Back on 9/11/01 we had a huge wake up call in this country. I witnessed it first hand here in the NYC area as the state I grew up in and love was attacked and thousands perished. It was a huge wake up call for this country as we realized we weren't "safe" or untouchable here on American soil as many thought we were. Since 9/11/01 the country has taken steps to make us a bit safer, but we still have a long way to go.
This week's hurricane really made me think about many things. This tragic event needs to be a wake up call in many areas for this country and I hope we learn and do the right thing in its aftermath. Here are some of the lessons I hope we learn and that the American people take to the streets and DEMAND be changed.
We Need To Wake Up Now......
1) We need to come up with an energy strategy NOW. Not 10 years from now, not 20 years from now, but NOW. Our national security is at risk and our foreign policy is dictated by the dependency on oil, I am so tired of it. We have the technology to eliminate this dependency on oil, yet politicians on BOTH sides of the aisle do what's best for thier economic interest, not what's in the best interest for the country. We all need to demand change. How much more do we have to pay, how many more of our citizens and soldiers have to die because of our fucked up energy policies? Now we have a hurricane and we all get fucked in the ass once again. i am tired of it. We all need to do something.
2) We need to start controlling pollution and cracking down on these big corporations that have gotten out of hand polluting the water and air. These storms are fueled by global warming due to high ocean/water temperatures. Yet, the world's biggest polluter, the United States, refuses to sign the Kyoto treaty to slow down global warming. This treaty was designed to have industrialized nations cut gas emissions. The administrations policy is to have corporations "voluntarily" reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I'm sure all of these companies are scrambling to comply with a "voluntary" policy. Another issue we all need to take a stand on.
3) We need to STOP sending aid to countries that don't give a shit about the United States. According to reports I am reading and hearing, only TWO countries have offered aid to the US for the devastated areas. Considering all we do for everyone else in need, this is an absolute disgrace. Let's spend this aid money we donate to everyone and everyone abroad, right here at home. Let's also pull our troops out of these areas and stop protecting them and bring them here to protect our borders and have them here to respond to disasters like the one that happened this week. Enough is enough.
4) No more building these million dollar homes over and over at the taxpayers expense on the shorelines around the country after disasters destroy them. There should be a law, you get ONE shot at rebuilding, if disaster strikes the same place again and the home is destroyed, it's a clear message that a home does not belong there and the waterfront is left as is.. Why should all of us foor the bill for these poor decisions?
5) The gap between the "haves" and "have nots" in this country is growing bigger and bigger. A vast majority of the people stuck in these horrible situations were too poor to leave. It's disguisting. The state of Louisiana should have bussed these people out of that city by force on Sunday.
The looting is disgraceful. These people should be ashamed of themselves. For a solid WEEK after the 9/11 attacks there were NO police reports of looting, robberies, murders, or anything of that nature in NYC. The people here banded together and order was in place here. Nobody took advantage of a bad situation. These people who are looting and doing other illegal acts while the police are out saving lives should rot in hell.
These are a few "wake up" calls this hurricane has brought to light. Let's all discuss these very important issues......
32 comments:
Charlie....I just want to say I completely agree with you. My best friend lost everything in this hurricane, and I am just sitting here in tears for her & her family. It sickens me to see these people looting, not out of need, but greed. We need to help each other no matter where we live in this country, these people are OUR neighbors. Everyone needs to help...everyone!
I agree... President C-Mac sounds good to me.
You said it better than I did. It's 3AM and I woke up with all this on my mind. I'm glad I clicked over. To watch the poor of the poor ....it's the saddest. They should have been bussed out. The government their looks like they are clueless. Sad all the way around. I filled up at 2.59 on Monday and it was 4.00 yesterday. Total Crap.
Don't know how I surfed and landed on this page, but glad now that I have.
Is it true what you write?
I'll be back later to see...
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I agree with nearly everything you've said. With the looters though, I think we need to put people in two categories. There are those stealing food and water because they are starving and dehydrated and they have no options. Everything they owned has been destroyed, there is no running water, and there are no Red Cross tents set up to provide a warm meal. I can look the other way in that case. But then you have the much larger group that are stealing guns, televisions and $200 sneakers. There are also reports of roaming bands of thugs breaking into the homes that are dry. THAT is utter lawlessness and should be condemned. Problem is that the police are outnumbered and overwhelmed. What can they do -- arrest people? The jails are under water too. Horrific situation. Enough pussyfooting around. Helicopter in a shitload of kickass army folks to help out the cops.
I couldnt agree with you more. First we need to asasinate bush.
Danielle-do you hear yourself...assassinate our president-That's awful!
But I do agree with you C-Mac and I would vote C-Mac for the next prez.
I gotta Friggin Huge Sausage ova'ere!
this is all very sad. how could oil companies and looters take advantage of people who r in need like this, thats just wrong.
but i am glad to hear that the State of Texas is helping in some many ways it good to know that at least there r still good people out there helping out.
i personally would like to hear more about the good on the news than the bad.
enough with me going on like this, i want u to have a great day charlie :)
I agree with sending other countries help and we don't recieve help back. Where's the UN?
Also on the Kyote treaty,Mr. Clinton wouldn't sign it either. We have tried in the past for nuclear energy(not that there are many more choices)in the past and those plans were all halted. Also the windmills that were proposed to be put in Cape Cod were objected by who else but Robert Kennedy Jr.
