But there's something about FEMA director Michael Brown being pulled out of the Katrina recovery efforts that makes me grin gleefully. I'm also gleeful about news that he may have padded his resume like a mutherfucka.
It's nice to know that the dude in charge of shit when a catastrophe happens has even his tenure at the International Arabian Horse Association become a contested point. It's nice to know that we're fine with him -- if something happens with horses. If it's hurricanes, well we're all fucked.
It's admittedly on the political tip -- it's a reminder for everyone about how Shrub Jr. is an idiot. It's a reminder that while the Gulf Coast sunk under water, he was on vacation, Condi was shopping for shoes and Dickie was probably hiding in a bunker somewhere having a heart attack. It's a reminder that while he was able to marshal forces and appear to be strong for the World Trade Center (admittedly an economic hub), he virtually ignored the poorest people -- some of these people, who may have backed his evangelical Christian stance. What kind of Christian doesn't immediately respond with aid when their brethren are in trouble?
This is a reminder of all of Bush's failings as president. This isn't just about race. This is about socioeconomics also. The Mississippi delta and New Orleans are home to some of poorest people in the region. Mississippi ranked 50th in median household income. I can't help but wonder if this hit Miami or Tampa, whether the reaction would've been faster -- but because it was the poorest regions, the attitude was more lackadaisical.
The sad thing is that I'm not surprised by this reaction at all. I'm not surprised with the lack of fury coming down from on high -- I mean, it took people a week before they got pissed off. It's almost like we're all saying, "Well, they're poor, they don't buy our shit. They don't buy from our advertisers, so fuck 'em."
The funny thing is that the outpouring of donations and love we're seeing right now I think will dry up as the months go on. And that's not right. It's not just now with stories and images of families separated, dead floating in water or the daring rooftop rescues. It's going to be the long months (and perhaps years) ahead as the Mississippi and New Orleans attempts to bounce back from this. That's where the support is also needed. But I won't be surprised to see the milk of human kindness dry up pretty damn fast in the coming months. I hope I'm wrong -- I want people to prove me wrong -- but I'm so damn cynical now, I have a hard time believing this good will is going to last.
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