posted by Chris @ 9/28/2005 04:07:00 PM  
Hurricane Katrina Notes

I talked with a couple New Orleans evacuees today. They couldn't say enough good things about the Coast Guard. The ones I talked with were at a Salvation Army shelter near the Superdome. From their five-story building, they witnessed countless Coast Guard helicopter rescue missions. After a couple of days they too were plucked from their building by a Coast Guard helo.

The evacuees moved in to an apartment complex in Dallas this weekend. About fifty families moved in. Before, the apartment complex was about half full, mostly of illegal aliens from Mexico. Now, according to a manager at the complex, the illegals are upset that the "Americans" are getting more handouts than they are. The illegals are grumbling about all of the donations (food, money, clothes, furniture, etc.) that the American evacuees are receiving.

I don't think it's too cold-blooded to suggest that we kick all of the illegals out of the complex and ship them back to Mexico to make more apartments available for American evacuees.

My son works at a leather jacket store. He said that three obnoxious evacuees visited the store with FEMA money at the ready. After much loud and abrasive behavior, they bought two expensive NASCAR leather jackets, but only after making abrasive demands for discounts and a waver of paying taxes on the sale. By the way, temps have been in the 90s and 100s for the past couple of weeks in Dallas.

On a related note, my son says that the illegals from Mexico love leather jackets, and they pay with cash from rolls of one hundred dollar bills. He says they never have change, just one hundred dollar bills. I explained to him that illegals don't have deductions on their wages, so all of their wages are free and clear. Their wages are "off the books" so they don't make, for example, $421.35, after deductions. They're paid with one hundred dollar bills. Must be nice. Maybe the illegals should think twice before getting upset about the Katrina evacuees' benefits.

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posted by Chris @ 9/28/2005 03:57:00 PM  
Troops Traded Iraq Pics for Porn Access

Photo: "Cooked Iraqi" - This photo, posted at nowthatsfuckedup.com, may be from the first Gulf War.

CNN doesn't name the Web site, but we are: http://www.nowthatsfuckedup.com. Warning: Graphic content

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posted by Chris @ 9/14/2005 03:40:00 PM  
Covert Operations in New Orleans?

(Image: Blackwater USA graphic)

The conspiracy theorists are having a field day with Hurricane Katrina. One of the more popular conspiracies is that the U.S. has hired mercenaries (Blackwater security personnel who are up to no good) to patrol New Orleans. This particular conspiracy feeds off the Bush/Cheney Big Oil links that portray Halliburton and related companies as out-of-control capitalists bent on subjugating the world. In New Orleans, the Blackwater personnel are being portrayed by some conspiracists as guardians of the wealthy sent to The Big Easy to put down the criminal poor and lead the way for the big corporations to take over. Here are a few excerpts from around the Internet that purport nefarious activities by Blackwater personnel:

OnlineJournal.com:
"According to Rahim, mercenaries from Blackwater USA are rumbling through the New Orleans streets, armed to the teeth and in full battle gear."

Online Journal Editor's Blog
"Blackwater mercenaries were seen looting bars in the French Quarter. Blackwater has also taken over another bar in the French Quarter as their de facto headquarters."

TowardFreedom.com
"Heavily armed paramilitary mercenaries from Blackwater, a private security firm that also works in Iraq, began patrolling the streets of New Orleans last week. Some of them said they have been "deputized" by the Louisiana governor, and have been given the authority to use lethal force by the Department of Homeland Security, according to a report by Jeremy Scahill and Daniela Crespo for Democracy Now!

"This is a totally new thing to have guys like us working CONUS (Continental United States)," a heavily armed Blackwater mercenary told the journalists. "We're much better equipped to deal with the situation in Iraq." Some Blackwater employees are among the most feared professional killers in the world, accustomed to operating without concern for legal consequences. Some of the men in New Orleans had returned from Iraq as recently as two weeks before."

Asia Times Online
"Washington Post reported that "Blackwater USA, known for its work supporting military operations in Iraq, said it would provide 164 armed guards to help provide security at FEMA sites in Louisiana." Today, New Orleans' streets are under military occupation; its property is guarded by hired guns; and the corporations of the whirlwind are pouring into town. All that's missing is the insurgency." [end of excerpts]

Well, like many conspiracy theories, there's a shred of truth to these reports. According to Blackwater USA, there ARE Blackwater personnel in the New Orleans area. This from the Blackwater Web site: "Blackwater USA continues to provide support to the hurricane devastated area through a variety of services including search and rescue, helicopter support, security services, and critical infrastructure protection." But there's only a shred...

