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September 30, 2005
Large Number of Deaths Expected with Avian Flu
Numerous reports have surfaced indicating that the world can expect at least 2 million deaths from a new strain of flu.
While WHO's flu spokesman at the agency's Geneva headquarters did not say the 150 million prediction was wrong, he emphasized that 7.4 million deaths is a more realistic estimate.
Scientists have made predictions ranging from less than 2 million to 360 million. Last year, WHO's chief for the Asia-Pacific region predicted 100 million deaths, but until now that was the highest figure publicly mentioned by a WHO official...
Most human cases have been linked to contact with sick birds. But WHO has warned the virus could mutate into a form that spreads easily among humans - changing it from a bird virus to a human pandemic flu strain.
These people are sooooo stupid. Don't they know there is no such thing as a mutation? There is only Intelligent Design.
Posted by Chip Spear at 4:20 PM | Comments (5)
Army in Terrible Recruiting Slump
The Army is in the worst recruiting slump in decades. You can read the article here. So why would I want to enlist and go to Iraq or Afghanistan forever? And get car bombed by people who hate us and we can't find. I am not allowed to come home. My tour of duty is continually extended by the Pentagon. Furthermore, the military does not provided the necessary supplies or materials to keep me in one piece. I can really die, like no longer see my girlfriend/wife or kids or friends ever again for a war that no one can or will justify in any meaningful way. And it is unbelieveably hot over there too, with no places to go swimming. What is up with that? Somehow the training/experience thing I see in the commercials on TV doesn't cut it.
Posted by Chip Spear at 4:06 PM | Comments (0)
Judy Sings For Whose Team?
So, Judith Miller got out of jail and testified before the Grand Jury. I wonder what happened recently that precipitated this new flurry of play? Libby supposedly told her that she could reveal his name. I want to know why now. Was he feeling guilty about her sitting in jail all this time just for him? Or was there some additional pressure applied from still unknown sources. This is one of those situations where I wish I was a fly on a lot of different walls. I bet they would be exceedingly interesting. Did Miller plead with Libby or one of his friends to "let her loose"? Was the prosecutor putting some type of pressure on Libby or someone else that made him relent? Of course it could be something completely different that I don't see yet. Inquiring minds want to know.
Posted by Chip Spear at 3:53 PM | Comments (2)
Baseball - Three Games (Well, Six Actually), Three Days
Three days, Red Sox vs. Yankees, White Sox vs. Indians. The White Sox are in. Three teams, two spots. You can't get any better than this. Go Indians!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Chip Spear at 9:14 AM | Comments (2)
September 29, 2005
Media Thrown for Another Loss
It is not hard to get exasperated by the media. My latest rant is for yesterday's display with Tom Delay. I am not sure what the right thing to do is, other than maintain some degree of scepticism, but noone could have been the least bit surprised that Delay would stand before anyone who would listen and proclaim his innocence in no uncertain terms and attack the Democrats for a witch hunt. Okay, so it would be hard for the media to not give him a forum, but he seemed to get more press than those presenting the indictment, then the media did nothing to question the grandstanding. I want to know, who has EVER stood up in such a situation and admitted, "Yes, I did it. I am guilty." Proclaiming innocence is expected, how is it possibly news? I get very tired of every accused "star" getting almost unlimited media attention to declare "I am a good person, I am definitely not guilty and someone is out to get me. Blah, blah, blah. It is rather pathetic really.
Posted by Chip Spear at 10:40 AM | Comments (0)
Alternative Energy Scoring Points at a Faster Pace
The WorldWatch Institute reported that alternative energy sources are providing increasing amounts of the world's energy needs. They anticipate that the trend will continue quickly over the coming years.
...oil production is falling in 33 of the 48 largest oil-producing countries. These include six of the 11 members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
In the continental United States, the think tank said, oil production peaked at eight million barrels per day in 1970 and fell to 2.9 million barrels daily last year.
Production of biofuels, wind power, and solar energy are all growing at rates of 20-30 percent per year, compared with growth rates of around two percent for oil and gas, Flavin said.
The costs of renewable energy were falling fast, news reports Wednesday quoted Flavin as telling the conference. Wind power cost 46 cents per kilowatt-hour in 1980 but now costs less than six cents.
New energy sources are attracting roughly $30 billion in investment annually, he added, with Brazil, China, Germany, Japan, and California leading the emerging market.
''Already, 35 million homes in China get their hot water from solar collectors. That is more than the rest of the world combined,'' Flavin told the Reuters news agency in Johannesburg.
''There are prospects for real take-offs in solar and wind power in China, and not just hot water for homes but in industry,'' he added. ''State-owned industries and private companies there are investing heavily in renewables.''
Renewable sources account for 25 percent of Sweden's energy use and 45 percent in Norway. The United States lagged behind, with only 4.2 percent of its energy consumption coming from renewable sources.
Energy companies and governments were driving growth in renewables, Flavin said, with firms including Royal Dutch Shell Group, BP, and Mitsubishi among the major players.
