Its gonna be alot harder to ignore and under-serve the people of San Diego and LA in this deal than it was to screw the people of New Orleans, but it sure sent a shiver down my spine to see Skeletor Chertoff on TV today, mouthing the disaster talking points, just as Brownie did once before....
yeah, its chilling...and not even in as much as the search, rescue, and help can even start because the thing remains out of control...half a million people are currently displaced, and I expect that number to grow exponentially as the days go on. There is no way to fight this fire except to hope that the winds don't come back as strong as they have been and to keep on fighting. Its definitely not under control.
According to 1010 WINS in New York City, some big stadium is offering gourmet food and massages. Who knows if that's true, but they are definitely being very careful to keep the people as comfortable as possible and to have Chertoff right on the scene to report the exact number of cots that they've got. Of course these people are a slightly different hue and class than the majority of the people who were housed and then shipped off from in and around NOLA.
It turns out that , tragically, many of the neediest people wont go to the stadium and shelters, because they are illegal and living in the hills. The fact that immigration raids in San Diego were suspended when the fires broke out aren't likely to make many of the illegal people ask for or accept help, considering how rabidly illegals are under fire in the area. So far only around 50 illegals have "turned themselves in" due to the fires. With thousands living in the area, this is what could be the big humanitarian toll in this thing.
As the fires spread into Mexico there is also a question about the conditions there and if the workers on farms will even be allowed to evacuate. I'm looking for this to be the big story in this thing...and I only hope that it brings to light the real plight of the illegal immigrants who are searching for a better life and will risk everything for a chance to be productive Americans and try to help their families back home. Im not in a place right now to discuss how globalism and outsourcing has hurt local economies even as they helped in some other ways, but having the local balance upset in favor of large American corporations, as opposed to foreign aid to help with a country's development, surely has not done much for the people.
...And like clockwork, Bush's people said that it was "premature" yesterday for the man to visit the area....are they crazy? I know he doesnt give a shit anymore abotu what anyone out here thinks, but as far as his legacy goes, I would think that he would want to strap on a parachute and jump! This is the worst fire ever out there, and its destroying, not only some of the most beautiful and important parts of our country, but many, many houses and lives. I can only imagine what its going to be like when this is all over.....
Rule of thumb for the White House: By the time that Schwarzenegger and his crew have been over to the stadium...by the time that the networks are on their way and Charlie Gibson is on the ground delivering talking points from the embers, its too late!
I can imagine that they're eventually gonna send Bushy in his cowboy boots and jeans to talk about the finer points of clearing brush....Because its all about clearing brush.
My father is just north of LA, but he still has a house down there that he rents out...its all probably safe in that area because its an upper class area...but he said that the air is so bad that its sickening to even go out in it. The place where he lives now is pretty fancy and the big move there has been to cut back all the dry brush from anywhere there are houses, and in recent years communities plan brush cuts so as to prevent big fires. I don't know if anything like that works, but clearly, you can't cut all the brush from everywhere. You also cant make it rain...maybe locusts and frogs, but apparently god has no water for the west.
The drought out west is another tragic example of how fast climate change is effecting us. What was previously something that might effect our children's children, seems to be speeding up, as if its gaining speed as it rolls downhill. We had been pleasantly surprised at how quickly the ozone hole repaired itself and how quickly the Clinton-Gore administration was able to begin to get a handle on emissions from trucks and plants...the levels of deadly, environment damaging poisons were reduced significantly, before the Bush-Cheney administration came in and canceled all of the programs and pending lawsuits...just like that. This was done in favor of big business, just like almost everything they do. How quickly things returned to where they were and got worse, is illustrative of just how bad this administration has been as a steward of this country's health and in keeping America's part up as a part of the world community.
Meantime....I feel like Im Dorothy in Oz and the shiny bubble is floating down..."Heres someone who can help you!" Who has moved up to #4 in the Democratic presidential race?...who is that man?...and is it wholly possible that a brilliant clown can sweep in and become our candidate for president?...well, we know that a chimp could do better than Bush/Cheney...so, take it as you will.
Ok, so the Sunday Tim Russert Interview wasn't all that great, but put him with Jon Stewart and you've got a little slice of magic. The really funny thing is that I already had the bumper sticker and the buttons from last year....As Colbert says, all I've got to do is to cut off Stewart's name...
C/P RIPCoco
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