The Hurricane Katrina thread

[Joe]

The following are proposed aids to katrina victims.

Australias, 10 million dollars.
Fidel castro, 1100 doctors (Fucking fidel castro!)
Sri lanka, 25,000 dollars (And they are sooo poor, after the tsunami.)
France, 1 hospital ship, 35 disaster-relief workers, another crew of 60, 600 tents, 1,000 camp beds, 60 generators, three portable water-treatment plants, two planes and two naval ships.
Germany, willing to give on request
Canada, four warships filled with emergency supplies, and extra 91,000 barrels of oil a day, 27 red cross workers
Japan, 200,000 to the red cross, 300,000 in equipment.

And for the countries offering aid, but Id on't know the numbers; Belgium, Russia, Germany, Britain, China, Jamaica, Honduras, Greece, Venezuela, the Organisation of American States, NATO, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, South Korea, Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Thank you guys.

P.S. FIDEL YOU ROCK!

[KujiInRetsu]

George Bush does not care about black people.

Now granted, Kanye West didn't look at the top of his game when he made this appearance, seemingly rambling on about disjointed topics on the suffering of New Orleans residents. In fact, not many of the celebrities on the program did look their best. Harry Connick, Jr. had a hoarse throat, and you could hear it when he wasn't singing, Tim McGraw seemed to be fighting back tears at some points. Kanye West though, he seems to have been sufficiently addled by this tragedy that he actually let slip something like that. Just after Mike Myers, who was on stage with him finished his second block of dialogue, BAM. There it was, and some of you in the western parts of the United States may have this edited out of your broadcast, but believe me, it was there, and someone may have it recorded.

[B RoCkS1010]

yeah i saw that and i agree with him i think its sad why no one helped them yesterday i have lost all respect for George Bush

[Wizdom]

WOrd!! he said that?@!!


Ima have to see if my homie got that on tivo










----------------------------------------
"Some Mutha Fu*Cker$ always try to ice skate up hill" - hood Proverb

[MajorProblem]

Yeah, I'm just glad that us Americans haven't COMPLETELY ruined our image so that we don't get international help. Thanks to anyone who donated. I donated 2 pairs of jeans, a shirt, a blanket, and $20.

[hapacheese]

My friend at EA said that EA is matching all donations 2:1. Go friggin' EA. For all the slack that they get, that is just *awesome*.

I'm on my way to write a $100 check. My $100 now = $300 donation.

Rock on.

[Deadhead]

To be fair, We have tried to kill Castro a few too many times to expect much.

And Cuba doesnt have alot of money to begin with...

[Joe]

Holy shit, for once EA did something right.

I gotta say, Japan dissapointed me. They really didn't offer a lot, when they are the third richest country in the WORLD. The house I live in is worth more then they are offering.

And 1,100 doctors is A SHIT LOAD. Trust me. I live with an emergency doctor, who can see thirty patients a day. Which is a lot. 1,100 doctors would make a ton of difference. Those doctors would really really help with infections, and disease, illness, and sadly whatever disease is bound to come with all the corpses.

Money can buy food, water, and medical supplies, but doctors have a skill which can't be replicated with material goods. 1,100 doctors on pay, for a day, would cost 1,980,000$, on an american wage. This isn't including how much money you make for actually seeing a patient as well. Keep in mind these doctors might be here for easily a week, that 1,980,000$ would increase to 13,860,000$.

[KujiInRetsu]

People who may have the broadcast later in the west, you can get the raw footage here:

... It's what everyone's thinking, but what no one expected people to say on national TV. (http://zebrality.com/article.php?article_id=93)

[eyez0nme]

at Michael Meyers face; fucking hilarious:


http://bushdoesntcare.ytmnd.com/

[erbiumfiber]

George Bush does not care about ANYBODY except George Bush. And that's been clear for some time. First he tried to pretend the disaster was being taken care of. But when CNN and MSNBC etc. exposed the utter devastation and misery, THEN he changes course and says the response was unacceptable. Hey buddy, look in the freakin' mirror if you want to know why the response was "unacceptable." And people re-elected this moron?

