Reaping the whirlwind - heraldblog

Reaping the whirlwind

Our friend Rev. Marion "Pat" Robertson is back in the news. His friends at FEMA are directing potential Katrina-relief donors to Robertson's shell organization "Operation Blessing":
FEMA has released to the media and on its Web site a list of suggested charities to help the storm’s hundreds of thousands of victims. The Red Cross is first on the list.

The Rev. Pat Robertson’s “Operation Blessing” is next on the list.

Robertson’s shell organizations have already collected more than $25 million from the federal government under various “faith based” federal-handout programs. And with millions of distraught citizens looking to FEMA for help in finding reputable organizations to help Katrina survivors, Robertson stands to profit magnificently from the horror that has fallen on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
Robertson and hurricanes go back a long ways. About 20 years ago, he prayed on the 700 Club for God to divert a hurricane from America's east coast. Naturally, when the hurricane turned away at the last moment, he took credit for sparing South Carolina.

Had this been an actual emergency

Madison econo-blogger Marginal Utility makes a point so blaringly obvious I can't believe no one on the left, right, or in between is talking about it:
...had (Katrina) been an actual post-9/11 emergency, the administration would have had a hard time even managing to look resolute amidst the rubble, let alone passing muster in a strict counterfactualist evaluation. Which is reason #MCCXVIII why people who don't particularly care for Bush policies but go along on account of national security concerns should wake up and smell the frickin' coffee!
Katrina was identified as a category five hurricane headed for the Gulf Coast at least 36 hours before it made landfall in Louisiana. Terrorists don't give that kind of warning.

How did we end up with a Bozo like George W. Bush as President?

Soundtrack for the apocalypse

If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break
And the water gonna come in, have no place to stay

Well all last night I sat on the levee and moan
Thinkin' 'bout my baby and my happy home

If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break
And all these people have no place to stay

Now look here mama what am I to do
I ain't got nobody to tell my troubles to

I works on the levee mama both night and day
I ain't got nobody, keep the water away

Oh cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do no good
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to lose

I works on the levee, mama both night and day
I works so hard, to keep the water away

I had a woman, she wouldn't do for me
I'm goin' back to my used to be

I's a mean old levee, cause me to weep and moan
Gonna leave my baby, and my happy home

* by Kansas Joe McCoy and famously covered by Led Zeppelin.

- Via Digby

Verbs in action

White people find. Black people loot.

Yahoo explains it all.

h/t Francesca

2.9.05 03:52

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To date 2 Comment(s) TrackBack-URL

john @ blogenlust / Website (2.9.05 17:21)
I've seen some people wonder what it would have been like if it were a dirty bomb attack. Even that isn't very accurate, as you point out.
Imagine this was a dirty bomb attack when we knew three days ahead of time that a dirty bomb would explode in a particular region.
Incompetence abounds.

(2.9.05 18:17)
Three days! That's barely enough time for Pat Robertson to write a decent hurricane prayer!