I live in the upstate of SC...not far from the devastation in western NC and eastern TN. Here's my take.
People outside of the area don't realize the magnitude of the damage. Also, everyone wanted to help.
The counties are rural, mountain areas. The damage wiped out lots of 2 lane roads and hundreds of bridges...yes, hundreds of bridges. Sure you can come in and cut up fallen trees in order to allow first responders to get into damaged areas, but what are you going to do when the 2 lane road you opened up as a one lane road encounters a bridge that has been wiped out...duh...everything stops. You can't rebuild a bridge in a few hours. I believe several things...1. FEMA, the state and private humanitarian groups need to be more proactive and coordinated in putting out to the general population what private citizens can and should do to help. Hey...there should be a plan. In this case there was no plan. 2.
The various groups (FEMA, the State and the private groups) need to tell people what they are doing.
Within 12 hours FEMA should have been able to publish what it is doing. Not 'word salads'...like real things...like 'we contracted with the following private companies in advance of the storm to do the following and they are now on site, etc' . Same for the state. Broadcast where the various centers for donations are located...like just outside the devastation so that private people would not hinder relief efforts. Theses took too long to happen. FEMA's public posts stated that they had 1,000 people available out of 20,000 on their payroll, but they were not specific regarding what they were doing. 'Assisting relief efforts' is a word salad. Now we're going to have to go thru this again with Milton.
However, I think the folks in Florida are better organized and they had more time to prepare.
just my 2 cents. Elon's response is just another example of the inability of FEMA to prepare and respond to storms.
People might not like him but look at all he has accomplished with his companies. I mean who wakes up and says I think I will compete with the Big 3 automakers and build an EV and then does it successfully.
Witnessing the media's coverage of Elon from being a victor to villain over the last few years was quite eye opening. They loved him when he almost single-handily made possible the EV industry, made reusable rockets a reality, made internet access available to even the most remote regions of the world.
Yes, he is quite the narcissist but which genius isn't? He could be mega-yachting in Bora Bora every single day with hundreds of women but he chose to spend his money and time at something more important. He decided to defend free speech. How dare he? How dare he prove how incompetent our government is.
Musk is a repulsive narcissistic eccentric. I am terribly disappointed by the Free Press's support for a spoiled brat who dabbles in antisemitic conspiracy theories, plays on xenophobia, nurtures a personality cult, and believes his genes are superior to those of other mortals. Shame!
They are simply stating facts. Where do they "support" him? You made many statements about Musk, can you please provide some examples? Go back to reading WaPo and NYT to have your opinions echoed.
Musk is an innovator, creator and disrupter. People like him are the catalysts for high speed advancement. Yes, they can be difficult and shouldn't necessarily run established governments but without them in America, there would have been no Apple, Microsoft, Amazon , Tesla etc. America is the change catalyst. If you don't change you won't survive. If you create the change then you thrive. This is why we are thriving—we are the creators.
I imagine telling a ~2005 lib that in about 20 years, there will be an immigrant from Africa who will make the electric car practical and cool, will make spaceflight much cheaper and more efficient, will make the internet more accessible to all, and will risk much of his fortune and reputation in defense of free speech, and you'll hate him for it.
I say this at every dinner party, and people look at me like I have two heads.
1. Elon saved free speech. One free speech platform is exponentially better than zero. (X/Twitter)
2. Built the greatest american car company which is pushing us towards renewable nuclear energy and will force an upgrade to our electrical infrastructure. (Tesla)
2+. Robotics at scale which will revolutionize industry and safety (Tesla future)
3. Revamped space exploration and made it 10X cheaper to put payload into outer space. (SpaceX)
4. Affordable high speed internet... from any remote corner of the world. (Starlink)
5. Solving traffic problems - with a bonus of underground storage and geothermal (Boring)
And he's doing this at great personal risk to both his fortune and safety. He is exposing himself to lawfare by enabling people to express their ideas both good and bad on X/Twitter. The entrenched powerful people hate this so they will do whatever they can to shut him down.
Yet he perseveres. Why? Because he understands that without protecting the first amendment, the other amendments crumble.
For the upteenth time, anyone who has expectations of the government in a crisis or any other situation will be disappointed. Bureaucracies take and spend your money where they want with little oversight. People help people. And most important, people take care of themselves and their family. Elon Musk is a person. He has compassion. The government lives in its beloved red tape.
I am looking forward to Musk doing these efficiency audits of the Federal Govt next year. The squealing from the Hawg Trough in D.C. should be legendary. Musk is the one guy who has the gravitas to do it. They already tried to "cancel" him and failed.
So the forecasts for Hurricane Helene was out almost 7 days before it hit , how long does it take FEMA to get off there butts to get in place ? And over the last 10 years when do Hurricanes hit ? Anyone saying FEMA is not a problem is just full of it . Musk is always thinking and listening , when does our GOV ever listen ?
I've been through more than 10 hurricanes, and you need to be prepared to be on your own for at least 3 days and even longer for large storms. Not an excuse, just the way it is. The situation in NC was way different than a "normal" gulf coast hurricane. With the transportation infrastructure destroyed in mountainous terrain this compounded the problems. FEMA needs to learn from this and be able to adapt all of the newer technologies such as Starlink and drones.
I live in the upstate of SC...not far from the devastation in western NC and eastern TN. Here's my take.
People outside of the area don't realize the magnitude of the damage. Also, everyone wanted to help.
The counties are rural, mountain areas. The damage wiped out lots of 2 lane roads and hundreds of bridges...yes, hundreds of bridges. Sure you can come in and cut up fallen trees in order to allow first responders to get into damaged areas, but what are you going to do when the 2 lane road you opened up as a one lane road encounters a bridge that has been wiped out...duh...everything stops. You can't rebuild a bridge in a few hours. I believe several things...1. FEMA, the state and private humanitarian groups need to be more proactive and coordinated in putting out to the general population what private citizens can and should do to help. Hey...there should be a plan. In this case there was no plan. 2.
