another hurricane...

[Iceberg]

My thoughts and sympathies go out to all those affected by the hurricane. It has developed into a great tragedy and will test the US far more than anything the nation has seen in the past half-century.

As for the management of the disaster, there are several valid criticisms that can be made (said too well by others for me to bother repeating):

1. "Did New Orleans Catastrophe Have to Happen?
'Times-Picayune' Had Repeatedly Raised Federal Spending Issues"

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0831-04.htm

2. "Why New Orleans is in Deep Water"

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0901-26.htm

3. "Federal Government Wasn't Ready for Katrina, Disaster Experts Say
The slow response to Katrina and poor federal leadership is a replay of 1992's mishandling of Hurricane Andrew"

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0901-01.htm

4. "Iraq Mess Adds to the Problem "

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0901-25.htm

As for cableguy's rant:

WHERE THE HELL IS THE INTERNATIONAL DISASTER RELIEF EFFORT NOW??????

The US government has not asked for international assistance as of yet. Canadian military and civilian aid groups are ready once the US asks for it, but the Canadian military cannot cross the border into the US without permission, and as of yet, permission has not been granted. Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin has spoken with President Bush and has said that help is ready to be deployed if necessary, but Bush has not asked for it as of yet.

There is a reason behind this, cable. It is that the US has not yet asked the international community for help.

 

[Supafly]

My thoughts and sympathies go out to all those affected by the hurricane. It has developed into a great tragedy and will test the US far more than anything the nation has seen in the past half-century.

You started off so good. Guess I should repeat myself.

Set aside youre god damn agenda's and have some respect.

 

[The Crusher]

If you read the posts in this thread, you are the first one to bring the President in on it. And I don't have an agenda. I don't give a fuck if there's a Republican or Democrat or fucking Communist in Office. I just want them to be competent. If I have to hear Bush say one more time with that dumbass smirk on his face, "Gee, we didn't know that was going to happen", I'm going to puke. In the meantime thousands of American are dying everyday, here and abroad.

I'm watching and reading all time what's going on in New Orleans and it sickens me. Watching American citizens suffer and die while our elected government officials fall over themselves (if we can even find them) makes me ill. I bet Colin Powell would know what to do. I bet Rudy Guiliani (sp) would know what to do. Having our government, both Democrat and Republican, ignore repeated warnings for years that this very event could happen because the levees in New Orleans couldn't withstand a category 3 or worse hurricane and failed to provide the money to improve them leaves me dumbfounded. Especially now that it has becomes clear the importance of New Orleans and the region to our entire economy. We're all going to feel the pinch because of the failure of our government to act appropriately. Gas is now over $3.00 a gallon. In the coming months, you expect increase costs for such things as coffee, paper products, chemicals and lumber.

On top of all this, it has also come out that FEMA just last year ran an exercise dealing with the exact thing that has just happen; a category 3 hurricane breaking the levees in New Orleans. You would think they would be more prepared.

My agenda is get some help to my fellow Americans who are suffering and living in a nightmare.

 

[Supafly]

I give up.

but, before I do. Let me expain this to you. Someone brought up the Middle East when it had nothing to do with the topic. In turn I brought up some crazy liberal bitch in a lawn chair that also had nothing to do with the topic. I was proving a point.

You guys can critizies all you want if it makes you feel like men. But we're taking people here not politics. I'm so sick of the we should have done this or we should have done that. It's too late.

How about you actually do something. Donate time, money, food whatever. But quit wasting my time.

 

[Iceberg]

Supa, my family has donated money to the Red Cross to be used where most needed.

As for the "talking people here not politics," what is unfortunate is that political activities has made it more difficult for aid to be allocated to the regions affected. FEMA cuts and the lack of investment into a levee that would withstand a Category 5 hurricane (i.e. spending cuts to allow for the Iraq war and the tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans) has made this disaster so much worse. Many Republicans are saying the same thing I am here! This is not a D vs. R issue. It is an incompetence or poor decision on priorities issue.

 

[bobobill]

*Supafly Edit*

No matter if I agree or disagree. Comments like that need not be posted.

 

[Supafly]

Supa, my family has donated money to the Red Cross to be used where most needed.

That's great. Every bit helps.

