Slow Response Or Deliberate Extermination?
 

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Hurricane Katrina and holocaust: Slow response or deliberate extermination?

By Larry Chin
Online Journal Associate Editor

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September 5, 2005—The devastation and human toll of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath is beyond words, and it is worsening. To say the Bush administration non-response is an international disgrace is putting it so mildly, it is grotesquely insulting. It may also be missing the point.

What the world already knows is that the Bush administration withheld funding and hampered disaster preparation, failed to aid rescue and relief efforts, and waited four days to even begin to get barely adequate supplies to victims.

It is obvious Bush and his administration behaved in a strangely detached and callous fashion, just as it did leading up to, and during, 9/11. As it was with 9/11, the administration is again being criticized for incompetence, negligence, mismanagement, and the "failure" to prevent thousands of lives from being lost.

That is the official version.

New reports, including accounts from eyewitnesses and survivors from the hardest hits areas like New Orleans, suggest the hurricane victims have been deliberately left to die.

The People of the Dome, a report from a survivor writing from New Orleans' French Quarter, charges that the "delays" and withholding of relief and supplies were deliberate:

Food and water were blocked from getting in.

Roads were not "impassable"; the same roads the National Guard used to drive into the city were open for relief.

Rescue workers were blocked from reaching victims at gunpoint.

Water was turned off for no reason, by Governor Kathleen Blanco, to force mass evacuation.

The military confiscated available buses, and would not allow some people to leave.

Bus evacuation was available, to the highest bidders.

The "looting" was done by ordinary people grabbing supplies being withheld by state and federal authorities, to save lives, and sold by those who wanted enough money to leave the area
(This report is reprinted in its entirety below.)

In an e-mail titled "Economics of disaster", which contains a firsthand account attributed to a New Orleans rescue worker, blogger Ned Sublette notes:

"The poorest 20 percent (you can argue with the number—10 percent? 18 percent? No one knows) if the city was left behind to drown. This was the plan. Forget the sanctimonious bullshit about bullheaded people who wouldn't leave. The evacuation plan was strictly laissez-faire. It depended on privately owned vehicles, and on having ready cash to fund an evacuation. The planners knew full well that the poor, who in New Orleans are overwhelmingly black, wouldn't be able to get out. The resources—meaning the political will—weren't there to get them out."

While nothing is clear at this early stage, the truth will undoubtedly emerge from accounts of this kind, as more survivors of these ground zeros tell their story—if they get out. This is the truth that media whitewashes and lying politicians will do their best to deny, dismiss and cover up.

Letting it Happen, Making the Rest Happen

According to the official legend of September 11, the US government—the Bush administration and its agencies—were caught off guard by a catastrophic foreign terrorist attack. The administration, according to the myth, failed to stop the attacks because of incompetence, negligence, and a host of other variations.

Evidence in the ensuing four years prove that 9/11 was a long-planned murder, executed by the Bush administration and its assets, using a combination of deliberate facilitation (of guided intelligence assets and patsies—also known as "letting it happen on purpose"), and synchronized action at both the federal and local level (New York Mayor Rudolf Guiliani, etc.). This included the rigged demolition of the World Trade Center, the deliberate manipulation of national air defenses, and the destruction of evidence (by the powerful FEMA and other agencies).

A calamity made and allowed to happen, and then covered up.

With Hurricane Katrina, disturbing similarities are emerging, along with another growing list of unanswered questions: 1) Foreknowledge of potentially catastrophic flooding. 2) A non-response/stand down during which federal assistance was not authorized, but blocked and prevented from reaching the suffering. 3) A window of chaos (during which deliberate government crimes took place,) followed by a militarization and cover-up.

Behavior of the Bush Administration

On 9/11 during the World Trade Center attacks, Bush was in a Florida schoolroom reading a story about a pet goat, in apparently unconcerned fashion. As Hurricane Katrina hit, Bush was on vacation.

