The public expose of the video conference between federal disaster officials and President Bush highlights a common theme in this presidency. Since September 11, 2001, we have had several occasions to be made aware that this administration lacks foresight. Only now the general public is beginning to see that this lack of foresight is really just cover for lies and gross negligence. While it is a bitter sweet momment of enlightenment, it still exposes yet another sad truth of contemporary America. The fact that we are willing to foregive lack of foresight in the first place is the reason that we as a nation are in this mess to begin with.
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As stewards of our security any administration is duty bound to envision the worst of all scenarios. As protectors of our way of life, those we elect are encumbered to provide response and relief to any disaster. We have seen as recently as the last decade how an administration should respond. President Clintons reponse to the 1993 WTC attack was swift and resulted in the arrest of the criminal mastermind responsible for the attack on US soil. Similarly with the Oklahoma City bombing by radical separatist Timothy McVeigh led to a quick arrest and conviction. Victims families were attended to immediately in both cases and authorities made sure that bureaucracy did not stand in the way of victimis recoveries. This was an adminsitration that knew how to respond to the un-foreseen.
Then there was the foresight itself. Several planned attacks were thwarted due to the Clinton administrations ability to anticipate the worst even if it had no chance of coming to fruition. Such attitudes helped prevent the millenium bomding at LAX as well as other planned attacks by foreign terrorist on U.S. soil. (If only such attitudes could have crossed oceans far enough to prevent the attacks against Americans abroad).
Contrast this with what we have had in the past 5 1/2 years:
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Was it lack of foresight-
Condoleezza Rice on Sept 13, 2001: "I don't think anybody could have predicted that ... they would try to use an airplane as a missile, a hijacked airplane as a missile..."
Or gross negligence?
August 6, 2001 Presidential Daily Briefing: "Bin Laden Determined to strike in the U.S."
An FBI agent who arrested Zacarias Moussaoui in Aug 2001: "Zacarias Moussaoui might take control of an airplane and crash it into the World Trade Center..."
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Was it lack of foresight-
President Bush 4 days after Katrina: "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees"
Or gross negligence?
The recently made public video conference
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Was it lack of foresight-
Condoleezz Rice on Jan 28, 2006 after the elections in Palestine: "I don't know anyone who wasn't caught off guard by Hamas's strong showing..."
Or gross negligence?
I haven't yet found anything for this one, but I can only say, isn't it the state departments job to be on top of these things? How could such a strong showing not be considered? Large election victories are never a surprise, only the close come-from-behind wins are.
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Whether it's lack of foresight or gross negligence, the bottom line is that this administration fails to protect us and respond to disasters properly. And after they fail they look to cover their tracks. But such behavior cannot continue indefinitely and go un-noticed by the general public. Sooner or later people will lose confidence in this government because they either do not possess the tools to anticipate the worst and prepare for it, or they simply don't care what happens and they will worry about the cover up later. I personally believe that it's more of the latter, but it doesn't matter. Neither of these traits are qualities that anyone wants to see in their own government. And now Americans are beginning to tire of forgiving this administrations lack of foresight.