kidney stones.
Posted by Duckman GR at September 12, 2005 12:37 PMIt used to be, if you covered up one side of Bush's face, the other showed fear; then, when you covered up the other side, the visible side showed anger. Now, whichever side you cover up, the remaining one shows fear.
Posted by Raenelle at September 12, 2005 12:47 PMAnn, I suppose what I was thinking is, does the BushCo see stuff coming, make a political calculation based on the potential damage(lives, material) versus the potential political windfall for them; and then choose the course of action they think has the most political upside. Or do they just purely blow it, time after time? So, raw politics vs. raw incompetence. That is our choice with George W. Bush.
Posted by T2 at September 12, 2005 12:52 PMNicely done on this post.
Thanks for putting it all together.
Posted by Tug at September 12, 2005 01:00 PM"The reality, say several aides who did not wish to be quoted because it might displease the president, did not really sink in until Thursday night."
"several aides"?
In the most message disciplined White House ever, where the MSM constantly cries that the only information they ever get is the "official" comment, "several aides" rushed to tell Newsweek that the bumbling illiterate president had no concept of what was going on?
These aides where obviously busy flushing Korans down the west wing toilets prior to telling Bush that Katrina was more than a heavy shower.
Do they revoke the bullshit detectors of liberals at the front door?
As far as the Brown resignation, chaulk one up for the liberal MSM lynch mob. A disgusting display of ignorance and selective reporting, coupled with a need to follow the crowd to a conclusion that was set before even the most basic of facts was confirmed.
Have you no shame?
Posted by j.west at September 12, 2005 01:07 PMT2, I tend to think it's a cost benefit analysis, too. Bush isn't the brightest knob on the tree, but his handlers usually are fairly intelligent.
I have to wonder if this is their effort to show that government isn't the answer.
But Jim Faith is probably right as well:
There is no endgame. bushco is simply rule by chaos, fear and intimidation. And while the media and peasants are cowed, they loot the national treasury.
Posted by ann at September 12, 2005 01:07 PMAnn, well *their* government certainly is not the answer.
Posted by T2 at September 12, 2005 01:10 PMA disgusting display of ignorance and selective reporting, coupled with a need to follow the crowd to a conclusion that was set before even the most basic of facts was confirmed.
Sort of like the collective hard-on that the MSM got at the idea of being embedded with the troops for the fun filled invasion of Iraq. No stomach for really looking at the facts when there is the chance to put on helmets and kevlar vests!
Posted by snark at September 12, 2005 01:12 PMBush isn't the brightest knob on the tree...
HeHe.
Where's that expression come from?
Posted by snark at September 12, 2005 01:15 PMPlease point out that not only do people die but with Katrina nearly 1/2 million of our fellow citizens have been displaced.
Posted by nlacey at September 12, 2005 01:18 PMObviously the opposite must be true because j. west wants it to be.
Posted by at September 12, 2005 01:18 PMWhere's that expression come from?
Heck if I know snark. I knew it was wrong but could not remember the correct phrase. LOL. I've been doing that for twenty years at least.
Posted by ann at September 12, 2005 05:17 PMThis is getting silly. There is way too much focus from the Dems and left leaners on the response to the levy breaks. This is allowing the media to ignore the most important and outragous wrong BushCo did to NOLA. In 2003 they took money from levy reconstruction and spent it in Iraq.
Posted by The Truth at September 12, 2005 05:18 PMAs far as the Brown resignation, chaulk one up for the liberal MSM lynch mob. A disgusting display of ignorance and selective reporting, coupled with a need to follow the crowd to a conclusion that was set before even the most basic of facts was confirmed.
j.west, you can't be defending Brownie. Come on, if you're going to hire a political hack, don't make him the director of disaster management when he has no experience in the field. He used to judge horse shows. Pray tell, how that has given him expertise to run a federal agency charged with protecting the American public when disaster strikes?
Posted by ann at September 12, 2005 05:20 PM"I suppose what I was thinking is, does the BushCo see stuff coming, make a political calculation based on the potential damage(lives, material) versus the potential political windfall for them."
T2, that's how I view there inaction prior to 9/11. Bush let it happen, knowing that this would be his excuse to execute his planned invasion of Iraq. If they were not directly involved (which remains to be seen), it had to be like manna from heaven for Bush&Co.
What I cannot imagine is a pResident who never reads or watches TV. No wonder he doesn't know what the fcuk is going on in this Country.
Posted by Judith at September 12, 2005 06:00 PMann, I figure after reading jwest's posts s/he has to be a paid rnc operative or one who only watches Fox news all day while simultaneously listening to Limbaugh. How else would that explain him/her being so intentionally irrational and deliberately ignorant.
Point in case, Even Junior didn't balk at Heckuvajob Brownie's resignation, yet jwest does.
Posted by emal at September 12, 2005 06:00 PMI vote paid RNC operative. Nobody could be that stupid.