If you listened to these conspiracists, and indeed the entire Left, you'd end up believing that Satan has taken over Halliburton, Blackwater, and other U.S. firms that have business in national and international hot spots.

With the demonization aside, however, what you really have are patriotic firms staffed full of patriotic Americans. Blackwater personnel for example are recruited mainly, or partly, from U.S. Military special forces. Blackwater, founded by a Navy SEAL, is reported to have a number of ex-SEALs in the ranks. These guys (SEALs, etc.) are the ultimate Americans, who have sacrificed their years and put their bodies through terrible ordeals in the service of the United States. Halliburton personnel? These guys work hard and pay their taxes. They are Americans like most of the rest of us. I find it a little annoying that "experts" on the Left would demonize fellow Americans to make a political point!

More links:
- Wealthy on guard against the poor
- Mercenaries fight alongside U.S. troops in Iraq

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posted by Chris @ 9/07/2005 04:34:00 PM  
Who the hell is Michael D. Brown?

Michael D. Brown has been called the accidental director of FEMA, according to the Washington Post. Before FEMA, Mr. Brown served for nine years as commissioner of the International Arabian Horse Association, according to the Post. On top of that, he was forced out after withstanding numerous lawsuits against his enforcement of rules for judges and awards, the Post adds.

Well, I don't know about you, but when I'm president of the United States I'm getting at least a former two-star U.S. Military general to head FEMA. I'm getting someone who knows something about running complex operations; someone who knows how to deploy troops and assets to accomplish the mission; someone who can cut through the bullshit and get things done.

A two-star general would be sufficient, but I'm pretty sure a U.S. Military company commander or even a platoon commander could get the job done too! Heck, even an enlisted squad leader could make some "command" decisions and be more effective than the accidental Mr. Brown.

The point is that FEMA needs a person with extensive military experience as its leader. I'm not sure how Mr. Brown was appointed, but the blame for the disaster-relief mess should start with whoever hired Mr. Brown to be director of FEMA.

Image: Disgraceful New Orleans police officers help loot a Wal-Mart! See the newscast at:
http://www.militaryloansnews.com/policelooters.wmv

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posted by Chris @ 9/02/2005 04:41:00 PM  
New Orleans: American Baghdad

Snipers shooting at aid convoys and military helicopters? Police stations taking gunfire? Policemen taking defensive positions inside their stations to repel expected assaults by armed agressors? Looters running rampant, stripping store shelves bare? Men roaming the streets sexually assaulting women? Scared citizens barricading themselves inside their houses and businesses ready to fend off intruders? Dead bodies, some with multiple gunshot wounds, littering the streets? Mobs of angry citizens protesting the government?

Baghdad, Iraq?

No: New Orleans, USA

Not enough troops to do the job?

Iraq?

No: Southern United States

Others are comparing the New Orleans situation to apocalyptic movies. Escape from New York comes to mind.

The anarchic scenes from the city are shocking and troubling.

The city needs the National Guard, but it also needs a couple of Marine Scout Sniper platoons, SWAT, the FBI, and Predators flying overhead to combat the cockroaches that emerged from the rubble.

Every video of the looting needs to be scrutinized, and every person identified as a looter needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

What is especially troubling about how the people of New Orleans so quickly descended into abandon is that now we (Americans) have an example of what will happen the next time America is struck locally, regionally, or nationally by a catastrophic event.

As I look around the Dallas area where I live I see a lot of potential trouble. New Orleans has shown us that things can go to hell in a handbasket overnight. Like many major U.S. cities, and like New Orleans, Dallas has a large underclass. It won't take but a night or two for the gang bangers, drug runners, and other assorted criminal elements from this underclass to come out and play in a catastrophic event.

New Orleans is a wake up call. Here's what we've learned:
1. Criminal elements, left unchecked, will emerge in areas of a catastrophic event.
2. There may not be ANY federal, state, local or any other kind of help for days or weeks after a catastrophic event.

Here's what I've learned:
It's time to buy a bigger gun. I'm leaning towards an M4!

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