New Orleans: What an embarassment

[cadillac1234]

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The only thing I can think of more disturbing then the federal response in New Orleans, is what it says overall about our 'readiness' to handle a major catistrophic event.

Just image if some idiot really did get ahold of a breifcase nuke or dirty bomb, like they have been trying to scare us about so much in the past years. Imagine they blew up a major city. Does what we have seen in NO mean that it would take 5 days to see trucks rolling in with supplies?

Sick and disgusting.

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And with the new Homeland Security Dept we were supposed to be more prepared for this type of event. $250B in funding over the last 4 years down the drain

[KaneKungFu123]

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I just think its kind of dumb that on 9/11 most of america holds hands and sings "we are the people" but when something like this happens, which could very well be looked at as a worse disaster as a whole, everybody could care less about each other. Granted 9/11 was a different kind of feeling, but as far as disaster goes, i feel this is much more catestrophic.

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This is particularly disturbing.

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it'll be interesting to see if the prisoners released choose to rape women or men.

[Los Feliz Slim]

The news conference with a bunch of clean, well-rested and fed people who are SUPPOSED TO BE IN CHARGE thanking one another and congratulating each other on the job they're doing is one of the most infuriating things I've ever seen.

[mosta]

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When you train people to believe that they are entitled to succor during the normal times from all levels of government (the entitlement society), and to have no responsibility for their own actions.... this is the result you get.


And the NO Mayor has been just terrible. His actions have caused countless deaths and much misery.

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you're an idiot (that is not news, btw). nagin is one of the few who is speaking the truth. I was there on the ground until tuesday. I walked all over the city without fear or risk. the us military had days to get troops in there, and the us military could get tens of thousands of troops anywhere in the world in that amount of time if they had the order to go--particularly with days in advance to prepare. they could have occupied antarctica in that amount of time. remember they were supposed to be prepared for things to be worse much faster than they were (the storm shifted east). but instead we get the usual staged press conferences. you got your "men of character" who make sure to maintain the message--in stead of anyone with brains or competence. good job. they and their people have their place in hell waiting.

[cadillac1234]

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When you train people to believe that they are entitled to succor during the normal times from all levels of government (the entitlement society), and to have no responsibility for their own actions.... this is the result you get.


And the NO Mayor has been just terrible. His actions have caused countless deaths and much misery.

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you're an idiot (that is not news, btw). nagin is one of the few who is speaking the truth. I was there on the ground until tuesday. I walked all over the city without fear or risk. the us military had days to get troops in there, and the us military could get tens of thousands of troops anywhere in the world in that amount of time if they had the order to go--particularly with days in advance to prepare. they could have occupied antarctica in that amount of time. remember they were supposed to be prepared for things to be worse much faster than they were (the storm shifted east). but instead we get the usual staged press conferences. you got your "men of character" who make sure to maintain the message--in stead of anyone with brains or competence. good job. they and their people have their place in hell waiting.

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If Harry F'ing Connick Jr can find his way back to the city and walk around the godam National Guard should be able to get in.

[mosta]

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I read about all the looting, the shooting at helicopters, the police assisting the looters and the inability of the government to put on public transport to evacuate the city.


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police actively arrested looters until they were outnumbered. the streets were safe on mon and tues. I was there. any "assistance" in taking from stores was for necessities of life. if you think the police were stealing jewelry and blue jeans with the criminals you are in need of a profound disabusing.

[mosta]

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I just think its kind of dumb that on 9/11 most of america holds hands and sings "we are the people" but when something like this happens, which could very well be looked at as a worse disaster as a whole, everybody could care less about each other. Granted 9/11 was a different kind of feeling, but as far as disaster goes, i feel this is much more catestrophic.

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The difference between 9/11 and this, is that joe blow in california was scared for his life during 9/11 because terrorists can potentially attack anywhere, joe blow in cali doesnt give a [censored] about some natural disaster in NO because he isnt at risk. People only care about things that affect them. The same can be said for the actual poeple involved. People in NY during 9/11 felt "under attack", so that fear remained. Your looter in NO knows the storm is over and as such isnt worried his life is in danger anymore.