As for the "talking people here not politics," what is unfortunate is that political activities has made it more difficult for aid to be allocated to the regions affected. FEMA cuts and the lack of investment into a levee that would withstand a Category 5 hurricane (i.e. spending cuts to allow for the Iraq war and the tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans) has made this disaster so much worse. Many Republicans are saying the same thing I am here! This is not a D vs. R issue. It is an incompetence or poor decision on priorities issue.

I just thought for once you guys could show some respect and leave the politics out of it. I was wrong.

EDIT: Until People calm down and quit calling each other names. *LOCKED*

 

[Supafly]

Alright. I'm opening this back up.

Let's act like adults here and play nice. Get angry voice your opinion. But have some couth and show your fellow members respect even if you disagree.

 

[The Crusher]

The latest information from this mornings Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/02/AR2005090200606.html

Also, from the NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/02/national/nationalspecial/02cnd-storm.html?ex=1283313600&en=a144858313da66be&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Finally, a link to the interview with New Orleans Mayor, Ray Nagin, from last nigt in an interview New Orleans radio station WWL-AM. He was very frank and his comments are sweaping the country.

http://eod.liquidviewer.com/wben-od/wben/20050902_mayor.wma

 

[Texan]

Supa, my family has donated money to the Red Cross to be used where most needed.

As for the "talking people here not politics," what is unfortunate is that political activities has made it more difficult for aid to be allocated to the regions affected. FEMA cuts and the lack of investment into a levee that would withstand a Category 5 hurricane (i.e. spending cuts to allow for the Iraq war and the tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans) has made this disaster so much worse. Many Republicans are saying the same thing I am here! This is not a D vs. R issue. It is an incompetence or poor decision on priorities issue.

Iceberg unless you know the political history of Louisiana I suggest you leave the politics out of the discussion. That is one can of worms you dont want to open. BTW New Orleans has recieved 43 Million dollars over the past 10 years for levee projects.

For guys like Supa and myself who frequent the Crescent City and/or have family and friends in the area this is personal. I will be loading my truck today with 100 cases of bottled water and 50 cases of tortillas and 50 cases of canned beans to be delivered on my way to retreive my family. Its not much but it will help.

This is truly a sobering event that has no place for finger pointing or politics. I plead with you for the sake of those in need to place the politics aside and pray.

 

[gatsby]

WHERE THE HELL IS THE INTERNATIONAL DISASTER RELIEF EFFORT NOW????

The US government has not asked other countries for help. I don't know why not. Our Dutch government has sent a navy frigate with supplies from Curacao to the New Orleans region. The ship will be there in a couple of days but the crew can only help after they receive official US permisssion.

 

[mindido]

Tex,

Good luck on your trip, I think, if your going to NO, your going to need it.

It looks like we are finally getting a little bit of truth out of this, although certainly not from the pols. An economist on CNBC this A.M. has estimated this is going to cost about $100 billion. That seems to be a bit more realistic than the pittance amounts being quoted by the pols.

I've been to N.O. three times and have usually had a great time (although one of those times I had several thousand dollars worth of Nikon camera gear stolen within a half hour of arriving in the French Quarter; and the van was parked right across the street from a police station).

I don't ever want to see anything like this again. A constructive discussion would be how to prevent this, and there is a way. N.O. should not be allowed to rebuild to the extent that it was. If its allowed to rebuild like it was this will happen again. And more than likely, judging from what most of the pols are saying (Dennis Hastert excluded) we are going to learn very little from this.

Oh, and cable, it was reported last night that at least 20 nations have offered assistance including Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Germany, France, Britain, etc. but that the Administration has turned them down to this point. Apparently they have changed their mind to some extent this morning as Condoleeza Rice said something. I only heard a snippet so I'm not sure what.

*Edit*

Cable,

It's now 4:30 p.m. and Condoleeza Rice has just finished a press conference. So far, according to her, at least 60 countries have offered assistance, including Sri Lanka! None of it has yet been accepted as the bureaucrats are trying to figure out what to do with it.

 

[RichieTBaum]

No need for politics?

I agree that there is no reason to blame this disaster on George Bush and there
is no need for ridiculous Middle-East comments.

But I will say that the federal response to this situation, in my opinion, has been less than stellar.
For one thing, there seems to be a large amount of contradictory views about the status of the city.
Federal reps say one thing and people that are actually there say something completely different.

