# Askia -- What the Hell? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 7, 2005, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564 "2005-09-07T19:21:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564/101 "2005-09-10T01:51:10Z")
Well, just drop some leaflets. That’ll learn me. (Wow, AOL dial-up is getting fast!) Off to make another sammich. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564/102 "2005-09-10T01:57:22Z")
Oh _shit._ I was right about AOL? Bwah ha ha ha. You’re okay, **duffer.** ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564/103 "2005-09-10T01:59:27Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > You’re okay, **duffer.** Great. _Now_ my night is really ruined. ---
**Author:** ![Idlewild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8491ac/32.png) [@Idlewild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idlewild)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564/104 "2005-09-10T02:11:48Z")
:dubious: Because I think your particular scheme is hare-brained, in some way my opinion resembles the one that you believe Bush holds? Well. Go back and read my first post. I am not at all happy with the response times. I just don’t, honestly, think that leafleting would help in any way, shape or form. No, no I don’t think that leafleting would really offer much encouragement to people in desperate straits. I think getting some goddamn aid in there would have. You know, like maybe if FEMA had got its shit together? You disagree, obviously, but that’s no reason to equate what I’ve said with some kind of support for Bush. :wally ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564/105 "2005-09-10T02:17:29Z")
Uh, no actually. That Bush comment was thrown in as sarcasm. I can be a putz for many reasons but in no way did I think your opinion is equated with what Bush thinks. You think using an agit-prop tactic in a disaster area to inspire hope and calm is hare-brained? We obviously disagree. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564/106 "2005-09-10T02:21:31Z")
Geez, **duffer** and **Askia** , get a room already. _promptly flees thread_ ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564/107 "2005-09-10T02:49:35Z")
Can’t afford a room what with the payments on the double wide and all the mayo. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564/108 "2005-09-10T02:53:09Z")
(Er. In case it wasn’t clear in the last post, I kid with you. Like so ;), see? :o ) ---
**Author:** ![Updike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@Updike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Updike)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564/109 "2005-09-10T02:57:25Z")
[QUOTE=Askia] They aren’t receiving paper, their receiving a message of reassurance and a promise of help from their PRESIDENT. [QUOTE] Your idea sounds rather demeaning to the people in the worst affected areas. Has anyone, at anytime, anywhere, in a dangerous, disasterous situation ever thought “Well, Golly, I sure hope the PRESIDENT can give me reassurance and a promise of help”? No. They want to be rescued, not paper dropped from the sky. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564/110 "2005-09-10T03:10:01Z")
I’m sure more than one person thought: What are we supposed to do? Where is help? Why is it taking so long for help to get here? It’s raining again and there’s still no help? Is it going to keep raining? Why isn’t anyone stopping these looters? What’s going on? Where’s there food? Water? The leaflet would have answered those questions and reassured the flood victims federal and international – not just city and state – help was on the way. One point I keep making that people seem to miss is that the leaflet drop is a percursor to aid and massive evacuation efforts arriving on a promised timetable 12-24 hours later, not something that just happens. That said, it’s good news that it doesn’t appear as if the body count will be anywhere near 10,000. Now I should Pit that asshole Nagin for starting \*that \* panic. Where the FUCK did he get his numbers from? Fucking alarmist. Loathing for Bush…fading… fading… RISING!! Fading… ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564/111 "2005-09-10T03:42:13Z")
I don’t have a dog in this fight **Askia** , yet after three pages, you’re still ranting, and when not doing so, insulting those posters who disagree. That doesn’t strike me as goal directed (personally unsure what your goal is), but YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564/112 "2005-09-10T03:57:10Z")
**Askia** , quite frankly, if I got such a leaflet, I’d probably be pissed that they’re wasting time and resources to such feel-good claptrap, rather than rescueing my ass. ---
**Author:** ![Updike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@Updike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Updike)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564/113 "2005-09-10T04:03:08Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > The leaflet would have answered those questions and reassured the flood victims **federal and international** – not just city and state – help was on the way. > > One point I keep making that people seem to miss is that the leaflet drop is a percursor to aid and massive evacuation efforts arriving on a promised timetable 12-24 hours later, not something that just happens. Do you realize that federal help almost literally cannot arrive in 12 hours? The federal government are NOT first responders. First responders are the local, not even state, fire, police, ambulance, hospitals, etc. And as far as international help is concerned, I don’t even know what you’re talking about. What are they gonna do in 12-24 hours? Call a meeting at the UN? Pass a resolution in Brussels? Yep, 20 ft high waters, I’m stuck in my attic trying to cut a hole through to my roof, but a silly piece of paper floats down and says that EU is on the way is REALLY gonna help. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564/114 "2005-09-10T04:36:21Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > I don’t have a dog in this fight **Askia** , yet after three pages, you’re still ranting, and when not doing so, insulting those posters who disagree. That doesn’t strike me as goal directed (personally unsure what your goal is), but YMMV. If you read _carefully_, you’ll note I only insult people who insult me first, note just anybody. My “ranting” is my considered opinion which is amusingly unpopular. Ah, well. