Bush Urges Rapid Lebanon Deployment, Pledges More Aid (Update4)
Okay, let’s review: New Orleans, for all our faults, mismanagement and corruption, suffered billions in damages primarily because the Corps of Engineers, part of the federal government, absolutely blew it. Katrina did not hit New Orleans directly, it hit Mississippi, and the vast majority of the damage here is due to levee breaks. Now we’re being treated like Oliver Twist – “Please, sir, may I have some more?” when we need help rebuilding, or would like to have the same income from our offshore oil revenue that other states already enjoy. Given that we bring in billions of revenue between the oil industry, our seaport, and the second largest fishery in the nation, and given that the Feds caused the damage, I don’t think it’s too much to ask that they pay for the vast majority of the rebuilding. I understand, with our well-deserved reputation, that we’ll be subject to a higher level of scrutiny on how the funds get spent. That’s fair. I welcome it. But strings or no, give us the money, already!
Now, we have Lebanon. They failed to contain Iran’s pet terrorists, Hezbollah, gave tacit approval to the attacks on Israel that started this mess, and even now are fighting efforts to stop Hezbollah from re-arming, much less actually working to disarm them. It’s fair and just that they had the crap bombed out of them, and Israel DID try to limit the damage to areas where Hezbollah was hiding. Hezbollah, having caused this mess, stepped forward with Iran’s fat checkbook and said they’ll clean it up. Apparently President Bush thinks that we can buy our way into the hearts and minds of the Lebanese, so he has promised to pony up $230 million taxpayer dollars to help repair Flat Fatima’s homes.
Honestly, does anybody really think that’s going to work? The people who live in southern Lebanon – a Hezbollah stronghold, remember – are suddenly going to buddy up to the US? You betcha. I’d rather just set the money on fire and have a marshmallow roast with it – at least then I’d feel like it wasn’t a total waste.
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