perspectives

STATE OF THE UNION

I write as a global citizen with concern for my good neighbors and our planet. My issues with the current STATE OF THE UNION - SEPTEMBER 2005 are far removed from partisan politics or petty complaints. If your eyes are open and you "connect the dots" and invest yourself just a little to see the BIG picture, it is hard to deny the RESULTS ACHIEVED. Any CEO with this record would have been removed and walked out the door in a scandal a long time ago.

I struggle inside as I was not brought up to protest the leadership of the United States, but common sense is taking me there. I write perhaps feeling much like Thomas Paine did in 1776. Frustrated and hoping that through common sense and plain arguments, the American people will open their eyes.

Having one's eyes open has been painful for me and I am certain, I only see a small portion. There is so much to see and also so much hidden from us in intentional misleading propaganda and media hype. There is probably more than we can imagine that is kept from us also. The greed, corruption and injustice toward our good neighbors and planet that we've allowed are country to participate in through our helpless indifference fills my heart with sadness and shame for I know that in my unknowing ignorance, I have also contributed to the state we have arrived. I recognize none of this is new -------- there are those who say, "Hey, that's the way politics is!" But it doesn't have to be if we collectively create a new vision ---- a new reality ---- a new consciousness. We have the power to change things.

"A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right." 
--- Thomas Paine

The Tom DeLay indictment news yesterday was just another symbol and symptom of the shameful mess the U.S. finds itself in today. It doesn't matter that he may slither by only breaking the spirit of the law, not the rule of law by his cleverness. Having a senior official disgraced by behavior that would bring up such questions is shameful in itself and we've certainly seen plenty of it from the current leadership team.

How much more SHAME and DEGRADATION will it take before the American people see the TRUTH and IMPLICATIONS of their helpless indifference and inaction?

Consider the shameful record that the current administration has stacked up under BUSH's leadership. Here are just a few thoughts to stimulate your thinking:

LYING
CHEATING
INCOMPETENCE
GREED
OUT OF CONTROL DEFICIT
MISUSE OF OUR SURPLUSES
GAS PRICES CRIPPLING OUR NATION --- TAX CUTS FOR RICH
ROVE UNDER INVESTIGATION AND STILL IN HIS JOB
HALLIBURTON's POCKETS STUFFED WITH HARD-EARNED MONEY
DEGRADATION OF AMERICA'S ALLIES
LEADERSHIP POOR JUDGMENT (too many incidents to count)
ECONOMIC ABUSE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS
ENVIRONMENTAL DISREGARD AND NEGLECT
A MURDEROUS, ILLEGAL WAR WITH OVER 100,000 dead and maimed
HUMAN FATAL NEGLECT OF OUR FELLOW CITIZENS IN KATRINA AND RITA
A NATION THAT IS AT RISK BY INCOMPETENT, UNQUALIFIED BUSH CRONIES ON THE PAYROLL
THE LOSS OF 2000 CHILDREN BY AN INCOMPETENT SYSTEM
REHTORICAL RESPONSIBILITY WITHOUT ONE CONSEQUENCE

I asked a few friends if they thought the American people would open their eyes. Here are three telling responses:

"I doubt it, we have grown too fat and lazy. There is a little capitalist in all of us, it's bred into our culture, it's the "American dream". In order to see the lies and the corruption we would have to look in the mirror and it doesn't look like most of America is ready to do that."

"I sadly agree... My friend was just pointing out that it is only when he started doing a lot of work on himself that he started caring about other people and those living in the rest of the world.
But most of us have difficulty taking a good honest look at ourselves. Probably because we are too busy chasing after unhealthy, unrealistic, and generally unattainable notions of success fostered by corporate and political media campaigns."

and from New Zealand...
"NO!  The White House parrot will fly to the moon first!"

As I recall, BUSH came into office with a long list of business and  leadership failures. Amazingly, he became president and our country has and is suffering from his failed leadership. Our country is longing for the help and concern of it's citizens ---------- the future is ours to create.

How much shame will it for all of us to wake up and see the grave truths standing before us?

What contribution will you make?

Debbe Kennedy

HOW DO WE LOSE OUR CHILDREN?

