Why do I feel that I'm living in a country intent on descent into Third World status. As I write this email, I'm admittedly angry. Was it the dumbing-down of the American student at their schools? Was it the workplace---that sacred public American space---that was prostituted by CEOs or the workers dumbed-down by incompetent managers? Was it the 15% increase in the price of gas between 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM yesterday afternoon when I ran out on my hour lunch to fill up?

The National response of this Government to this national catastrophe---the hurricane was an inter-state disaster---can only be described as lame.

But don't worry. This catastrophe is really a remarkable epic of "compassion". The coming recession that will result from this disaster is simply a "temporary" economic bump. The Government's lack of wits, and we can throw in yesterday's cabinet-wide photo-op, constitutes a "plan."

The President has called on us to conserve gas. Meanwhile he spends a half hour burning up precious fuel flying around New Orleans on his way back to DC to "head-up" the inter-agency response---how frightening....Perhaps instead of flying around New Orleans for a half hour they should have been dropping food and water and desperately needed medical supplies into the New Orleans convention center where what can only be described as animal instincts now rule.

Over 25% of New Orleans' population subsisted below poverty before Katrina struck. But the impact will just be "temporary." Mr. Bush...tell that to those New Orleaners and the nearly 13% of the US population now living below poverty level.

Why wasn't the National Guard federalized when they new the storm was coming dead on towards New Orleans to evacuate the thousands of people --- 113,000 I've heard---who they knew did not have cars?

And middle class New Orleaners may just slip into poverty along with the other quarter + of New Orlean's population?

Why didn't the Government fund the requested repairs to the levy system? Maybe because we're paying billions of dollars a year in Iraq.

Three years ago during the summer power outages in the northeast I complained about energy policy, conservation, and gas prices. This administration scoffed....more interested in protecting the Vice_president's corporate cronies who wrote the policy---the very energy companies the US people (i.e. US taxpayers, or the government) will now reimburse for their lack of a real plan. Three years ago I complained about a crumbling US infrastructure---now very apparent in New Orleans---but instead we invaded Iraq.

The President condemns looting---more accurately characterized as survival in the urban devastated jungle---a typical response given a President who never knew want. Instead he goes flying over New Orleans---drop food to the suffering, my goodness!

In a post-9/11 environment--when we have supposedly prepared ourselves for such a disaster---the Gulf States' tempest has again exposed our vulnerability. I do not believe the President. The office--the US Presidency which fascinated me as a child----whose names I memorized as a child---whose homes I visited (Washington's, Jefferson's, Madison's, and Monroe's homes in Virginia)----who interested me and spurred my fascination with and vocation in history----I've lost respect for. I believe the Chairmen of the 9/11 Commission who have warned of our exposure.

I think just about the worst thing that could happen is for the President to visit this area tomorrow-------it's just another example of the pretension to power in this White House. It's just disgraceful.....

editor's note, as this article is posted, an NBC cameraman says, "It's gonna be worse than a third world country."