[MeneerDijk]

Merged "Take a good look at this" and "George Bush does not care about black people" Please watch for similar topics before you hit that "new thread" button.

Oh and by the way, in my country there has been appeals for donations to the red cross to help the people affected by hurricane Katrina. And i think it's nuts! I feel bad for each individual that lost their possesions or relatives. But i'm not giving financial aid to a country that says they're the richest country, and spends billions of dollars on wars.

[Thespis]

So many armchair presidents.

America certainly spends some money frivolously, but it also spends tons of money on foreign aid. It would be futile though to point out all the positives and how ridiculous some of the perceived negatives are, because perception is everything for most people.

[KujiInRetsu]

I'm just waiting for The Daily Show's take on this next week. It'll be hilarious. Blown all out of proportion, but that's half of the hilarity. :D

For those of you watching during the broadcast, how many people's jaws hit the floor?
EDIT:
I was expecting that from some people in the world. Just remember this: IRAQ WAS NOT ENTIRELY AMERICA'S FAULT. It was Bush's.

[Deadhead]

I wanna see the republicans response.

They are gonna pull up one of the 2 black republicans and have him tell a story about when W saved him from a charging Rhino or something.

[Kuhool]

george bush does not care about people.

[Ahimsa]

Kayne, you're my hero. It's about time America gets slapped in the face with some honesty. Black or white, people are people, and all should be treated equally. Btw..... what about all of the pets out there, is there any rescue operations going on for the animals out there?

Also, I encourage all you to do what u can to help these peeps out....donate to the red cross, donate blood, whatever you can....let's do more than just sit here and bitch about it...let's do something about it :D

[Roxie]

Kanye DID say what people have been thinking.

I mean if you look at any of the footage of LA, you'd think no white people lived there at all.

You have to wonder. The govn't KNEW what a cageteory 4 would/could do to New Orleans, why weren't they prepared? Why the HELL did it take so long? Did they think no one would be there.

And then when you look at the footage and see only black faces left behind, you have to wonder...

[madcadaver]

The white people were all on city roofs. o_o'

[eyez0nme]

Actual footage:


http://media.putfile.com/Kanye79


omg--can't stop laughin

AZRAEL, you there? you'll shit ur pants, niga


look at Chris Tucker: LOOKS JUST LIKE YOU--hahahaha

[CNagy]

snip
"When the going gets tough, Americans keep giving - to the tune of nearly $241 billion.

Charitable donations for 2002 set a new high, rising 1 percent over 2001's total in current dollars, according to Giving USA, a report released Monday by the American Association of Fundraising Counsel's Trust for Philanthropy in Indianapolis. The estimated $240.92 billion in gifts equalled 2.3 percent of US gross domestic product.

Although once it is adjusted for inflation the amount represents a 0.5 percent decline since 2001, it still shows "the resilience and pervasiveness of giving in our culture," says Leo Arnoult, chair of the AAFRC Trust.

Most donations come from individuals (76 percent of the total), and some nonprofit sectors were hit harder last year than others. [...] "
Granted, it does go on to explain where alot of that money goes, but it is individuals who donate and individuals that are suffering now. You don't want to give foreign aid, fine, no one forces you to. You want to make it into a political condemnation? You are telling everyone that is suffering that you don't believe they should recieve aid because their government is full of big, bad men.

snip
I'm glad someone had the guts to say it live, where it couldn't be stopped. But it goes beyond race, George Bush does not care about the masses, he cares about political aims and political goals. When the best course of political action seemed to be telling everyone that the situation was under control, that was what he did. When public opinion turned against him after news organizations showed just how fubar the situation is, he changed his tune to disappointment.

[h2orowe]

It's not that George Bush doesn't care, but his puppet master doesn't.
Nah, I just wanted to say that :p I hate G.W. and his whole cabinet, or whatever it's called, I'm still 15 so no gov't class for me. I only pay attention during election, so I can tell my friends, family, and others valid points, to get them to vote for who I want :D I'm a bastard.

