Oil-Spotting Blimp Arrives In the Gulf 109
GAMP writes "A Navy blimp to assist oil skimming operations will be arriving to the Gulf Coast Wednesday evening, according to the Unified Command Joint Information Center. 'The airship will operate relatively close to shore, primarily supporting skimmers to maximize their effectiveness,' said US Coast Guard Capt. Kevin Sareault."
Re:Wonderful (Score:1, Insightful)
Better there than Afghanistan.
Re:Fantastic!!!! (Score:5, Insightful)
Heh well I suppose you have a point... wouldn't it be nice if we could do a swap? Have Bush handle this disaster and have Obama handle 9-11?
Re:Fantastic!!!! (Score:3, Insightful)
People will read that as a troll but it's true, really. Bush is much better suited to deal with oil problems than national security. (he owns multiple oil companies)
Re:Fantastic!!!! (Score:4, Insightful)
Bush is much better suited to deal with oil problems than national security. (he owns multiple oil companies)
Right. Oil companies are great at dealing with spills aren't they? I think Moe, Curly and Shemp could've done better than BP has.
Re:Fantastic!!!! (Score:1, Insightful)
Keep buying into the concept that your leaders are somehow on your side. They'll keep shoveling shit as long as you keep eating it. You are the enslaved tax base that they simply need to keep in line. The betterment of your quality of life has little in the way of payback in the long run. In fact, working like a dog just to croak at the age of 57 only stands to further their bottom line, Republican and Democrat.
Re:Remediation Theatre (Score:4, Insightful)
And rather than have experienced Dutch crews immediately operate the oil-skimming equipment, to appease labour unions the U.S. postponed the clean-up operation to allow U.S. crews to be trained.
Can we please dissolve the unions now?
Re:Remediation Theatre (Score:5, Insightful)
It doesn't sound suprising. After Hurricane Katrina countries like Cuba offered to help the US too being experts in Hurricane releif seeing as they get them and get hit hardest by them more so than pretty much any other country in the world.
Of course, the US turned the offer of support down.
It's presumably either pride, or political, the saying "Cutting your nose off to spite your face" seems to sum it up best.
Cutting your nose off to spite your face (Score:4, Insightful)
That saying works so well to describe American politics in large part because the nose being cut off generally belongs to someone else.
This list could go on and on, but the basic idea is that, so long as the ones making the decisions aren't actually accountable and aren't themselves directly inconvenienced, they couldn't really give a rat's ass how messy or slipshod their proposed solution might be. So long as it keeps the gravy train running, it's all good, as far as they're concerned.
Cheers,
At least people ain't dying this time (Score:5, Insightful)
A dutch marine vessel was not allowed to help during the Kathrine/New Orleans disaster.
The US government is very scared of allowing any foreign aid. The US survives on its people believing that they are the best. Seeing other countries flags displayed dealing with stuff the US itself can't dealwith could upset that.
It might get people to question whether they voted for the right guy or even worse, the right economic policiy. Nothing scares BOTH US parties more then the idea that some Americans might start think Socialism might not be totally evil.
Part of it is also the American attitude of "can do". It works when things are fine but fails when the shit hits the fan. That requires a more EU lookout "life is bleak and we are going to die horribly". Why do ALL EU countries have superior disaster equipment? Because we know we are doomed. The dutch dikes are better then the New Orleans ones because no dutch person believes god has blessed this country (From the weather he seems to be pissing on us most of the time).
What is odd that while the US goverment is always very reluctant to receive aid, they hand it out readily. When the dutch dikes did break in 1953, US helicopters were quick to arrive and start helping people.
US, learn to accept that accepting help is NOT a sign of weakness. Your children won't start smoking pot because some dutch engineers are walking your shores and thinking gay marriage is peoples own affair.
Re:Wonderful (Score:3, Insightful)
I'd worry more about the helium that's wasted in party balloons.