In recent weeks, we’ve seen many LOST children’s faces in the news. We’ve also heard a lot of “compassionate talk” about the tragedy of children LOST in the aftermath of the Katrina Hurricane. The limited number of reunions have been touching with reportedly over 2000 children still LOST this week.  However, a question that continues to hover in the screaming silence is HOW DID WE LOSE OVER 2000 CHILDREN? The news anchors are not asking this question. Even President Bush with all his photo ops and speeches has yet to acknowledge that so many children were LOST. If BUSH did make such an acknowledgment, there isn’t any evidence, he has asked, in outrage, how the  U.S. emergency response system failed these children in such a way that it resulted in them being separated from their families and caretakers. Furthermore, it is recklessly irresponsible that the government-run system was so haphazard that it didn't include documenting where infants, small children and other minors were sent, including disabled children.

Why aren’t we asking this question of ourselves? Personally, I believe it is because it is so shameful. At some level, we hold some of the responsibility, but most of us find ourselves only willing and able to take in talking about the tragedy in the distance and tearing up at the reunions. If we are to look this issue squarely in the face, there is an acceptance of the shame and criminal neglect that resides within us, when we ask the question HOW DID LOSE 2000 CHILDREN? It is a question that requires self-examination and accountability. It asks us to look within ourselves about the decisions we’ve made that may have contributed to putting our children and our families at risk with incompetence, in the name of perhaps party politics or indifference.

HOW MANY OTHER CHILDREN DO WE NEGLECT?
What has hit me hard is that LOST CHILDREN are not unique to the Katrina leadership debacle. There are plenty of other officials and government systems failing our children worldwide. We just don’t hear it or notice it. If we were paying attention, we would be asking many more questions about HOW WE’VE LOST OUR CHILDREN by our indifference and inattention all over the world. Below is just one example that came to me earlier this year. I don’t pretend to understand all about it, but I know that it is wrong. I know the idea of it haunts me. I’m certain few of you know about it or probably would even care. These kinds of injustices go on every day and the most powerful leaders in the world do not stop it... and we don’t stop them. We remain blinded by our own comforts and busy lives:

ONE CHILD'S STORY...

This is Chioma. She is 16. She is Igbo. She lives in Nigeria. She and her family are part of the Movement for Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), a non-violent organization, built on Gandhi’s principles of non-violence. The organization is highly respected with tens of thousands of Biafrans joining in a non-violent pursuit of their dream of actualization of Biafra as a sovereign and independent nation.

In September 2004, in Nigeria, a group of 53 people, including women and children were attending a MASSOB football tournament in a public community park. It had been widely publicized event. During the event, they were rounded up by the Nigerian police, arrested and were in detention for over three months before being charged. Chioma was in jail for 330 days at age sixteen in the most brutal and inhuman conditions for doing nothing but attending a recreational event. The courts later declared the detention unlawful and unconstitutional, but the system did not let go.

Excerpt of a message from her family...
“This is to thank God and to inform you that 16 year old Chioma, the youngest of those the 53 MASSOB Biafrans in Nigerian prison, was let out yesterday evening. She spent 330 days, almost a year behind bars inside the Nigeria, lonely hell-cell.  On behalf of her mother, we wish to thank all who offered prayers, protest letters and sent letters of hope. ...Chioma came out yesterday, I saw her in high spirit for Biafra. The experience confirmed her understanding of the need for the movement for Biafra. ...The court clerk came to Chioma to give his apology;  he was not a member of the judges or lawyers that may have contributed to her trials of no offense. ...The trial will come 22 September.” 

TODAY is September 22. Chioma has been in my mind. I see her face in other children’s faces lost by our inattention or unintentional ignorance. Bravely, growing up much too early.

How do we allow governmental systems and officials to abuse our children anywhere in the world?

Imagine a new world where we can live celebrating our unique cultures in safety, love and goodness---- a world where all children are precious---one where we never allow such neglect and injustice to exist that we lose our children, because of incompetence, thirst for power, exploitation of the vulnerable or cruelty of any government.

With a slight change in our collective consciousness, we can make this happen.

Debbe Kennedy

Learn more about Biafra at www.biafraland.com

RITA: Be with the people!

There are no words before the storm. Just an aching for our brothers and sisters caught in the path of tragedies on many levels.