As American citizens continued to die, Ben Bernanke, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisors, member of Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, and possibly the next Federal Reserve chairman, declared that Katrina's impact is "modest" on the "aggregate data." He has insisted that the effects will only be "temporary," and "absorbed relatively easily," and that "even the worst-affected states like Louisiana and Mississippi should see benefits in time." This statement from the world economy's next possible leader, in addition to a monumentally grotesque lie, has become the centerpiece of Bush's "optimistic" forecasts.

While hurricane victims continued to die, Bush ended his vacation. As victims starved, Bush had lunch with his economic advisors and representatives of the major oil companies. In his first press conference, Bush parroted Bernanke line, then passed the humanitarian public relations buck to Poppy and Bush family friend Bill "really good with the blacks" Clinton.

As American citizens continued to die, and faced with mounting international outrage, Bush posed for photo-ops, mouthed non-sequitors, callous one liners ("Don't buy gas if ya don't have to"), and boasted of (then non-existent) federal "help," while warning desperate hurricane victims that their acts of desperation deserved "zero tolerance."

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin's "desperate SOS" was met with Bush administration ears that remained strangely deaf for days. In a now-historic radio interview, Nagin blasted Bush with profanity-laced outrage, accusing the federal government of "feeding the people a line of bullshit."

"Don't tell me 40,000 people are coming here. They're not here. It's too goddamn late. Now get off your asses and let's do something, and let's fix the biggest goddamn crisis in the history of this country," he demanded.

In a live interview on ABC's "Good Morning America," Bush mumbled, "I fully understand people wanting things to have happened yesterday."

Then Bush told a lie: "I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees."

In fact, possibly catastrophic levee failure and flooding have been the focus of urgent warnings from local, state, and federal authorities for years. In fact, "everyone" knew about it, and "everyone" was demanding federal help—and did not receive it. In fact, the Bush administration cut money for flood control, and provided less than 50 percent of money requested by the Army Corps of Engineers for New Orleans flood prevention. In 2001, FEMA itself ranked hurricane damage to New Orleans as one of three most likely catastrophes facing the US.

See:

"Questions of preparedness"

"Washing Away" (New Orleans Times-Picayune five-part series, 2002)

"Did New Orleans catastrophe have to happen?"

Several states were ready to send National Guard units to assist, but did not get permission until days after the hurricane had hit. Why not? Bush did not authorize National Guard troops, even though he had the power to do so. Why not?

Why has the Red Cross and other relief agencies been kept out of New Orleans by FEMA?

As American citizens have continued to die, Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff and the head of FEMA, Michael Brown, congratulated themselves, proclaiming their (nonexistent) relief effort "magnificent," scoffing at early reports from the hardest hit areas. According to Terry Ebbert, head of New Orleans' emergency operations, "FEMA has been here three days, yet there is no command and control. This is a national emergency. This is a national disgrace." Brown claimed to be unaware of the situation at the New Orleans Convention Center as of last Thursday. They joined Bush in declaring "zero tolerance" towards victims.

During the infamous four-day gap, Bush did one thing with great urgency and speed, demonstrating that he had his priorities straight. He sneaked Alice Fisher into a Justice Department criminal division post, giving a recess appointment to a nominee who had been blocked for her involvement with Guantanamo torture.

As of September 4, the Bush administration continues to shift blame to state and local officials, while issuing more empty rhetoric. Meanwhile New Orleans is a literal hell, stewing in a giant cesspool, an expanding toxic spill (both certain to result in more death throughout the region), and a wasteland ripped with fires and explosions. Helpless, wandering evacuees, and holed-up survivors have been left in primitive conditions, facing the guns of national, state and local militaries and police. A lawless shooting gallery.

The Bush administration is a criminal organization designed purely for corruption, manufactured destruction, and lying. Nothing else. Their behavior during this crisis constitutes criminal negligence at the very least, and perhaps much more.

