Before I go on vacation today, I’d like to extend my middle finger and salute the following:

• To the DHS, a hearty FUCK YOU. What the Hell have you been doing in intervening time since 9/11? With all the talk about terrorism, asking us if we are ready, and spending tons of taxpayer dollars, you can’t mobilize yourselves fast enough to manage a catastrophe, one that was forecasted, even? I shudder to think what you would have done had their been another 9/11 — an event that no terrorist is going to give us a “heads up” over. Prepared my ass.
• To Michael Brown, Director of FEMA: FUCK YOU. The majority of people left behind in such a disaster aren’t being pigheaded, they are poor and have no options. So stop blaming the victims and fix the problems. Not everyone can foot the bill for a bus ticket, let alone a goddamn limo.
• To George W. Bush: FUCK YOU. What do you mean “no one could anticipate the levees breaking”? Are you that much of an idiot? Maybe you didn’t anticipate it, but others did, and asked for help for years. Meanwhile, in an effort to cut taxes, fight a war of choice, etc. your administration gutted FEMA and ignored the pleas for money to shore up the levee system from New Orleans. By the way, the National Guard has been stripped of their ability to function in the area because they are out on a fool’s errand in the Middle East.
• To those who would criticise me for criticising the government at this time instead of mourning, praying, etc.: FUCK YOU. The act of criticising our government’s inepitude is crucial here, and doesn’t preclude me or anyone else from also giving, helping, praying, etc.

UPDATE: Belle Waring:

If this is what the Federal and State governments are going to come up with when the suitcase nuke goes off in D.C., then we are well and truly fucked.

UPDATE 2: Ponyboy at Glassdog: Bush : America :: Water : New Orleans:

The two biggest one-day disasters of the Bush presidency — of the past fifty years — and the collective response of the President and his advisors is: “Well, goll-lee!” Thousands lay dead, hundreds of billions of dollars in property is destroyed and the people charged with our protection and safety can only tell us that, well, we never really gave it much thought.

UPDATE 3. Condi Rice, FUCK YOU. Those boots you’re wearing would look so much better up your ass.

UPDATE (LATE). You know what? I’m not sorry I said any of this (with the possible exception of the bit about Condi — that was gratuitous). I could have toned the language down and made the same points but, as the current Vice President said in an interview after telling Pat Leahy to engage in coitus with himself on the Senate floor, “I feel much better now.”