DaveyD said:
...I'm well aware that it's pure American parochialism to make a big issue of this disaster when something like
1,000 people got trampled to death on a bridge in Iraq yesterday too...
So, your saying Americans shouldn't be deeply concerned about fellow Americans? I recieved an IM from a friend who's in Brazil who only had heard America had been hit "real hard" by a hurricane. But nothing else was reported. You're accusation against America only hears of Americans and little else of anyone more can certainly be directed at most any country.
A majority of countries are and should be rightly concerned with situations at home first. That's were the natives are. Are you suggesting people overwhelm themselves by all what's going on within a global scale and head for a nervous breakdown? Worry about situations they cannot help instead of focusing on the situations where they indeed have a better chance of being able to help?
Not that it matters since the loss of human life is the loss of human life. However, you're forgetting the catastrophie that has hit all four states of the Gulf has not even begun to offer much of a death toll. Simply because the concern is helping those who are still alive. And this speaks nothing of the ongoing concerns any type of illnesses and deaths brought on by disease.
...This disaster is also laying bare what the price of poverty is: you will be left behind. Something like 20% of New Orleans was unwilling but more likely, incapable of leaving the city before the hurricane hit. A lot of ignorant folk are asking profoundly stupid questions like, "well, why didn't they leave when they had a chance?"....
While I agree that there are people unjustly accused of "not leaving" when they very well couldn't...there were indeed people who were recorded as stating "I'm stick of these evacuations. I'm riding this one out".
Also you're forgetting Katrina was a level 1 hurricane which hit the Florida coats before it reached the Gulf and turned into a monster storm. There were people who simply didn't take the storm seriously. And you're also forgetting there were also alot of highways which were practically jammed as people tried to leave the city. Even if people had been bused from the poorer sections, tell me where they would have gone if when the time was up and the martial law was installed.
You're also speaking of elderly and those with medical conditions who would have needed special transportation to be helped out of harm's way.
It's rather heart-wrenching. However, playing the little blame game that a city was prepared for a catagory 3 or maybe 4, but certainly not a 5 isn't going to help.
it's becoming increasingly clear that the government either didn't have the means or the will to look after their most needy citizens. And should we be surprised that the bulk of this neglected population also appears to be Black?
Again the little blame game is useless to play. You're conviently ignoreing several major factors to begin with in regards to the situation. As well as matter regarding the levies which were only built to pump out 2 in of water the first hour and 1/2 in an hour thereafter. Please explain how the pumps would be able to even hope to handle rain of
9 inches per hour during the storm. Not to mention the near 30 ft. storm surge?
I'm wondering more who's bright idea was it to build a major city within a basin which was a disatser waiting to happen? Probably the same people who build major cities on major faultlines.
Looting...the moral outrage over property that would have been lost anyways seems like a lot of wasted hot air compared to larger issues.
I guess it doesn't matter that of the looters had stolen guns, lethel weapons, as well? Possibly the same ones which opened fire near the Superdome earlier today?
I've heard rumors that the vast, vast majority of homes and businesses could not or were not insured?
New Orleans, because it was within a high risk location, more than likely would have had really hiked insurances or damages due to certain events would not have been covered.
What's left of the city is within near anarchy. Instead of tossing in race cards, maybe consider the situation in full.
Btw, 4 entire states were affected by this hurricane. Would be nice if we heard about the rest of Louisianna as well as as the other 3 states.