[Arctic_Slicer]

It's not really so much of Bush' fault as it is the government as a whole. Last I heard the govover of Louisianna hasn't done shit either so don't place all of the blame on Bush. There is plenty of blame to go around. Yes there is a disaster but apparantly nothing can be done unless Bush, Congress, and the state of Louisianna all agree on something and how much money to support how many soldiers to send whatever, which will probabally take weeks to accomplish meanwhile all of the people too poor to leave N'Orleans die. By the time they have anything figured out it will be long too late for it to matter. You also have to remember to pass some blame onto N'Orleans mayor as well. As mayor of the City you think he would have had some kind of evacuation plan or at least prepared better. You end up with a city council that's like "We had no idea there would be armed looters", even though it's obvious because anyone with half a brain would know that there will always be people to take advantages of situations like that. The media also gets it fair share of blame for "making news" instead of "reporting news".

[MeneerDijk]

Granted, it does go on to explain where alot of that money goes, but it is individuals who donate and individuals that are suffering now. You don't want to give foreign aid, fine, no one forces you to. You want to make it into a political condemnation? You are telling everyone that is suffering that you don't believe they should recieve aid because their government is full of big, bad men.

I did not say that, i would definatly send a portion of my savings to a charity to help these people if the American governement asks for financial aid. But they don't need my money. They live in a country that has lots of money of itself, and not in a second or third world country. I used the defense budget as an example to show that the US should be able to take care of itself. I have donated money to the tsunami victims or the starving people of Darfur even though i do not agree with their governements.

Maybe i sounded a bit harsh, but it was 5 a.m. and i was cranky

[Mushu]

i didnt know he was a actor, did you ?

[StormShadow]

Lets all remember something here people, we haev a federalist style government. At the federal government level there is only so much a person can do. This was ultimately the states responsibility. And to the people wondering where the national guard was, the federal government does not control national guard units. That is up to the state. By law, under the constitution, BUsh would be unable to send in federal troops, i.e. regular army, into the city to help get it under control. At the federal level they cannot demand marshial law, that can only be asked for at the state level. To say that Bush hates anybody under these circumstances is just stupid. Before large quantities of money and be sent to anywhere, it must go through congress. The reason for this massive crisis is not WHO is in government, but the government itself

[CainEJW]

You also have to remember to pass some blame onto N'Orleans mayor as well. As mayor of the City you think he would have had some kind of evacuation plan or at least prepared better. You end up with a city council that's like "We had no idea there would be armed looters", even though it's obvious because anyone with half a brain would know that there will always be people to take advantages of situations like that. The media also gets it fair share of blame for "making news" instead of "reporting news".

The mayor of New Orleans had an evacuation plan. Yu saw it in effect the days leading to the hurricane and when 80% of the population got out of New Orleans. Even when he got those out, the mayor sent out city busses to gather as many people as possible. Even after that, he sent out boats. Short of moving the storm, Nagin did what he could as mayor of New Orleans.

They knew tehre would be looting, that is why police were out in force...but there were roughly 600-800 policemen working an entire city where 150,000 were left. That is a lot of people per policeman, and when you put all of that into the emotions of this event...you need to bring in the army. The army took 4 days after landfall to get there to assure order.

How can you say Nagin had any fault in this when he did everything he could? He put policemen on the streets after the hurricane, he organized saving people, bussing people, moving people. He ordered hotels to stay open so people can stay in them. When it was over, he was on the phone organizing food and busses, asking for help. Help he didn't get for 2 days.

I don't agree with Kayne's statement in the least, but Nagin (mayor of New Orleans) deserves very little blame in this action.

[eyez0nme]

"...they [the feds] given them [the US Army] permission to go down and shoot us..."

goddam kayne west is fucking hilarious

[scan2001]

I agree with with Kanye. I would have said that George Bush doesn't care about poor people. It funny the day he want to look at the area the "Convey of Hope" arrive. It should have been there days ago! Now members of the Congressional Black Caucus criticized the relief efforts. No wonder black America feels that way.

[Marblehead]

Well here you go!

http://www.networkforgood.org/topics/animal_environ/hurricanes/?source=KROQ

[Snake eyeS]

Aslong as black people keep saying stuff like this, race differences are far from over. why use the afro american people to get a shot at the president? if afro american people keep thinking they are different then whites/yellows w/e. they will be treated differently, i think thats half the problem of rasicm, guys running around: "IS IT BECAUSE IM BLACK THAT YOU LOOK AT ME?"
im not saying you should act like white persons, im saying everyone should act as a human, instead of keep thinking in colours. its pretty pathetic to even act differently towards a person you have never met, just because he doesnt look like you. a big FU to all the racists.

