New Orleans

[Will]

I'm surprised there isn't already a thread about this one, and I'm sure people will express some fairly strong opinions about what is happening there, so I think I'll get the ball rolling.

Wow. I'm amazed with what happened in such a rich country, that getting aid in and people out hasn't been more coordinated, especially when they had so much warning. It really has shown the divide between rich and poor.

And now we've got Texas turning refugees away (read in today's Guardian), Baton Rouge with armed police on the streets (more armed than normal, shotguns and ARs), and armed troops being sent into NO with orders to shoot to kill looters.

And finally, a little picture. Feel free to discuss and argue.

 

[`mongoose]

same journalist on both pictures?

M

 

[Will]

I doubt it...different times, different agencies. Probably the same photographer though.

 

[JingleBells]

More Information

 

[Ukle]

The whole situation is fucked up, how exactly can any country neglicate its citizens, this is the type of thing Mugabi does and he gets condemnation for it. They supposidly cleaned out some of the dead from dehydration at the convention center in the middle of the night, probably at least in part to try and not get the pictures shown on TV, as no pictures have yet come from inside only the outside.

And to top it all there is this massive fire now started either from a chemical plant or wagons at the railroad yard.

Just glad that the American media isn't toe'ing the party line and is criticising Bush and his government for lack of action.

Btw. heard one report from a chemical cleanup specialist that it will take years to get New Orleans in a state that anyone could live / work there again never mind the rebuilding etc.

 

[Tom]

Sometimes shit just happens, and you have to try and deal with it. There isn't really a lot you can do to prepare for something like this tbh. The area affected is enormous.

Just because people are suffering and dying doesn't necessarily mean that anybody or any organisation is at fault.

 

[weevil]

those 2 pictures are totally typical of the racial divide in America. Most of the people in New Orleans are black or of black origin, strange that. I wonder how many black people are in that stadium in Texas........

 

[Munkey]

Tbh, when I first heard about the whole of New Orleans flooding I was rather shocked, but thought that the damage, although severe to property, was limited amongst its residents. Now i'm reading news stories of rapes, death through negligence, people shooting at the very people trying to save them and its left me a little scared and shocked.

And about the racial element mentioned earlier, I was reading my daily news sites when I came across this rather interesting article:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2005/09/01/katrina_race/index_np.html
(you have to sit through a small commercial in order to qualify for access to the rest of the article, and the site, but its well worth it. Really opens your eyes)

Theres also this rather interesting article about the lack of reaction from the American President:

http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewWeb&articleId=10191

Likens his reaction to apathy and compares it to 9/11 when he just continued reading the childrens book.

 

[weevil]

a very hard hitting article, somone should sit the president down and read it to him, but maybe the junior version with pictures

 

[Calaen]

I am with Tom on this one, You cant totally prepare for anything like this over such a large area.

The thing that is sickening is the reports of rape, abuse and killing amongst the people that are still in the area.

Its like a real life Mad Max No rules No laws the people with no morales taking whatever they want through force.

I read an article on Sky news saying that they have had alot of Police officers from NO hand over their badges refusing to go back and try and help because of the danger involved, they have already lost their families and homes and refuse to lose their own lives aswell..

Its just a crazy fucking world.

 

[throdgrain]

The thing you have to remember is that the area concerned is apparently 900000 square miles. Now IIRC England is about 950000 sqm, which kind of puts it into perspective.
Personally I like the bloke looking out through his window, on his white wall he has written "I AM INSIDE SLEEPING , I HAVE A BIG DOG AN UGLY WIFE TWO SHOTGUNS AND A CLAW HAMMER" .
Loot my house motherfucker Thing is, if you did that in this country you'd get done for violating the space of some deserving chav, but thats another story I expect

 

[Tilda]

Its amazing how quickly a supposdly "civilized" society deteriorates into this tbh.

 

[DaGaffer]

Its amazing how quickly a supposdly "civilized" society deteriorates into this tbh.

That's what you get if you create an underclass with cheap access to guns, leave 'em to their own devices and then at the first sign of trouble, abandon them. While I can't condone shooting at rescue helicopters and the other atrocities we've heard about, white, middle-class, smug America and a venal political system sowed the seeds of this. What's really depressing is that they won't see it; it'll be too easy for all those corn-fed idiots in Bumfuck Idaho to watch Fox News and tell themselves "What do you expect of N*ggers".