May the world embrace YOU in their prayers. May peace fall fresh on YOU. May the path of this destruction lead us to love and appreciate one another more.

May we love our world more. Is this all natural disaster or have our thoughtless actions and inattention contributed to these tragedies? These are questions we must face.

For today... Be with the people! Be with our good neighbors!

Debbe Kennedy
Founder
Global Dialogue Center

IRAQ - 2096 + 100,000 and Counting

How many deaths will it take?

I heard yesterday on the news that the death toll was nearing 2000. This acknowledgement only included reported US military deaths, which as of September 18 has reached 2096 "military coalition deaths (US 1899; 96 UK; 101 other countries). I wonder how many people who heard that same report realized we've already surpassed 2000 military lives LOST...a 100, 200 + or so overlooked?

Additionally, I wonder how many of those who heard that inaccurate count of military deaths ever thought about civilian deaths, which are estimated as high as 100,000? 

Most of us I dare say are totally uninformed about civilian deaths in Iraq, because as General Tommy Franks, US Central Command reminded us, "We don't do body counts." We occasionally hear about a dead civilian here and there --- over 200 reported just this week, but there is no admission by BUSH and his administration of any of these deaths. They are not even acknowledged the human lives were lost by our bombs and guns --- mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, grandparents, infants, young children. The most powerful leaders in the world have not to date publicly noticed or even offered in statements of regret.

"How wonderful if politicians could bring themselves to admit they are only fallible human creatures and not God and thus by definition can make mistakes. Unfortunately, they seem to think that such an admission is a sign of weakness. Weak and insecure people hardly ever say 'sorry'.
--- Archbishop Desmond Tutu

I admit it; it is much easier to shield our eyes from the realities of the human costs of the war --- and the human costs of governmental disrespect, disregard and indifference to human suffering. 

In the US, the media spin often shields most of us from anything more than a casual sound-byte about civilian’s who have been maimed and killed in IRAQ. “I don’t even pay attention anymore,” is a common response. Is this the position you've taken unintentionally?

KATRINA MADE US SEE
The early response to the KATRINA Hurricane by BUSH and his administration put governmental disregard, disrespect and indifference to human suffering on the global stage for all to watch. There was no finger-pointing necessary or any investigations needed, we all watched their behavior, actions and inactions in the anguish, hunger, thirst and inhumane conditions endured by our own neighbors on TV with horror, helplessness and disbelief. It gave all of us a badly-needed up-close-and-personal glimpse of governmental disregard, disrespect and indifference to human suffering.

We have to remind ourselves, the unconscionable response to human suffering that we witnessed was what BUSH and his administration gave as a response to the most urgent needs of our own family of US CITIZENS. With policies that reflect, “we don’t do body counts” in our wars, imagine what the level of disregard and disrespect has been beyond our borders in IRAQ. Remember, it is the leaders that set the tone and the policy. Have you looked into it lately???  Below are three places to get enlightened.

AN INSIDE LOOK TO OPEN YOUR EYES

1. NPR Audio Interview and Excerpt of Scott Simon talks with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anthony Shadid about his book Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War.

2. Global Dialogue Center Audio-Podcast and Interview ---- Every Body Counts: Interview with John Sloboda, co-founder of the Iraq Body Count Project shares the story behind the project. Includes a downloadable PDF of their IRAQ BODY COUNT: A Dossier of Civilian Casualties 2003-2005 and links for more information on the project.

3. One Day in Iraq --- a collection first-hand accounts and pictures that tell the story (BBC News – World Edition)

Don’t have to accept my opinion and perspective.
See for yourself.
Draw your own conclusions.

Realities across the world, call all of us to think, rethink, question and stand-up! As Gandhi reminded us, "There is no way to peace. Peace is the way."
I welcome learning from your thinking.

Debbe Kennedy
Founder, Global Dialogue Center

Visit our virtual gathering place.

BUSH: I'M SORRY Would Have Gone a Long Way

President Bush's speech was just that ...a group of words and promises. After all the hype about him at last "taking responsibility" for the failures of his administration. I waited, longing to see leadership signs this miracle had taken place. Unfortunately, "taking responsibility" obviously are just words to him...he made no personal connection to his own behavior, keeping the blame still an arms-length away from taking personal responsibility himself and accepting its consequences.

