This is hysterical.

[docwebster]

The entire article is a pretty grim BBC opinion piece about the government's failure in the aftermath of Katrina, but the hysterical part are the responses. Not all the responses are utterly gibbering mad, of course, but this guy is a real prizewinner.

Genties and ladlemen, I give you the comedy stylings of Tracie Dixon from Sand Springs, Oklahoma:

As a proud southern American your article is so far from the truth I don't even now where to begin. What I read is a liberal, European, elitist view of this absolute tragedy. Americans will help each other regardless of colour or social level. As for aid from other nations, I for one say leave it. We can and will rebuild the ravaged areas ourselves.

Comments

[digitalbits.livejournal.com]

Yeah, she's a real comedian isn't she (NOT)!

Great article though!

What I said:

[drdemure.livejournal.com]

While I agree with the basic facts of the article, you miss so much of what is the heart of America. Our country is falliable, but we are not weak. We don't need a centralized command center in order to be Americans and do what we do better than any nation in the world, which is, (despite our recent failings) help people. I guarantee you that we are all actively helping, in what ever capacity we can. While I don't actively support this administration and realize the many ways we've failed in our response to this disaster, we haven't thrown up our hands. I'm leaving for to volunteer for three weeks at an evacuation center this week, and, quite frankly, it's all well and good for you to sit in Europe and criticize, but what have you done for us lately?

Re: What I said:

[cavalorn.livejournal.com]

what have you done for us lately?

Well, there's that whole 'shoulder to shoulder' thing. We went into Iraq with America, shot people with America, were hit by terrorists because of our backing of America and are currently trying to keep the Iraq shithouse from going up in flames alongside America. Being in Iraq in the first place was wrong, and what has gone on since is not defensible, but it's not like we've ever turned away from you over it. And it's not like we don't catch a whole world of shit from other countries over the strength and nature of our allegiance with America, either.

That said, it's not very English to sit in judgement so. It is, after all, an opinion piece, not a documentary report.

Re: What I said:

[drdemure.livejournal.com]

My comment about "what have you done for us lately" was not directed toward the people of Great Britain, it was directed at the author. I'm completely against what we've done in Iraq, and was from the beginning. But I do appreciate you chaps hanging in with our folly.

My own comment

[cavalorn.livejournal.com]

Incompetence on the part of those who were supposed to prepare for this eventuality, and on the part of those who failed to act when it broke out, is not grounds to attack America as an entity. Your comment on the 'invulnerability of the American Dream' painfully recalls the gloating over the 'sun finally setting on the British Empire' and has a similar how-art-the-mighty-fallen ring to it.

America is our ally, and she deserves compassion and help, not opportunistic pot-shots at her mythos. It is demeaning in the extreme to characterise Americans as 'rugged individuals, out to plunder what they can'. I can only conclude that your experience of America was commercial in nature and did not involve receiving the hospitality of any actual Americans.

[demented-pants.livejournal.com]

This article is so wrong-headed, it is hard to even begin to criticize it in a short space, other than to say it is written by an anti-Bush foreigner who has little understanding of America. Bush was right: no-one could have predicted when this devastating storm would hit. I don't blame anyone for the tragedies of nature.
David Augustine, Mendham, NJ

...Right, except for the people who did, in fact, predict when it hit. So, in essence, nobody could have predicted this just like nobody could have predicted 9/11.

[drdemure.livejournal.com]

We did know. We've known for nearly a century. But this is a vast country, and there are threats everywhere. And, it seems, we knew, at least in retrospect, about 9/11. I seriously doubt we could have prevented 9/11. We might have been able to lessen the impact of Katrina, but it still would have devasted us in ways we've never been devasted. We can nitpick all we want, and I hope public sentiments will change things. But the fact is, it happened, and we still have people who need to be rescued. And, hopefully, we'll do thing better in the future, and hold people accountable for how they failed our country. But right now, we need to rescue our people.

[hellfirefae.livejournal.com]

I must agree with DrDemure right now. It's the people that matter.

Personally, who cares about all this political bullshit and this game of pass the blame right now. People are still out there, hungry, homeless and dying. What could have been done to prevent it is in the past... what's done is done... and next week, it'll still be there... but how many people won't be?

National news can't seem to shut up about who to blame. I watch local news and all they talk about are the people and the pain. Maybe that's because we feel it more. It's close to us. Maybe if Katrina was some kind of terrorist attack then the rest of the nation would seem to care a little bit more.

Perhaps I sound a little bit bitter... well you know what... I am.

[fernblatt.livejournal.com]

if you that that piece above was funny, look at my reply to doc below with a link that a story this morning.... National news isn't the only one pointing fingers, now the Bush Adminstration is pointing fingers at the NO government for not keeping up systems that the feds refused to fund. *shrug* But folks are right, what is done is indeed done.

[lubedpumpkin.livejournal.com]

We can and will rebuild the ravaged areas ourselves.

Isn't it bloody fucking obvious that we CAN'T?

[weekendwench.livejournal.com]

the arrogance and absurdity from people who aren't even there. I become more and more embarassed b the day to be called an American.

[fernblatt.livejournal.com]

A followup that has me totally pissed off

" Louisiana officials pushed back hard against the White House yesterday, sharply criticizing President Bush for offering a tentative and insufficient response to the obliteration of New Orleans and then trying to shift the blame to the state and local governments."

The arrogant fucking bastard. Kick 'm when they're down, criticize them for bleeding, deny you kicked them in the first place. Then kick them again for good measure.

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