I guess it is no surprise that the U.S. is so far behind. In my mind we should view this as another fabulous opportunity for the companies in the U.S. to use their creativity and "energy" to grab the initiative in these fields and create whole new industries, products, and markets. Think of the money to be made. This shift is going to happen, we can either be a leader or a follower. Perhaps it will occur on its own, but it would certainly happen faster if there were a "Manhattan Project" type program initiated, not necessarily completely funded by, the government. This is where leadership and vision truly comes into play. You can read the entire article here.
Posted by Chip Spear at 10:01 AM | Comments (2)
September 28, 2005
Hurricane in a Box
One would think that FEMA would have put together a number of packages, or boxes, which would essentially be kits with all available information, procedures and plans for local and state officials to use in case of various emergencies. I am thinking from the point of view of a project manager type who should have sat in a room with a group of disaster folks and said something like, "Okay, what are the various disasters that can happen in the country?" He would make a list on a big white board. Then s/he might say, "Okay, what variation is there on each one of these, like small, medium, large and extra special? What can we expect to happen in each circumstance for various areas of the country? How should we react? What is expected of each government branch, both within the Federal government, state and local branches? How do they have to be prepared?" Once they get that far, then they start writing up plans like if "this" happens then do "that". After that you try to run classes to teach mayors and governors what to do during massive events. Each state and local official would get a kit outlining what should be done and a basic outline of when they should do it. They should also have a Federal coordinator to help them in case of an emergency.
This would also define how local communities spend money, especially if they are told to buy X, Y, and Z for emergencies. There would be specific lists of necessary items. Such action would largely eliminate all the nonsense that local police and fire departments purchased with their share of DHS money.
Many state and local officials come into office without the training necessary to do all aspects of their jobs. FEMA should be there to help them. It seems to me that FEMA is a department that is supposed to not only aid those in need but prepare for events, should they occur. It is not rocket science, it is a basic game planning.
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:56 PM | Comments (0)
Delay Indicted in Campaign Finance Probe
It couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
Link to the article here.
Posted by Chip Spear at 12:51 PM | Comments (1)
America's Secret War
I just finished George Friedman's book, America's Secret War. George is the founder of Stratfor, a web site and company focusing on "breaking intelligence and analysis on political, economic, military, and security events around the world." I can't recommend his book highly enough, not because everything he says is necessarily true, but it definitely put the Iraq war in a much different context than what I thought when I began to read it.
A couple major points that he makes is that one of the major reasons for invading Iraq was to deal with the growing problems inside of Saudi Arabia. The U.S. felt that it could not invade Saudi Arabia, and actually did not want to get rid of the House of Saud. What they did want was for the rulers to start pressuring extremist elements within the country, which they had not been doing. The Bushies thought that they would do so if the U.S. was sitting on its border with a large contingent of troops. In addition, the U.S. needed to appear strong to Arab world, and especially radical elements, by being willing to act alone instead of relying on alliances. The U.S. was also working regularly with Iranian intelligence. The U.S. left Fallujah to the Sunnis the first time as part of a poker game with the Shiites and Ali al-Sistani. He was, and still is, using the U.S. to do his dirty work and solidify his power in the country. In order to establish a stronger bargaining position with the Shiites the U.S. had to have stronger ties with the Sunnis. Leaving the city to the Sunnis signaled that the U.S. was willing to accommodate some Sunni concerns. The Americans were able to leverage their relationship with the Sunnis to mitigate Al-Sistani's control.
I feel that this was has been exceedingly badly managed, but I do think there is a great deal at stake that gives me pause before advocating a quick pull-out. Pick up the book and give it a read. It will definitely make you think.
Posted by Chip Spear at 12:05 PM | Comments (0)
A little problem
I had a computer meltdown on Monday evening when I was hit with a brownout. The power spike somehow got through my surge protector and fried the motherboard of my computer. I am using an old laptop until I receive the new board tomorrow and replace it. I was consumed with the issue yesterday, trying to determine exactly what was wrong and order the replacement part. It was a fun day. Until I get my main machine up and running I will not be producing any insightful, humorous videos.
Posted by Chip Spear at 11:56 AM | Comments (1)
September 26, 2005
Player of the Week - North Korea's Kim Jong Il
One day after the big U.S. announcement of an agreement, Kim Jong Il and the North Koreans threw the administration for a big loss, insisting that the "appropriate time" for discussion regarding the light water nuclear reactor was now and not some day in the far distant future after they had dismantled their nuclear weapons facilities. Watch the video here and learn why our President just missed winning.
Posted by Chip Spear at 11:51 AM | Comments (2)
Leadership
In light of the controversy regarding Bush's "crony" appointments I feel it is important to question what defines good leadership. Think back to organizations in which you participated, i.e. athletic teams, social organizations, business, religious groups, any group of individuals trying to accomplish a goal. Who were the good leaders and what personality charactistics drove their actions and commanded respect. Watch the video here where I question the age old leadership issue.
