The article below was written by Ben Stein. I did not plagiarize it--at least originally. It was sent to me in an email and is being spread around the world as forwarded emails. The comments written in italics are my comments and my opinions. I'll take responsibility for them.
While I respect Mr. Stein for his vast accomplishments and intelligence of thought, I must disagree with him on some points.
Linda J. Hutchinson
Freelance Writer/Copywriter
http://www.lindajhutchinson.com/
The American Spectator
By Ben Stein
Ben Stein is a writer, actor, economist, and lawyer living in Beverly Hills and Malibu. He also writes "Ben Stein's Diary" in every issue of The American Spectator. Published 9/2/2005 11:59:59 PM
A few truths, for those who have ears and eyes and care to know the truth:
1.) The hurricane that hit New Orleans and Mississippi and Alabama was an astonishing tragedy. The suffering and loss of life and peace of mind of the residents of those areas is acutely horrifying.
True. I agree wholeheartedly.
2.) George Bush did not cause the hurricane. Hurricanes have been happening for eons. George Bush did not create them or unleash this one.
True. He may be the most powerful man in the world, but he doesn't yet have enough power to control the weather. Thank God and the wisdom of our forefathers for not granting that power, if and when, controlling the weather becomes possible. Pray that our elected Congress, when and if, controlling the weather does become possible, will have the courage and conviction to ensure such power is not used for evil and/or merely for profit, or against mankind of any nation, ethnicity, creed, sexual orientation, or religion.
3.) George Bush did not make this one worse than others. There have been far worse hurricanes than this before George Bush was born.
True. See response to #2. He does not have the ability to make a hurricane, nor does he have the ability to make it worse.
4.) There is no overwhelming evidence that global warming exists as a man-made phenomenon. There is no clear-cut evidence that global warming even exists. There is no clear evidence that if it does exist it makes hurricanes more powerful or makes them aim at cities with large numbers of poor people. If global warming is a real phenomenon, which it may well be, it started long before George Bush was inaugurated, and would not have been affected at all by the Kyoto treaty, considering that Kyoto does not cover the world's worst polluters -- China, India, and Brazil. In a word, George Bush had zero to do with causing this hurricane. To speculate otherwise is belief in sorcery.
Background information on the Kyoto treaty:
From CNN.com on the Kyoto Treaty:
"Asian and European nations have strongly criticized Bush's decision in 2001 to abandon the Kyoto treaty, which commits 37 industrialized nations to cut gas emissions. Bush has criticized the treaty, saying it set unrealistic goals and could damage the U.S. economy. But other nations worry about scientific concerns that climate change could lead to severe floods and droughts, rising sea levels and an increase in malaria and respiratory disease."
My response to Mr. Stein: At the very least, mostly/partly true. Most of us don't understand the concept of global warming well enough to weigh in on this. However, any and all treaties that take jobs away from Americans, on American soil, contributes to the same form of poverty that caused many in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and elsewhere in America, to be unable to flee from hurricanes, tornadoes, cyclones, or other damage-causing/life-altering weather-induced phenomena.
Whether global warming exists or doesn't exist, the USA is a world polluter. We, as inhabitants of earth, must accept that polluting our world, whether it affects the weather or not, will affect the health of earth's inhabitants. We have a responsibility to reduce pollution to and in our environment.
We as a people must take responsibility for ensuring clean air and water, just as we must take responsibility for enabling our fellow man to work for his/her needs and chosen lifestyle, even as we must accept that some will attain higher or lower levels of success. We must also accept that "success" means different things to different people.
6.) George Bush had nothing to do with the hurricane contingency plans for New Orleans. Those are drawn up by New Orleans and Louisiana. In any event, the plans were perfectly good: mandatory evacuation. It is in no way at all George Bush's fault that about 20 percent of New Orleans neglected to follow the plan. It is not his fault that many persons in New Orleans were too confused to realize how dangerous the hurricane would be. They were certainly warned. It's not George Bush's fault that there were sick people and old people and people without cars in New Orleans. His job description does not include making sure every adult in America has a car, is in good health, has good sense, and is mobile.
George Bush is responsible for the competence of the leaders of FEMA. He chose these leaders. His chosen leaders are/were responsible for ensuring that leaders of FEMA at the state level were competent, willing, and able, to effectively deal with a natural disaster. FEMA is not new. It has been in place for many years. Enough years to be better prepared. FEMA, whether at the state or national level, is responsible for having not only evacuation plans in place, but plans for emergency responses to natural disasters.
Those FEMA leaders knew, or at the very least had or should have had predictions based on models, of the likely percentage of poor, sick, and/or "confused"/incapacitated, populations within the areas expected and predicted to be affected by Hurricane Katrina. They should have had plans for rescue operations in place. Calls for assistance from military and civilian rescue teams from outside of the affected area should have been placed well in advance of Katrina making landfall.