The Killing Fields of Peak Oil America

On Friday, during his photo-op tour, Bush said, "A lot of people are working hard to help those who have been affected, and I want to thank the people for their efforts. The results are not acceptable." Asked to elaborate, Bush said he was referring to "the fact that we don't have enough security in New Orleans yet." Not enough guns.

In a Sunday NBC television interview, Mayor Nagin said that in his Friday meeting on Air Force One with Bush and Governor Blanco, he again demanded immediate help, but Bush promised only that he and his advisors would meet separately and [paraphrasing] "think about it for a while."

Later Fridaynight, federal officials tried to wrest authority from Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, asking for a federal takeover of the evacuation, and National Guard units.

Mayor Nagin asked troops to control a city "run by thugs." Blanco herself had sent hundreds of "battle tested" Louisiana National Guardsmen into New Orleans. "They have M-16s and are locked and loaded. These troops know how to shoot and kill and I expect they will," Kathleen Blanco said.

Now are they getting what they wanted? The Bush administration has begun combat operations in New Orleans.

Will survivors left in the city be massacred and executed, under the guise of "restoring order"? How many?

As of this writing (Sunday, September 4), there are more reports of gunfire, and preliminary accounts that people are being shot, including Army Corps of Engineers repairmen trying to fix the levees. Who is shooting whom?

Between these disturbing reports, and accounts such as "The People of the Dome", New Orleans is being reduced to another Fallujah.

There were questions in 2004 about why authorities did not act on foreknowledge of the devastating South Asian tsunami (also see here) that killed thousands. Hurricane Katrina was widely tracked and anticipated. An entire region of the US has been wiped off the face of the earth, along with probably thousands of people. Is the US government helping this process along, and lying about it?

To quote Mike Ruppert:

"'Demand destruction' has become a priority not only to mitigate Peak Oil but also to mitigate global warming. The United States, with 5 percent of the world's people, consumes (wastes) 25 percent of the world's energy. How do you destroy demand? You collapse the economy. Homeless, unemployed 'refugees' (what a cold, depersonalizing term) don't buy gas, take trips, fly on airplanes or buy consumer goods (made with energy and requiring energy to operate). They don't use air conditioning because they can't afford it. They are the embodiment of Henry Kissinger's infamous term 'useless eaters,' a phrase from the Nazi vocabulary. If energy demand destruction, as acknowledged by the Bilderbergers and the CFR, is a priority, then the only—I repeat only—beast that must be tamed is the United States."

Given its sociopathic pedigree, it is more than likely that the Bush administration knows exactly what it is doing. It knew exactly what it was doing on 9/11, when it proceeded to murder of thousands, and then bomb and invade Afghanistan and Iraq, and slaughter tens of thousands of Afghans and Iraqis. It knows what is doing, even as new war plans circulate across Washington desks, with the promise of more "population control."

Now the herd must be culled—a few thousand more energy users erased from the "aggregate data." Americans? Regrettable, but they'll take it. African-Americans? The poor? Democratic votes? To the administration that has stolen and secured power through the disenfranchisement of these Americans already? All the better.

Perhaps New Orleans is just the prelude. To again quote Ruppert:

"What happens when we run out of the poor and 'minority' people whom our country has historically regarded as expendable—and the beast is still not satisfied?"

As of midnight (EDT) CNN was reporting

Rescue efforts (plucking survivors off rooftops, etc) have been stopped . . . by FEMA.

Supplies ready to go into New Orleans stopped . . . by FEMA.

Troops beginning house to house operations.

They are now claiming that people shooting at the Army Corps workers were shot. The details of this shooting still unclear.

More reports of widespread death. This will be sped up with more stalling. They won't even have to shoot the guns.
* * * * *

The People of the Dome
by Mitchell Cohen
Friday September 2, 2005

My friend Les Evenchick, an independent Green who lives in the French Quarter of New Orleans in a 3-story walkup, reports that 90 percent of the so-called looters are simply grabbing water, food, diapers and medicines, because the federal and state officials have refused to provide these basic necessities.

