How Conservatives are calling the BP Fiasco "Obama's Katrina" while not biting either their tongues or cheeks.

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Didn't Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal complain when the Stimulus Package contained funds for Volcano Monitoring? He complained because it was a "waste of money". I wonder what Bobby (give me smaller government) Jindal would have said had Congress included a Billion Dollars in the Stimulus Bill for the design and manufacture of equipment to seal an oil leak at 5,000 feet below sea-level. "Another Piece of Pork" would have been the first thing out of the mouths of TEA Party members and out of the mouths of the darlings of the TEA Party (Sarah Palin, Rand and Ron Paul, Rush, Glen Beck and Governor Bobby). "Let Private Industry Alone" would have been next out of the mouths of the Libertarians who along with the TEA Party Conservatives believe only Big Business can save America. If the Federal Government had spent money on Deep Sea Oil Eruption Prevention and Research, Design and Manufacturing of equipment, the "How dare we leave this debt to our grandchildren" crowd would have been up in arms, but now they complain, "The US wasn't ready for a Major Oil Spill".

Then there is the crowd that exclaims, "We went to the moon! How come we can't stop a leak?" Maybe because the water pressure at the leak is ONE TON PER SQUARE INCH !!! When I was a child in the 1950's, I watched a movie in which creatures from a solar system millions of light years away attacked Earth with ships and weapons beyond even what we have today. Yet in less than a week, the Earthlings had developed planes and weapons that were able to defeat the aliens. Too many movies with that same theme have dulled the technological sensibilities of the American Public, so of course, they expect miracle cures for stopping the oil volcano under the Gulf's waters. In this year alone, we have seen that we are helpless against Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Mine Explosions and Oil Eruptions a mile below the water's surface. Our only way of surviving through technology is prevention and mitigation by strict codes (can you spell regulation?). The damage, death and destruction caused by Earthquakes and Hurricanes can be mitigated by housing regulations. The number of Oil spills and explosions, and Coal Mining explosions can be eliminated or greatly reduced by regulations, and the damage done by volcanoes may one day be mitigated by technological advances and the regulations that require that those advances be put into use, fore without implementation, technology is useless.

There are many people in this country who champion "State's Rights". So why didn't Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida either individually or in concert develop some deep sea oil leak sealing, oil leak prevention, oil leak detection, oil leak cleanup and coastal protection programs and equipment? Why didn't they either individually or in concert spend money buying or building the equipment to protect themselves? Because then they would have had to increase State Taxes? Why should the people of Iowa have to pay for protecting the coastline of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida? Does that sound stupid or make sense to you? If it sounds stupid, then doesn't championing "State's Rights" without spending money on State's Responsibility sound just as stupid? And if it makes sense to you, doesn't all this talk of eliminating big (and that means Federal) Government mean that each state should take care of itself? Why not break the Union into Fifty Separate Countries? Maybe because we should act more as Citizens of America and Citizens of our environment than as citizens of individual Gulf Coast States.

FreddieVee

Authors Bio:
I was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1945, worked as aircraft mechanic for 35 years and moved to Florida from Brooklyn in 2003. My wife and I will celebrate our 42nd wedding anniversary this year. Our only son is 41, married and has one daughter, plus his wife has three children from a previous marriage.

I am a political junkie. I fear that both the "net" and TV have ruined our political system with their dedication to the lowest common denominator. I also fear the hate-mongers who spew e-mails filled with hate, lies and distortions, because I know how little research the recipients of the e-mails do. Worst of all are the book peddlers who write lies and then go on national TV to sell their books.