If he had just been big enough to say, "I'm deeply sorry..." Unfortunately, even in the face of this unprecedented tragedy for which he said he was "taking responsibility," BUSH couldn't find it in himself to personally acknowledge the deaths, anguish, injustice, abuse, inhumane treatment of American citizens at the King Dome and the Convention Center in New Orleans --------- and personally express his regret. This would have gone a long way at bringing his rhetoric some sense of sincerity and meaning.

Some time ago, Desmond Tutu in commenting on the mistakes that had been made by BUSH and BLAIR in the IRAQ War, talked about the power and principle of saying, "I'm sorry." It seems to apply here too:

INSIGHTS FROM DESMOND TUTU
"How wonderful if politicians could bring themselves to admit they are only fallible human creatures and not God and thus by definition can make mistakes. Unfortunately, they seem to think that such an admission is a sign of weakness. Weak and insecure people hardly ever say 'sorry'.

"It is large-hearted and courageous people who are not diminished by saying: 'I made a mistake'.

...We've seen it at home in South Africa in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission when people who had made, I mean, perpetrated some of the most ghastly atrocities say, "Sorry." It has an incredible capacity to change the dynamics of a situation. Well, those of us who are married know just how difficult it is. It is the most difficult set of words to say in any language. I find it difficult to say it in the privacy of our bedroom, to say, "Sorry, darling, I -- yes, I'm sorry." But what it can accomplish. You say sorry. It pours balm. We've seen it do that. A country that should have gone up in flames, South Africa, was saved by the fact that people were ready to forgive, and people were ready to say, "Sorry." That would be the first step."

ANOTHER LEADERSHIP ACCOUNTABILITY TEST FAILED
I love this country and it's not partisan or personal with BUSH for me. BUSH's performance as a leader of our country has been disappointing to say the least. I think our country needs a competent leader that can deliver EXCELLENCE. It is even more disappointing to see tendency of our citizens to be willing to accept such unacceptable leadership

KATRINA: Are we sweeping leadership accountability under the carpet?

There have been extraordinary deeds done in recent days for the Katrina recovery effort. We all want this tragedy and its heartbreak and heartache to be comforted with the kind of care and know-how we are witnessing. We all want the lives to be restored.

However, with each passing day, it is clear that the BUSH administration is working, admittedly on "damage control" to avoid and scapegoat BUSH's own personal behavior, actions and inaction. With every new set of photo ops with the president, we seem to be systematically "sweeping the leadership accountability under the carpet."

What is undeniable is that on his watch as President, leader of the free world ---- countless lives were needlessly lost (apparently over 70 in just the last few days that drown in their beds at hospitals); our citizens were abused without water and food and the first response by FEMA was without question incompetent. It is a good move that Michael Brown resigned, but lets not forget that it was President BUSH that put our citizens and our country at risk, hiring Michael Brown in a critical role without qualifications. It is President BUSH that has given us a false sense of security. He did this in his 2005 state of the union address:

"In the three and a half years since September the 11th, 2001, we have taken unprecedented actions to protect Americans. We've created a new department of government to defend our homeland, focused the FBI on preventing terrorism, begun to reform our intelligence agencies, broken up terror cells across the country, expanded research on defenses against biological and chemical attack, improved border security, and trained more than a half-million first responders. Police and firefighters, air marshals, researchers, and so many others are working every day to make our homeland safer, and we thank them all."

When the levees broke in New Orleans, we had a chance to see for ourselves how prepared and safe we are under BUSH leadership. It needs no investigation. We saw it clearly. This was not a sudden, unexpected attack. This one we got three days notice and BUSH and his leadership team still proved we are not prepared and they were caught "asleep at the switch" as leaders. They watched people dying without food and water as we all did and waited a week to respond.

