<rant mode on>

So the Bush administration privatised hurricane relief efforts for Louisiana back in June, and the company that won the contract, IEM now has bailed on thier responsibilities. Want proof? Want to know why I had to link to the internet archive for that one? Because the pulled that little press release from their website. Gee, I wonder why... Maybe they never did what they were paid to do, eh? There's more about this discovery here.

Now really... Bush and company have been busy talking about how they've been preparing the country for a disaster. This is prepared? His failure to react swiftly and decisively is criminal. And his FEMA director blames the victims of the storm. Why, because they're too poor to own cars and get out? I heard an interview this morning with the commander of the military units responding to this disaster on the BBC and he was asked why they waited until Friday to move in. His answer? To paraphrase, we were prepared with equipment and supplies last Saturday, before the storm hit and were ready to move in to repair the city and aid in search and rescue but we can't do anything until ordered by the President. That order didn't come in until yesterday. Nice job George, wait 6 days to order in the resuce that was ready last week. What does he care, it's only poor African-Americans who were dying, not like they're Republican fundraisers or anything. And the rest of the world just shakes its collective head in awe at how shockingly poor Bush's response has been.