Ebola is Just the Latest Fine Mess to be Bungled
Following this Ebola story has been enlightening on a host of levels, but what stands out most prominently, is an ugly pattern of incompetence on the part of those charged with dealing with a crisis in this country. Since the beginning of the 21st century, one will find glaring incidents of poor performance and lack of leadership in almost every major emergency this country has faced. Whether the calamity is man made or a natural disaster, the response by those in charge has been inadequate and should be considered unacceptable.
Starting with the Banana Republic-like election of George W. Bush, with the hanging chads fiasco, it seems this country can't get anything right anymore. When the 911 incident occurred, those in charge responded by taking the nation into the wrong war. Most would agree, attacking Iraq on the falsehood of Saddam Hussein having WMD's was a major mistake that turned into a major disaster. The United States is still paying for that mistake and will continue paying for it, for what seems like forever.
When hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, that natural disaster was met with a disastrous response. Not only did the response expose the government's inability to provide food, water, shelter and security to those most in need, but it also exposed the human degradation that was hidden behind the facade of Mardi Gras. Even after all the so-called rebuilding efforts, many are still displaced and living in poverty. The levees may have been repaired but the people's lives weren't.
When the consequences of repealing the Glass Stegall Act finally hit Wall Street in 2008, those in charge responded to the crisis by allowing the rich make off with billions, while the taxpayers picked up the bill. It was only after the banks and financial institutions were made whole, that Washington D.C. threw "We the People" a bone. Unfortunately, many of those people never recovered from that incident and have been either left behind or just forgotten.
The Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico that released incalculable amounts of oil into the ecosystem, exposed serious limits and shortcomings in the country's abilities to respond to a major ecological disaster. Relying primarily on the careless offenders (BP) to fix the problem, the government was essentially sidelined with minimal input until it was time to take BP to court. Sure, BP paid billions, but the damage was done and some of that damage was irreversible.
When Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey, it too was met with political wrangling, with politicians bitching about the cost during the disaster. When the The Sandy Hook elementary shooting incident occurred, it too was met by politicians bending to the will of special interest, instead of "We the People". When shamed into voting on the issue, Congress voted against us.
If one considers the backstabbing, backbiting, bitching and complaining the nation had to endure just to get Americans enrolled in affordable healthcare, one would have to admit something is horrible wrong. If one considers how embarrassingly incompetent the Affordable HealthCare Act rollout was, one should be asking oneself, how can this country hail itself as being exceptional at anything.
Bottom Line: After observing the idiocy of sequestration, government shutdowns, the downgrade of the nation's credit rating, the inability to agree on a budget for years, and this latest slow motion ride into the madness of Iraq and Syria, to expect this government to respond quickly, competently, cooperatively and effectively to a public health crisis would be stupid on our part. If you're asking yourselves, WTF is wrong with the United States Government, you are not alone!