Katrina

I never though I would see, in my America, history's only hyperpower, scenes such as we have seen in the past week in New Orleans. I am quite fond of the city--I have been there three times, and love beignets and chicory coffee at the Cafe Du Monde, jazz brunch at Cafe Petunia's, an oyster po' boy at Johnny's, a to-go hurricane, Commander's Palace, the above-ground graveyards, so it is with some emotion that I write this post.

We are seeing the political death of the Bush administration, and deservedly so. I have been reading some Right wing blogs these past few days, and they are as pissed as I am. We are also seeing the death of that strange form of "conservatism" that mainly sees the role of government for redistribution of wealth upwards--crony capitalism and corporate looting. The "conservatism" that sees NO role for government, and honestly believes that the poor are poor, well, because they are failures and deserve it.

We are seeing the mainstream media start to ask tough questions, not about specific events that happened this week, but about issues of class and race that have always haunted this country. We have seen the insensitivity and swaggering unconcern of Bush and his fellow criminals; Condi buying thousands of dollars of shoes in Ferragamo's in New York while New Orleans descended into anarchy and chaos. And the head of FEMA, blaming those unlucky enough to be too poor to afford a ride out of New Orleans, "people who were unable or CHOSE not to evacuate."

I was going to make this a longer post, but I am too tired and disgusted. I am angry to see fellow Americans die of thirst and hunger while a President plays guitar.

It's heartening to see that the private sector response has been good, but we need more justice, and less charity.

Do what you can to help, but make sure our government does not willfully ignore anyone anymore because they are "disposable."