The death toll is mounting:
A powerful earthquake centered in the Hindu Kush mountains of Pakistan on Saturday morning sent tremors across South Asia, killing more than 18,000 people, including at least 1,600 in remote northern Pakistan, among them hundreds across both sides of disputed Kashmir.
I know this is awful, and feel free to flame away, but my first two thoughts when I heard about this earthqyake were:
1.) I wonder if it crushed that bastabrd bin Laden in a cave (if he is even still alive).
2.) How the hell are Democrats going to blame this on Bush and Mike Brown?
Tractarian
I don’t think anyone will try to “blame this on Bush and Mike Brown.” After all, this is way beyond their jurisdiction.
It is interesting, though, how the Pakistani first responders have been doing their best FEMA imitation. Good to see that America is still the role model for the world.
James C.
Tractarian…close call and very good effort in your attempt at associationg “blame” with the Bush administration….but no prize.
Tractarian
Thanks. It really wasn’t that difficult.
Horshu
Well, if you’re asking for the Bush angle, here’s one: what will the US contribution (the initial one, not what follows any public outrage over cheapness) be to Pakistan/India over this? I don’t Sri Lanka really appreciated our first tsunami pledge of $15 million, as evidenced by their $25k donation for Katrina. Now, Bush is in a K-hole where he’s spending huge money at home on Katrina and accepted international sympathies, so it’ll be interesting to see how we react to someone else’s tragedy, and if the money issue comes into play again.
ppGaz
What a stupid thing to say.
jobiuspublius
Aaaahh, Grasshopper, that is the beauty of the oppositions strategy, they don’t have too. MUAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA……
And if that doesn’t work then there is Hiding the Salami, or whatever it’s called. You see, if Musharif hadn’t been distracted …
Kimmitt
Oh, for Pete’s sake.
CaseyL
I wonder if Pakistan has any kind of architectural codes regulating how buildings are constructed. I doubt it, and I’m pretty damn sure Afghanistan doesn’t.
Judging from the photos, it looks like they don’t even use rebar, much less the earthquake-proofing common in US construction.
If we really want to help underdeveloped nations in earthquake zones, we should send architectural consultants along with googobs of cash.
Jim
What would be really helpful would be for some nice Republican (think: Robertson, Dobson, Falwell) to say that this is God’s revenge on Muslims for their sins against the U.S.
Andrei
Exactly, and proving yet again how big an asshole our dear blog leader reallly can be on some days. And yes John, there are some things that better left un-snarked, like any event having to do with the deaths of 18,000 people.
Tony
For what it’s worth, your first thought occurred to me, as well. And I hope it did. About your second thought, I think it’s a useful rhetorical question on politics today. If anyone writes 1,000 words on it, that’s absurd, but the fourteen you used summed it up fine.
Geoduck
Other right-leaning blogs had already jumped on the “lefties blame Bush for quake” train before Mr. Cole. People of whatever political ideology tend to move in packs..
Nikki
Thanks for saying it, Andrei, so I didn’t have to.
John Cole
Fuck off, Andrei.
It was a joke, and, considering fuckers like you were flinging cadavers at Bush within 12 hours of the levee breaking, it was actually pretty funny.
You guys kill me- snark that attacks Bush, and you break out your pom-poms and join right in. Anything that offends your delicate sensibilities regarding Democrats, and you would think I shit in the punch bowl at your wedding.
And I am the hyper-partisan one. Feh.
Darrell
I love it when you leftwing kooks try and pretend that you are not really the lunatics you are. Hell, a majority of you loons on this site were defending Kayne West’s remarks blaming the federal response on Bush racism… and many of you actually blamed Bush because you said he ignored global warming. Dem Senator Landrieu blamed hizzoner Nagin’s lack of dispatching school buses on cuts in mass transit funding for chissakes. So cut the dishonest pretend games acting sooo surprised that anyone might dare to point out that you kooks are so extreme that you’d blame Bush for earthquakes too. It’s who you are
ppGaz
Which is why you said “I know it is awful, and feel free to flame away“, right John?
Christ, you are so fucking transparent. Get over yourself, man. Your audience is pretty well tuned in to the gratuitous whipsaws now. Give it up.
ppGaz
Who cares what you love, Darrell? They only keep you around here to stir up churn. You’re the equivalent of the mechanical rabbit at the dog racing track.