Posted by Chip Spear at 9:30 AM | Comments (1)
September 25, 2005
Who's On First
The military told President Bush today that there needs to be a Post-Disaster Plan to deal with search and rescue efforts following a national emergency. That is a joke, right? What is FEMA? What is the Department of Homeland Security? Bush said that he was interested in the proposal. The fact that this would even get into the news and that Bush said he was interested in any way is more than a little disturbing. What have we been doing the past couple of years? Not planning? Not coordinating? Not training? Watch my video here.
Posted by Chip Spear at 1:38 PM | Comments (0)
September 23, 2005
A Little Grandstanding with Hurricane Rita
The cynic in me sees many politicians, officials, and media using this hurricane to do some grandstanding, much like all those football players dancing and/or pounding their chests after a tackle or touchdown. Watch the video and let me know your thoughts.
Posted by Chip Spear at 5:16 PM | Comments (2)
The Mysteries of Iraq, WMD and Al Qaeda
I have been reading a terrific book by George Friedman called America's Secret War: Inside the Hidden Worldwide Struggle Between America and its Enemies. The book goes into detail about the war in Afghanistan, the ongoing struggle with Al Qaeda, Iraq and the roles played by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Iran. It has been an eye opener. Many of the issues are things I was vaguely aware of, but not to the degree outlined in this book. Among some of Friedman's points are that Iran wanted the U.S. to invade Iraq and was feeding Chalabi with intelligence, which he then passed on to the U.S. The problem for the U.S. was that Iran was only giving Chalabi part of the story. They were not saying anything about the potential for a huge insurgent opposition. The U.S. and Saudi's were playing a game of chicken. The U.S. didn't really want to invade Iraq, they realized that it was going to be a tough situation at best, but they needed to find a way to get the House of Saud to clamp down on Al Qaeda and especially its supporters within Saudi Arabia. The U.S. realized that the House of Saud was sitting on a powder keg and was, and still is, reluctant to act against extremist elements. The Saudi's didn't want American troops in Iraq sitting on their border. They felt that the U.S. would not invade without using Saudi territory, which is one reason they asked the U.S. to pull all troops out of the country prior to the invasion.
Friedman also contends that the U.S. did not want a coalition. They needed to appear strong and effective without the help of others. The Arabs did not particularly respect American strength. They felt, with some reason, that within a short time and a few well publicized deaths that Americans would turn against the war and leave. This is exactly what the Iranians thought too. They believed the Americans would come in, get rid of Saddam, then depart, leaving them with huge influence in the south. In addition, many Arabs were not going to stake their lives on the U.S. if it was going to pull out too soon and leave the insurgents and Al Qaeda stronger than before.
The WMD reason for war was only one of a number that motivated the Bush administration to attack Iraq. The others were complicated, difficult to sell to the American public and perhaps couldn't be stated publically anyway. The issues here are very complex and interesting, which makes the book a fascinating read. I only touched on a few of the points, so read the book. I think you will learn a great deal. I know I have.
Posted by Chip Spear at 9:18 AM | Comments (5)
September 21, 2005
The Galloping Ghost Returns
Ah John, how much you remind me of that legend of yore, that man who could not be touched, could not be caught. He moved with the wind and flew down the field. From Grantland Rice:
A streak of fire, a breath of flame
Eluding all who reach and clutch;
A gray ghost thrown into the game
That rival hands may never touch;
A rubber bounding, blasting soul
Whose destination is the goal.
You can read the ESPN article here on Red Grange.
In his first game, Grange scored three touchdowns, including a 66-yard punt return, against Nebraska in 1923. In seven games as a sophomore he ran for 723 yards (5.6 average) and scored 12 touchdowns in leading unbeaten Illinois to the consensus national championship.
Not until the Michigan game on Oct. 18, 1924, did Grange reach legendary status. He returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. Then he scored on runs of 67, 56 and 44 yards. All this in the first 12 minutes. The four touchdowns were as many as Michigan had allowed in the two previous seasons.
Tired, he took a rest. But he came back to run 11 yards for a fifth touchdown and passed 20 yards for a sixth score as Illinois won 39-14 to end Michigan's 20-game unbeaten streak. He totaled an amazing 402 yards -- 212 rushing, 64 passing and 126 on kickoff returns.
As a senior, in a 24-2 upset of Penn in Philadelphia, Grange rushed for a career-high 237 yards, including touchdown runs of 56 and 13 yards, through ankle-deep mud. With rumors of Grange turning pro swirling, he helped Illinois win its season-finale, 14-9 over Ohio State. In his 20-game career, he ran 388 times for 2,071 yards (5.3 average), caught 14 passes for 253 yards and completed 40 of 82 passes for 575 yards. Of his 31 touchdowns, 16 were from at least 20 yards, with nine from more than 50.
And so what is so fabulous about the Great Galloping Ghost right now? Well, John Roberts of course. Swift of foot, can't be caught, like the wind. He stands before your eyes, you lunge to tackle him and he is gone, your arms grabbing nothing but air. One man, two men, a whole room of men and none can manage to difficult task of bringing him down. As a defender you hate and admire his vast array of skills. He is the likes of which we seldom see, a shimmering ghost before our eyes. He is right before us, yet we cannot truly describe what we see. I watch in awe at his shifts, his wiggles, and shimmies. How can we deny him his goal?