Not in his backyard!
We realy need to start working on alternative energy choices although our main source of oil is not foreign. Hey we went to Iraq for oil,where is it?
Good post Charlie. Totally agree w/you on us needing an energy strategy. Unfortunately, many times environmentalists hamper efforts to move the U.S. forward because we need to save owls, or some other endangered animal. Also agree that we need to stop sending foreign aid for those who despise us anyway. Hate that we send money to ungrateful American haters. Anyway, all your points are right on and your 483rd is one of your most thoughtful.
actually Supplymadam, Clinton signed it, Gore negotiated it, but it was never sent to the Senate for ratification because it would had been shot down 95-5 by the Senate......the Clinton administration knew it was dead in the water thanks to the Republican Congress
as far as RFK jr. opposing the windmills on cape Cod, you are correct and he is a hypocrite for that.
I he signed it,why does it need to be signed again? Whatabout the oil reserves that were in California that Gore sold to a company that his father was connected to.
Plus it gets sent to the senate before it gets signed,not after. Clinton didn't sign it for the same reasons because it would hurt our economy.
Afromabq is right on.
Clinton signed the protocol, but all treaties have to have Senate ratification, this is not like a normal legislative bill where the Congress passes it and then the President signs it.
It's on this President's watch that gas has gone from a $1.67 average in 2001 to the insane prices they are now, don't start blaming Clinton for this too. You republicans kill me, we get attacked on Bush's watch, it's Clinton's fault, gas prices at record highs in 2005, it's Clinton's fault, stop the bullshit already, this President is a disgrace.
Not only did we get attacked more than once on Clinton's watch but he let Osama wander around freely. Able Danger! It doesn't mean I'm a republican it's just that the Democrats blame Bush for everything,even the Hurricane.
Talk about bullshit. lol
The only reason that Bush got involved in trying to track down Osama is because it gave him free reign to get Hussien. The boy was sticking up for his daddy, simply enough.
And no, Clinton was not the messiah, but for a man that was faced with a congress that essentially opposed him, he did what he could.
I am so sick and tired of Republicans lifting Bush up on a dias and bowing down to his bs. They cry for less government involvement and that Bush is doing his job. If that's the case, then why do we have the largest government EVER?
the differenc eis, Clinton's administration CAUGHT the people who attacked us in the first World Trade center bombings, caught Tim McVeigh who leveled the Federal building in Oklahoma City, foiled the LAX attack, foiled the NYC attack on our bridges and tunnels, foiled the Seattle Milennium attack......the man responsible for attacking us on 9/11/01 is still on the loose because we went into Iraq instead of going after Osama. becaus eof the Bush family ties to Saudi arabia, it would not surprise me if this administration cut a secret deal with the Saudis to leave Bin laden alone.....
I'll agree with the deal making thing with Saudi Arabia. They've been our allies for over 40 years.
also the 1st Worrld Trade center attack happened TWO months into Clinton's FIRST term. i did not hear him blaming Bush Sr. for it!!!!
I agree totally with your wakeup calls in general, but what ever we do is not going to be free. How much do we want to raise our taxes and cost of living to pay for it. True there will be some savings but in the short term we still have to police our sources of supply, oil and other resources, to ensure that the country continues to provide our standard of living.
Here, here! I was just arguing some of these points with a friend this morning.
In regards to the looting/security/desperation: the utter breakdown of the social fabric is frightening.
also: if you think that im a loser for posting drunk on a blog on my birthday, shut up.
BACK TO THE PARTY.
Will you marry me????? Right on to everything you said.
Does this mean you won't give me any orders today?
Totally with you on #4. I lived on the Gulf coast in FL for 9 years and saw one hurricane wipe out the million dollar homes on the beach. They rebuilt, but ALL of our insurance went up quite a bit. I couldn't help but feel we subsidized the rebuilding. (and try to step on "their" beach! Signs, signs, everywhere signs.)
Came by way of Marie.
I agree with much of what you have to say. It's a helpless feeling to see all that is happening to our country and feeling that we have no affect on it, while a few dozen screw it all up. (And I'm not a Democrat, so this isn't Bush bashing in particular - it's about our government in general.)
There needs to be some kind of grassroots effort... Maybe this hurricane situation is the last straw. Maybe everyone is as riled up as you are.... I hope so.
Charlie...I'm glad that yours is the first blog I decided to read upon my return from vacation. You are so wise (yeah, because I agree with EVERYTHING you've said!).
I cannot believe that Bush had the balls to mention Trent Lott's shoreline house being destroyed. Oh cry me a fucking river. He probably only has four or five houses left, poor thing.
I do need to correct your #3. It is a false assumption that we give a great amount of our national budget to foreign aid. We give less than 1% of our budget to aid other countries. Per capita we give the smallest percentage out of the "1st world" industrialized countries. The 2006 budget proposed by Bush is nearly 48% designated to military and defense. If we shifted only 1% of that to aid we could wipe out hunger in the poorest countries of the world.
You also assumed that money is being diverted away from American needs for foreign aid. No, for example the funds that were to be spent on fortifying the levees that broke in New Orleans this week after the hurrican had been diverted to Iraq by Mr. Bush.
And, if anybody (not the author of this blog) was wondering where all the national guardsmen are that were trained to respond to these types of disasters in our own country, remember that somebody sent them over seas to fight and die under false pretenses. And still no Osama...
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