AN ANALOGY TO CONSIDER:
In a way BUSH has been driving drunk, intoxicated with his power and obviously not thinking of the best interest of US citizens or he wouldn't have hired his unqualified friend to keep us safe as the head of FEMA. If BUSH were an effective leader, he would have known we were prepared, not been caught off-guard that we weren't. While BUSH has been driving drunk in his role as president, he has been able to slip away from being accountable for anything ---- lying, lives loss, unjust wars, stuffing Halliburton's pockets, big deficits, gas prices ---- his decisions, action and inaction related to the first response to the Katrina Hurricane this time were exposed to the world and resulted in killing countless citizens and abusing the innocent with days without food and water and indignities that have no excuse. By law, if he were driving drunk and caused an accident with such deaths involved, he would be arrested and charged with negligent manslaughter at a minimum. Yet, when we look at Katrina, so many want to just sweep his behavior under the carpet without accountability. So many obviously are moved by the staged photo ops, the vibrant military personalities, the boastful commentary of self-congratulations.

This kind of denial is what happens with drunks. I've experienced this tragedy in my own life. When a drunk is sober they want you to forget what damage has been done. They want to pretend it didn't happen---a "black-out" of sorts. They get real self-righteous. This is also true with abusers. The problem is that when you keep sweeping a problem under the carpet, at some point you trip on it. With Katrina, we all just tripped on it.

Any thoughts?

Debbe Kennedy

KATRINA: WHY CHILDREN ARE SEPARATED???

WHAT KIND OF EVACUATION OR RELIEF SYSTEM WOULD SEPARATE CHILDREN FROM MOTHERS ---- AND NOW SEPARATE FAMILIES TO MULTIPLE STATES????

Heard tonight there remains 1200 children still not reunited with their parents. The QUESTION no one seems to be asking is WHY they were separated in the first place. One might assume that some of the separations were caused by children being with other family members and caretakers. However, there are more and more stories being told that children were separated at the time of evacuation or relocation---Infants, disabled children, sick children, small children not even allowed to stay with their mothers. Now these children are lost!

How did this happen ?

Doesn't this suggest that our emergency response system has no provisions for tracking where they are sending minor children?

Or is it just another example of poor judgment? Did someone forget?

It's hard to imagine a good reason that a 24 month old would be taken without its mother and then lost by government negligence --- just a small oversight in the planning to make us feel safe?

Children Separated from Parents at Katrina Shelter
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — In the rush to evacuate people from the storm-ravaged New Orleans area, at least two dozen children have been separated from their parents in Louisiana, according to the state social services department.

Some children and parents also have been separated and sent to neighboring states in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and as the evacuation continues officials expect that number to grow larger, according to Marketa Garner Gautreau, an assistant secretary with the social services office.

"As people have been pushed onto buses and jumped onto buses, they've gotten separated from their families," Gautreau said.

Other children needed medical care and their parents couldn't get airlifted with them, she said, pledging that all children separated from parents are being well-taken care of with about five social services volunteers to each child.

"We are going to reunite these children and their families," Gautreau said.

NOW 1200 ARE STILL LOST? HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

Just tonight I heard it reported that families are also being sent to three or four different states, separating them far from each other.

WHY WOULD THIS BE CHOSEN AT A TIME WHEN FAMILY IS ALL MANY PEOPLE HAVE LEFT?

Imagine, if this is the way our own citizens are treated, how do we treat others around the world?

Where is the leadership judgment?

Debbe Kennedy
Founder, Global Dialogue Center

KATRINA: WAIT AND SEE -- WHY?

TWO KATRINA RESOURCES: Journey to Healing and Hurricane KATRINA LIVE from Louisiana

Steve Chapman, columnist for the Chicago Tribune said, "In the coming weeks and months, we can learn a great deal about how to avoid and mitigate future catastrophes - but only if we put off affixing blame until all the facts are in."

The Cincinnati POST reported, "President Bush insists that now is not the time for finger-pointing and blame, but it certainly is. And most of the finger-pointing and blame for the slow-motion federal response to Hurricane Katrina is being directed at Michael Brown, the hapless head of FEMA whose only apparent qualification for the job was a wise choice of college roommates."