Les says that "it's only because of the looters that non-looters–old people, sick people, small children—are able to survive."

Those people who stole televisions and large non-emergency items have been SELLING THEM, Les reports (having witnessed several of these "exchanges") so that they could get enough money together to leave the area.

Think about it:

- People were told to leave, but all the bus stations had closed down the night before and the personnel sent packing.

- Many people couldn't afford tickets anyway.

- Many people are stranded, and others are refusing to leave their homes, pets, etc. They don't have cars.

You want people to stop looting? Provide the means for them to eat, and to leave the area.

Some tourists in the Monteleone Hotel paid $25,000 for 10 buses. The buses were sent (I guess there were many buses available, if you paid the price!) but the military confiscated them (!) and would not let the people leave.

Instead, the military ordered them to the now-infamous Convention Center.

HOW SIMPLE it would have been for the State and/or US government to have provided buses for people BEFORE the hurricane hit, and throughout this week. Even evacuating 100,000 people trapped there—that's 3,000 buses, less than come into Washington D.C. for some of the giant anti-war demonstrations there. Even at $2,500 a pop—highway robbery–that would only be a total of $7.5 million for transporting all of those who did not have the means to leave.

Instead, look at the human and economic cost of not doing that!

So why didn't they do that?

Why have food and water been BLOCKED from reaching tens of thousands of poor people?

On Thursday, the government used the excuse that there were some very scattered gunshots (two or three instances only)—around 1/50th of the number of gunshots that occur in New York City on an average day—to shut down voluntary rescue operations and to scrounge for 5,000 National Guard troops fully armed, with "shoot to kill" orders—at a huge economic cost.

They even refused to allow voluntary workers who had rescued over 1,000 people in boats over the previous days to continue on Thursday, using the several gunshots (and who knows WHO shot off those rounds?) to say "It's too dangerous." The volunteers wanted to continue their rescue operations and had to be "convinced" at gunpoint to "cease and desist."

There is something sinister going down—it's not simply incompetence or negligence.

How could FEMA and Homeland Security not have something so basic as bottled drinking water in the SuperDome, which was long a part of the hurricane plan? One police officer in charge of his 120-person unit said yesterday that his squad was provided with only 70 small bottles of water.

Last year, New Orleans residents—the only area in the entire state that voted in huge numbers against the candidacy of George Bush–also fought off attempts to privatize the drinking water supply.

One of the first acts of Governor Kathleen Blanco (a Democrat, by the way) during this crisis was to TURN OFF the drinking water, to force people to evacuate. There was no health reason to turn it off, as the water is drawn into a separate system from the Mississippi River, not the polluted lake, and purified through self-powered purification plants separate from the main electric grid. If necessary, people could have been told to boil their water—strangely, the municipal natural gas used in stoves was still functioning properly as of Thursday night!

There are thousands of New Orleans residents who are refusing to evacuate because they don't want to leave their pets, their homes, or who have no money to do so nor a place to go. The government—which COULD HAVE and SHOULD HAVE provided water and food to residents of New Orleans—has NOT done so INTENTIONALLY to force people to evacuate by starving them out.

This is a crime of the gravest sort.

We need to understand that the capability has been there from the start to DRIVE water and food right up to the convention center, as those roads have been clear—it's how the National Guard drove into the city.

Let me say this again: The government is intentionally not allowing food or water in.

This is for real.

MSNBC interviewed dozens of people who had gotten out. Every single one of them was WHITE.

The people who are poor are finally leaving the horrendous conditions in the SuperDome and are being bussed to the AstroDome in Houston.

Call them "People of the Dome."

If people open fire on the National Guard coming to remove them against their will, will New Orleans become the first battle in the new American revolution?

Mitchel Cohen
Brooklyn Greens / Green Party of NY




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:mad:

I didn't read the whole thing. But I think it was deliberate I even suspect that Katrina may be man made. Nikola Tesla...look him up.

ummmm...this one is easy...
 

