Deadly, Damaging, and Disruptive Disaster under a Digital Democracy

SANDY, the Super storm was coming. As an “Act of God,” it was supposed to be a fortuitous event: unforeseen, unexpected, and unavoidable. All we could do was mitigate or minimize its devastating effects.

When I predicted an October Surprise in this presidential election, I thought that it would come from either the Romney or the Obama camp. I did not realize that GOD the Almighty would provide it.

Fortunately, the Scientific Geniuses in the Weather Bureau, with the help of digital and information technologies, somehow were able to forecast the route, direction, and arrival of SANDY in certain States, including Virginia, where I live. To a certain extent, SANDY suddenly became foreseeable, expected, and avoidable.

In my initial Facebook status update, I wrote that I was all prepared and ready for my date with SANDY. “I just got back from the supermarket. We are getting ready for SANDY here in Virginia. All charged-up: extra batteries, MacBook, iPad, IPhone, Android, iPod, etc., all with flashlight apps, candles, matches, flashlights, cold food, bottled and filtered water, boiled water inside the big thermos, snacks, radio, audio, and video players on battery, etc. I am and will be at home without my spouse, who is abroad. Embraced by SANDY is not desirable and unwelcome! :):)”

 

As expected, for two days, SANDY not only aggressively threw cold and wet embraces and stormy kisses, she rendered us POWERLESS.

 

On the first night without power, while lying down on my bed seemingly naked, helpless, and alone, I could not help retracing how early inhabitants on earth responded to this brazen nakedness with the G-Strings.

 

Yes, POWERLESS as we were, I thought that we have been EMPOWERED likewise by a String of Gs: GOD, Government, Global Network, General Electric, Gas-operated equipment, Generator, Gadgets (Smart Phones, Tablets, etc.), Genius Bar (Apple), Gates (Microsoft), Google, Giant (Groceries), Greens, Guava and Grapes, Good Shepherd, Good Guys, Gals and Gays, Gifted Scientists, Games, Gossips or Grape Vine, Gimmicks, Gallup Polls, and Grassroots Ground Games. In the Philippines, for some politicians their brand of power consisted of Gold, Guns, Goons, and Girls.

GOD helps those who help themselves. The disaster proved to be deadly, with more than two dozen deaths so far; damages amounting to more than $50 billion; disruptions to business activities, Wall Street, sports and entertainment, political campaigns, and normal daily routine.

The roles of man-made institutions like the Federal and local governments, NGOs like the Red Cross as well as those of the human inventions that deal with the likes of SANDY such as the Gs mentioned above, became more significant and demonstrative of how human beings help themselves.

SANDY must have disrupted his Presidential campaign, but as the Washington Post reported, the former has been given his Commander-in-Chief moment.

“In a campaign notable mostly for its negativity, the historic storm provided Obama with a commander-in-chief moment a week before Election Day. The president gained a rare moment of bipartisan praise, with Democratic and Republican governors alike commending the performance of the federal government.”

Previously, bombing the enemy was the October Surprise. GOD instead surprised everyone by giving SANDY as a tribulation and a trial for both Obama and Romney to face.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been very helpful, competent, efficient, and effective in working with the States and Cities in these trying times. Unfortunately for Romney, the media is reminding the electorate that he had proposed earlier the abolition of the agency.

Making it worse for Romney, the following report was all over the mainstream media:

“Gov. Chris Christie (R), generally a harsh critic of President Obama, has nothing but praise for the White House response to Hurricane Sandy. 

“The federal government’s response has been great. I was on the phone at midnight again last night with the President, personally, he has expedited the designation of New Jersey as a major disaster area,” Christie, a top surrogate for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, said on NBC’s “Today.”

He added, “The President has been outstanding in this and so have the folks at FEMA.” 

On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Christie was equally laudatory, saying, “the President has been all over this and he deserves great credit.” Obama, he said, “told me to call him if I needed anything and he absolutely means it, and it’s been very good working with the President and his administration.”

And on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends,” when asked if Romney would visit New Jersey, Christie replied, “I have a job to do. If you think right now I give a damn about presidential politics, then you don’t know me.”

Meanwhile, my State of Virginia continues to be a Swing State, as I see the strong winds blowing and the tree branches SWINGING sometimes to the Left, sometimes to the Center, and sometimes to the Right.