AIG Gets a Bailout. Hurricane Victims Must Sink or Swim.
click to enlarge
Big tip of the hat to Richard at All Spin Zone for covering the government and media blackout of the Hurricane Ike aftermath:
It’s been almost five days since Ike ripped through southern Texas. This past Saturday, the media was wall-to-wall Ike, as the huge storm came ashore in Galveston, and tore a path well inland through Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city. The following day, when media reports started flowing in about blown out skyscraper windows, and power and basic services being knocked out, I had a gut feeling that things were pretty bad. Incidental reports that I was receiving through my own back channels only verified the extent of the damage in Houston.
But precious little information has been coming in regarding the situation south of Houston.
A no-fly zone has been established over the most devastated areas of the barrier islands on the Texas gulf coast, including Galveston, ostensibly “to provide a safe environment for disaster response and relief operations”. The thing is, no one has been able to determine who issued the no-fly order. News organization helicopters and others have not been allowed into the areas, and no media has been allowed in on the ground on the Bolivar Peninsula. Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas has clamped a lid on any city officials (other than her and the city manager) speaking to the press. There is even an unconfirmed report that FEMA has restricted all cell phone communications on Bolivar Peninsula.
There’s no indication as to why this media blackout is taking place – but it’s pretty clear – DHS, FEMA and the Bush administration are trying to manage the story. They don’t want another Katrina-style PR disaster on their hands, particularly in an election year.
Tons more pictures that the McCain-Bush Republicans don’t want you to see. And why would they? When AIG and Freddie Mac start to sink, they get a bailout. People who are drowning on the Gulf Coast? No bailout for you. Sink or swim. It’s a pretty stark contrast, and a mighty productive metaphor.
Photos like this:
or this:
It’s Republican values and priorities in action: if you’re among the super-rich and you make a mistake, Uncle Sam will take other people’s money to bail you out, and allow you to walk away with your giant compensation package as well. If you’re an ordinary American, you have to save your own ass, because your government doesn’t think you’re all that important.
September 19th, 2008 at 7:03 am
[...] AIG Gets a Bailout. Hurricane Victims Must Sink or Swim. Sep 17, 2008 [...]
September 19th, 2008 at 7:04 am
[...] AIG Gets a Bailout. Hurricane Victims Must Sink or Swim. Sep 17, 2008 [...]
September 19th, 2008 at 7:04 am
[...] AIG Gets a Bailout. Hurricane Victims Must Sink or Swim. Sep 17, 2008 [...]
September 19th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
[...] AIG Gets a Bailout. Hurricane Victims Must Sink or Swim. Sep 17, 2008 [...]
September 19th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
[...] AIG Gets a Bailout. Hurricane Victims Must Sink or Swim. Sep 17, 2008 [...]