Posted by Judith at September 12, 2005 06:07 PM.....with a need to follow the crowd to a conclusion that was set before even the most basic of facts was (were) confirmed...smell the fumes moron boy...it took the horse walker two days before he figured out that people in the Convention Centre were stranded...it's EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT you fucking idiot...we're not talking about missing a volleyball game at the country club...this guy should be jailed for negligence causing death....what kind of a simpleton can stand up for this guy???
Posted by Goyo at September 12, 2005 06:14 PMthat's how I view there inaction prior to 9/11. Bush let it happen
I am with you on that one...that has been my belief ever since that beautiful September morning. And with Katrina....well, he needed another 9/11...things weren't going so well...just like 9/11, he probably didn't think it would be that bad.
Posted by ann at September 12, 2005 06:14 PM"he probably didn't think it would be that bad."
That's the problem Ann, he never thinks, except in terms of political advantage. He sure screwed up this time in a big way didn't he?
Posted by Judith at September 12, 2005 06:47 PMI just had a thought. Just prior to Katrina, remember Cindy Sheehan and the War was front and center. Deduct what you want from that.
Posted by Judith at September 12, 2005 07:18 PMA call for impeachment:
"Yes, it is possible that as a result of the media’s evaluation of how Bush dealt with Katrina, it will no longer be taboo to speculate that we were hit on 9/11 due to Mr. Bush’s failings as a CEO, his negligence in carrying out the duties of Commander in Chief, his disinterest in the news and dissent, and the willingness of his staff to perpetuate all of this.""
Posted by NealB at September 12, 2005 07:41 PM"I hope they were especially large and jagged kidney stones."
-- Duckman GR
Ah, Duckman, don't get too hateful, or else you'll become like the rightwingnuts. Besides, with any luck, Rove will be indicted soon anyway.
I myself have felt a visceral anger since the rent-a-mob sent to Florida in November 2000 to stop vote-counting, but even now, I wouldn't want to see Bush tortured. (I would like to see him locked up at Guantanamo for a while, feeling that that would be a just and fitting punishment).
Posted by Herman at September 12, 2005 08:27 PMAnyone who looked objectively at 911 AT THE TIME saw all of this. Unfortunately most Americans couldn't, wouldn't, or weren't allowed to look at 911 objectively. Now that those blinders are falling off, some of those on the Right (the ones who are at least intelligent enough to read road signs) must be feeling a bit stupid right about now.
Posted by paul at September 12, 2005 09:21 PMIn that picture of Bush he has the same dumb look on his face that he had in the school class.
Posted by Judith at September 12, 2005 10:52 PMNealB, you are so right. Now only if the Democrats would become the loyal opposition party and connect the dots for Americans.
Posted by Judith at September 12, 2005 10:56 PMAnderson Cooper, of Anderson Cooper 360, told Charlie Rose tonight that the people of NO are angry when Bush says "now is not the right time to point fingers." They want to know just when is the right time, because they want to be there. Sounds like the families of 9/11, who also wanted answers to their questions.
Bush has failed to plan for Iraq, failed to plan for Katrina, failed to forsee the 9/11 attack, failed to address domestic problems, and he still sits in the WH. Unfcuking believable! George doesn't seem to plan for anything.
Starting Friday, a day proclaimed as a day of prayer for the victims of Katrina, Bush will begin the process of rebuilding his image. Stay tuned.
Posted by Judith at September 12, 2005 11:29 PMFrom Huffingtonpost.com:
“In order to escape the accountability for his crimes, the perpetrator does everything in his power to promote forgetting. Secrecy and silence are the perpetrators first line of defense. If secrecy fails, the perpetrator attacks the credibility of his victim. If he cannot silence her absolutely, he tries to make sure that no one listens. To this end he marshals an impressive array of arguments, from the most blatant denial to the most sophisticated and elegant rationalization. After every atrocity one can expect to hear the same predictable apologies: it never happened; the victim lies; the victim exaggerates; the victim brought it upon her [him] self; and in any case it is time to forget the past and move on. The more powerful the perpetrator, the greater is his prerogative to name and define reality, and the more completely his arguments prevail.”
“To hold traumatic reality in consciousness requires a social context that affirms and protects the victim and joins the victim and witness in a common alliance. For the individual victim the social context is created by relationships with friends, lovers, and family. For the larger society, the social context is created by political movements that give voice to the disempowered.”
“In the absence of strong political movements for human rights, the active process of bearing witness inevitably gives way to the active process of forgetting.”
... Let's not forget. Or be silent.
Posted by Judith at September 13, 2005 12:06 AMOver at Huffington Post, they are asking the question of whether or not Bush and Cheney have had a falling out, or Cheney and Rove. They also question why our pResident and vice-pResident would be on vacation at the same time. They also want to know just where Dick was during Katrina. For a man who was always first to speak (after giving Bush his directives), he has been strangly silent.
Posted by Judith at September 13, 2005 12:17 AMPicture caption: "WTF, Brownie resigned? Why didn't Cheney tell me?"
Posted by Judith at September 13, 2005 09:49 AM