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564/115 "2005-09-10T04:38:28Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > **Askia** , quite frankly, if I got such a leaflet, I’d probably be pissed that they’re wasting time and resources to such feel-good claptrap, rather than rescueing my ass. A leaflet that includes a plan of action and explaining the scope of the international rescue effort underway is feel good claptrap? Wow. I wouldn’t feel that way for at least another twelve hours myself… ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564/116 "2005-09-10T04:40:27Z")
> [@Updike](#): > > Do you realize that federal help almost literally cannot arrive in 12 hours? The federal government are NOT first responders. First responders are the local, not even state, fire, police, ambulance, hospitals, etc. > > And as far as international help is concerned, I don’t even know what you’re talking about. What are they gonna do in 12-24 hours? Call a meeting at the UN? Pass a resolution in Brussels? > > Yep, 20 ft high waters, I’m stuck in my attic trying to cut a hole through to my roof, but a silly piece of paper floats down and says that EU is on the way is REALLY gonna help. :rolleyes: Canadian responders got there long before the feds to help people north of N’Orleans. Google it. It could be done. You keep typing 20 ft of flood waters if that were uniform around the city and thta’ just not accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Updike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@Updike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Updike)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564/117 "2005-09-10T04:48:08Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > Canadian responders got there long before the feds to help people north of N’Orleans. Google it. It could be done. You don’t get it. Neither the Feds, nor the Canadians, are first responders to a disaster in New Orleans. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564/118 "2005-09-10T12:30:04Z")
You’re the one calling Canadians first responders. I never said that. I just noted some got to the region before [the feds did.](http://www.iaff18.org/) “Vancouver’s Urban Search and Rescue Team arrived home safely on Tuesday, September 6 from Louisiana after assisting in the search and rescue efforts in the areas of the state ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. The team was deployed on **August 31** and worked with Louisiana State Troopers and the U.S. National Guard.” ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564/119 "2005-09-10T13:10:37Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > I feel like I was lured and ambushed. Which was naive. It’s not dishonest. For you to have been lured there would have to have been some collusion between me and the posters you are slap-fighting with, or at least some reasonable expectation that such fights would occur, neither of which is the case. > [@Askia](#): > > You keep typing 20 ft of flood waters if that were uniform around the city and thta’ just not accurate. 20 feet is probably an exaggeration but even today NO is 80% under water. The leaflet idea is a non-starter. Let it go. > [@Askia](#): > > The first words of this thread are, “This is a Pitting in name only.” > [@Askia](#): > > This is just the lamest pitting ever, Contrapuntal. If you acknowledge the former you have little basis for asserting the latter. You seem to want to have it both ways. For the sake of the argument, let’s grant that Bush is indifferent to the affairs of African Americans. Let’s say that in private, whenever a topic concerning your people comes up he says “Who gives a shit? It’s just a bunch of black people.” Now I am no defender of George Bush. I think he is a bad guy, and bad for America. But you have to admit that he is a political animal, and devoted to his party and its agenda. His ratings are in the toilet. Irag is a clusterfuck. People are angry. Do you seriously think he would pass up an opportunity to add a huge chunk of people to his voting base because of personal animosity? Assume he had the power to “render aid” and chose not to use it, which is the basis of your accusation. Why in the world would he shoot himself in the foot like that? He had an opportunity to show more than 30 million people that he did care for them, that they were part of “his” America; to bank some badly needed political capital. And he passed because he _doesn’t like you_? I just can’t buy it. ---
**Author:** ![holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e95f7d/32.png) [@holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/holmes)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564/120 "2005-09-10T13:42:13Z")
I don’t think Askia’s saying Bush **refused** to give aid, but that’s there’s a disconnect between him and the people and that disconnect caused any dely that’s attributable to the Feds. Whether or not that’s because of class, race or stupidity; is beyond anyone to answer…but we have a history in this counry. That’s the vibe you’re seeing. It’s not, "Hey Bush and his pals, sat around, rubbed their hands and decided to do nothing, it’s more like they saw the people and changed the channel; because they didn’t see anything of interest or of ‘value’ to them and that’s what caused the dely. What people are wondering is, if the people were white and poor, as opposed to being black and poor, would they have still changed the channel? Would they have made different decisions, even on a subconscious level? We have studies on Doctors treating black and white patients of the same economic, social, educational and illness level differently…most of them didn’t even know they were doing it until they were shown…racism is THAT subtle. We have a unique opportunity to finally look racism in the eye in this country, I really wish so many of you wouldn’t hand wave it away; because it isn’t the obvious choice or can’t be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. Those days are for the most part over…and that’s good news. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askia-what-the-hell/320564.md?page=7)