(no subject)

[katallison]

Well, OK, I will add this ...

When I was a kid, I had a friend whose father had been a Seabee in WWII -- part of that corps of uber-competent guys who could mobilize anywhere, fix/build anything, make stuff *happen*, fast and efficiently. I wish I could remember some of the stories he told (which I, being a dumb kid, paid little attention to), but I remember bits about coming into some tropical island under enemy fire, buildiing a causeway in a day, conjuring up drinking water and sanitation facilities and communications out of nothing. The Seabees weren't fighting soldiers, as I understand it, and they weren't college-educated engineers; they were working guys, common hands-on Joes, whose forte was *get it done,* with efficent and unpretentious cheer, in appalling and unlikely circumstances.

I realize now how deeply those stories, that imagery, saturated into some part of my subconscious, and left me with this naive belief that part of the bedrock of America was the ability to take care of things in crises, to deal and cope, rescue the helpless, solve logistical problems, be fucking *competent.* That that was part of what we were about, deep down. That flicker of faith is one of the many many things that's died this week, and my grief at losing it is just one of the feelings I'm dealing with, along with this huge, huge rage that I don't even know what to do with.

I lost track of my friend and her dad many years ago, and frankly, I kind of hope he's not around right now to see all this, but even at that, I bet he's spinning in his grave.

Comments

[lapillus]

this huge, huge rage that I don't even know what to do with.

Is there anything constructive you can do with it? Do you have any skills or connections from your time doing community work that could be put to good use for this?

[katallison.livejournal.com]

Honestly? I mostly just want to *beat the everlasting crap* out of a whole bunch of people, starting with George Bush and moving on out from there.

I think a big part of it is the huge sense of helplessness in not being able to do anything to directly help all the people who are suffering, protractedly, terminally. I've sent money, which is something, I guess. But I don't have the medical or construction or engineering skills that would be helpful. And the job is eating my brain/life this week; I'm needed there in a variety of institutionally "urgent" ways, and then I come home feeling hammered, and sit and watch the unfolding horrorshow on TV, stuff that's *truly* urgent but completely out of my control, and sleep badly when I finally climb into bed.

And, gah, this is the self-indulgent yammer I'm trying to avoid. It was very good to have dinner with you the other day; that was a great mental health interlude. And getting back to the gym will likely be a help.

[thisisbone.livejournal.com]

Honestly? I mostly just want to *beat the everlasting crap* out of a whole bunch of people, starting with George Bush and moving on out from there.


I had a whole anti-Bush rant in my last comment, which I deleted before posting.

What it said was basically this: I lay this whole thing at George Bush's feet. He's the leader, but he doesn't fucking lead. He waits to the told what to think, spouts some platitudes, watches from as far as he can get away with, and I don't think he gives a shit about poor black people in Louisiana. He can't get re-elected anyway -- what difference does it make to him?

I'm glad to see the rage expressed. I'm enraged, with no outlet for it beyond as big a contribution as I can make to the American Red Cross.

[thisisbone.livejournal.com]

I have this same sense from what my dad told me about his experience in WWII -- people were mobilized and then they did stuff, protected things, built things, got stuff done and damn it, made friends along the way.

If you read Vanity Fair, the article last month about recruiting practices may go a long way toward explaining why our current armed forces don't seem quite up to snuff.

[namastenancy.livejournal.com]