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:28 PM | Comments (0)
North Korea Can't Handle a Light Water Nuclear Reactor
It seems that North Korea needs a power grid 10 times larger than the one it currently has to handle the energy generated by one light water nuclear reactor. Their grid is so primitive and small that it is unable to handle the electricity generated by something with so much power. What this implies is that the light water reactor issue is a political ploy, something that the North Koreans are using to further other political interests, like keeping their nuclear weapons. The Nautilus Institute provided the analysis, which you can find here. There is an article here too.
According to the Nautilus Institute, a California-based research group on Northeast Asian energy isues, the deal was doomed from the start.
"The North Korean grid could not then, nor could it ever, have supported these two reactors as the grid was far too small and simple to run such large and potentially hazardous units," the institute said in a July report.
One of the report's co-authors, South Korean nuclear expert Kang Jungmin, said Pyongyang's demand for the reactors was a political gesture made against the advice of the country's own power experts.
"To consume the electricity generated by such reactors, North Korea would need a power grid 10 times the size of what they now have," Kang said.
"They simply cannot even use the reactors, even if they ever get them," he said.
Posted by Chip Spear at 9:27 AM | Comments (0)
September 20, 2005
Player of the Week for Sept. 19th
We name Karl Rove as this week's Political Sports Player of the Week for his surprise appointment to lead the Gulf Coast reconstruction effort. A political strategist with no or little administrative experience, Karl was named by President Bush to lead one of, if not the, largest reconstruction efforts in U.S. history. Known as an extremely partisan political operative, Karl scored big with the appointment and is sure to help his friends to huge gains in both the political and economic arenas. Congratulations Karl! Watch the latest video here.
Posted by Chip Spear at 9:33 AM | Comments (2)
September 19, 2005
Ah, See, the Stakes Are Raised
Well, it didn't take long for the sudden jubilation about an agreement to come to a standstill. When I read the part about the nuclear reactor issue being discussed "at the appropriate time" I thought, "That is a recipe for disaster." Well, guess what, now the whole thing is thrown up in the air because the North is insisting on the reactor before they dismantle their weapons program as a sign of good faith. I read one report that said it would take 10 years to build the reactor. If that is true, then we still have some major work to do. These guys are tough poker players. They are not going to give up those weapons easily. You can read this for a little update.
Posted by Chip Spear at 10:23 PM | Comments (1)
Hats! Political Hats?
Check out the hats! Watch it here.
Posted by Chip Spear at 1:39 PM | Comments (0)
North Korea and U. S. Agree, Kinda, Maybe, Sorta
I got up early this morning and drove to the gym to do some swimming. Along the way I listed to NPR announce that the U.S. and North Korea had reached an agreement regarding the dismantling of North Korea's nuclear weapons program. I immediately thought how I had to eat some crow for my insistence that I never thought N. Korea and Kim Jong Il would give up their weapons. During my swim I wondered what I would say. Then driving home I heard that the agreement was more an agreement to have an agreement, and I smiled. This was too much, but I suppose typical in negotiations. From what I understand at this point, the North Koreans agree in principal to give up their weapons, but there is no timetable, there is no verification and there is no agreement on the light-water reactor they insist on before they agree to give up the weapons. Basically, it appears that we have a lot of bluffing going on at the poker table and noone is willing to lay their cards down yet. That does not mean that it won't happen. I hope that I am wrong. I certainly would like to see N. Korea give up its weapons. I just don't think they will. There are lots of articles about this, including here, here and here.
Posted by Chip Spear at 8:34 AM | Comments (1)
September 18, 2005
FEMA Continues Huge Losses
The incompetency continues, read the Washington Post here
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:44 PM | Comments (3)
September 16, 2005
North Korea Wants to Play Poker Well Into the Night
North Korea is in no hurry to give up its nuclear weapons. Perhaps I should say that Kim Jong Il is in no hurry to give up his weapons. Watch the video here.
Posted by Chip Spear at 7:46 PM | Comments (0)
Bush Gains Big Yardage With New Orleans Speech
G.W. gained last night with his speech in New Orleans. He did what he is good at. He appeared strong, forceful and in control. He accepted responsibility for the Federal screw-ups and promised to fix them. That was all well and good. Now he has to deliver. As they say, talk is cheap it is the actions that are expensive. And in this case they are expensive in many ways. Watch the video here.
Posted by Chip Spear at 3:31 PM | Comments (2)
Why Political Sports
Find out about Political Sports. Watch my video where I explain some of my goals. Get a clearer idea of what Political Sports is all about.
Posted by Chip Spear at 11:22 AM | Comments (1)
September 14, 2005
Where Are We?
I don't often link to the NY Times. I figure that many people either read it online or get newsfeeds. However, Tom Friedman's op-ed piece was quite powerful. You can link to it here. The following really stood out for me though:
The discipline that the cold war imposed on America, by contrast, seems to have faded. Last year, we cut the National Science Foundation budget, while indulging absurd creationist theories in our schools and passing pork-laden energy and transportation bills in the middle of an energy crisis.
