Elon Musk says FEMA blocking, confiscating aid then claim it is their aid

[pianopraze]

 

True.
Having a billionaire exposing this helps too.

He’s just a man like any other good and bad.

But happy he’s actually helping.

[guyfriday]

Between FEMA situation and that order on Private Drone Operations,
Buttigieg’s order grounding private drone flights in Hurricane Helene flood rescue zones crashes and burns: ‘You’re hiding something’ (msn.com)

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg ordered private drone flights suspended in North Carolina’s Hurricane Helene flood zone, sparking fierce outcry from those frustrated by the government’s lackluster response to the deadly crisis.
 
“Drone pilots: Do not fly your drone near or around rescue and recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene,” the official DOT X account wrote Tuesday afternoon, nearly a week after the storm brought near-unprecedented flooding to the mountainous region.
 
Considering the maddeningly slow pace of the rescue effort, Buttigieg effectively ordered residents not to fend for themselves and instead put their trust in an agency many believe have already dropped the ball was adding insult to injury.
 
“You would think more eyes in the sky would be a good thing when there are people that need to be rescued but what do i know,” one X user replied.
 
“Your ‘help’ is worse than doing nothing,” seethed another.
 
Others pointed out how private drones have been used to deliver items like insulin and baby formula to those in need, particularly those living in more remote terrain who have been largely cut off from the rest of the world since the storm.
 
“Private citizen drones and helicopters have been saving lives for days, and still are. You should be ashamed,” said another user.
 
Some users felt the order was an effort to prevent citizen journalists from capturing the true extent of the damage on film.
 
“You’re hiding something,” a poster said accusingly.

It really does look like the government is trying to hide the actual death numbers and try to come out looking like the heroes by blocking any assistance by private entities from helping out. 

This is strait out of CCP playbooks; Hide the real damage and deaths, prevent others from helping and rescuing, force the media to report how great the governments response was.

[Maxmars]

Between FEMA situation and that order on Private Drone Operations,
Buttigieg’s order grounding private drone flights in Hurricane Helene flood rescue zones crashes and burns: ‘You’re hiding something’ (msn.com)

It really does look like the government is trying to hide the actual death numbers and try to come out looking like the heroes by blocking any assistance by private entities from helping out. 

This is strait out of CCP playbooks; Hide the real damage and deaths, prevent others from helping and rescuing, force the media to report how great the governments response was.

I can't say that I disagree, except for one point.

I think this isn't really a "CCP playbook" thing... this is what any organization will do to protect and aggrandize itself... which has the added benefit of evoking exploitation and political profit...

Churches, charitable organizations, civic activists, political aspirants, and even some commercially-motivated folks have done this throughout history in different ways, but all to the same effect.

It's almost as if they want to spawn conspiracy theory as a smoke screen... as a wise member once said... "Hmmm."

[guyfriday]

I can't say that I disagree, except for one point.

I think this isn't really a "CCP playbook" thing... this is what any organization will do to protect and aggrandize itself... which has the added benefit of evoking exploitation and political profit...

Churches, charitable organizations, civic activists, political aspirants, and even some commercially-motivated folks have done this throughout history in different ways, but all to the same effect.

It's almost as if they want to spawn conspiracy theory as a smoke screen... as a wise member once said... "Hmmm."

Oh yes, I agree that it's an old tactic to make a corrupt system look good, but the only reason I equate this to China is how poorly it's being done. Creating those Conspiracy Theories has become a game within the agencies it seems, but the fact remains that the poor cover ups taking place in this administration is very Chinese CCP like in how it seems like they want to hide the corruption, but also showcase it off as if they're proud of it too.

[putnam6]

My wife told me she was talking to someone in the impacted area last night. She was told they were stopping entire truckloads of supplies from delivering any help. From what she was told, the people who are hit the worst can't get what they need; much of it is just sitting in trucks, unable to do anything.

This is just like what we were hearing about how it went after Katrina. FEMA is just as messed up as it's always been.

It is worse than Katrina the geography makes it impossible to get to people, in Katrina they had boats helicopters, and high-water vehicles that could help with access. Plus lots of people could get to aid centers or evacuate this did not happen at all in WNC. 

The Area affected is enormous, hearing stories of 600 plus missing and more trapped in the mountains, valleys, and hollers of Western NC. and that's just western NC, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina all had deaths and damaging storms. 

Both were almost worst-case scenarios for the regions but Helene's path hit more people and seems to have affected a larger area.

