Oliver Willis

26 Responses to “American Shame”

1. 1 Nimrod Gently
   Jun 15th, 2007 at 7:37 pm

   Well, it’s clearly not the fault of the Bush administration. It must be Ray Nagin’s fault, or Michael Brown, or the city itself, or a bus maybe.

2. 2 Quaker in a Basement
   Jun 15th, 2007 at 8:05 pm

   Nagin won’t name the countries.

   Anybody want to bet Hugo Chavez is in the mix somewhere?

3. 3 SaveFarris
   Jun 15th, 2007 at 8:26 pm

   The people of New Orleans know who shoulders the blame. Our unpopular outgowing governer and the state legislature are so commited to rebuilding New Orleans, they’ve made a cockfighting bill the top priority. I wish I was kidding.

4. 4 Mike
   Jun 15th, 2007 at 8:52 pm

   Nimrod, ever hear the phrase “moving at the speed of government?”

   Most people don’t know how SLOWLY the government procurement process works. Even if Congress made all the money available tomorrow, you would still have to wait while agencies wrote RFP’s, opened jobs for bidding, collected bids, evalauated bids, awarded bids, coordinated the projects, etc, etc … And then the contractors might have to wait 12 to 18 months to get paid. Sorry but that’s how government bidding/procurement works. Anyone who believed that N. O. would be any different was just fooling themselves.

   Of course when the Bush administrated fast-tracked Federal money after the storm and bypassed the competitive bidding system, they were accused of being criminals, Nazis, profiteers, etc.

5. 5 Zython
   Jun 15th, 2007 at 10:24 pm

   Nimrod, ever hear the phrase “moving at the speed of government?”

   No, I have not.

   Of course when the Bush administrated fast-tracked Federal money after the storm and bypassed the competitive bidding system, they were accused of being criminals, Nazis, profiteers, etc.

   And look where that got NOLA (points to original post).

6. 6 Acanthus
   Jun 16th, 2007 at 1:26 am

   “Of course when the Bush administrated fast-tracked Federal money after the storm and bypassed the competitive bidding system, they were accused of being criminals, Nazis, profiteers, etc”

   Reading that, someone who didn’t know any better would think the money has held up and never got to the contractors because of Bush bashers. Damn, is that all you’ve got?

7. 7 Lysander Spooner II
   Jun 16th, 2007 at 4:21 am

   It’s a shame that we can’t just pour an unspecified amount of money into the hands of one of the crookedest, most incompetent governments ever.

   They waited ’til water was up to their ankles before they called for the Federal government’s help, and now they’re complaining about waiting for recovery money?

8. 8 Nimrod Gently
   Jun 16th, 2007 at 7:48 am

   You misspelled “out of the hands” there Frank.

9. 9 Acanthus
   Jun 16th, 2007 at 10:33 am

   Spooner, the thing is, they are no longer just complaining about waiting (after damn near two years), they are taking an alternate route. My criticism of them is that they waited so long to consider foreign aid. Conservatives had a problem with them asking for federal aid from “their” country, and now conservatives have a problem with them asking for foreign aid? Their objections have as much to do with control issues as anything else.

10. 10 Lysander Spooner II
    Jun 16th, 2007 at 1:00 pm

    I have no objection to their asking for money from whatever source.

    I didn’t notice in the original story, or even the Think Progress link that indicated that conservatives had any objections to their getting money from Togo, Sierra Leone, or Venezuela.

    Unlike US Government “loans”, all this money will be repaid — probably by all US taxpayers.

11. 11 Duros62
    Jun 16th, 2007 at 1:45 pm

    If I recall correctly, a number of foreign governments offered to send aid and supplies immediately after the devastation, and the Feds turned them down.
    “No thanks, we got it.”

    2 years later, how many hospitals are still closed?

12. 12 Zython
    Jun 16th, 2007 at 7:24 pm

    It’s a shame that we can’t just pour an unspecified amount of money into the hands of one of the crookedest, most incompetent governments ever.

    Why do you hate America? (Always wanted to do that)

    Unlike US Government “loans”, all this money will be repaid — probably by all US taxpayers.

    Heven forbid that US taxpayers should have to pay for ANYTHING, especially the well being of one of their major cities. Heaven for-fucking-bid!

13. 13 SaveFarris
    Jun 16th, 2007 at 9:33 pm

    2 years later, how many hospitals are still closed?

    The hospitals (& schools & neighborhoods, etc) won’t open back up until they’re up to a minimum level of safety and accountability. Of course, they were far below standards before August 2005 to begin with…

14. 14 Lysander Spooner II
    Jun 16th, 2007 at 9:44 pm

    I don’t hate America, Zython, why do have a crush on me?

15. 15 Zython
    Jun 16th, 2007 at 10:26 pm

    why do have a crush on me?

    Who the hell taught you “debate”? Ned “Carlos” Mencia?

16. 16 Lysander Spooner II
    Jun 17th, 2007 at 12:03 am

    Zython, we know no one taught you to debate. Or, if they did, we haven’t seen any evidence of it practiced here.

    You follow me around like a hungry puppy, and try to contrive clever “responses” to my every comment — in fact, every sentence in my comment.

    That’s why I think you have a crush on me.

17. 17 Lysander Spooner II
    Jun 17th, 2007 at 12:32 am

    Zython, we know no one taught you to debate. Or, if they did, we haven’t seen any evidence of it practiced here.

    You follow me around like a hungry puppy, and try to contrive clever “responses” to my every comment — in fact, every sentence in my comment.

    That’s why I think you have a crush on me.

18. 18 Zython
    Jun 17th, 2007 at 2:37 am

    By your “reasoning” you have a crush on Oliver.

19. 19 Anonymous
    Jun 17th, 2007 at 3:54 am

    By the way, Frank. Believe it if you wish. Whatever helps you get out of bed in the morning.

20. 20 Lysander Spooner II
    Jun 17th, 2007 at 4:20 am

    Wrong, “both” Zythons. I don’t “Fisk” his every sentence, and pretty much ignore every other commenter.

    No, you dig me, Zy, confess.

21. 21 Zython
    Jun 17th, 2007 at 4:56 am

    No, you dig me, Zy, confess

    If you want to believe that, I can’t stop you. Whatever helps you sleep at night. Whatever helps you get up in the morning. Just…whatever.

22. 22 Lysander Spooner II
    Jun 17th, 2007 at 5:02 am

    Every single comment has an answer from you.
    You can’t help yourself.
    You can ignore dozens of comments, but not mune.

23. 23 Shorter Frank
    Jun 18th, 2007 at 5:51 pm

    Maybe if I believe hard enough, it’ll be true. Oh God, I’m so lonely.

24. 24 Lysander Spooner II
    Jun 18th, 2007 at 5:56 pm

    Stop it, Zython, you punk

25. 25 Shorter Frank
    Jun 18th, 2007 at 7:15 pm

    so, SO lonely!!

26. 26 Lysander Spooner II
    Jun 19th, 2007 at 4:56 am

    Bite me, Zython!

Leave a Reply