Atheists: What is your opinion on how Obama is handling the gulf oil spill?

Right now he is at about a 6. But he could turn it into an 2 or 3 with some leadership. However, blaming Obama is pure politics.

It is an effort by the Republicans to get back at the Democrats for their criticism of Bush's response to Katrina. But they are two different things. Katrina was a natural disaster that the Federal Government has the know-how and resources to deal with.

While it is true that Katrina was not Bush's fault, FEMA is a government agency whose task it is to deal with hurricanes and floods. It is their job to do so and Bush was the guy who put his buddy Brownie in charge of it. FEMA waited way to long to even respond to the disaster, which is what "Bush's Katrina" was all about.

The Gulf Oil Spill is an industrial accident that the Federal Government is no way equipped to handle. The best way to explain it is: Imagine a large apartment complex under new management, with Landlord Obama in charge. For years, the BP Fire Department has been ignoring fire hazards because the previous management, Landlord Bush, were buddies with the Fire Department and let them set their own standards.

However, the fire didn't start until after Obama began collecting the rent. When the BPFD came to fight the fire, they discovered that it was just too hard to put out because their previous assurances that a fire couldn't happen were wrong, as were their assurances that if a fire did occur, they would be able to deal with it. After waiting for the BPFD to put out the fire, the tenets begin to get upset at the landlord telling him he is not doing enough.

"Why don't you fire the BPFD and take over fighting the fire yourself," Mr. FOX from apartment D demands. Landlord Obama protests that only the Fire Department has a shot at putting out the fire because they have pump trucks and hook & ladders and all the Landlord has is a garden hose. Mr. FOX knows this of course, but he has been waiting for the chance to embarrass the new Landlord since he took over and continues to scream about "Obama's Katrina" even though the two incidents are nothing alike.

When Landlord Obama criticizes the BPFD for not being able to put out the fire, some of these same tenants call him un-American for dumping on a private company and scream even louder that he is not doing enough. This is basically the situation as it now stands. If Landlord Obama DOES kick the BPFD off the job and take over their equipment, these same tenets will scream about a management takeover.

However, this is just what is needed. What Obama has to do, if this latest effort by BP to stop the spill fails, is to Nationalize BP and put Government experts in charge, ignoring the screams of "Government Takeover" the Republicans will come up with as they did with GM, etc.. Harry Truman Nationalized the railroads in the 40's so their IS a precedent for it. I think it is close to the point when Obama must do this if, like I said, this latest attempt to stop the spill fails.

If he does show this kind of leadership and brings the disaster under control, he will only be doing his job. But of course either way the Republicans will criticize. If he continues to let BP handle the problem, they will continue to scream "Obama's Katrina."

If he takes control over the crisis it will be "It's a Government Takeover! Obama is a dictator! He is Hitler!"

He needs to not worry about that and do what is necessary. Either way, it is a terrible disaster. The political posturing of the Republicans gleefully taking advantage of the tragedy to score political points only adds to the crisis.

Failure It is rather crazy to assign the highest number for the failure. 10 for failure? 1 for success?

Statistical nonsense.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.