Posted on 09/18/2005 4:29:44 AM PDT by Utah Girl
America could become a less divided society as result of hurricane Katrina, former US President Bill Clinton said today.
“Americans were profoundly disturbed by the losses suffered and by the sense that maybe our government did not perform as well as it should have,” Mr Clinton said.
“There was a profound sense of grief at the magnitude of the losses and not only the death but the dislocation of a million people.
“And I think people were very sensitive to the fact that it disproportionately affected Americans of colour, principally African Americans, and low income Americans.
“So I think it is likely to make us far more sensitive to things that divide us, to fight them, and largely to make us far more sensitive to the importance of effective, good government after repeated decades of often voting for the party that condemned government.
“You know, we all hate government until we need it. So as a Democrat I think that is a positive thing for our country.”
George Bush has appointed his predecessor Bill Clinton, along with his own father, George Bush Senior, a special envoy for New Orleans, and the surrounding area.
Mr Clinton said he had ordered a project to stop flooding in the area while he was in the White House, but this was scrapped in 2003 “presumably because of Iraq”.
“I do not know whether, had that project continued, it would have mitigated the flooding. Maybe someone knows. I don’t know,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“New Orleans had a lot of poor people, when I was President we reduced the number of people living in poverty by about eight million. That is starting to go back up again.”
Like many US cities, New Orleans was very divided in to rich and poor areas, the former president said. “The more we can integrate this the more likely we are to avoid the kinds of consequences we had,” he said.
Mr Clinton said the thing that “pained me most” was that those taking the decisions did not appear to understand how poor people lived.
“I don’t believe there was deliberate racism in the response to this at all,” he said. However, the authorities obviously had not “understood how poor people live,” he continued.
“People without cars, or people taking care of aunts and uncles or parents or grandparents without cars, people without any insurance on their home or goods thinking they couldn’t leave because it was all they had and they had no way to insure it.
“Poor people are no less intelligent, by and large, and no lazier, by and large, than the rest of the population.
“Most of them are hard working people for whom life didn’t present a lot of breaks but they do live differently and it was painful to see them pay a disproportionate share of the burden because they just couldn’t get up and evacuate in response to an order.
“You had to have a system there to help them extricate themselves. I hope we learn something about all this as a people that will bring us together not just across racial lines but income lines as well.”
Mr Clinton said his wife Hillary, a New York senator, would make a “magnificent” president if, as tipped, she decides to stand.
“The truth is I don’t know what is going to happen on that,” he said.
“My wife is running for re-election. I’m biased I know but I’m a good judge and she has been a fabulous, she has been a great senator – an unusually effective one in a short period of time.
“She is going to present herself to the voters of her state and ask them to ratify her service and I think they will.
“But she can only think of that right now and we will cross that other bridge if it comes up, I have no idea whether it will.
“If she ever were to run and win she would be a magnificent choice, she’d do a great job.”
Reduced the number of people living in poverty by 8 million? How? Can you be more vague? Wish he would have elaborated about how he accomplished this. There were still the homeless, the working poor, there always was the need to help the poor. But now President Bush is selectively helping the poor of NO only. Or the poor from Katrina, what about the rest of the poor population?
Why help just a select group of poor? Help all of them with the same programs that will be implemented for NO poor. I have been called selfish because I am against all forms of welfare yet all of you want the President to help just NO poor, well who is more or less selfish than? Me or all of you, if you want the President to help the poor shouldn't it be all or none? If not why not??
The Predator and his pet chameleon. Narcissistic, moronic sociopaths.
“You know, we all hate government until we need it. So as a Democrat I think that is a positive thing for our country.”
We still have folks who are missing, injured, homeless, and some are now dead, and ALL HE CAN THINK OF IS GOVERNMENT & HOW GREAT IT IS. Katrina was a positive thing for our country. Yeah, don't worry about the economic woes from the 'cane, don't worry about what it did to families, don't worry about nothin' Slick Willie. Just keep hoping and praying for Armageddon so that the whole world can experience another "Positive Thing" and maybe YOU can be the one to lead us into paradise. GAG & BARF!!! This man seriously needs mental help, and I'm not joking!
Well? W sure has a wierd way of showing that? He appointed this clown first as a tsunami refief guru and now as an envoy to the Katrina relief effort? In the world's eye, and in the nation's eye, Dubya is promoting the thought 'Clinton-good; Bush-bad...democrat-good; republican-bad...'
Only a self-serving egomaniac Liberal could call Katrina a "good" thing.
Katrina exposed what government CANNOT do.
The elimination of personal responsibility through government handouts is the principal cause of the misery we saw in the aftermath of the storm, the seeds of disaster were set, the government "response" was thus futile.
You do realize Bush '41 was part of that team?
If 9-11 couldn't do it, a little wind and water won't. Did the world become less divided after the last tsunami?
What a bunch of drivel. Shut up and...just shut up.
“And I think people were very sensitive to the fact that it disproportionately affected Americans of colour, principally African Americans, and low income Americans."
So hurricanes are capable of acting disproportionately? I suppose if a tornado hit Chappaqua he would worry that it "disproportionately affected Caucasian Americans and millionaires"?
"... to make us far more sensitive to the importance of effective, good government after repeated decades of often voting for the party that condemned government."
What the hell is he talking about?
I don't think I will ever understand why President Bush helped put this evil POS back into the limelight. It's one of the greatest mysteries of our time - it even baffles Rush.
George Bush has appointed his predecessor Bill Clinton, along with his own father, George Bush Senior, a special envoy for New Orleans, and the surrounding area.Mr Clinton said he had ordered a project to stop flooding in the area while he was in the White House, but this was scrapped in 2003 “presumably because of Iraq”.
Has W no dignity or integrity that he believes so strongly in 'reaching across the aisle' that he allows the notorious X42 to blatantly insult GHW, with whom Billy Jeff is gallavanting around 'feeling the pain' of America's 'victims'? Trying too much to be 'a uniter, not a divider' because his goal is the 'world as one'?
Would you let your father continue being made to wear the jester's cap while Clinton wears a crown?
Would you let your father continue being made to wear the jester's cap while Clinton wears a crown?"
Incredulous, ain't it? (you hit on ALL cylinders, Me Lady :-)
Pathological bump.
No, not ever - not even when he is dead and in the ground. His minions will continue to build "the legacy" in absentia...
W is just following the axiom, "Keep your friends close, and keep your enemies even closer." Of course, Bill and Hillary know all about that life style. They've been living it with eachother.
Haven't you noticed the phenononem? The poor, sick, and homeless only appear in a Republican president's administration. They were there from 1981-1993. In January, 1993, all the poor, sick and homeless disappeared, only to reappear on January 21, 2001.
Bill's just sorry 911 and Katrina didn't appear on his watch. He could have emoted his soul out and gotten more praise and power. It's always about HIM.
"Wait until his wife runs for president."
We don't need to wait. This was the DNC Keynote Address.
Both are a problem IMHO! The first, with his thousand points of light, doesn't have a clue, else he would have been re-elected. The other, again IMHO, has a deeper agenda that is not good for America.....
Wouldn't it be nice if former presidents would just fade away like they used to?
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