We let the families of the victims of 9/11 redesign our intelligence organizations, and our president and Congress held a midnight session about the health care of one woman, Terri Schiavo, while ignoring the health crisis of 40 million uninsured. Our economy seems to be fueled lately by either suing each other or selling each other houses. Our government launched a war in Iraq without any real plan for the morning after, and it cut taxes in the middle of that war, ensuring that future generations would get the bill. ....
Janadas Devan, a Straits Times columnist, tried to explain to his Asian readers how the U.S. is changing. "Today's conservatives," he wrote, "differ in one crucial aspect from yesterday's conservatives: the latter believed in small government, but believed, too, that a country ought to pay for all the government that it needed.
"The former believe in no government, and therefore conclude that there is no need for a country to pay for even the government that it does have. ... [But] it is not only government that doesn't show up when government is starved of resources and leached of all its meaning. Community doesn't show up either, sacrifice doesn't show up, pulling together doesn't show up, 'we're all in this together' doesn't show up."
Every day we make a choice as to what type of world we want. I don't subscribe to handing people something for nothing. I think that most people will work if they have real opportunities for good jobs, with livable wages. Those opportunities were not available to many in New Orleans. And we now know that they don't exist for many, many others too. We have an opportunity to address these issues. Are we going to step up to the plate and do something substantial? The past performance of this administration leads me to think not. I hope I am wrong.
Posted by Chip Spear at 9:23 PM | Comments (0)
Bush Offensive Strategy Moving into High Gear
Pres. Bush and his administration have moved their political recovery offensive into high gear. Yesterday the President conditionally took responsibility for many of the problems with federal relief in the Katrina disaster. He has also begun throwing huge amounts of money at the problem.
By admitting some degree of responsibility for the problems Bush is trying to stand up to the American people and say, "We weren't ready for this and should have done a better job. Now we are going to fix it." Considering he has never admitted any sort mistake this seems like a big step and will probably score some points with his flagging fan base. How it plays out with the rest of the public remains to be seen.
Throwing huge amounts of money at the disaster is another issue. There seems to be no oversight and no planning in how that money is spent. In addition, many of the contracts appear to be no bid, meaning that his pals, who lead many of the companies doing the work are going to make a killing. This could be a real disaster for the people, with millions, if not billions misspent. Read the article here. It seems like a recipe for a boondoogle to me.
Posted by Chip Spear at 3:34 PM | Comments (0)
September 13, 2005
Halliburton, Our Team of the Month
Halliburton is our Team of the Month, for successfully exploiting their political connections to score big not only in Iraq and but the Gulf Coast. The Oil and Gas industry scored a close second and would have won if not for the call for investigations of price gouging by members of Congress. Watch the video here.
Posted by Chip Spear at 3:33 PM | Comments (2)
Joe Allbaugh, Our Player of the Week
Joe Allbaugh is our Player of the Week. The former predecessor to Michael Brown as head of FEMA, Allbaugh has been a busy boy securing contracts in Iraq and the disaster torn Gulf Coast for all his friends. Watch the video here.
Posted by Chip Spear at 3:29 PM | Comments (0)
Pork Barrel Spending - Where We Are and Who is to Blame
The Tomah Journal from LaCrosse Wisconsin points out some of the outrageous spending and pork barrel projects from the last couple of years here.
.Big-government conservatism isn't just limited to DHS. The July issue of Harper's Magazine reported how Congress has streamlined the process by which members of Congress insert spending items into appropriation bills. The article obliterated the fiction that Republicans are only as corrupt as Democrats who ran Congress until 1995. In 1980, for example, Congress inserted just 62 defense department "earmarks" Last year, it was 2,671. The number of earmarks tripled from $10.6 billion in 1998 to $32.7 in 2004. Harper's calls it "The Great American Pork Barrel -- Washington streamlines the means of corruption," and it's not happening with on the Democrats' watch.
Still don't believe big-government conservatism exists? Compare spending patterns of the Clinton and Bush years. Under Clinton, federal spending went up 13.3 percent over eight years. Bush needed just four years to jack up spending by 19.7 percent. The difference isn't defense spending. Clinton raised non-defense discretionary spending by 15.1 percent in eight years. Under four years of Bush, it's up 25.3 percent
If any of my Republican friends complain about tax and spend Democrats and liberals I will probably throw up.
Posted by Chip Spear at 8:01 AM | Comments (0)
September 12, 2005
FEMA is Not Alone
Paul Krugman of the NY Times says that FEMA is not the only federal agency infected with Bush cronyism. You can find the article here.
But what we really should be asking is whether FEMA's decline and fall is unique, or part of a larger pattern. What other government functions have been crippled by politicization, cronyism and/or the departure of experienced professionals? How many FEMA's are there?
He describes several agencies that suffer from the same cronyism affliction. It is well worth the read.
Posted by Chip Spear at 8:56 AM | Comments (0)
Acts of Desparation in New Orleans
This article in London's Daily Mail raises more disturbing questions about the government's timely response to the disaster in New Orleans.