[KujiInRetsu]

Although what Kanye West said is probably true (and don't take what Bush says as truth, he's capable of lying if the situation calls for it), it's not something we need at this point in time. What we need is to drain New Orleans, evac the survivors, get them food and water, and make sure there's no one dying in a pool of their own excrement like those in the Louisiana Superdome. Seriously, the ABC Evening News broadcast yesterday had footage of a journalist interviewing a little girl in the Superdome, and she said "... if you step down here, pee comes out."

That's just too filthy for words to do it proper justice, but I had to put it down anyways. My point is, let's help the people in the disaster zone first, and then afterwards we'll figure out who to hang if the people demand it.

[caseylim]

*Edited by meneerdijk becuase of trolling*

[KujiInRetsu]

Today's Meet the Press featured Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, being railed on by Tim Russert. It was almost beautiful to see the questions fly, almost like a kung-fu action sequence by Yuen Wo Ping (of Matrix fame). Russert launched the piercing questions at a delightfully aggressive pace, Chertoff brushed them off, the interview ended, and then President of Jefferson Parish Aaron Broussard and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour delivered the fatal blows with damning testimonies regarding the federal response. President Broussard actually broke down as his interview ended, his face twisting as he recounted the story of one of his employees getting a call from his mother, who was trapped in a flooded house, asking him when she would expect rescue, all up until Friday when she succumbed to the waters.

I don't know about you, but listening to the pundits around Washington, the political fallout as a result of the mistakes made is going to be lethal once the hurricane zone finally stabilizes perhaps a week or two down the road. No doubt heads will roll in the Bush administration this time around.

[kyaa the catlord]

Reposted from Kyaa's LJ (http://www.livejournal.com/users/kyaathecatlord/261077.html)

The Real Racism after Katrina

It isn't whitey putting the black man down. Its the black man cursing the white man and hating him for not "saving" him.

It makes me ill what is going on politically right now. There's a ton of finger pointing. Quit pointing those index fingers and use the rest of your hand to help someone.

Get the fuck off the tv, go help. And Shephard Smith: Put down that fucking mic, load up your tv truck with people and get them the FUCK off that bridge already.

What do I see when I see the people manning the red cross centers, the Astrodome (reliant center?), the school gyms turned into shelters? White folk. Who is lining up their fanboats and fishing boats to save the people on their roofs? Redneck fucking white people.

Now take off those glasses and wake up. When the poor people of NO needed help, those bible thumping hillbillies jumped up and helped them. And tomorrow, we might even huddle in our churches following the request of that loony Al Sharpton and pray for these poor people. Now get out of that Armani suit Mr. West, go out and help us pull these people to safety. Those apathetic white folks would appreciate the help.


(Just a point of clarification: I am not saying ONLY white people are manning the shelters, etc. But they are there...)

*for the record, Kyaa isn't "white"*

[KujiInRetsu]

It isn't whitey putting the black man down. Its the black man cursing the white man and hating him for not "saving" him.This is something Bill Cosby would be apt to say. However, it does have the ring of truth to it, there are equal amounts of racism going either way, white people not caring about black people, black people putting white people down constantly, other ethnic groups putting down both white and black people for this neverending feud... it's all one big racist melting pot.

[kyaa the catlord]

Personally, I think Bill Cosby was spot on with his "controversial" comments.

The truth hurts.

[Roxie]

something from Steve Gilliard (http://www.stevegilliard.blogspot.com/):

Kanye West's unscripted comments on a hurricane relief show set off a controversy about whether Bush was indifferent to black people or merely amazingly inept.

The White House, quite unwisely, decided to ignore West's comments, while the usual cast of characters blundered comments about racial division.

But West's comments are far more dangerous to Bush than that. No one on the cable or network news refuted his comments, some seemed to agree with them, or left them hanging, like Ted Koppel did on Friday night. CNN also got some mileage from the comments, but NBC didn't show the video, which I found amusing.