John Cole
PPGAZ- Which should have signified it was a joke and I was not serious. I don’t really think any Democrats are going to blame Bush and a former head of FEMA.
rilkefan
I hear our first offer of aid is $100,000.00 No, I didn’t drop a decimal point or two. It that holds up I’m going to be blaming Bush night and day.
Did we ever get around to paying up our tsunami pledges and the extra aid to Africa Bush promised?
Reid
Jim: “What would be really helpful would be for some nice Republican (think: Robertson, Dobson, Falwell) to say that this is God’s revenge on Muslims for their sins against the U.S.”
Well, since some Muslim clerics claimed that Katrina and Rita were God’s wrath at the US for what we’ve done to Muslims, that would indeed complete the Fundamentalist Nutball Circle.
adam
I don’t post much here, mainly just enjoy reading the ridiculous flame wars. I do want to say, however, to Darrell and all the other honkies who post here:
It’s Kanye West, not “Kayne” West. He has the number one single in America right now, called “Gold Digger.” K-A-N-Y-E. Thank you.
Kathy
Wow, John Cole. I’m not going to flame you, because I don’t believe in doing that; but your first reaction was definitely different from mine. My first reaction — aside from the general feeling of “Oh my god, how awful” — was to be utterly appalled at how much suffering and tragedy the people in that part of the world have to cope with. A 7.7 Richter earthquake that kills over 30,000 people in one province (Kashmir) alone, with tens of thousands of others injured, with survivors desperately digging with their bare hands through rubble to save children crying underneath collapsed homes and schools — ON TOP OF decades of war in that part of the world, much of which the U.S. *DOES* share responsibility for (Afghanistan, Iraq, for instance) — seems enough to crush the heart of any reasonably compassionate person. NEVER have Americans EVER had to deal with the combination of constant war and natural disaster that Pakistanis, Indians, and Afghans are dealing with now. Consider yourself lucky, and try to feel some pity.
ppGaz
And, that brings up a point: When can we expect to be PAID, John? We are working our asses off to keep the page views up and so far all we have gotten is a lot of abuse. A little sumpin-sumpin in the mail would be appreciated.
John Cole
Kathy- I sort of thought the “OMG that is horrible” was a reflexive thing that went without saying.
Kimmitt
I gotta say, my first thoughts were:
1) Holy crap, that number can’t be right.
2) Egad, it probably is. How utterly horrific.
3) How could it be that bad? Oh, right, no building codes. It’s weird how little bits of good government make such a huge difference sometimes.
4) Man, between the tsunami and this earthquake, that general area of the world is just enduring.
5) I wonder how we’re going to even get aid up there.
I just hadn’t even vaguely thought about Bush, or how the event might be spun for domestic political consumption. This from a guy who thinks Bush should be first impeached, then tried for war crimes. Anyways.
Kimmitt
Besides, if you say something like, “flame away,” I’m pretty sure “Oh, for Pete’s sake” is pretty thin gruel. Just saying.
Off Colfax
1) We can only hope that Osama is in a cave somewhere with a few tons of rock pinning his legs down. Not to mention another few tons hanging over his head, precariously balanced on the edge of his sat-com dish, giving him just a few moments of bone-shilling terror before wiping him off the face of this earth forever.
And yes, this is from a Democrat. You know, one of those G-SAVE softies?
2) The earth moves in mysterious ways. And I’d no sooner blame Bush for the snow storm that’s about to descend on the Denver area. And, as I’ve said before, trying to do crap like that is one of the giant albatrosses dragging down the far left wing of the Democratic Party.
ppGaz
Nah. First of all “far wings” don’t get dragged down.
Second, it didn’t have that effect when Clinton was president and the wingnuts blamed him for bad weather and irritable bowel syndrome. If anything, it had the opposite effect.
ppGaz
Save me! Cries From Rubble
While American bloggers can’t pass up a snark opportunity, the reality of the world waits outside the tent.
Welcome to BillBennettLand, where you can say anything, as long as you publish a boilerplate disclaimer alongside it.
Pan Pan (anon)
That’s funny. The first thing I thought about after learning of the quake was:
“I wonder how John Cole will go about making it seem as if Democrats are blaming Bush for this disaster.”
That’s the only real reason to keep reading this silly blog.
jobiuspublius
Remember the quake that hit Iran a few years ago? Adobe style houses are common in Iran. They don’t hold up very well in an earthquake and they collapse horrible. Wouldn’t surprise me if Pakistan has alot of that type of construction.