 

CRS estimates that 700,000 or more people may have been acutely impacted by Hurricane Katrina, as a result of residing in areas that flooded or sustained significant structural damage. This estimate is based on geographical analysis of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood and damage assessments and year 2000 Census data. The estimates in this report are subject to the methods and assumptions used. Other agencies and organizations are conducting assessments using alternative and complementary methodologies; estimates may differ depending upon the specific methodologies used. In the case of this analysis, the estimates reflect the numbers and characteristics of people, families, and households in 2000, who lived in areas that suffered damage or flooding from the hurricane in 2005.

 

The population of the 23 most commonly associated counties for the region, as measured by the 2020 U.S.
Census, is 1,149,405.[sup][1][/sup] [sup][2][/sup] The region accounts for approximately 11% of North Carolina's total population.

[Lynyrd Skynyrd]

David Axelrod, the democrat operative that ran Obama's campaign, suggested in his podcast today that the people in the remote areas of western North Carolina shouldn't be helped by the Federal government because they are not democrat voters.

https://twitter.com/ukloner/status/18422...IEbfg&s=19

[putnam6]

I can't say that I disagree, except for one point.

I think this isn't really a "CCP playbook" thing... this is what any organization will do to protect and aggrandize itself... which has the added benefit of evoking exploitation and political profit...

Churches, charitable organizations, civic activists, political aspirants, and even some commercially-motivated folks have done this throughout history in different ways, but all to the same effect.

It's almost as if they want to spawn conspiracy theory as a smoke screen... as a wise member once said... "Hmmm."

You can argue our government's motivations for the lack of news, and solid information on FEMA recovery operations, but you can't argue it's not similar to waht Russia and China do during disasters all the time 

Just because other entities adopt the CCP playbook doesn't mean it wasn't/ or isn't a prime tactic of either Putin or Xi. Hell Maxmars Russia and China routinely fudge disaster numbers it's a well-known tactic. 

It's the nature of the socialistic communist bear and dragon, to protect the masses from too much negativity that doesn't concern them personally.

[Maxmars]

I have no argument to add except that "we" do it too... obviously... so what does that say about what we have been 'told' about their numbers?

I'm not inclined to defend or attack anyone where the only way I know of the situation is from either of them... used to be that journalism offered a less biased view... but that's over, so all sources are suspect... as none of them can be relied upon to simply tell us what is happening without an obligatory judgement embedded in it.

Too many lies made worse by too many lying questions... and no authority to ask without being lied to somehow.

All I hope for is no more death, destruction, and platitudes.

I don't know, and can't guess what the people of China, Russia, Ukraine, or any number of other countries in troubled time are going to do.  I can guess about what their leaders might do, but I can't judge the people by what their leaders do... I could judge their leaders, I guess... but then it becomes that whole game of personalities which I hate... it makes for too many tropes, and too many clichés from supporters and antagonists.

[guyfriday]

You can argue our government's motivations for the lack of news, and solid information on FEMA recovery operations, but you can't argue it's not similar to waht Russia and China do during disasters all the time 

Clearly, we're using Chinese tactics here. I say that because if we were using Russian tactics, we would have invaded Mexico by now (wouldn't that turn the board security issue on its head). 

FYI:
I say that in jest.

---

I have no argument to add except that "we" do it too... obviously... so what does that say about what we have been 'told' about their numbers?

I'm not inclined to defend or attack anyone where the only way I know of the situation is from either of them... used to be that journalism offered a less biased view... but that's over, so all sources are suspect... as none of them can be relied upon to simply tell us what is happening without an obligatory judgement embedded in it.

Too many lies made worse by too many lying questions... and no authority to ask without being lied to somehow.

All I hope for is no more death, destruction, and platitudes.

I don't know, and can't guess what the people of China, Russia, Ukraine, or any number of other countries in troubled time are going to do.  I can guess about what their leaders might do, but I can't judge the people by what their leaders do... I could judge their leaders, I guess... but then it becomes that whole game of personalities which I hate... it makes for too many tropes, and too many clichés from supporters and antagonists.

I remember when that Earthquake destroyed the mountain pass and flooded a city in China. China at first refused to address the issue of the city even being there, then after survivors started showing up they said it was just a mountain village. Then some media reports with pictures got leaked and China still haven't disclosed the true death numbers.

[Maxmars]

Chinese social order is truly alien to me.  I would think that the people themselves would rightly demand differently.  But then, they are under a cultural yoke which is different from others.

I wonder if it's a 'human value' things more relevant to the West?

I find it to always be a red flag (pun intended) when the "party" decides, and the people must cheer.