As a resident of Florida... a state that was hit pretty bad last year with it's own share of hurricanes, I know how fast FEMA and the government can make things happen. We have seen how fast they can evacuate and set up temporary housing/shelter. Also how fast that water/food can be supplied.
This was deliberate.
It is amazing that we didn't have close to the number of casualties with 4 hurricanes hitting the state (a state in which the governor's brother just happens to be top dog in the whyte house) in the span of two months or so than they did with one.
AGAIN....DELIBERATE!:mad:

I agree

It's just sad
 

Without a doubt the delays were a deliberate but what is even sadder is that nothing is being done about the slow response. What can be done to make the person response for the slow response pay for their actions? FEMA head chief already resigned but what more can be done to ensure justice.

It's American and priviledge reins as oppose to justice.

1. Where was Jesse Jackson when you needed him?

2. Was is deliberate that the black politicians/Democrats were slow to respond? I guess they hate black people.

3. If the response was intentionally slow with the intent of exterminating black people the why would the government respond at all?

4. Anyone that thinks Katrina was man made is a moron. AIDS was invented to get rid of the blacks, not hurricanes.

Deliberate extermination? No.
Extremely slow response? Yes.

I'm glad you're so intelligent you can express your belief without insulting others.:D Finally someone who has the authority about what can and cannot be done and that your opinions are absolute.

signed the moron

I think the slow response was deliberate. The governor and Bush's relationship was "strained" before the storm. The governor "snubbed" the president when Bush came to speak at LSUs commencement. The governor and the mayor's relationship was "strained" as well prior to Katrina. The mayor endorsed another candidate (from another party) during the gubernatorial election campaign. All of this trickled down to affect the lowest of the low. Do not lose hope, Bush will rectify the situation because too many of the right people were affected by this storm. Then, the 'new' New Orleans will surface.

What do you envision for the 'new' New Orleans? What do you think it will look like?

I read an article that postulated the political scales may tip in opposite directions for the state of Texas and the city of New Orleans. The author explains that a large enough percentage of survivors that were placed in Texas may choose to live in Texas. This block of people would be Democrat-leaning.

Whereas some Republican-leaning inviduals may see a great opportunity to line not only their pockets, but also those of their cohorts with investing (i.e. buying up property, land) in New Orleans and taking it through a period of gentrification.

In your opinion, does this theory hold any weight?

No. Most people don't even exercise their right to vote. If they did Kerry would have won this year wouldn't he?


Maybe they will move back to New Orleans and vote out the mayor and governor.

I envision the 'new' NOLA will look differently, which isn't a bad thing. I believe those "projects" will be demolished. If someone doesn't have real estate in Orleans parish now, you may not be able to afford it in the coming weeks. I believe external forces, like Donald Trump (who had just purchased a building on Canal St prior to the storm) and other gurus will come down and purchase most of the property available. I believe that the infrastructure as we knew it prior to Katrina will no longer exist.

I do believe the 'new' NOLA will capitalize on invigorating the tourist industry by making it more tourist friendly. I would not be surprised if more high scale condos etc will be built along the river front. I also believe the historical and cultural dynamic of the city will remain. Remember, we have to get you all back for Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, etc etc. :D

Politically, in NOLA, the base may turn more towards Republican, as far as Texas, I still think it will hold its Republican base. I don't really see a shift in parties. Remember, even though we may not want to believe it, most low income individuals have not registered to vote, nor do they tend to vote. The Democrats will have to make sure they get those displaced individuals who decide to remain in Texas, Georgia, etc to become registered AND vote. Don't be surprised if Gov. Rick Perry doesn't run for President.