The Disenfranchised Voter
While I was not offended by the remark, and I did know you were joking. You’re statement does implies that the criticism directed at Bush and “heck of a job” Brownie was not legitimate.
I guess running arabian horse shows constitutes “experience” for FEMA in your world…
To me his appointment was the result of nothing more than cronyism and his neglegence on the job was appaling.
John Cole
Thank goodness.
ppGaz
Everybody knew that. But knowing that somebody is joking doesn’t necessarily make the joke funny.
George Bush made a joke … in fact, a little jokey film … about not being able to find those “darned WMDs”.
See, we all knew he was joking about joking. But that doesn’t make the joke funny. It makes you want to hit the motherfucker in the face with dog shit. Doesn’t it?
Midshipman Enfield
You know what’s funny? A pack of cunts who haunt a blog just to call the owner an asshole four times a day lecturing anyone on what’s funny, or to “get over themselves” — hoo, boy. THATS TEH FUNNAY LOLZ!!1!1
Jesus. If I were John, I would tell ppbbqwtf, Andrea, and PanPan to come back as soon as they extract the sand from their flappy vaginas, but not a minute before. The man has the patience of a saint.
ppGaz
What a load of crap. A “pack?” A bunch of commentors who are a little tired of being used and jerked around in a totally dishonest fashion.
What the hell does “feel free to flame away” mean to you, asshole? Don’t friggin lecture me, and if you want to call me a cunt, you are welcome to try to do it to my face.
Beej
Oh, goody! A pissing contest! Be sure to lift ’em up nice and high gentlemen. You get style points for the arc!
Midshipman Enfield
Fine pp, you are not a pack of cunts. You are a bunch of tired, used, jerked cuntfaces. Wish: GRANTED!
Midshipman Enfield
BTW: Why you don’t fuck off to greener pastures if you are so sick and tired is beyond me. The whining — well see previous re: sand vs. vagina.
Is this the point where I prove my bona fides by declaring that I’ve only voted for one republican in my life – for the mayor of st. paul, where the race is always between what would be known as a democrat vs. what would be known as a communist? It would be super awful to be called a bushbot by a bunch of stunted cuntos. Really.
So you live in Phoenix? Well, I did a little livin’ in that town in maryvale and Glendale as a yute. I know, I know, that area is ill-bred and roguish and an esteemed blog-commenter like yourself would never be caught there. Unless you’re my eighth-grade science teacher. Hi Mr. Williams!
Lines
Think of the Hurricane blame-game in reverse. Imagine waking up on that Sunday morning to Super-Bush. A President, who stood bravely in front of the cameras, tear on cheek, command center behind him, appearing in full command. Would today be a totally different picture for the Bush administration? Would they not be swimming in the murky waters of the 30 percentile, but instead be joyously dancing with a majority approval? I believe so. Disasters are what can make or break an administration, and this administration hid out while toadies had only a negative effect on the relief process.
Its not Democrats fault that the pathetic little twit couldn’t step up to the plate and be a man. In fact, it might have even been some Democrat’s fear, that he would be able to.
Of course, no rubble & loudspeaker moment for the Bushistas, and that in itself must be eatting a small hole in the lining of their stomachs.
Alex
Stay tuned for Carol Moseley Brown to hold a press conference and announce that the Tora Bora bombing campaign shook up the fault lines in the area and caused the quake.
carpeicthus
Awesome, John. Way to set the tone on this issue — no better way to respond to this than a purposeful flame war. John’s blog career works as a big sine-wave. Not from Conservative to Less Conservative, since his political beliefs stay fairly steady, but from Giant Asshole to Fairly Decent Guy. He’s been trending rapidly back to the former, and I can only hope this is the Asshole Apex.
Andrei
I guess you’re a little touchy about being called an asshole? Must have struck a nerve. Truth hurts, all that jazz you know.
A joke would have been funny. And considering you’re reaction to my calling you an asshole, obviously it was little more of a joke or my name calling wouldn’t have meant anything to you to garner a response.
That makes little to no sense. Except to maybe an asshole who thinks using an event where 18,000 people died is a funny way to “stick it to ’em!”
Asshole.
(Wait! I’m just joking with you John! Can’t you see the humor?)
maxe
I guess you’re a little touchy about being called an asshole?