jwaneeta | (no subject)

My blundering, inarticulate attempt to muse about God's nature and mystery re the New Orleans catastrophe enraged some people I really like and respect, and I feel like shit about it. Everyone is feeling horrible about the disaster, and I deeply regret adding in any way to the negativity.

I honestly thought it was a optimistic thought, which shows how utterly clueless I am, and ... never mind, I'll just make it worse. There's no sense in trying to clarify what I think, because I clearly suck at that. The infuriating opinion has been deleted and replaced with an apology, and this is another. Things are bad enough.

On the disaster front, I'm now at the stage where I'm forced to wonder if the administration wants those people to die. That's how furious and paranoid I've become. Does FEMA consider them expendable? Or is the government sort of willing to save them, as long as it doesn't cost too much? Why else the atrocious delay? Was FEMA shopping around for the best deal on buses? The cheapest contractor? It's not like the victims are on the other side of the world, they're in freaking Louisiana, and we have a lot of motherfucking buses in this country. Something stinks, and FEMA heads should roll.

Oh, God. I'm going to take a sedative and watch Spiderman. I promise that if I ever rise on the stepping stones of my dead, mortified, crimson-faced LJ self, I'll post something positive. Pinky swear.

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Oh, honey, please don't feel bad about anything you've done. You donated blood, and you've worried and thought. You're trying to cope, just like everyone else.

I don't think the administration wants people to die, I think it's just their culture, where making decisions don't come quickly or easily, and they aren't comfortable acting spontaneously and trying Plan B when Plan A doesn't work. The non-governmental people, like the staff of the hospitals and the hotel management, are making do and finding some way to cope. But that's foreign to government philosphy, where things have to be signed off on and vetted.

Of course, the fact that even gov't people in an emergency service think this way is incredible, but the head of FEMA's been on every talk show in creation today, and it's clear he does. It's also clear he thinks his job is public relations, since he's apparently done nothing but give interviews.

You needn't apologise for your faith. People are upset and fuses are short.

::hugs you::

(sigh) Don't beat yourself up because I lost my temper. That's my problem, not yours.

On the disaster front, I'm now at the stage where I'm forced to wonder if the administration wants those people to die. That's how furious and paranoid I've become. Does FEMA consider them expendable? Or is the government sort of willing to save them, as long as it doesn't cost too much? Why else the atrocious delay? Was FEMA shopping around for the best deal on buses? The cheapest contractor? It's not like the victims are on the other side of the world, they're in freaking Louisana, and we have a lot of motherfucking buses in this country. Something stinks, and FEMA heads should roll.

And not just FEMA.

Sunday night I watched the Weather Channel. They spelled out, in excruiating detail, in clear, simple language, with bullets, the damage Katrina was going to do, as a category 5 hurricane about to slam into New Orleans. They stated that every levy would breached (not just the two that were actually breached after Katrina shifted slightly East), the entire city under water, thousands of homes and buildings destroyed, millions homeless, and of course, everything we're seeing now. So, it's not as if the catastrophic damage came without warning. This was no Tsunami that we couldn't see coming in time to prepare for.

Why didn't the Federal goverernment have the National Guard and US Army standing by and ready to move in to the stricken areas as soon as the storm passed? Why wasn't a relief strategy organized before hand and ready for immediate implementation? I know that it does no good at this point to hurl accusations and cast blame (although I understand the head of FEMA was blaming the folks that "chose" not to evacuate), but it's hard not to, watching that footage and hearing the reports, and being unable to do anything to help other that send a few dollars. This tragedy is so big that I can't quite wrap my head around it.

Sweetheart, I didn't read the post you've now deleted, but apologists for Divinity tend to come to sticky ends, you know that. Horrible things happen and the survivors are left to grieve. This is not news. We have Job as an exemplar, and 'curse God and die' just isn't an option for either of us.

I'm sorry you were hurt; I'm sorry the people in New Orleans were hurt and are now desperate (at least some of them). I can't speak to them individually, as I can you. Be at peace. Things are totally screwed up but all will be well, and well, and very well in ways now inexplicable. Or so I believe....

{{{hugs}}} for you.

I'm feeling both incredibly sad and incredibly disgusted by the New O. refugees. You telling me there's not ONE helicopter with Evian able to fly over the freakin' Superdome?? Just horrible. Meanwhile I'm mulling my anger by donating clothes.