The Other 911 Failure

If there's an emergency, we dial 911; if we're in trouble, we dial 911; if one of loved ones is in trouble, we dial 911.

Imagine what it would be like to dial 911, and there was nobody there. Swopa of Needlenose has a post on another failure in Iraq:

Back in May, I needled the U.S. military's endless -- and pointless -- hyping of a tip hotline that had been set up for Iraqis to report violent incidents.

Today, the New York Times reports what anyone could have guessed back then:

When armed insurgents moved into her southern Baghdad neighborhood last spring and started threatening Shiite families like hers, Umm Hussein called Iraq’s widely publicized 24-hour terrorism hot line. Nobody answered.

After several attempts over several days she finally got through and was assured that the police would follow up. “But nothing happened and no one ever came,” recalled Umm Hussein, who told her story on the condition that she be identified only by her Shiite nickname. . . . The hot line, she said, is “a joke.”

Her experience has been woefully common, with many Iraqis complaining that they have been unable to get through or have seen no response to their tips.

It is terrible when a government does not respond to its people. Thousands of people called out to our government after Hurricane Katrina and they received no help for days. A week later they got promises and photo ops. Seniors asked for help on prescriptions, and the answer they received was a boondoggle for the drug companies. Jobs are going overseas and Congress is busy legalizing torture. Health care, schools and energy all need attention but Congress is busy hiding more scandals like those that have revolved around Cunningham, Noe, DeLay and Foley. Even our hapless president, who is in charge of the government, won't call 911; he's in trouble in Iraq and he won't admit that his policies have failed and that he needs to call in the experts.

Our nation is in trouble and there is no 911 to call; there is only the American voter. Only the American voter can put the nation back on track. Vote on Tuesday and change history.