Everyone in the GNO area (if they want to admit it or not) knew something needed to be done with the school system, the political currption, etc. As an educator, I look for bigger and better things from this district. They have an opportunity to start from almost nothing and build up. Once this happens, more businesses and industries will run to NO. (I bet the industries will set up before the school system is up and running.) Which will serve as a catalyst for great economic impact for Louisiana, the region, and the country. Hopefully, our neighbors to the east will be able to rebuild and do the same. Louisiana and Mississippi have almost always been on the bottom or top of lists as it relates to education and poverty. Katrina was something else, but there will be many positives to come from this devastation. As someone said, this (hurricane devastation) is a MINOR setback for a MAJOR setup! :D

We have to be thankful to Katrina for many, many, many things.

Actually, Ray Nagin was "backed" by many prominent NON-AfAms in the city. "They" got him in. :D

Oh ok. They will definitely vote him out now. The AfAms porobably look at him as a puppet of the man.

You bring up some very cogent points, AKA2D. Thank you.
We've heard from a lot of "arm-chair quarterbacks" (i.e. those who have no knowledge of the life and culture in N.O.) theorize about what would be best for the city. It's great to hear from someone who is from/near the area.

I'm wondering if wholesale gentrification will take place and possibly wipe out the "essence" of the city. In efforts to make a place EVEN MORE tourist friendly, decision makers either move what they consider "undersirables" to the outer edges or totally price them out of the city.

Let me expound a little more: where I live used to be considered an undersirable area. However, due to manuevering, strong arming and all around shenanigans many of the long time residents (read: poor, elderly, people who've had a house in their family for generations) were moved out. Slowly but surely block improvements were made and the neighborhood became a little more upscale. So much so that the residents who manged to hang on could no longer afford to live there.

Can this happen to N.O.? Or can a watchdog group be formed to ensure that this does not happened?

*Let me know if I'm asking too many questions. :o :p

2D, have you ever thought about going into politics...
 

...cause I thought that was one heckuva post.

Being that you are much more saavy to the political goings-on in NO than many of us, I really liked that post. It almost sounded like a true campaign speech, except yours sounded sincere ;)

One thing I think we all can surmise: One NO recovers, it will definately NOT be business as usual, there will be a political shakeup in the works.

Re: 2D, have you ever thought about going into politics...
 

...AKA2D'91 you might wanna ask RM for a sizable campaign donation while it appears his wallet is wide open. :)

Red Herring. Where was Bush - he is the leader of the country? Oh. Sorry. He was off on vacation - you know - "strummin' on 'de ole banjo".

http://www.pensitoreview.com/images/...-survivors.jpg

TonyB06, you ain't said nuthin' but a word!
 

http://www.tmobilepictures.com/photo...f82648250e.jpg

Dere it is! Is that sizeable enuf fo' 'ya?

C'mon yall! Close 'ya mouth! I thought 'ya heard!

Anybody here wanna match my contribution?

1. I DO know how to spell. Corrupt is misspelled in my "campaign speech". :rolleyes: :D
2. RM, you stoopid! My degree says Political Science and that's about as close as this sista will get involved with politics.
3. Tony, stop instigating! (I'll holla soon)


Ladylike,

Louisiana is unlike any other state in the union. I've only lived in the GNO area for 9 years (although a LA native) and I've observed alot in that time. Locally, New Orleans had it's own culture, if you will. It's hard to describe, but there were many things going on that needed to be "cleaned". Within the AF Am community, black folks (poor AND middle-upper middle class) needed a "wake up" call on all fronts! Church leaders (some) needed a MAJOR "wake up" call. The "wake up" call was Katrina. I won't go into specifics, but after 8/29/05, EVERYONE was on the same playing field. It didn't matter if you lived under the interstate or in the Negro-version of 90210, YOU. WERE. IN. THE.SAME.BOAT!

One of my chapter members (who lost everything) is so afraid that the lower class will be left out of this great effort to rebuild NO. She wants to come back to the city to be the "voice" for those without a voice. Knowing this soror, I see her trying to get herself on one of those task forces being established.