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this is tangentially in response to your post:

the diff btwn this and sep 11 is that with the NO situation we've had a new federal agency created expressly to address such a situation, who are supposed to have plans and competence to respond disasters, and they had days advanced notice, and days afterwards before things turned really really bad. I hope all of you now feel very confident in your president and administration to handle a massive terrorist strike.

[touchfaith]

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I just think its kind of dumb that on 9/11 most of america holds hands and sings "we are the people" but when something like this happens, which could very well be looked at as a worse disaster as a whole, everybody could care less about each other. Granted 9/11 was a different kind of feeling, but as far as disaster goes, i feel this is much more catestrophic.

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The difference between 9/11 and this, is that joe blow in california was scared for his life during 9/11 because terrorists can potentially attack anywhere, joe blow in cali doesnt give a [censored] about some natural disaster in NO because he isnt at risk. People only care about things that affect them. The same can be said for the actual poeple involved. People in NY during 9/11 felt "under attack", so that fear remained. Your looter in NO knows the storm is over and as such isnt worried his life is in danger anymore.

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This is the stupidest thing I have heard from you all day...and that's saying A LOT.

I personally sat in a cafeteria of about 2000 men & women on the morning of 9/11...In California.

80% of them were crying uncontrollably and it wasn't because they were 'scared for their lives'.

You have a lot of growing up to do.

[Voltron87]

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I just think its kind of dumb that on 9/11 most of america holds hands and sings "we are the people" but when something like this happens, which could very well be looked at as a worse disaster as a whole, everybody could care less about each other. Granted 9/11 was a different kind of feeling, but as far as disaster goes, i feel this is much more catestrophic.

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The difference between 9/11 and this, is that joe blow in california was scared for his life during 9/11 because terrorists can potentially attack anywhere, joe blow in cali doesnt give a [censored] about some natural disaster in NO because he isnt at risk. People only care about things that affect them. The same can be said for the actual poeple involved. People in NY during 9/11 felt "under attack", so that fear remained. Your looter in NO knows the storm is over and as such isnt worried his life is in danger anymore.

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This is the stupidest thing I have heard from you all day...and that's saying A LOT.

I personally sat in a cafeteria of about 2000 men & women on the morning of 9/11...In California.

80% of them were crying uncontrollably and it wasn't because they were 'scared for their lives'.

You have a lot of growing up to do.

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alobar is correct

[mosta]

I have as mixed reactions to the situation as everyone else and unlike most I hvae a personal stake there. my apt is 2 blocks from the convention center. I don't begrudge people taking any of the little food or water to be found in there or sleeping in there--they're welcome to it. but I suspect I'm going to have any valuables stolen and the rest just pointlessly destroyed. I personally would love to catch that kind of looter, shoot him in the face, and hang him on the building door. another kind of looter/ criminal are the ones shooting at relief works. when you hear about that you might want to leave the entire city to die. but I think I can find some sympathy for those people--they see an insufficient rescue effort that they know won't reach them. they're hopeless and pissed off. ever feel like punching a hole in your computer screen? that's about as senseless in the same way. if there were a three-man patrol of uniformed miliatry every couple blocks, calm could be sustained. don't even send them out with machine guns. just pistols. that would be enough to represent order, not lawlessness. that would represent hope for them that a solution was being implemented. and military supply lines could probably provision many if not most of the population.

this is a logistical problem not a moral or ideological one--at least not for any competent and honorable politician. there are some criminals and some losers in there, and a whole lot of victims. but it's not nearly as sticky a situation, in either regard, as your typical third world disaster that happens a few times a year. this is no time to judge. it is a time to get the appropriate bodies in and the appropriate bodies out. the US military is up to the task--I should hope and I confidently believe. I hitchiked over the bridge to the westbank on tuesday (_days_ after everyone had notice of imminent disaster), getting a ride to baton rouge. there wasn't even traffic--this_was_not_a_tough_mission.

what I don't get is how much of a lay-up this should have been for bush and how totally he whiffed it--making an early, significant move to prevent social disorder would have immensely eased the situation and would hvae been perfectly in keeping with his ideology and his base. I mean it makes my head spin that he didn't do that. it should be instinctual, reflexive for him. it's like he made a special effort to be a useless idiot.