 

[Poag]

I think Rimmer from Red Dwarf quoted it best

"Every society is three meals away from Anarchy/revolution"

 

[ECA]

check out the forums from right wing talking head sean hannity for an idea of just how bad fox news are
www.hannity.com

 

[Ukle]

The attitude of some people on the hurrican forums (WWLTV / NOLA) has been appaling, straight from the K.K.K, but thankfully there appears to be people moderating those forums now.

Looks like the hurricane thats been brewing in the Atlantic is most likely to be heading Florida's way, last thing they need at the moment but its not even the peak of the season yet.

To top it all off sections of the Business area of New Orleans are now on fire, so the few bits that are not flooded get to be burn't to the ground instead.

 

[rynnor]

The true test of the relief effort in new orleans will come in how they handle the next few days - you cannot expect them to have everything in place immediatly after such a disaster but by a week or so later people should be seeing a great improvement in the aid they are receiving.

However what has been seen so far is not exactly inspiring - its fine to have difficulties with access to the areas but there seem to be real organisational problems and a lack of co-ordination.

The people in the dome must begin to be moved to more permanent camp in the next day or so - failure will lead to disease outbreaks/food shortages and probably rioting.

I dont believe the people of new orleans are monsters - there is a lot of hype as usual - no doubt there are people acting in a civilised and no doubt even benevolent manner but it doesnt make good news stories...

If people are scared, in shock, hungry, traumatised, grieving and understandably angry about the lack of help they are receiving from what is meant to be the most powerfull country in the world then its not unlikely that they would resent agents of that government including 'rescue' helicopters.

I just hope that help comes for them sooner rather than later.

 

[Embattle]

I think Rimmer from Red Dwarf quoted it best

"Every society is three meals away from Anarchy/revolution"

Just thinking that....yes it was Rimmer.

This is going to be a political nightmare for Bush in the coming months..........I feel Michael Moore around the corner.

 

[~Yuckfou~]

I feel Michael Moore around the corner.

I believe that's called a "reach around"

 

[throdgrain]

lmfao

 

[DaGaffer]

Just thinking that....yes it was Rimmer.

This is going to be a political nightmare for Bush in the coming months..........I feel Michael Moore around the corner.

Rimmer was channeling Robert Heinlein

 

[Turamber]

Another VN board linkie:-

http://vnboards.ign.com/WoW_Community_Board/b22603/91196014/?17

So, in the view of some of the deeper American thinkers, the people in New Orleans are all unemployed, lazy, good for nothing bums. Moreover it would be much better for everybody if they just drowned as rehousing and looking after them is disruptive for people living in neighbouring cities and states. I was going to post something on the thread, but the pond life there tend to think even less of Europeans.

 

[Ch3tan]

I dont think America will ever recover in the eyes of the world from the images and stories that have come out of this. It's amazing how slow Bush has been to act.

And shoot to kill? They are going to shoot people looting food and essentials because the government are too slow to provide them help?

 

[throdgrain]

Most of the looting Ive seen seems to involve plasma tellys tbh ....

 

[ReActor]

Their biggest error was probably not getting the real military there soon enough. The presence of the army would have done a lot to discourage the looting and violence.

Also it's a political issue - people immediately started asking if the US forces are overstretched what with the Iraq situation. I suspect that's bullshit, but then it's easy to make the mistake of thinking that American has a bottomless pit of money and troops.

 

[Turamber]

it's easy to make the mistake of thinking that American has a bottomless pit of money and troops.

Slightly off-topic, but whilst debating with somebody on the net if the USA can be described as "rich and powerful" I looked up a few websites on their military spending. Apparently the US military budget is the same as the rest of the worlds military spending added together. I was, frankly, astounded.

 

[ReActor]

Anyone else been keeping up with the Interdictor blog? It's pretty riveting. A lot of the comments are fucking stupid though (as you would expect). And by "stupid" I of course mean "hilarious". Check out the 6th reply on this one (about half way down):

http://www.livejournal.com/users/interdictor/46801.html

Certainly made me laugh. That guy has interesting priorities.

 

[Poag]

Hmm..last time i checked it was about 19% of the budget.

US is 15% i think..now take into account that the US has [last time i looked also] 10x the population than the UK....so they are infact spending 10 times as much..although % wise ti appears the same....asuming of course everyones pays taxes

 

[Poag]

Actually tell a lie

Its 19% direct spending on Military and 18% Nonmil Discretionary Spending..thats ...umm...37%

Taken from one of the anti war sites www.warresisters.org/piechart.htm

 

[Munkey]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/avdb/news_web/audio/9012da680023f10/nb/09012da6800242c1_16x9_nb.ram

Radio interview by the Mayor of New Orleans. Made me want to cry.

(if that link doesnt work then its available somewhere on this page)