Fire the FEMA organizers, censure the waterboys, r...

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Author: Rares Marian

Started: October 30, 2007, 2:37:42 pm

Target: Whoever is responsible for hiring them as well as the general public

Category: Government & Politics

Supporters:

Goal:

100,000

Goal Progress:

Status

Active

Over the years we've heard about 1.6 billion dollars in fake news produced for the Bush Administration, false content on various news channels but the FEMA fake press conference takes the cake. It is an insult to the American public, a veiled slam against victims of Katrina, a promotional stunt, and a slap on the wrist by the higher ups at Homeland Security.

The undersigned desire the termination of those who conceived this stunt, the termination of those who ordered it, the censure of those who ordered their underlings, the censure of those who carried it out, the reduction of pay for those who whitewashed it, and the reduction of pay for those who lamely criticized the stunt.

The American people will no longer put up with: Stunts, Waterboys, and Whitewashers. No more fraud. No more spineless employees. No more good cop bad cop tactics.

The very fact that there is a good cop bad cop game between Homeland Security and FEMA is an insult to the American public who pay their salaries. Therefore we ask for what is essentially a refund. Cut their pay and put it to better use. They can earn it back later.

The question about people not evacuating uses Katrina victims as an example not to criticize and respond to the fact people did not evacuate but to promote for FEMA a role in cracking down on, vaguely hinted at, dangers that, vaguely hinted at, may occur if in the, vaguely hinted at, future where people do not, vaguely hinted at, evacuate. It's a reasonable criticism that people should have and did not evacuate. It is absolute unethical for FEMA to suggest that this is the case with all victims and that it is one of FEMA's prime directives to respond to an undefined threat from victims who refuse to leave. It's true that victims who refuse to leave can be a pain. It is not true that it is a grave danger to everything we hold dear.

The question about the President issuing a declaration of emergency is where this whole fiasco becomes a promotional stunt. This is an attempt to associate emergencies with the roles the President must play. There was not nearly the threat in the wildfires in California as during Katrina, therefore even mentioning the President is suspicious. For this reason those responsible must be terminated, though that is not enough. If there are criminal proceedings possible (improper use of funds, misuse of authority) they must begin. At the very least a lawsuit of behalf of the American public, victims of disasters, should be pursued. There must be something the public will remember.

The ridiculous question about FEMA coming to the rescue is nothing but propaganda for FEMA. The question regarding lessons from Katrina is nothing but an opportunity for FEMA to pat themselves on the back. It's one thing to call this a stunt. The news media as well failed to note the seriousness of the offense by merely calling it a stunt. You'd think the media would be angered by this kind of behavior. It's worse than the 1.6 billion in fake news promoting the war and other White House interests. It's a brazen promotion for a department under pressure to reform itself. It's not a good start.

This leaves the messengers and waterboys who could have stopped this promotional stunt from proceeding. The entire chain of actors and directors must be deterred from simply "just doing their jobs". The officials who approved it should have the same weight of responsibility as those who conceived it. The link must be made between the two or it's "say hello to the new boss, same as the old boss". The same goes for those who received and passed orders and those who merely carried them out. Censure is necessary for both. However, it is necessary that those individuals and organizations who slapped FEMA on the wrist to create the good cop bad cop scenario should have their pay reduced as well as those who whitewash. It is commendable that people try to make peace and end conflict and restore public faith in a department that has many responsible citizens doing their best and who have no guilt in what they were dragged into. Unfortunately, it's too early for that. We believe the whitewashers and good cop bad cop framers are more guilty than those who passed the buck and took orders. We don't expect the cameramen to stand up, but we do expect their supervisors to do something to prevent it. If any criminal or legal proceedings can commence, then the parrots should have their appropriate share of the penalties.

It is unfortunate that the many times when simple termination was used in cases such as this that it has not had the deterrent and protective effect against such abuse it ought to have. In the past the American public forgave and unfortunately forgot. Forgetfulness allowed terminated officeholders to continue their career elsewhere, often within the same community which they shamed. The effect has been that people forget (otherwise how is Kissinger still relevant to American politics) and so forgiveness shall still be extended, but to reduce the tendency of people to forget it is necessary to go beyond slaps on the wrist and apologies. There must be a lasting effect and a lasting memory. While it is unethical to put a scarlet letter on the offenders, their actions cannot be swept into the back of society's mind swept under trivia which finds its home there trivia that we actually seem to care more about. While taking offense and insult even to such misuse of authority may be self serving to some extent, there is a serious problem in American media and politics that cannot continue.