Response teams of both military and civilian rescue operations should have been standing at the ready at the fringe of the expected target area. Volunteer disaster teams from all denominations of churches from several states were there, waiting and ready.
7.) George Bush did not cause gangsters to shoot at rescue helicopters taking people from rooftops, did not make gang bangers rape young girls in the Superdome, did not make looters steal hundreds of weapons, in short make New Orleans into a living hell.
So long as our children know they can make more money selling drugs and stealing than they can from working, there will be gangs. As long as our children continue to believe there is no hope for a better life, there will be gangs. As long as our children are affected by their parents, who had no hope for a better life, a continuum pervades.
Not all of the rapes and murders were committed by gang bangers. Not all of the rapists lived to brag about their escapades. Justice for some came quickly.
The hope of those shooting at rescue helicopters was the same as that of the insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan--to continue the chaos to allow more time for pillage.
In this instance, the shooters were additionally incensed by the desperation, the death and dying, all around them.
There were rapes and murders after the tsunami.
I do not condone aberrant behavior. I believe desperate people do desperate things.
8.) George Bush is the least racist President in mind and soul there has ever been and this is shown in his appointments over and over. To say otherwise is scandalously untrue.
I agree. I also believe furthering his personal portfolio of income producing properties and agendas has shown in his appointments, over and over.
9.) George Bush is rushing every bit of help he can to New Orleans and Mississippi and Alabama as soon as he can. He is not a magician. It takes time to organize huge convoys of food and now they are starting to arrive. That they get in at all considering the lawlessness of the city is a miracle of bravery and organization.
Brave men and women will always "go in" where help is needed the most. One does not need to be a magician to study the models of expected loss ahead of a natural disaster. He knew days ahead of time the expected ferocity level of Katrina AND the expected path and level of destruction.
I believe Americans, both ordinary and those with 'star' power, who have gone in to help, understood the potential danger--and went there voluntarily.
I received an email from a friend in Houston yesterday. She witnessed the church groups feeding and clothing the evacuees long before even the Red Cross got organized enough to start helping. She told of airline executives who, when told their services weren't needed, continued to ferry evacuees out on "mercy" flights. Due to contractual obligations I cannot quote her here, but you may read her comments on my blog at www.seniorweblogs.com.
If actors, actresses, musicians, singers, stand-up comedians, and other humanitarians can and will drive in, regardless of the lawlessness, with planes and truckloads and buses of food and water and diapers and every manner of other needed items, why can't Mr. Bush--who is the most powerful man in the world with legions of trained professionals under his thumb--get water and food to dying victims of Katrina, who's only crime was poverty, sickness, age, and/or various levels of confusion?
There is no excuse, Mr. Stein. There is no excuse, Mr. President.
10.) There is not the slightest evidence at all that the war in Iraq has diminished the response of the government to the emergency. To say otherwise is pure slander.
False. There weren't enough National Guard members to help with the disaster because the bulk of the area's National Guard is stationed in Iraq. There isn't enough money in the treasury allocated to fight wars AND to help our own citizens during a cataclysmic event on our own shores.
Colin Powell has been most honest in stating "it was economics".
11.) If the energy the news media puts into blaming Bush for an Act of God worsened by stupendous incompetence by the New Orleans city authorities and the malevolence of the criminals of the city were directed to helping the morale of the nation, we would all be a lot better off.
It is not the job of media to raise morale. It is the responsibility of media to report the news. If the truth hurts, we need to fix the problem, starting with our elected officials.
12.) New Orleans is a great city with many great people. It will recover and be greater than ever. Sticking pins into an effigy of George Bush that does not resemble him in the slightest will not speed the process by one day.
The first two sentences are absolutely correct--I believe it and I've never even been there. The last sentence...well, if it will help him pull his head out, I'm all for it.
13.) The entire episode is a dramatic lesson in the breathtaking callousness of government officials at the ground level. Imagine if Hillary Clinton had gotten her way and they were in charge of your health care.
Leadership is from the top, down. Hillary Clinton wasn't allowed to be in charge of our health care because Congress did its job.
God bless all of those dear people who are suffering so much, and God bless those helping them, starting with George Bush.
"God bless all of those dear people who are suffering so much. God bless those helping them." I'll reserve comment on where it starts.
Ben Stein
Comments and opinions in italics are those of only one American. Me. I'm entitled to share my opinions, as is Mr. Stein, because we live in America.
Linda J. Hutchinson
Freelance Writer/Copywriter
http://www.lindajhutchinson.com/
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