[Marxism] Cindy Sheehan on Louisiana: Bush's dangerous incompetence

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The latest from Cindy Sheehan, powerful as always.  The intro comments
below are from
Andy Pollack.  Note Sheehan's linking of New Orleans to the avoidable
deaths, caused by the US war, of 900 Shia Muslims in Iraq.

This is obviously hugely important. But note a couple specifics:

Covington, where the tour visited, is just across the lake from New
Orleans
-- and this supports the point made by New Orleans organizers such as
Malik Rahim
(http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=72&ItemID=8650)
that there are communities right outside the disaster zone that should
have (and still can) been allowed to help - but the authorities
physically stopped that when they could. Note also the concrete advice
from Cindy's driver about what to do for those who come down as well as
what needs to be gathered elsewhere.

So here again is an organizing and networking opportunity: UFPJ-ANSWER
affiliates can organize to support this effort, can begin hooking up
with Black groups/unions/etc. doing the same -- and can raise the
demand: LET THE PEOPLE OF THE GULF STATES DECIDE ON THEIR FATE! BILLIONS
FOR RESCUE, RELIEF, REPARATIONS AND RECONSTRUCTION, NOT ONE PENNY FOR
WAR!-AP]

TruthOut - Sep 3, 2005 http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/090305X.shtml

Dangerous Incompetence

By Cindy Sheehan

George Bush has been an incompetent failure his entire life. Fortunately
for humanity, he was just partying his way through school, running
companies into the ground, and being an alcoholic and cocaine abuser for
most of that time - and his incompetence was limited to hurting the
people who worked for him and his own family. The people in his life who
were hurt by his incompetence probably have been able to "get on" with
their lives. Now, though, his incompetence affects the world and is
responsible for so many deaths and so much destruction. How many of us
did not foresee the mess he would make of the world when he was selected
the first time? We saw what he had done to Texas. How many of us
marveled and were so discouraged and amazed when he was "re-elected" the
second time? We saw what he had done to the world. Dangerous
incompetence should never be rewarded, let alone be rewarded so
handsomely as in George's case.

The Camp Casey movement has been struggling with how best we can help
the government-ravaged people of New Orleans and the surrounding areas.
We sent a busload of supplies into Covington, La., which is a poor,
African-American town across Lake Ponchartrain from New Orleans. I had
the privilege of visiting Covington with my friends, Buddy and Annie
Spell last July. It was a community filled with love and laughter.

The Bring Them Home Now Tour bus that went into Covington is the
Veterans For Peace Impeachment Tour bus that I rode in and out of
Crawford on. They took about 10,000 pounds of leftover Camp Casey
supplies and we had 2 trucks filled to the brim with leftover water from
the camp to Covington. The tour bus also has satellite, so it is the
only communications that Covington has with the outside world now.

This is an email that our tour received from Gordon, who is one of the
bus drivers who bravely drove to Covington. I left it intact without
editing:

"I can't recommend coming here but, if you must, we do need help! During
the day we are going out into the community with water and baby supplies
and lunch foods. But, there has been an attack on the Armory and the
cops are scared. We have move into Covington middle school, and we are
giving the red cross our assistance with medical supplies and food
services. Until we arrived, they only had MRE's. They just brought in 5
new born babies from the hospital as they are expecting more casualties.
We brought in a generator and solar powered lights, no power, no phone
service here, our satellite link is the only connection to the outside.
The Marshal Law enforcement that will be coming to New Orleans with the
Army, could create mass panic. That will lead to more refugees, we have
twenty right now and room for 100. Don't come here unless you're
prepared to work!.

"I should say, stay out on the road and raise money for the relief
effort. But make up your own minds.

"We need to keep the public aware of what is going on here and all over
SOLA.

"If you want to help go [to] an established refugee camp and provide
your internet access to document who is there and what they plan to do
to the website. Use your satellites access to maximize the story of the
relief effort!

"Gordon."

There it is.

I think we should finish the tour so we can talk about what an abject
failure this administration is. The unnecessary tragedy in New Orleans
is directly related to the unnecessary tragedy in Iraq: Unnecessary
being the operative word.

Innocent people are dying daily in this world. In the crush of the
hurricane story, the fact that 950 people (mostly women and children)
were trampled to death in Iraq was buried in the back sections. Those
are 950 people who would still be alive if George Bush were not
president. 950 people in Iraq and how many thousands in the Gulf States
died while the emperor strummed a guitar and knocked a golf ball around?
Additionally, eight of our brave and wonderful soldiers have been
needlessly killed in Iraq since Monday.

I really believe that George and his band of incompetent and dangerous
thugs need to resign. It would be the only honorable and competent thing
to do. But wait....



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