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TIMES POSTCARD
America’s shame – where the system really failed
By Rajpal Abeynayake
Why did the system fail in America after the ferocious hurricane Katrina made landfall some two weeks back?? We bet that George W. Bush is furious that the analysts have got it all muddled up.

The general view is that the system flunked because the hurricane was too much for the state and local administrations -- the governor and the mayor -- to handle. The federal government headed by the president did not step in soon enough to fill this vacuum.

It can all be traced to a fault in what’s essentially a system of sharing of power. When the problem is beyond the capacity of the smaller players at the edges, the big boss at the centre has to take over. Analysts say that in this instance the big boss Mr. Bush did so, but far too late.

We are sure George W. Bush must be telling himself that this is all tosh.
Yes, he says to himself -- and he is all for announcing it via the White House press corps – that there was indeed a failure of the system of delegation of power, but not the way the pesky analysts think it happened:

Can’t these analysts think straight, even after four more years of myself??
Hurricane Katrina was an act of God. That’s what the insurance companies’ say, that’s what the meteorologists say -- that’s what everybody says.

I campaigned as God’s representative on earth. The Christian fundamentalists lined up everybody and elected me, can’t you guys remember?

So what the heck is God doing an act of God -- without acting through his representative on earth here and now – Me?

It’s a blatant contravention of powers delegated to the power sharing entity -- I mean to myself, by God. So He had exceeded his authority, that’s it.
I can understand Him taking direct authority and causing one of His acts in South Asia or someplace, with that hellish tsunami or something of His….
I mean, though I’m his representative on earth -- in South Asia he can seek the excuse those people were getting out of hand, and claim they were not Christian enough, the wretched heathens.

But here in America, where I am God’s chosen, and the whole Bible Belt and even those without belts and Bibles elected me because I’m against gay marriage and I am for Christian fundamental values, He acts without consulting me?

It’s unacceptable.
I mean to bypass me here in God’s own country - - that’s, um, way out of line.

OK, if he wanted to make life miserable for those black people he could have asked me, right? As it was, I was already doing a fine job on that score myself, so why does He have to declare a separate act of His?
That’s where the system failed folks – there was no respect for the sharing and delegation of powers, I tell you.

This is getting out of hand – and I’m thinking, if He is going to nix the system like this, then I have to assert my authority. No acts of God by God. Enough already. I have to do it in his name – like in Iraq. There I am giving hell to all those of no faith. Now there is an act of God for you.

With that George W. Bush declares all hurricanes to be vetoed forthwith. He doesn’t care if the next one’s called Laura.

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