WHO IS RIGHT? A few thoughts to consider...
Times of disaster and emergency are the true tests of leadership skill. Considering that we have a long term recovery ahead, why would we wait to QUESTION actions and inaction that was clearly negligent ? The Katrina catastrophe is painful object lesson for us all. It pointed out that our president and other senior leaders, who we have entrusted with our Home Land Security were asleep at the switch at the time of a disaster. Unfortunately, they didn't wake up until their lack of leadership skill was painfully exposed to the world and scores of people were abused, many needlessly losing their lives. The fact, BUSH/BROWNE give the appearance they woke up through photo ops and staged actions. We owe deep debts of gratitude to the countless volunteers, firemen, police, local officials and our military acumen, as well as the outpouring of help and support from around the world. That said, it does not dismiss what needs no investigation. The results achieved of the initial response to this disaster that the BUSH/BROWNE leadership team clearly own. It was unacceptable and unsatisfactory, inefficient and ineffective --- no excuse is reasonable for what was witnessed by the American public and the whole world. With such a public display of leadership incompetence, resulting in needless deaths, abuse of our citizens and children, further decline of our national reputation ---- and havoc and far reaching implications that will endure a long time, it seems irresponsible to delay QUESTIONING whether these are the same leaders ---- BUSH/BROWN ---, who let the whole country down are the ones we want to lead the way to safety. While those on the ground in the military, volunteers, community leaders and local government, continue there important rescue and recovery work, it seems highly appropriate for QUESTIONS to be asked and APPROPRIATE actions taken to access our top level leadership weakness and degree of unpreparedness that exists today in Homeland Security or do we wait to see if they "fall a sleep at the switch" again. Based on what we've all witnessed, my intuition suggests that we would be shocked to uncover just how unprepared we are for such emergencies/disasters.

KATRINA's RESPONSE: FAILURE OF MANAGEMENT 101
I continue to be grateful for the leadership training I received in my years as a manager with IBM Corporation. When we arrived as new managers, we were given a navy blue binder, MANAGEMENT BRIEFINGS with letters dating back to Thomas J. Watson, Jr. written to the leaders of the company. I still have mine and refer to it often for instant advice and counsel on matters of leadership practice. One written 1967, long before I became a manager, left its indelible mark and it sheds the spotlight on why QUESTIONING so important to creating an emergency response system that is second-to-none. Here is an excerpt:

I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
An How and Where and Who.
--- Rudyard Kipling cira 1902

If these so called "serving-men" are used with discretion and yet used vigorously, there is almost no managerial job that cannot be done well. ...Let me tell you how I personally apply this Kipling approach. If I see dirt on a showroom window or a scratch on the demonstration machine or crumpled paper on the floor or evidence of lateness, I ask why the conditions are permitted and who is doing something about them. ...I think every manager has an obligation to question practices or decisions that seem to be harmful or wasteful in any way and his/her responsibility for these things extends beyond his own department. If you don't ask these questions, then the dirt will stay on the windows and the machine will get another scratch and the reputation of the IBM for excellence will suffer. --- Thomas J. Watson, Jr. IBM Corporation 1967

If we apply this lesson to our present situation here in the U.S. with KATRINA, we might say that if we don't ask these important questions, we may soon find that the same leaders are "asleep at the switch" in another disaster, our emergency preparedness is still inadequate and the incompetence we foolishly allowed shepard our Home Land Security, left us with grave vulnerabilities in our national security. Do you want to be responsible for this?

The TRUTH is that our next disaster may wait for the years of recovery that will take place with KATRINA and go through long legislative investigations---and we may not be so fortunate next time to have several days advance notice. Shouldn't we have leadership at the top with a proven track record for leadership effectiveness and efficiency --- not political effectiveness and efficieny --- these are very different?

The first QUESTION we all need to be asking ourselves:

Do you feel safe and secure enough to entrust your life and your family to the BUSH/BROWN leadership team after what you personally witnessed as a "first response" to KATRINA?

Your thoughts?

Debbe Kennedy
Founder, Global Dialogue Center

KATRINA: A LEADERSHIP WMD

TWO KATRINA RESOURCES: Journey to Healing and Hurricane KATRINA LIVE from Louisiana

It was so disappointing ---- no, as much as I hate to admit it, it was disgusting --- watching what the White House corespondents called "well-choreographed photo ops" of Mr. and Mrs. Bush out and about in the Katrina disaster area all day today. One thing the Bush-Rove White House does in its operations is have no shame about openly exposing their PR intentions for the world to see. In the face of the heartbreaking human issues that still remain unresolved and unfolding, poor judgment continues as Bush-Rove drive to boost those dropping polls with the fury of activity and antics by generals on TV. This was not convincing. It was just visible actions without conscience.