Check out this article if you need evidence: http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/02/katrina.response/index.html

I mean come on guys, the frickin Mayor of the city (Ray Nagin) has been quoted on Thursday night as saying that the feds need to "Get off their asses."
Plenty of people are full of shit when it comes to making political statements, but the mayor of New Orleans IS a politician and he obviously disapproves of the federal response.

So, there is indeed a place for politics in this thread but certainly not the kind that involves Iraq or anything that Singhr has said so far.

Singhr, I'm glad you like to "start shit" but the only shit I see is the stuff coming out of your keyboard. If you don't have anything constructive to say, then don't say it at all. And, don't speak for other people when you say that nobody cares about people dying in the Middle East. That is so far from the truth that I have nothing else to say regarding your other comments; why waste time?

And Cman, I respect your "position of power" on this board, but you usually make much more solid comments than the ones you've made so far on this thread. And the best response you can give to people that "bad-mouthed" you is: "You're all banned?" I saw that one coming from miles away man.

 

[mindido]

Richie,

I agree with you 100%. I haven't been able to stop watching or listening to this since it became clear that Katrina had N.O. in her sights. Especially yesterday, it was absolutely amazing to see what was happening on the ground and then compare that to what the pols and bureaucrats were saying. It was clear to me they had either lost touch with reality or were just trying to cover their asses (I vote for the latter).

I especially liked an interview with a nurse at Charity (?) hospital that was saying how much help they needed and that there were people shooting at people trying to rescue them and move some of their patients. IMMEDIATELY after talking with the nurse, a female spokesman from the Louisiana State Police (who was in Baton Rouge at the time) was interviewed and basically called the nurse a liar. The spokeswoman said that they had people on site and that there was nothing wrong.

When this is all over, I hope there are a lot of heads rolling. This is inexcusable.

 

[The Crusher]

No, seriously! Has anyone heard from or seen our Vice President, Dick Cheney, recently. If so, please provide a link with a quote, a sighting or a picture. I mean, am I the only one concerned about the disappearance of the Vice President of the United States?

 

[RichieTBaum]

What would it really matter if Cheney has disappeared or not?
Name one policy that he's spearheaded during his tenure.
The only thing that I've ever heard involving Cheney is that he has a gay son.
What does that tell you about the media and moreso, Cheney himself?

 

[mindido]

Crusher,

The reason the VP is nowhere to be seen is because he's back at his old oil company vacuuming up all the profits he's making. I also heard he was seen recently buying an island in the south Pacific, although I'm not sure where.

 

[Iceberg]

mindido, sounds about right.

 

[KABOOM]

Damn, I am kinda sorry I made that post now. I did not want this thread to turn out like it did. Yes, the entire government has handled this pretty bad. I don't blame one politican, I blame them all. There, my political statement.

Singhr, shut your cum-filled mouth. There I had my retort. If you have anything to say to me, PM me, that is what it is for. Lets take this out of here.

I feel deep condolences towards all those affected. Some of my friends have relatives whom they haven't heard from yet and that post touched me in a bad way. I did overreact some, but not a great bit. I have already donated money and am praying for those who have been harmed. Let's try to keep some politics out of this, and just be level headed and calm. This is a tragedy, let's not make it a war.

P.S. Crusher, easy boy. Don't blow your blood vessel in your head again.

 

[RichieTBaum]

Speaking of agendas, it would seem as though Kanye West has one.

I caught an interview on BET (by chance) yesterday and he was ranting about the meaning of his song called "Crack Music." A producer must have been giving him signals to hurry up because he looked away from the camera and was saying how he didn't want to get cut off. Anyways, he mentioned various controversial theories, mainly one involving the Reagan administration. Supposedly, crack was introduced to many black entertainment icons and in the event that they got hooked, black people were handed another "disgraced idol."

I know that I've gone off topic, but here is where the connection is made.
Tonight, durng the hurricane relief telethon, Kanye went off on another rant instead of reading from the teleprompter. He bashed George Bush for "not caring about black people" and also expressed discontent for how the media is covering the looting problem. He went as far as to say that black people have been dubbed as "looters" whereas white people have been called "food foragers."

Though his statements aren't completely baseless, I think that there is a time and place for that shit. And the "right place" definitely isn't during a national telethon asking for financial aid.

What do you guys think about the media coverage so far?