What this is about is perception. Even white people are now wondering if the response to the tragedy in New Orleans is fueled by race. Of course, Mississippi residents, mostly white, have been as ill-served as New Orleans residents. But once a perception enters the conversation, it is either refuted or becomes a defining factor.

There is now a widespread assumption that the lack of aid and poor coordination was purposeful because the victims were poor and black.

This is not the first time that a belief in character has defined action, and most blacks believe, despite his appointments, that Bush disdains, even hates black people. Is there actual evidence of prejudice? No. But this perception came with Florida 2000 and black voters being prevented from voting. Then he refused to speak to the NAACP, the most esteemed group in black America. Then, the NAACP is investigated by the IRS.

To be fair, there is plenty of evidence of Bush's petty, even juvenile behavior to all groups. But to black people, these snubs have the sheen of racial contempt to them.

And to cite the appointment of Condoleeza Rice and Colin Powell in his defense means little to most black people. Rice is clearly regarded as selling out. Her little shoe expedition while black children died sealed that off. Powell's refusal to stand up to Bush caused his status to decline like Enron stock for most blacks.

So when West says "Bush doesn't care about black people", that's like saying Chris Hitchens likes a drink now and then, if now and then meant every three hours. He's widely regarded as stating the obvious.

What the White House and their fellow party members don't get is that white people are thinking the same thing. This perception is being widely seen as if not correct, not unfounded either, and that could prove to be Bush's undoing.

[ElectronicPhreak]

It kinda sucks about having all the fish in the aquarium in New Orleans die.

[eyez0nme]

I'm going to explain it as clear as possible for all of you:

Who's fault is it for the lackluster actions against Katrina?

Everyone

It's not President Bush's fault, no. It's not the mayor's fault, no. And it's the the governor's fault. It's definitely not the local citizen's fault.

It's everyone's fault.

From the federal, down to the state, down to the local.
Everyone is at fault.
Everyone chose the wrong choice, and they continue to do so.


And the moral of the story?

Don't fuck--like the dumb New Orleans residents did--with mother nature.

Respect her, because God

(or Chance)

controls it.

[Ahimsa]

I don't mean to be negative here..... but instead of pointing fingers and blaming atm, shouldn't we be more focused on taking care of the people with no homes and who can't find their loved ones? and then maybe later we can talk about who is to blame? =(

[Roxie]

No. we can do both.

[JudoPorkChop]

I'm going to calm down, eyez0nme.

Be very grateful that there will be a long time between this and my next post directed at you. I have heard tales of senior citizens being abandoned by the evacuating care staff. Dumb New Orleans citizens indeed. Sure, the poor can't drive, they can't afford cars. So people like you think it's okay for them to walk out to evacuate. Great idea! Fatigued, no money for food, AND exposed to the elements, BRILLIANT! You call the dead dumb, you insult the survivors?

You heartless fuck. People are dead, suffering, and hungry, and here you are calling them dumb. God help you if you ever have something of this magnitude ever happen to you, for I sure as hell will watch you drown, boy.

I held back, but you and people who think like you are truly wastes of humanity. Such lack of compassion for what isn't in your little bubble is infuriating.

[eyez0nme]

Dead? You dumb fuck--I'm gonna calm down--I'm talking about the living. Who said anything about the dead.

You see, this is what happens when you do not take the time to read--slowly, for that matter.

All People living in this world, who think they're somehow greater, much wiser, and stronger than mother nature is dumb... regardless of their location.

So before you excuse someone of being heartless, why don't you take a look at yourself--and read things in context, and not singling out a pair of sentences, so you can put words in my mouth, like you to do the Bible.

If I didn't care, why the fuck would I even post? Get the fuck outta here.

[JudoPorkChop]

And the moral of the story?

Don't fuck--like the dumb New Orleans residents did--with mother nature.


I see not one distinction made for the poor and destitute, who had not the resources to save themselves. I see not one distinction made for the elderly who didn't have aid, or their aid evacuated without them. I see no distinction made, none at all, save for you, calling everyone who was still in New Orleans when Katrina hit, dumb.

