Re: [Salon] 'Children Were Incinerated To Ash': Livid Hawaiians Slam Biden For Cracking Jokes, Lying About Wife

[Chas Freeman <cwfresidence@gmail.com>]

From a resident of Hawaii.

This piece is inaccurate hyperbole. Just about every line is out of touch with reality. Look no further than the right wing phrasing of "he finally showed his face 13 days after the fire"; he "flies around in circles while residents are TRAPPED on closed roads"; the media is "loudly and joyously" blaming climate change; and "many Hawaiians regret voting for the pariah prez". Sounds like Fox News? They even have a throwaway conspiracy theory line about "the relatively muted media's response to one of the deadliest natural disasters in US history. Theories abound." Stand by while they think of something. 

Facts matter. Yes there were angry residents. But many of the angry were that way before and after Biden's visit. For good reason: the tragedy was heart wrenching, akin to what Rhode Islanders might feel if fire razed all of the Newport Mansions and killed lots of people who lived nearby. In sharp contrast to the doom and gloom perspective in this piece, the politically active folks on Maui tell me Biden came as soon as the Governor said he was welcome to come; his motorcade stopped or was rerouted to avoid interfering with ongoing rescue ops; all roads in and out of Lahaina were closed and remain so until the area is safe ... so no one was "trapped" by Biden's visit; the limos and helicopter were required by the Secret Service; he said what everyone wanted to hear; he said he wouldn't take questions so as to avoid questions on politics that the Governor called "ugly" when mainland journalists asked them; he did answer questions on what he had seen and would do about it; he came bearing gifts that were requested and needed; and he left as soon as he finished doing what he needed to do to help and learned what he needed to know in order to speak knowledgeably and advocate persuasively when back in DC. 

As a footnote, the over 1000 missing has fallen to 388 as folks continue to turn up. The death toll now stands at 135. This could rise, of course, but it will not become one of the "3 deadliest natural <sic> disasters" as the piece refers to repeatedly. Cognitive dissonance makes a lie take on the veneer of truth if repeated often enough. That's why it's important to shoot it down when it rears its ugly head. Thanks for letting me rant.

On Thu, Aug 24, 2023 at 7:15 PM Chas Freeman <cwfresidence@gmail.com> wrote:

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/children-were-incinerated-ash-livid-hawaiians-slam-biden-cracking-jokes-lying-about-wife?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1771

August 22, 2023

"We have no hope when nobody is ever held accountable ."

'Children Were Incinerated To Ash': Livid Hawaiians Slam Biden For Cracking Jokes, Lying About Wife

Hawaiians are livid at President Joe Biden, who finally showed up to Maui two weeks after wildfires ravaged Lahaina, killing 114 and leaving over 850 missing - only tocrack inappropriate jokes and lie about his wife 'almost' dying in a fire.

"You guys catch the boots out here? That’s a hot ground, man," Biden joked.

JUST IN: President Biden jokes about how hot the ground is in Maui after a fire ripped through, killing hundreds.

“You guys catch the boots out here? That’s a hot ground, man,” he joked.

Despite media reports of roughly 100 deaths from the fires, locals estimate that at least… pic.twitter.com/mRlVuN9kns

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 21, 2023

At another point, Biden told the Mayor of Maui County: "You look like you played defensive tackle for, I don't know who, but somebody good," before calling the wildfires a "national travedy."

Biden says to the Mayor of Maui County: "You look like you played defensive tackle for, I don't know who, but somebody good" and then says the wildfires are a "national travedy." pic.twitter.com/ZbQDx5ZW3i

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) August 21, 2023

Then Biden lied about almost losing his wife in a 2004 kitchen fire. In truth, the fire was "under control in 20 minutes" and firefighters "got it pretty early."

Fact check: Biden is lying. pic.twitter.com/gySGLRURBW

— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) August 22, 2023

I also just picked up on the fact that he said he was in DC doing a tv show when the fire happened and then said he somehow made it all the way back to Wilmington, Delaware in time to watch the firefighters put it out when, according to the report, it under control in 20 minutes https://t.co/KGkUBAjfE6

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) August 22, 2023

Watch Biden's entire speech below:

Residents are pissed...

"Hearing you talk about your house that, you know, had a little fire... you almost lost your cat and your Corvette," said one enraged resident, adding: "There were children that were incinerated to as," after Gov. Josh Green (D) said on Sunday that "it's possible that there will be many children" among the missing.

"You're so out of touch with the common man, you don't even know how to speak to them," he continued, adding "the only way you think you can establish commonality with them is to lie - that the 'same thing happened to you' "

"You're a disgusting, despicable bastard."

Watch:

CITIZEN RESPONSE TO JOE BIDEN’S SPEECH IN MAUI *
pic.twitter.com/krd0CaC9ON

— The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) August 22, 2023

I did not realize until today that the potential death toll was this high

If the death toll is even close to this, that would make this one of the 3 deadliest natural disasters in the US in the 21st century

How is this not the only thing we are talking about? https://t.co/UoVgOerwdk

— PoIiMath (@politicalmath) August 21, 2023

"Fuck You" shouted more residents as Biden's motorcade rolled down the street. We imagine many Hawaiians regret voting for the pariah prez.

F*CK YOU: Maui residents BLAST Joe Biden after he finally shows his face 13 DAYS after fires 🔥
pic.twitter.com/1aRD37oC41

— Eric Spracklen🇺🇸 (@EricSpracklen) August 22, 2023

Military finally flies into Maui. To deliver 2 of Biden's limousines and his executive helicopter.

— NEWS MAKER (@NEWS_MAKER) August 21, 2023

🚨 JOE BIDEN IS ON MAUI

While Biden flies around in circles above Maui, residents are TRAPPED on closed roads for the next several hours.

Biden will then be meeting with pre-selected “residents” and will NOT be taking media questions.

Go figure.

Police are telling me that… pic.twitter.com/JiR1iZganY

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 21, 2023

That's definitely what it looks like.

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 21, 2023

Why the relatively muted media response to one of the deadliest natural disasters in US history? Theories abound.

I did not realize until today that the potential death toll was this high

If the death toll is even close to this, that would make this one of the 3 deadliest natural disasters in the US in the 21st century

How is this not the only thing we are talking about? https://t.co/UoVgOerwdk

— PoIiMath (@politicalmath) August 21, 2023

Still amazed that Hawaii officials themselves admitted that they withheld water and audible warnings in the name of equity but the media is loudly and joyously blaming climate change for the deaths.

We have no hope when nobody is ever held accountable and we blame make-believe…

— The Dank Knight 🦇 (@capeandcowell) August 21, 2023

Governor of Hawaii:

-We didn’t manage the unnatural savanna from fallow plantations.
-We didn’t use our emergency alert system.
-We didn’t use any water to fight the fire until it was too late.
-The electrical grid was poorly maintained.
-Described his desire to clame the… https://t.co/ZfvCq9NbG0

— TimOnPoint (@TimOnPoint) August 21, 2023

And of course, Joe appeared to fall asleep during the middle of a meeting with the families of fire victims.

Joe Biden just fell asleep in the middle of his meeting with victims of the Maui fires pic.twitter.com/YxDneHVuWL

— Matt Wallace (@MattWallace888) August 22, 2023

Stay classy, Joe. And Maui Mayor Richard Bissen (D)...