Doctors working in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans killed critically ill patients rather than leaving them to die in agony as they evacuated hospitals, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
With gangs of rapists and looters rampaging through wards in the flooded city, senior doctors took the harrowing decision to give massive overdoses of morphine to those they believed could not make it out alive.
In an extraordinary interview with The Mail on Sunday, one New Orleans doctor told how she 'prayed for God to have mercy on her soul' after she ignored every tenet of medical ethics and ended the lives of patients she had earlier fought to save.
Thanks to Bad Attitudes for the info.
Posted by Chip Spear at 8:50 AM | Comments (0)
September 11, 2005
The Bush Offensive Takes Shape
Mike Allen writes in Time magazine:
By late last week, Administration aides were describing a three-part comeback plan. The first: Spend freely, and worry about the tab and the consequences later. "Nothing can salve the wounds like money," said an official who helped develop the strategy. "You'll see a much more aggressively engaged President, traveling to the Gulf Coast a lot and sending a lot of people down there."
The second tactic could be summed up as, Don't look back. The White House has sent delegates to meetings in Washington of outside Republican groups who have plans to blame the Democrats and state and local officials. In the meantime, it has no plans to push for a full-scale inquiry like the 9/11 commission, which Bush bitterly opposed until the pressure from Congress and surviving families made resistance futile. Congressional Democrats have said they are unwilling to settle for anything less than an outside panel, but White House officials said they do not intend to give in, and will portray Democrats as politicking if they do not accept a bipartisan panel proposed by Republican congressional leaders. Ken Mehlman, the party's chairman and Bush's campaign manager last year, told TIME that viewers at home will think it's "kind of ghoulish, the extent to which you've got political leaders saying not 'Let's help the people in need' but making snide comments about vacations."
The third move: Develop a new set of goals to announce after Katrina fades. Advisers are proceeding with plans to gin up base-conservative voters for next year's congressional midterm elections with a platform that probably will be focused around tax reform. Because Bush will need a dynamic salesman to make sure that initiative goes better than his Social Security proposal, advisers tell TIME there is once again talk of replacing Treasury Secretary John Snow. There are no plans to delay tax cuts to pay for the New Orleans reconstruction or the Iraq war, and Bush is likely to follow through on his vow to veto anticipated congressional approval of increased federal funding for embryonic-stem-cell research.
As I have mentioned in earlier posts, Bush and the Republicans are focusing all blame on local officials and the Democrats. They will blame the Dems for being obstructionists on Republican "Bipartisan" Investigation Committee in Congress. It is going to be very interesting if the American people will buy the tactic and Bush rebounds from his sinking poll numbers.
Posted by Chip Spear at 9:34 PM | Comments (0)
September 9, 2005
Republicans Announce Bipartisan Congressional Committee to Investigate Disaster Problems
Rep. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House, and Sen. Bill Frist, Majority Leader of the Senate, announced a bipartisan Congressional Committee to investigate all issues related to the Federal response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster. The only problem is that Nancy Pelosi, the House Minority Leader knew nothing about it. Watch the VIDEO commentary from Political Sports here.
Posted by Chip Spear at 4:41 PM | Comments (0)
The Importance of a Vote
About 50% of the American voting public did not vote in the last presidential election. Consider the Gulf Coast and the people appointed to run Federal agencies. And you think your vote doesn't make a difference?
Posted by Chip Spear at 9:38 AM | Comments (0)
September 8, 2005
An amazing story
I am sure there will be others, but this is quite amazing and admirable. Read the article here.
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:57 PM | Comments (2)
FEMA Fumbles Two More Times (Watch the Video)
Wow, somebody ought to tell these guys to get their act together. Two firefighters who were heading to New Orleans to help with the relief effort, were being trained in Atlanta at the FEMA training center to hand out flyers. They went home.
People in need of relief aid were directed by Michael Brown, head of FEMA and Chertoff, Director of Homeland Security to register by phone (of those needing relief how many have phones?) or via the Internet (and how many have a computer?) Watch my VIDEO here.
Posted by Chip Spear at 1:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 7, 2005
The Political Blame Game Really Gets Started
You can watch the latest VIDEO analysis from Political Sports here.
Posted by Chip Spear at 3:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 6, 2005
This is from Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo
I just post the entire thing because it is both important and leaves me speechless.
On the Al Franken show this afternoon I mentioned this article from today's Salt Lake Tribune which tells the story of about a thousand firefighters from around the country who volunteered to serve in the Katrina devastation areas. But when they arrived in Atlanta to be shipped out to various disaster zones in the region, they found out that they were going to be used as FEMA community relations specialists. And they were to spend a day in Atltanta getting training on community relations, sexual harassment awareness, et al. This of course while life and death situations were still the order of the day along a whole stretch of the Gulf Coast.
It's an article you've really got a to read to appreciate the full measure of folly and surreality.
But the graf at the end of the piece really puts everything in perspective, and gives some sense what the Bush administration really has in mind when it talks about a crisis. The paper reports that one team finally was sent to the region ...