No amount of empty photo ops, especially the ones where you see BUSH turning and posing with innocents for the camera shamelessly, can make up for the leadership debacle of the last week that clearly falls on his lap. He is the LEADER of this country and supposedly one of the most powerful leaders in the world and what happened in the aftermath of Katrina is nothing less than an excusable failure of leadership starting with the top with him.

NO BUSH ACCOUNTABILITY FOR BEING A LEADERSHIP WMD?
Bush's personal leadership failure and the debacle by his senior leadership team for nearly a week was a weapon of mass destruction that appears to have surpassed 9/11. Bush hasn't even had the decency to accept personal responsibility for his leadership failure that left him "asleep at the switch" ---- no apology to the victims --- no acknowledgment he let anyone down --- his leadership failure has resulted in abuse of our citizens, humiliation, suffering and massive casualties -------- and destruction we can't even foresee at the moment. He has failed us all. With the nearly 2000 American soldiers dead in an illegal war of a self-proclaimed president with scores wounded and maimed, estimates of up to 100,000 civilian casualties in Iraq and the mounting death toll of Katrina, his legacy may well be the president with the most blood on his hands for poor judgment.

James Carroll wrote mind-opening editorial today in the Boston Globe that points out the bigger failures of our country. MUST READ...this is an excerpt:
"Hurricane Katrina was more than a natural disaster. It was a political epiphany, laying bare difficult truths from which, mainly, the United States has been in flight. Most obviously, the flooding of the cities and towns along the Gulf Coast has pulled a curtain back on a huge population of desperately impoverished people. The ''other" America, as Michael Harrington called it a generation ago, has shown itself as hardly ever before. The wealthiest nation on earth has its hidden legion of have-nots, and all at once the rest of us saw them. The scandal of rank poverty was exposed, and if beholding it was like seeing something indecent, that's because such poverty in this nation is exactly that -- indecent.

At the same time, the abstraction of ''poverty" has been made concrete. Face after anguished face appeared on television to tell us, This is what it is like to live with absolutely no margin of safety or comfort. There was dignity in those faces, at times nobility. Mostly, though, there was pain. Diabetics without insulin, babies without diapers, evacuees with no mode of transport, urban hospital workers entirely without backup. America has its river of refugees now, tens of thousands of people who, herded into sports palaces-turned-charnel-houses, are alike in having nothing to return to.

The spectacle of failure, how for days the government was powerless to help such people, only put on display how government was already failing them and everyone else. Here was Katrina's second main epiphany -- what it means that the United States, after a generation of tax-cutting and downsizing, has eviscerated the public sector's capacity for supporting the common good. The neglect of civic infrastructure, the destruction of social services, the abandonment of the safety net, the myth of privatization," the perverse idea, dating to the Reagan era, that government is the enemy: It all adds up to what we saw last week -- government not as the enemy, but as the incompetent, impotent bystander. The bystander-in-chief, of course, is George W. Bush, whose whining self-obsession perfectly embodies what America has done to itself."

We all carry the shame of this tragedy for allowing a leader with such poor judgment to escape any accountability for anything of his injustices and failings. BUSH is a weapon of mass destruction and now we hold the responsibility to hold BUSH and his senior leaders accountable.

Are these the leaders you want to entrust the lives of your family and country with after witnessing their capabililties???

SPEAK UP! Don't allow the BUSH-ROVE machine cover up BUSH's poor judgment and inaction. Don't let them get "gorilla dust" in your eyes, blinding you to the truth, which we saw and continue to see in the anguish of our fellow American citizens. Imagine what would happen with an emergency that same as a surprise. We are unprepared!

The heaviest penalty for deciding NOT to engage in politics is to be ruled by someone inferior to yourself. ---Plato

We owe our fellow American citizens victimized by Katrina and by failed policies and practices of our country so very much. May God help us find ways to make it up to every one by helping them experience the essence of ubuntu in their lives here in the U.S. May you all forgive us and know we are full of admiration as we watch you, Rise up! from the rubble with courage.

Debbe Kennedy
Founder, Global Dialogue Center

Visit the Global Dialogue Center.

KATRINA: CAUSE AND EFFECT

There are many articles coming at us about the realities of KATRINA. This one is worth the read.

KATRINA, CAUSE AND EFFECT
By Meria Heller

Hurricane Katrina roared through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and touched a few other states this week. The devastation is total. Many lives were lost; property damage in the billions and a toxic wasteland will be left in its wake. Government response was shamefully poor, and the agencies that are overpaid to over plan for such disasters were rendered impotent. Although other countries offered to help, the President of the United States refused it.
 
People now talk about rebuilding the cities discounting the toxicity of the air, water, buildings and land. Chemical plants, oil refineries, dead bodies, sewerage, dead animals are only the tip of the toxic iceberg.
 
For the past thirty years or so there has been a strong environment movement and education taking place in the United States. There has also been a new spiritual movement incorporating respect and understanding of the planet, Gaia – Earth. Many people, politicians, religions have chosen to ignore the work of Nobel prize winning scientists on runaway global warming and destruction.  Humankind has chosen to ignore common sense when building on or over nature.
 
If your house is made of sand, don’t be surprised when the ocean takes it way. If you build your house near a volcano, don’t be surprised when the lava flows. If you trust your body and soul to a politician or religious figure, don’t be surprised when your soul is lost. If you’re waiting for someone else to run your life, you’ll lose it.
 
Centuries ago, humanity knew how to live with and respect nature. There were many rituals and offerings to spirit keepers of all forms for all the beauty and life given by Planet Earth. People knew how to share the bounty of Earth with each other, and money did not exist. Ownership of the land did not exist. To take something from nature without an offering in return was unheard of.  To see your brother or sister (two legged, four legged, crawling, swimming) in need and not help was unheard of.
 
We are taught in school about cause and effect. We are taught that for every action there is an equal reaction. When the Earth is invaded through mines, bombs, etc., she may release certain gases, dis-eases to protect herself from further invasion. If “shock and awe” goes off in the Middle East, “shock and awe” will come back at us. This is common sense and common science.
 
When man thinks he can manipulate nature and the weather, nature and weather will manipulate man. There has never been an instance where man can beat nature, yet for his stupidity and rigidity he continues to try. How much manipulation of the Earth, the weather, the resources has man been guilty of? Well, for every action there is an equal reaction. 
 
I have been an environmentalist for the past 30 years. I co-host twice a month a show called “The Earth News Hour”.  I walk my talk, drive my talk, write my talk, and then wait on the events based on common sense to unfold.

We are now in the age of the super-storms. We will NEVER have “normal” weather again. Global warming is out of control, greedy Corporations run and ruin the planet and the time is way past due to develop alternate lifestyles that compliment the Earth.
 
People ask me “where can I move?” “what should I store?” and similar questions.  The answer is simple (corny but simple) “wherever you go, there you are”. There is NOWHERE to move. The One World Order minions, greedy corporations, pollution is everywhere. What should you store? Look at Louisiana for that answer. It’s all been swept away.
 
The best place to move is inside yourself. Live about 10 inches from your head inside your heart. The best things to store up is your spiritual wardrobe. Who are you? What do you stand for? Are you brave enough to stand up for the Planet and the people? What are you driving? Eating? Buying? Sharing?
 
We are living in very exciting, interesting times. Many prophecies have been written about these times. Knowledge and respect for the planet will tell you all you need to know in times of uncertainty. Surely the animals know how to get out of harm’s way and survive without jobs. Are we any less? We live in the days of all the “isms” falling.  Catholicism, Capitalism, Communism, etc.
 
Perhaps the reaction from Katrina will be the realization that we don’t need a Federal Government. We don’t need wars. We don’t need to be a nation of consumers. What we do need is love for each other. Friendship with the whole world. Technology and dollars spent to clean up the mess we’ve made of our home – Earth. The message of the medicine wheel is the same now as it’s always been “live in a sacred manner or die”. Imagine a huge medicine wheel filled with love encircling the planet. Pray for peace. Send your love out worldwide! Perhaps Katrina will have saved the planet by the time all is said and done.  Pray for all living things.

May we all come together realizing the power of our collective consciousness and actions. We can live in a sacred manner.

Debbe Kennedy
Founder, Global Dialogue Center

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