I hope the essence of the city remains. It depends on the property owners in New Orleans. For some, it will be about the money. If a company offers them x-amount of money for their home (money they have never seen before), and they accept the offer, I can see some of NOs essence could get lost. However, if the same property owners INSIST they are coming back and NO dollar amount will convince them to leave or sell, then I see NOLAs essence will remain. Also, the representatives and council members will likely ensure that the essence of NO is preserved. (I also see Council member Oliver Thomas will run for Mayor, run for William Jefferson's Congressional seat,or some other position)

For those living on governmental property, it's a no brainer, they won't have anything to come back to. I believe it's going to be too expensive for them to return. Some of them have NEVER gone 10 miles east to Kenner or 10 miles west to Gretna. HOW IN THE HECK are they going to get back to NO from ARIZONA, UTAH, CALIFORNIA, DC "in time"? :confused: Hopefully, those displaced will find opportunities where they are. I KNOW in Texas, a person with a HS diploma can do well, but in Louisiana, it's not good enough, unless you work at a chemical plant. Historically, men didn't complete an education because they could get a "good job" at a plant or drive trucks or get into the family's shrimping, sugar cane, farming businesses. All of this has led to the dismantling of our education system.


You can ask as many questions as you'd like, but I don't know how much I can answer.

The governor of LA and the Mayor of NO are to blame for this. It is shoddy politicing on the part of the people who have been running the state for a long time.

FEMA can only do so much when dumbasses ignore mandatory evauation warnings.:rolleyes:

i am not sure that i agree with you....
 

i've watched various news programs some of which had mayor nagin being interviewed. i get the sense that he had been requesting money/assistance on a consistant basis, not only to deal with katrina but to address some environmental issues that could have prevented this multi-billion dollar catastrophe.

tim russert asked nagin about the buses that were sitting in all that water and why those were not used to transport those unable to evacuate. if i remember correctly it boiled down to money and manpower. there werent enough drivers not anyone willing to risk driving in that hurricane.


i believe that blame must be placed all around but i feel the bulk falls on the govenor and our president. bush is the leader of the free world. the president is the eyes and ears of the country and is privy to the latest, most accurate information. i find it difficult to believe that his advisors are that incompetant where they were providing inaccurate information as bush as stated.

the governor should have been a thorn in bush's side during all of this. as biased as the media can be, they hit this one on the head. if we have the man power to go to iraq we have the manpower to address a domestic issue. katrina was more accurate than the so-called weapons of mass destruction. SHE WAS COMING. there was no question. all branches of government should have ben on alert to assist the mayor.


this hurricane has brought to light all sorts of issues that government has been trying to keep mum. those levees should have been repaired properly, the governor should have provided resources so that everyone would have gotten out or would have been provided for at the convention cent and superdome, maybe nagin should cussed day 1, the president should have had fema and the military on standby---oops, my bad, most of our soldiers are helping to democratize iraq and make nice with our saudi investors.

the bottom line is that to consider nagin and the governor solely responsible maybe casting a blind eye to the bigger picture.

==============================================

I agree with AKA2D '91 in many respects, but I have my concerns as to whether the "historical and cultural dynamic of the city" will in fact remain or be replaced entirely by a yuppie paradise of superficial American-inspired developments. I don't wish to see the beautiful heart of our great state turned into a place most Louisianians can't afford to visit. Whatever happens, I hope the city remains predominantly populated by residents with deep Louisiana roots.

Re: i am not sure that i agree with you....
 

I agree. We should't blame the mayor because he is black. All the blame should go to the white guys that were a thousand miles away. The people that live there should'nt get any of the blame either. It's not there fault that they were too lazy to leave town when the mayor issued the mandatory evacuation.

MadMax,

You obviously have no capacity to understand how this situation manifests the convergences of classism and racism.

Given your unwillingness to even engage those ideas seriously, perhaps it is best that you excuse yourself from the conversation all together. I, for one, am tired of seeing intelligent discussion interrupted by useless goading. Your insights will not be missed.

Great idea. From now on only people that agree with Little32 can post in this forum.


I understand the situation. I just happen to have a different opinion.