The various groups (FEMA, the State and the private groups) need to tell people what they are doing.
Within 12 hours FEMA should have been able to publish what it is doing. Not 'word salads'...like real things...like 'we contracted with the following private companies in advance of the storm to do the following and they are now on site, etc' . Same for the state. Broadcast where the various centers for donations are located...like just outside the devastation so that private people would not hinder relief efforts. Theses took too long to happen. FEMA's public posts stated that they had 1,000 people available out of 20,000 on their payroll, but they were not specific regarding what they were doing. 'Assisting relief efforts' is a word salad. Now we're going to have to go thru this again with Milton.
However, I think the folks in Florida are better organized and they had more time to prepare.
just my 2 cents. Elon's response is just another example of the inability of FEMA to prepare and respond to storms.
Well, all true. That includes the part about what a total monster he is to his employees. Ask anyone who ever worked for Tesla.
The genius billionaire is a demanding, tyrannical boss? Say it ain't so.
People might not like him but look at all he has accomplished with his companies. I mean who wakes up and says I think I will compete with the Big 3 automakers and build an EV and then does it successfully.
Is Musk DagnyTaggart or Hank Rearden?
I know! So crazy that this would be a rational thought to a leftist
The nine most terrifying words in the English language; “I’m from the government and I’m here to help” (if they actually show up).
Ronald Reagan 8/12/1986
Witnessing the media's coverage of Elon from being a victor to villain over the last few years was quite eye opening. They loved him when he almost single-handily made possible the EV industry, made reusable rockets a reality, made internet access available to even the most remote regions of the world.
Yes, he is quite the narcissist but which genius isn't? He could be mega-yachting in Bora Bora every single day with hundreds of women but he chose to spend his money and time at something more important. He decided to defend free speech. How dare he? How dare he prove how incompetent our government is.
Musk is a repulsive narcissistic eccentric. I am terribly disappointed by the Free Press's support for a spoiled brat who dabbles in antisemitic conspiracy theories, plays on xenophobia, nurtures a personality cult, and believes his genes are superior to those of other mortals. Shame!
I believe his jeans are superior to those other mortals, and his genes as well.
Probably so.
.
Tsk. Tsk.
That awful xenophobia that prohibits him from working with engineers all over the globe.
Envy is the ugliest emotion.
They are simply stating facts. Where do they "support" him? You made many statements about Musk, can you please provide some examples? Go back to reading WaPo and NYT to have your opinions echoed.
Musk is an innovator, creator and disrupter. People like him are the catalysts for high speed advancement. Yes, they can be difficult and shouldn't necessarily run established governments but without them in America, there would have been no Apple, Microsoft, Amazon , Tesla etc. America is the change catalyst. If you don't change you won't survive. If you create the change then you thrive. This is why we are thriving—we are the creators.
I imagine telling a ~2005 lib that in about 20 years, there will be an immigrant from Africa who will make the electric car practical and cool, will make spaceflight much cheaper and more efficient, will make the internet more accessible to all, and will risk much of his fortune and reputation in defense of free speech, and you'll hate him for it.
Elon Musk is our greatest American.
I say this at every dinner party, and people look at me like I have two heads.
1. Elon saved free speech. One free speech platform is exponentially better than zero. (X/Twitter)
2. Built the greatest american car company which is pushing us towards renewable nuclear energy and will force an upgrade to our electrical infrastructure. (Tesla)
2+. Robotics at scale which will revolutionize industry and safety (Tesla future)
3. Revamped space exploration and made it 10X cheaper to put payload into outer space. (SpaceX)
4. Affordable high speed internet... from any remote corner of the world. (Starlink)
5. Solving traffic problems - with a bonus of underground storage and geothermal (Boring)
And he's doing this at great personal risk to both his fortune and safety. He is exposing himself to lawfare by enabling people to express their ideas both good and bad on X/Twitter. The entrenched powerful people hate this so they will do whatever they can to shut him down.
Yet he perseveres. Why? Because he understands that without protecting the first amendment, the other amendments crumble.
Our greatest American.
Elon responds to a problem. FEMA responds with a meeting.
For the upteenth time, anyone who has expectations of the government in a crisis or any other situation will be disappointed. Bureaucracies take and spend your money where they want with little oversight. People help people. And most important, people take care of themselves and their family. Elon Musk is a person. He has compassion. The government lives in its beloved red tape.
Musk is the very definition of a useful person
The world has so many of the other kind.
“Be useful” has been my motto in business for many years.
I am looking forward to Musk doing these efficiency audits of the Federal Govt next year. The squealing from the Hawg Trough in D.C. should be legendary. Musk is the one guy who has the gravitas to do it. They already tried to "cancel" him and failed.
So the forecasts for Hurricane Helene was out almost 7 days before it hit , how long does it take FEMA to get off there butts to get in place ? And over the last 10 years when do Hurricanes hit ? Anyone saying FEMA is not a problem is just full of it . Musk is always thinking and listening , when does our GOV ever listen ?
I've been through more than 10 hurricanes, and you need to be prepared to be on your own for at least 3 days and even longer for large storms. Not an excuse, just the way it is. The situation in NC was way different than a "normal" gulf coast hurricane. With the transportation infrastructure destroyed in mountainous terrain this compounded the problems. FEMA needs to learn from this and be able to adapt all of the newer technologies such as Starlink and drones.
Yes, but will they listen and learn ? Or does this administration/FEMA just keep going the old way , Big GOV way , the experts know best way ?