Sunday, September 11, 2005

Here's Your Fearless Leader at Work During Crisis

Newsweek has published a long investigative piece on the immediate reaction to what happened in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Although just the first few paragraphs are absolutely shocking (well, not to some of us) regarding Bush's dislike of bad news, what I think demonstrates absolute dereliction of duty is this (emphasis mine):
Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, a motherly but steely figure known by the nickname Queen Bee, knew that she needed help. But she wasn't quite sure what. At about 8 p.m., she spoke to Bush. "Mr. President," she said, "we need your help. We need everything you've got."

Bush, the governor later recalled, was reassuring. But the conversation was all a little vague. Blanco did not specifically ask for a massive intervention by the active-duty military. "She wouldn't know the 82nd Airborne from the Harlem Boys' Choir," said an official in the governor's office, who did not wish to be identified talking about his boss's conversations with the president. There are a number of steps Bush could have taken, short of a full-scale federal takeover, like ordering the military to take over the pitiful and (by now) largely broken emergency communications system throughout the region. But the president, who was in San Diego preparing to give a speech the next day on the war in Iraq, went to bed.
And I hope the Secret Service had his favorite pillow for him to put his little empty head on.

Incompetent? Criminal? Don't forget, as Chimpie himself put it, "We solve problems, because we're problem solvers." Poor people drowning? Chaos? Got to bed. Problem solved.

How these people sleep at night or even live during the day knowing what bastards they are, I do not understand. Is there a psychologist out there who can explain it to me? Isn't it called "malignant narcissism"?

59 million suckers.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Regarding the above, I guess it still takes all kinds to run a railroad. Olaf, thanks for the link to the Newsweek article. Is your memory so poor? Have you forgotten that our great leader needs lots of sleep, and plenty of healthful exercise in the open air--bicycle riding and chain-sawing come to mind--to keep him our fit and decisive protector? Even dry drunks, oops, need their beauty sleep, and what more refreshing sleep than in a comfortable bubble?
Olaf readers, let us all take a break from mass casualties, and post mass comments, right here, on 1 October 2005, Olaf Feedback Day! Show him what you're made of (preferably figuratively)! Paraphrasing Andy Goldfine, "Do this thing." Back to you, Bob.

Olaf said...

Yes, El Presidente is quite faithful to his schedule for the day. This White House considers it ill-mannered to try to preempt Chimpie's beddy-bye time with a national disaster.

Anonymous said...

I am not a psychologist. Rumors that I did time for impersonating one notwithstanding, I believe your president suffers from a Cluster B personality disorder, specifically 301.7 Antisocial Personality Disorder. Excerpts from the diagnostic criteria follow:
1) failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest
2) deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying,...conning others for personal profit or pleasure
3) ...failure to plan ahead
5) reckless disregard for safety...of others
6) consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations
7) lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another.
Diagnosis is made if there is a pervasive pattern which includes at least three of the above. I think that's a better fit than 301.81 Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Sticklers take note: excerpts above are lifted from the American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic Criteria from DSM-IV." Kenneth, what IS the frequency?

Olaf said...

Now that's an answer!