Then discuss it intelligently rather than pretending that everyone else's perspective has no merit.

^^Hi, Little!
Please don't take his bait. It's not worth your keystrokes. :)

Re: Re: i am not sure that i agree with you....
 

Are you worried that you might actually BE one of those white guys that got blamed?

If not, then why are you here?

If so, then how do you explain the discrepancy that has been observed.

Unfortunately, Bush is gonna have absolutions from his sins with redemption from Hurricane Rita...

The folks who evacuated NOLA still will be poor, without education, without money and hey, they might be lazy. But then, if it were me and I had someone always telling be I could not accomplish anything from day 1 of life, then why would I?

I know, but sometimes it is just so annoying. Some folks just need to go away.

LISTEN TO 9/22/05 NPR'S "TALK OF THE NATION"
 

On NPR, National Public Radio, host Neal Conan will be hosting a show today (9/22/05) before a live audience and they will be discussing this very thread topic: Race, Class, and Katrina from 2-4 p.m.

Here is the link if you want to catch the show between 2-4 today:

*Link deleted*

If you missed this show, you can click on the link in my reply to this post two posts down

What do you think?

Edited to update links to access the article and discussion.

A true travesty, I once thought of teaching in New Orleans but friends and family changed my mind. There for the Grace of God go I!
I know of a friend of a friend who was in New Orleans and is completely displaced. I talked with a friend about the consipiracy theory, he agrees that it was genocide upon the millions of poor and Black people in New Orleans, has anyone heard on the radio about the song about the people of New Orleans there- it talks of the the conditions there and of the dead bodies in the street. I can't get out of my mind that little girl on tv shouting We need help!

Why weren't those school buses put to use to help the people there!:confused: An ever increasing gap between those who have, and those who have not! and those who did not have the means not to get out of New Orleans were expendable!

Re: LISTEN TO 9/22/05 NPR'S "TALK OF THE NATION"
 

Here is the NPR Archive link to the ToTN segment:

Race, Class, and Katrina 9/22/05

Click on the "Listen" icon below the title

Who owns the tens of thousands of cars that are parked in the streets before and after the flooding?

Who was resoponsible for the estimated 10 thousand people that didn't want to leave even after the flooding?

I can't believe I'm entertaining this person...
 

Those that didn't WANT to leave, we aren't talking about them. I for one, don't love my belongings THAT MUCH to where I would stay and protect them. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Fendi bag and TV, but my life is more valuable. If I get caught up in a bad situation because of it...well that's on me.

We are talking about people who do not have the means (ie a vehicle, the money to buy gas/a bus/plane ticket, etc.) but WANTED to leave.

On another note, I listened to the NPR special when it aired and it was a really good discussion about the disparity in perception that exist.

I hope you do realise that a number of those "tens of thousands" of cars may be owned by people who own more than one vehicle? The central issue is not with those who had the means and chose not to leave, the issue is those who lacked the means to leave and were effectively abandonded.

Re: I can't believe I'm entertaining this person...
 

Yes you are talking about the people that didn't want to leave. Most of the people that were stranded, made the decision to stay and then when the shit hit the fan they decided it was time to leave. Unfortunatley it was too late. Fats Domino chose to stay. Once his house was underwater he couldn't get his Bentley started. Who is responsible?

Or maybe the cars were owned by the people who lived in the neighborhoods where the cars were parked and maybe those people chose not to leave.

My sentiments exactly-most did not have that disposable income or the means of those who have- and thus the have nots were simply abandoned! Can you deny that you did not see people shouting on national television - WE NEED HELP!:rolleyes: I don't think they chose to stay in the situation they were in-they had no choice.:(

Sure I saw them on TV but that was after the flooding. At that point it didn't matter how much money they had. How do you know if they had money or not? Did you see ANY of them asking for help before the storm?

Most of those people were just too stupid to leave. It wasn't until after the flooding and their cars were under water that they wanted to get out.