As specific orders began arriving to the firefighters in Atlanta, a team of 50 Monday morning quickly was ushered onto a flight headed for Louisiana. The crew's first assignment: to stand beside President Bush as he tours devastated areas.
You can't make this stuff up.
-- Josh Marshall
Posted by Chip Spear at 8:25 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
September 5, 2005
The Republican Offensive Begins
The Republicans have begun to turn up the rhetoric against Governor Blanco of Louisiana. Read one of the first articles here. We can expect the Rove spin machine to start moving through the gears as he and his pit crew reach top speed in the next week or two. She is the most obvious target in redirecting attention from the administration failings to someone else.
Posted by Chip Spear at 10:17 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
CHERTOFF and BROWN Should be Fired or Resign
For the good of the country these two individuals should be immediately replaced. Given the facts of the last week, they were not prepared, they did not act in a timely manner and they have not taken responsiblity for their actions. The measure of a man or woman is not when times are good, but rather when "the shit hits the fan." Whether in personal relationships, in business, in politics, whatever, a person is defined by how they deal with adversity, not good times. I am not really interested in gettting to know someone when the sun is shining. I want to know how they think and act when times are hard. These men have failed on a scale that is almost unprecedented in recent American history. There positions should go to people that are more qualified, immediately.
Posted by Chip Spear at 6:35 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
This Makes Me So Very Sad
I read this report in the Washington Post and felt so, so sad for the state of our country and government.
The leaders of Cuba and Venezuela, both at odds with the United States, pledged support. Cuban President Fidel Castro offered to send 1,100 doctors, each carrying emergency medical supplies amounting to tons of relief aid. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez offered to send fuel, humanitarian aid and relief workers to the disaster area. Venezuela is one of the largest suppliers of oil to the United States.
In a remarkable role reversal, some of the world's poorest developing nations are offering help. El Salvador offered to send soldiers to help restore order, and offers of aid have come from Bosnia, Kosovo and Belarus. The former Soviet republic of Georgia has donated $50,000 to the Red Cross, and beleaguered Sri Lanka, which has received $133 million in tsunami relief from the United States, has donated $25,000 to the Red Cross. In Beijing, Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) and Rep. Jim Leach (R-Iowa), just back from Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, said officials there went out of their way to express their sympathy.
The entire article can be found here. Our government has failed so miserably. We put our trust in our leaders to do the right thing, to step up to the plate and act in a manner which not only makes us proud, but says something about our country and culture. This is truly a sad time.
Posted by Chip Spear at 5:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 4, 2005
The Political System Fails New Orleans
The LA Times reports today about the political failings in Washington leading to the disaster. There is no excuse for the fumbling of the administration, but the political process at work in DC appears to have a lot to do with the problems of funding for maintenance and repair of the levees.
Posted by Chip Spear at 3:32 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
What Can We Expect of George and the GOP Now?
Given the amazing disaster in New Orleans and the apparent culpability of the Feds one wonders what King Karl and his minitions, whoops, I meant to say George, are going to do to stop the onslaught of criticism. George and his administration has always used a tactic of attacking the opposition's strength. If that is any guide we can assume that he and Karl will construct a strategy based on blaming locals, including the same officials who were on TV screaming for Federal help. They will contend that those folks were completely unprepared, unorganized, and dysfunctional. They will further state that they were in place, ready to move, all they needed was authorization from state and local authorities to act.
Accepting blame or admitting mistakes is not something this administration does. however, one shouldn't get overly worked up over that fact since it is human nature. There are few people that admit they are wrong, and certainly not when so much is at stake. G.W. and pals have always found a way to divert the public's perceptions of guilt to opponents despite clear evidence of culpability or incompetence. What event leads one to believe that this administration will change and admit that they didn't do the job, that the head of FEMA is incompetent and they wasted the public's time and money in the Department of Homeland Security. They were not prepared.
The administration will do absolutely everything possible to score political points. They will blame others, they will announce new programs, which they should, and they will engage in many photo-ops to showcase their proactive response. However, if Iraq and NYC are indicators, the job they do will be half-assed. Full funding will not come, promises of equipment and support will be only half kept. Things will happen, but it will be too little for far too many people. Meanwhile, George will be pushing for additional tax cuts. I don't want to believe that this will happen, but I am afraid that it will. We will just have to stay tuned.
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:43 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
September 3, 2005
The Bankruptcy Bill and its Effect
Bob Cesca on the Huffington Post has this to say about the second disaster awaiting victims of New Orleans with the recently passed Bankruptcy Bill.
And how is Bush to politically recover from this? By "this" I mean the entire disaster in New Orleans.
Posted by Chip Spear at 1:38 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Is This a Metaphor for the Bush Presidency?
This article on Yahoo is from the Associated Press. I have no answer to my question. I just want to pose it for you to consider. The article states:
At one point Friday, the evacuation was interrupted briefly when school buses pulled up so some 700 guests and employees from the Hyatt Hotel could move to the head of the evacuation line — much to the amazement of those who had been crammed in the Superdome since last Sunday.
