Two factors of the NOLA crisis to consider whether you care or not

[BrandonWhat]

1) When all of the water is pumped out of the city, it will be saturated with nearly every fucking thing no living thing would ever want in the water--chemical waste, organic waste, including feces and rotting corpses. Where do you think that water will end up...?

2) Nothing is going to be rebuilt or restored without some kind of federal funding; how do you think this will affect an economy still recovering from 911 and the costly warfare it's inspired?

A look too far ahead, obviously; but, stoic or not, this will affect you in the long run, whether you choose to accept that reality or not.

[PETA]

yes, it will be expensive, dirty and smelly

we'll deal

[transparentaura]

Its another case of Pennywise and pound foolish. In 2004. FEMA engineers, in a report requesting a budget that would allow strengthening and raising the levee's around N.O. cited an eerily prescient scenario that would follow a direct hit by a major storm. They recieved 20% of that amount, not nearly enough to accomplish this. The department of Homeland security (again, I'm not sure I've got the correct agency, I've been ploughing through so much info about this tragedy)
listed a storms direct hit on N.O. along with another major quake in the SF bay area and terrorist attacks as the biggest potential tragedies in america. Now one of these has occured and we are woefully unprepared to handle it. The promise of wetland preservation that was put on the back burner is another case of shortsightedness, as it is pretty well accepted that the barrier marshes that used to border this area were a natural buffer from storms. I understand the philosophy of shrinking Govt. but I think it has to be balanced with some common sense, the one thing that we do need the federal govt. for is infrastructure and resources to protect and react in these situations. The JIT business model leaves us vulnerable to disaster when its applied to running a nation. Now I've heard that now is not the time to point fingers and assign blame , that it doesn't help and its divisive, but I'm tired of people fucking up and hiding behind that excuse, we've heard that about the war too(which also sapped precious resources, 1/3 of the LA national guard is in Iraq along with most of their equipment) But at some point there has to be some accountability for the harm that this governing ideology is inflicting on our country. I'm sure that this opinion will be slammed for politicizing a natural disaster, but to me the two are intertwined and we ought to learn something from this. The recent release of figures stating that the ranks of americans below the poverty line has grown by 1,000,000 this year,a huge jump for the 3rd straight year, also sheds some light on a problem related to this disaster. Many, many people had no way to evacuate for the storm although the implication was that they chose to stay. Its a crime that so many poor, sick and elderly were left to fend for themselves or if they could, make their way to an un-supplied unsanitary, unsafe sports stadium to be warehoused while those who could afford it were advised to flee for their lives. Does this mean that if you cannot afford to leave a life threatening situation, then your life is expendable? I see so much focus in the media about looters, but nothing about why they are there. When the city was a deadly place to occupy, these people were basically told, there it is, its all yours, see ya! Now that the storms over, they want everybody to leave their stuff alone and behave, well I think when they forfeited these peoples lives, they forfeited the cities contents. Now there is martial law and everybody gotta leave, why didn't this happen before the storm, where were the busses that are now taking them to the Astrodome for storage? The ones left behind got the message loud and clear what the priorities of this country are now, and the only place that people come before property is on an alphabetical list.

[bushsucks]

Originally Posted by BrandonWhat

1) When all of the water is pumped out of the city, it will be saturated with nearly every fucking thing no living thing would ever want in the water--chemical waste, organic waste, including feces and rotting corpses. Where do you think that water will end up...?

2) Nothing is going to be rebuilt or restored without some kind of federal funding; how do you think this will affect an economy still recovering from 911 and the costly warfare it's inspired?

A look too far ahead, obviously; but, stoic or not, this will affect you in the long run, whether you choose to accept that reality or not.

got a great ideal to pay for all of this.

stop giving money to other country's

iraq,afganistan and of course israel.

[PETA]

Originally Posted by bushsucks

got a great ideal to pay for all of this.

stop giving money to other country's

iraq,afganistan and of course israel.

how about using you to fill up the breach in the levee?

[bushsucks]

Originally Posted by xian

how about using you to fill up the breach in the levee?

my penis should do the job.

lol

[PETA]

Originally Posted by bushsucks

my penis should do the job.

lol

please - go - its needed now

[Dionysos]

Originally Posted by BrandonWhat

2) Nothing is going to be rebuilt or restored without some kind of federal funding;

Try 100% federal funding. McClellan just announced that the federal gov't will be footing the bill 100% for a 60-day period retroactive to the day the areas were named disaster areas.

THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T RUN A FUCKING DEFICIT.

[PETA]

Originally Posted by Dionysos

THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T RUN A FUCKING DEFICIT.

At one point it there was a great debate as to whether or not it was legit to collect tax revenues in excess of the budget.... making a deficit almost a requirement...

But - your point is squarely made - we spent far too much more than we actually pay for

[Dionysos]

Originally Posted by xian

At one point it there was a great debate as to whether or not it was legit to collect tax revenues in excess of the budget.... making a deficit almost a requirement...

