Viking said:
OK, let's assume he didn't know that the levees would break and that it's not his fault. But what about this: Half a year later there are still dead bodies rotting in their houses. Wrecked cars, damaged houses, debris are still cluttering up major portions of New Orleans.
Ok, all of the homes have been checked twice for dead bodies. So any dead bodies that were going to be found have been. I believe many were washed away. Most of the wrecked cars have even been moved. As for the damaged homes...well many people have not contacted the city. The city is trying not to just bulldoze a home before getting the homeowners permission first. Many people don't want their homes bulldozed b/c they think they can save it. My grandparents, who lived inLakeview, still hope that they can keep their house. It is impossible due to the structure damage and mold growth caused by 10 feet of water.
Viking said:
We had a big flood here too in 2002.
-Large portions of Eastern Germany were flooded, dozens of levees and dikes broke.
-A year later virtually no traces of the flood were to be found anymore.
-The flooding included Dresden, a major city.
-We didn't have any looting.
Which is probably why help was able to get to the city as early as it did. You have to understand the fear and panic that was in New Orleans the days following the hurricane. People were unprepared, they didn't (for whatever reasons) stock up on supplies or food or water. Many who were in their homes thought the worst was over when a 10ft wall of water came pouring into their homes. Many sat on their rooftops holding on to loved ones waiting to be rescued. Sadly it took a while for first responders to come into the cuty, for many had also evacuated. This is what happens when the local govt calls a mandatory evac...you will not get immediate help.
Viking said:
-Our military forces were called in to help reinforce the dikes and levees.
As were ours, the National Guard, which is under our Govenor's jurisdiction, so if they were called in later than they should have, it was her fault.
Viking said:
-They didn't have to shoot at anyone, they didn't even bring weapons.
-They were not shot at.
Which again was the problem of the remaining citizens panicing and reverting to a mob mentality. My Dh's uncle stayed in the convention center and and said it was very scary. Many people in the mob were armed. I believe this hurt us in the long run for two reasons: first of all FEMA told our Mayor flat out, they do not carry firearms and they wouldn't being coming into the city until it was under control. Secondly, it made us look bad. I don't begin to understand how my DH or I would have acted under the same conditions, but it was all on camera, and as you can tell by some of the posters it has left a memory. Again if people were shooting and the National Guard and the local police felt they needed to be armed, how is that the fault of the President?
Viking said:
-Some weeks later all the rubble was cleared.
Some weeks later New Orleans was still partly underwater. I live in Jefferson Parish and we weren't even allowed back into our beighborhood(and this was only to check our homes and grab what we needed and get out) for over a month. Keep in mind that many of the city's employees were in other states, with no home to come back to.
Viking said:
-All affected citizens were either compensated by their insurance or helped by the state/federal government.
Well, many have been compensated. Whether they were fully compensated is another thing. We never received anything from FEMA, but we were able to get some help from the Red Cross. Is it fair that I had to go into debt, and Dh and I are still struggling just to get caught up...no. My grandparents lost everything, and when I say everything, I REALLY mean everything. Their home was paid off, their car was paid off, they had very valuable furniture, and my dear cheap grandfather, who never buys anything for himself, had just purchased a brand new 54" HD TV...and yet they were WAY underinsured. Is that the govt's fault. No, it is their own. They know this, and are working hard trying to get their life back together.
Viking said:
If a small country like ours can handle something like this, a large one like the USA should be able to do it too!! Perhaps it would be wiser to spend money for one's own citizens, instead of 'burning it' abroad in an unjustified war.
That's the thing though, even if we weren't in Iraq, the federal govt wouldn't be doing much more than it already is. We choose to pay less in taxes, to be a capitalist nation...I am not saying it is good or bad, it just is what it is.
As long as he does a good job as a president he should be allowed to have some fun and it shouldn't be anyone's business. 