"How does this work? They (are) clean, they are dry, they get out ahead of us?" exclaimed Howard Blue, 22, who tried to get in their line. The National Guard blocked him as other guardsmen helped the well-dressed guests with their luggage.
The 700 had been trapped in the hotel, near the Superdome, but conditions were considerably cleaner, even without running water, than the unsanitary crush inside the dome. The Hyatt was severely damaged by the storm. Every pane of glass on the riverside wall was blown out.
Whatever the interpretation, the fact of the matter stinks.
Posted by Chip Spear at 1:35 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
I Can Root For the Team and Still Think the QB Sucks
I can be a fan of a particular sports team, in my case it is usually any team in Cleveland, and still think that the QB stinks or the Manager or Coach sucks. In addition I might feel that guy should be fired or traded or moved to another position or whatever. It doesn't change my feelings or support for the team. I am a Browns fan whatever place they are in. The same with the Indians. So what makes politics different?
It is becoming increasingly obvious, even to fairly objective analysts that this President is terrible. I realize this is an opinion and that two people can look at one thing and interpret it in completely different ways, but we have a number of factors that clearly add up to incompetency. We have or had the worst attack in our nation's history, huge budget deficits, a terrible economy for everyone except the wealthy, a horrible long term energy policy, a disasterous environmental policy, massive deception about the Iraq war, the lowest opinion of the U.S. in the world in over 60 years, a terrible and increasingly unpopular war in Iraq, an incompetent Homeland Security Department, a recent multi-billion dollar transportation bill supported and pushed by the President possessing so much pork it should have been considered a farm bill, a President who has set a record for vacations as President and he is not even through 5 or 8 years, and an inept response to the most massive natural disaster in the country's history. At what point do the majority of Republicans admit in public that this guy sucks? They can still be Republicans, and still believe in small, but efficient government, but really, isn't George W. rather pathetic?
Posted by Chip Spear at 11:48 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
New Orleans Info
There is so much amazing reporting going on with respect to New Orleans, plus a wealth of opinions and rants about the government's performance. See Andrew Sullivan here, and a good article at CNN comparing what the administration says and what is actually happening here. There is a very interesting and pointed opinion at DailyKos here and of course, the always insightful and witty Wonkette here.
Posted by Chip Spear at 11:05 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 2, 2005
Nuclear Talks Resume With North Korea
Watch the newest (actually the first) Political Sports video on the resumption of Nuclear Weapons talks with North Korea
Posted by Chip Spear at 1:25 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
September 1, 2005
Well, Here is Something to Consider
The CT. Waterbury Republican questioned the validity of completely rebuilding New Orleans on its Editorial page yesterday.
To what end? So when subsequent big hurricanes blow through, the government can do it all over again and again and again? As it is, the government (read: taxpayers) will have to pay for the copious flood damage because owners of coastal properties have policies from the National Flood Insurance Program. Such coverage is unavailable from private companies because few could afford the premiums. The government is the biggest insurance writer in the United States.
But not only has cheap (relatively speaking) flood insurance encouraged more and more people to build up to and beyond the brink of disaster, it has left taxpayers liable for what happens to $700 billion worth of waterfront real estate, including the homes, businesses and parishes soaked and submerged by Katrina.
Americans' hearts go out to the people in Katrina's path. But if the people of New Orleans and other low-lying areas insist upon living in harm's way, they ought to accept responsibility for what happens to them and their property. And if the government insists on rebuilding ravaged homes and businesses along Gulf Coasts, it should stipulate that the next time a hurricane blows through, it will be up to the people living there to make themselves whole.
However, before the government commits to reclaiming New Orleans and its marshy environs, it should think long and hard about whether the investment of time and money would be worth it.
Perhaps they are right. I have always wondered about the wisdom of allowing people to build in flood plains or on fragile beach front, expecting the government to pay them if disaster strikes. I don't know the right answer, but it is something to consider, now that we have an opportunity to do so. It might be wiser than allowing something like this to happen again, which it will.
Posted by Chip Spear at 3:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Reports of long gas lines in NC and SC
I spoke to my Mom this morning. She called from North Carolina, where she lives because she is planning on driving to New Jersey tomorrow and is worried about the gas situation. She told me that over 25 cars were lined up at one gas station north of Charlotte this morning. She also said my brother, who lives near Columbia, SC, told her that 18 cars lined up to get gas at one station he went. Buckle your seat belts folks, the real fun for everyone is about to begin.
Posted by Chip Spear at 1:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Huge Tax Cuts, Budget Deficits, Massive Iraq Spending - No Money for Levees
Wonkette reports that the flooded areas in New Orleans are being christened. Lake George, for G.W. It seems that the result of massive tax cuts favoring the wealthy, the huge budget deficits and spending in Iraq is that the administration has cut funding over the past few years for projects to reinforce the levees in New Orleans. The Prez will be on the defensive on this one for quite some time. We will have rising gas prices and shortages now too. I will be interested to see how all this affects his poll numbers.
Posted by Chip Spear at 1:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack