THE WORLD'S RESPONSE TO OUR LEADER'S LACK OF LEADERSHIP!!

Argentina's Clarin > > >>> > > > >>> > Katrina had more than the power of the wind and > > >>> water, because, now, when > > >>> > they have subsided, it can still reveal the > > >>> emptiness of an era, one that > > >>> > is represented by President George W Bush more > > >>> than anyone. > > >>> > > > >>> > > >> --------------------------------------------------------------- > > >>> > Spain's El Pais > > >>> > > > >>> > Up until Monday, Bush was the president of the war > > >>> in Iraqand 9/11. Today > > >>> > there are few doubts that he will also pass into > > >>> history as the president > > >>> > who didn't know how to prevent the destruction of > > >>> New Orleansand who > > >>> > abandoned its inhabitants to their fate for days. > > >>> And the worst is yet to > > >>> > come. > > >>> > > > >>> > > >> --------------------------------------------------------------- > > >>> > Spain's La Razon > > >>> > > > >>> > Proving that even the gods are mortal, it is clear > > >>> that the USA's > > >>> > international image is being damaged in a way that > > >>> it has never known > > >>> > before. The country will probably be able to > > >>> recuperate from the > > >>> > destruction, but its pride has already been > > >>> profoundly wounded. > > >>> > > > >>> > > >> --------------------------------------------------------------- > > >>> > France's Liberation > > >>> > > > >>> > Bush had already been slow to react when the World > > >>> TradeCentercollapsed. > > >>> > Four years later, he was no quicker to get the > > >>> measure of Katrina - a > > >>> > cruel lack of leadership at a time when this > > >>> second major shock for 21st > > >>> > century Americais adding to the crisis of > > >>> confidence for the world's > > >>> > leading power and to international disorder. As > > >>> happened with 9/11, the > > >>> > country is displaying its vulnerability to the > > >>> eyes of the world. > > >>> > > > >>> > > >> --------------------------------------------------------------- > > >>> > France's Le Progres > > >>> > > > >>> > Katrina has shown that the emperor has no clothes. > > >>> The world's superpower > > >>> > is powerless when confronted with nature's fury. > > >>> > > > >>> > > >> --------------------------------------------------------------- > > >>> > Switzerland's Le Temps > > >>> > > > >>> > The sea walls would not have burst in New Orleans > > >>> if the funds meant for > > >>> > strengthening them had not been cut to help the > > >>> war effort in Iraqand the > > >>> > war on terror... And rescue work would have been > > >>> more effective if a > > >>> > section of National Guard from the areas affected > > >>> had not been sent to > > >>> > Baghdadand Kabul... And would George Bush have > > >>> left his holiday ranch > > >>> > more quickly if the disaster had not first struck > > >>> the most disadvantaged > > >>> > populations of the black south? > > >>> > > > >>> > > >> --------------------------------------------------------------- > > >>> > Ireland's The Irish Times > > >>> > > > >>> > This is a defining moment for Mr Bush, just as > > >>> much as 9/11 was. So far > > >>> > his reputation for prompt and firm crisis > > >>> management has fallen far short > > >>> > of what is required. > > >>> > > > >>> > > >> --------------------------------------------------------------- > > >>> > Saudi Arabia's Saudi Gazette > > >>> > > > >>> > The episode illustrates that when the normal > > >>> day-to-day activity of > > >>> > society disintegrates, the collapse of > > >>> civilisation is only a few paces > > >>> > behind. We all walk on the edge of the abyss. > > >>> > > > >>> > > >> --------------------------------------------------------------- > > >>> > Musib Na'imi in Iran's Al-Vefagh > > >>> > > > >>> > About 10,000 US National Guard troops were > > >>> deployed [in New Orleans] and > > >>> > were granted the authority to fire at and kill > > >>> whom they wanted, upon the > > >>> > pretext of restoring order. This decision is an > > >>> indication of the US > > >>> > administration's militarist mentality, which > > >>> regards killing as the only > > >>> > way to control even its own citizens. > > >>> > > > >>> > > >> --------------------------------------------------------------- > > >>> > Samih Sa'ab in Lebanon's Al-Nahar > > >>> > > > >>> > The destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina... has > > >>> proved that even the No > > >>> > 1 superpower in the world is helpless in facing > > >>> nature's 'terrorism'. > > >>> > > > >>> > > >> --------------------------------------------------------------- > > >>> > Pakistan's The Nation > > >>> > > > >>> > To augment the tragedy, the government of the > > >>> world's richest nation > > >>> > defied the general expectation that at the first > > >>> sign of the storm it > > >>> > would muster an armada of ships, boats and > > >>> helicopters for the rescue > > >>> > operation. For nearly three days it sat smugly > > >>> apathetic to the people's > > >>> > plight, their need for food, medicine and other > > >>> basic necessities. > > >>> > > > >>> > > >> --------------------------------------------------------------- > > >>> > Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po > > >>> > > > >>> > This disaster is a heavy blow to the United > > >>> States, and a lesson which > > >>> > deserves deep thought... [It] is a warning to the > > >>> Bush administration that > > >>> > the United Statesmust clear its head and truly > > >>> assume its responsibility > > >>> > to protect nature and the environment in which > > >>> humankind lives. > > >>> > > > >>> > > >> --------------------------------------------------------------- > > >>> > Ambrose Murunga in Kenya's Daily Nation > > >>> > > > >>> > My first reaction when television images of the > > >>> survivors of Hurricane > > >>> > Katrina in New Orleanscame through the channels > > >>> was that the producers > > >>> > must be showing the wrong clip. The images, and > > >>> even the > > >>> > disproportionately high number of visibly > > >>> impoverished blacks among the > > >>> > refugees, could easily have been a re-enactment of > > >>> a scene from the > > >>> > pigeonholed African continent.