But - your point is squarely made - we spent far too much more than we actually pay for

If we're going to run a deficit, could we at least pay to get Chertoff some cough drops? This fool is hacking all the way through his interview today.

[PETA]

Originally Posted by Dionysos

If we're going to run a deficit, could we at least pay to get Chertoff some cough drops? This fool is hacking all the way through his interview today.

you would be too if you had to give as many interviews as that poor guy

[david austin]

Originally Posted by transparentaura

Many, many people had no way to evacuate for the storm although the implication was that they chose to stay. Its a crime that so many poor, sick and elderly were left to fend for themselves or if they could, make their way to an un-supplied unsanitary, unsafe sports stadium to be warehoused while those who could afford it were advised to flee for their lives. Does this mean that if you cannot afford to leave a life threatening situation, then your life is expendable?

So what exactly would you have done differnently?? At some point you have to cut ties with the people who refuse to leave. They set up what were thought to be adequate shelters and they were wrong on some levels, but the numbers that did go to shelters are just that many more people that aren't stuck on roofs or drowned in thier attics. Remember that this is a large metro area with a very high ratio of highly impoverished people. In two days (enough time to somewhat accurately predict a semi close hurricane strike) there is simply no way you can evacuate an entire city that is filled with people who either by lack of education, ability to recieve news from tv/radio, or sheer stubborness, won't leave. We can't wipe everyone's ass in that situation. We can simply do the best we can with the means we have in that time table. Of course that will mean that the people with money will have the means to get out. It's always been that way and will always be that way in these types of events.

I see so much focus in the media about looters, but nothing about why they are there. When the city was a deadly place to occupy, these people were basically told, there it is, its all yours, see ya! Now that the storms over, they want everybody to leave their stuff alone and behave, well I think when they forfeited these peoples lives, they forfeited the cities contents. Now there is martial law and everybody gotta leave, why didn't this happen before the storm, where were the busses that are now taking them to the Astrodome for storage? The ones left behind got the message loud and clear what the priorities of this country are now, and the only place that people come before property is on an alphabetical list.

Even if this disaster had been planned out better it's still a logistical nightmare for surrounding areas (alot of which have been devistated as well)

This isn't like a North Texas ice storm where you just send out the sand trucks to cover the roads. There has to be planning that will affect people all across the nation. Buses have to be brought in... which takes time. Food and water have to be shipped... which takes time. In the mean time you have a vast number of people who are in shock and need assistance. All of which have to be assessed once you can see the whole scope of the disaster. You can't just pick everyone up at the Superdome if you have no place to drop them off. Plans that need to be ok'd by surrounding states like Texas starting to accept people at the Astrodome. You can't just drop them off until the Astrodome has had a day to get all the cots, food, water, staff, police ready. So then what happens once the Astrodome is full?? Send them to the Georgia Dome?? Ok, well they will need the same time table to get everything set not to mention the events that were planned for both domes need to be ok'd for cancellation or move. It just takes time... and this is just day 4

It should be clear to you that the prioritys are people... Nobody is trying to save buildings from fire or looting right now... We are still plucking people off of roofs and bridges. What better example do you need??

History will probably show that things could have been planned better, but in events of such magnitude and scale (the offset of over a million people from an urban metro area) it's fairly ignorant to say after less than a week that we aren't caring for the people and only worrying about the property loss.

[Hey Bubu]

Originally Posted by david austin

History will probably show that things could have been planned better....

History shows that humans shouldn’t populate areas with that kind of risk, but we still see housing in areas prone to Tornados, we see housing in land that is ripe for earthquakes and landslides etc, etc... perhaps better planning for massive devastation should have been taken into account.

Anyway, just a little rant about our arrogance in general.

[david austin]

Originally Posted by TypeH

History shows that humans shouldn’t populate areas with that kind of risk, but we still see housing in areas prone to Tornados, we see housing in land that is ripe for earthquakes and landslides etc, etc... perhaps better planning for massive devastation should have been taken into account.

Anyway, just a little rant about our arrogance in general.

I agree, but then you get into the whole pro/con debate... not to mention just about everywhere on earth is prone to some form of natural disaster. And rarely does something of this magnitude happen to such a risky area... so it's certainly a tough call.

[Big Andy]

Originally Posted by TypeH

History shows that humans shouldn’t populate areas with that kind of risk, but we still see housing in areas prone to Tornados, we see housing in land that is ripe for earthquakes and landslides etc, etc... perhaps better planning for massive devastation should have been taken into account.

Anyway, just a little rant about our arrogance in general.

This reminds me of Sam Kinison's rant about starving africans....


"YOU LIVE THE FUCKING DESERT! THIS IS SAND NOTHING GROWS HERE! WE HAVE DESERTS IN AMERICA, BUT WE DON'T LIVE THERE ASSHOLE!"


buahahahaha! Sam Kinison was greatness (R.I.P.)

Sorry, I don't have anything serious to say....