My uncle commanded a group of SeeBees and they did all the sorts of things that you talk about. Hell, my brother (whose is not exactly liberal) has gotten together a group of retired ex-military friends and they are on their way down South now. These guys can build a mansion out of runined timber and spit. They are bringing their own battery operated tools and hand tools as well and they will do what our fracking gov't is too stupid and racist to do. My nephew who is part of Lutherans Concerned is on his way South as well with a group of medical people complete with supplies raised by their church. The know-how, the can-do and the spirit is there. What's lacking is the damn leadership! Like you, I struggle with rage and grief and fury beyond words at what 6 years of neo com plundering have done to our country. I've been angered and astonished at the "oh gee whiz" excuses by the FEMA guy - like NOBODY thought that there would be people walking out of NO and NOBODY thought to have trucks with water and supplies at each "working" bridge and highway. There are helicopters buzzing over the city - you mean to tell me that none of them can see where there is a large group of people and drop supplies? We can "conquer" Iraq in two weeks but can't get it together to try and save thousands, if not millions of people? OK - rant over. Well, maybe not but I'm working with groups that are putting together money and relief supplies with blinding speed. Just wish our damn government was as efficient.
namaste SF Nancy

[ratcreature]

I said so in some other comment too, but I think in part I'm so stunned by seeing these nightmarish pictures from New Orleans on tv, because I had this perhaps irrational faith in the power of US (military) logistics. Because, you know, like with those stories you mention, that efficiency was the stuff of legends here as well, i.e. how the Allies under US leadership managed to supply West Berlin with over two million people during the blockade for almost a year through the air, when Berlin still lay in ruins after WWII and was completely dependent on outside supplies, with over a thousand flights each day, bringing food, coal, gasoline, building materials, and dropping chocolate for kids besides... It's the kind of thing you hear well before you learn critically about history from a more detached view point. And sure, that was a different kind of logistical challenge, and the military machine was already there and mobilized, but *still*.

[imkalena.livejournal.com]

I know exactly what you mean. Never before have I been really, truly ashamed to be an American.

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

I don't have coherent thought, just a few notes that are semi related:

1. A lot of the people who are military and who could be doing this a great deal more effectively are otherwise engaged overseas. What we have left are reservists (the marines on the ground there are reservists, because there are very few acive ones NOT in Iraq et al), untrained, partially trained, and inactive people.

2. The marines need to go in there and restore order first. You can't do anything when people are shooting at the helecopters.

3. There are sharks in the water there. Pardon me while I freak the fuck out. I can't get off that. The aquarium sharks are just...swimming around somewhere.

[wickdzoot.livejournal.com]

I'm so angry and sad and god, I don't know what. The people left in New Orleans largely didn't have the choice to leave or not. FEMA was slashed so that the plan that had been in place for this inevitable catastrophe had been eviscerated. The worst of human nature is erupting and the military has been sent in. That ass Hastert or whatever the fuck his named is has been running his mouth. Koch and the other petroleum industries that created Cancer Alley have now contributed to a toxic stew. Thousands possibly dead in their attics. Corpses floating in the water. Sewage everywhere. Toxic chemicals. New Orleans is one of the oldest cities in this country. The Shrub flies over and does that bizarrely inappropriate smirk when he does his fly over. He's slashed the FEMA funds in favor of Homeland Security, and as his wont, is talking out of the other side of his mouth.

The human cost is horrific. And the plan put in place several years ago is not feasible considering the lack of funds.

And there was no real organized evacuation. If you were poor or poor and black, had no way to evacuate, you might have died in your attics.

The soil is going to be so toxic that the groundwater will be death.

I don't know what the answer is. But I'm furious and sorrowful at the same time.

[nagasvoice.livejournal.com]

This guy might make you feel better.
An internet version, really...
They're out there, working on it.
A lot of the problem is that the guv and the mayor apparently have been giving really cockeyed orders, and the Nat. Guard hasn't been able to do the job.
This guy's getting the facts out there a lot better than the main news has been.
http://www.livejournal.com/users/interdictor/41699.html

[reginagiraffe]

Um, you might want to read this before you get too excited about this guy. A grain of salt might not be amiss.

[(Anonymous)]

I'd be glad to check on it--looks lik the link is broken?

[reginagiraffe]

Oops, I stuck an extra " at the end. Remove it and it should work. Sorry!

[(Anonymous)]

Sorry, still can't get in, it's a friends-locked journal.