The Politics of Katrina

[Nbadan]

I don't really need to add anything to this thread, except that I want to laugh and point at Nbadan and his never dying love for himself

Do you ever add anything significant to a thread? Common Manny stick your neck out.

Just once.

Just once.

[Jelly]

"Why would FEMA, an organization supposedly tasked with helping in a time of crisis, deliberately cut police communication lines? This is a blatant example of sabotage and a sick push to make the disaster worse."

Obviously. FEMA wants to make it worse. We all know how much they're enjoying getting their asses roasted like no other public agency has in American history. Yeah, they like it rough. Bunch of sick pervs.

[Nbadan]

Well, I think this pic pretty much sums up the Feds response...

George W. Bush. Hurricane Frances. September 8th, 2004. 3 Days after the Hurricane. ELECTION YEAR!



George W. Bush. Hurricane Katrina. August 25, 2005. The Day after the Hurricane. NON-ELECTION YEAR

[Nbadan]

Police beating Journalist? Iraq? No, New Orleans...

""Another photojournalist - Lucas Oleniuk of the Toronto Star - was knocked to the ground by police, his gear taken from him initially, when he photographed them shooting at looters and then beating one. In response to the growing violence and an increasing sense of despair among the stranded survivors, some television networks have hired armed private security firms to protect their journalists as they work to cover the story.""

NPPA

[boutons]

Context that is seems that every USA potential-for-disaster survey for decades had the failure and/or overflowing of the NO levees as one of the top national disasters. shrub/Repugs/HLS/FEMA have absolutely no grounds to say they were "surprised" by the levee failure.

The Feds failed in their responsibility to maintain the levees (Federal
surface-water/flood control system, where NO/LA have no responsibilities),

failed to monitor the levees during/after the storm for leaks/breaches,

failed to have levee repair materiel, equipment, and teams stationed within the levee area for rapid response to levee problems.

EVERYTHING else that follows the levee failures, including the deaths of 1000's NO residents, would have been avoided if shrub/Repugs had discharged, rather than ignored, their responsibility for the levees.

[FromWayDowntown]

For anyone who caught (what I believe) is the most recent South Park, the brilliant commentary satirizing the finger-pointers in the aftermath of a disaster made me think of this thread.

If you haven't caught it yet, it's worth a look. It's absolutely brilliant.

[Shelly]

My husband recently saw a new patient that was an evacuee from NOLA.

The guy was a sous-chef at some pretty famous restaurant there (my husband couldn't remember the name). Anyway, he said he was stuck on his roof for 18 hours and was eventually saved by his Iraqui (sp?) neighbor. When my husband asked him he didn't leave, he said, "Because I was stupid". My husband also asked him who he thought was at fault for this whole thing and he said it was the mayor and the governor. And not that it matters, but yeah, he was black.

He said that he already bought a house here and my husband suggested he open a Cajun restaurant here. He said he and his some people he knows have talked about it.