Explain that. Quit being a troll, quit being an ass, and explain how the abandoned elderly are dumb. Explain how those who couldn't afford to get out themselves are dumb. Explain this to me, please. For I would really like to know about how those who lost their lives due to things outside their control are dumb. I would like to know how all those dummies floating in the New Orleans streets and decomposing in the Superdome are dumb. You will explain that to me. Tell me how people like Charmaine Neville (http://www.wafb.com/Global/SearchResults.asp?qu=charmaine+neville&x=14&y=13) are dumb.

Enlighten us, please.

[Jay]

The following are proposed aids to katrina victims.

Australias, 10 million dollars.
Fidel castro, 1100 doctors (Fucking fidel castro!)
Sri lanka, 25,000 dollars (And they are sooo poor, after the tsunami.)
France, 1 hospital ship, 35 disaster-relief workers, another crew of 60, 600 tents, 1,000 camp beds, 60 generators, three portable water-treatment plants, two planes and two naval ships.
Germany, willing to give on request
Canada, four warships filled with emergency supplies, and extra 91,000 barrels of oil a day, 27 red cross workers
Japan, 200,000 to the red cross, 300,000 in equipment.

And for the countries offering aid, but Id on't know the numbers; Belgium, Russia, Germany, Britain, China, Jamaica, Honduras, Greece, Venezuela, the Organisation of American States, NATO, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, South Korea, Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Thank you guys.

P.S. FIDEL YOU ROCK!

This calls for a bragging moment.

[Kass]

I'm going back on vacation.

Everyone needs a chill pill. Everyone needs to quite calling people assholes and telling them to get the fuck out of here. It's rude, against the rules and quite frankly, it isn't your place to say who can and cannot post on this board or in this thread.

In other words, knock it off, okay?

[Jay]

I'm going back on vacation.

No, don't. :(

Although - I agree, I was staying riiight out of it though.

[LJustus]

Blame – There is enough blame to go around to all the levels of government for the tragedy that was and is the ill-prepared state of the Louisiana coastline, in general, and the city of New Orleans, in particular.

• On a national level, the budget for the maintenance of certain protective structures has been cut. The director of FEMA, who should have been all over this situation on the day after the hurricane hit – at the latest, had absolutely no qualifications for his position. He used to be on some committee that judged horses, or some such nonsense, AND he was fired from that position. Of course, as the director of FEMA, he had to be appointed by the President. I am uncertain as to whether the position requires Senate confirmation, but if it does, I think it is safe to go ahead and spread some of the blame there as well.
• On a state and local level, what can we say about the politics of Louisiana? Like it or not, it has been corrupt as long as it has been in existence. Stories of officials going to Las Vegas on gambling trips with taxpayer money are swirling around. Remember, this is the state that produced Governor Huey Pierre Long – whose name has almost become synonymous with political corruption and bribery. The national government did provide grants for the defense of the coastline against a natural disaster, such as Katrina. I would love to see the books for how that money was spent. The governor should have activated the National Guard sooner. Perhaps, martial law should have been declared by the governor sooner.
• The people – Yeah, I’m pretty sure that this isn’t going to be too popular, but this is the way I feel. The people are somewhat to blame. Some reason that poverty is sufficient condition enough to not be self-reliant. I could not disagree more. I have been poor in my lifetime. Before I joined the Army, I was working three part-time jobs in order to make ends meet because that was all I could do. I was never so poor that I could not save up $80 for a bus ticket – given two weeks notice. Really, do I need to make sure my bills are paid if my house will no longer be there? (Only somewhat joking.) Let’s not forget that the local and state government BEGGED and PLEADED for everyone to leave the city. For the record, there were rescuers – volunteers from Texas – who were there within 48 hours who were trying to rescue those stranded in the disaster area BUT THEY WERE BEING SHOT AT! Nothing was more embarrassing to me, as an American, than this. I never saw a mob mentality in the Tsunami aftermath like I saw in the wake of Katrina. I believe that the root cause for the crime, looting (I don’t mean food, water, and clothing that many stores were giving away. I mean the alcohol, firearms, electronics, luxury items that were being stolen.), and general idiocy on the part of the populace was this sense of entitlement that the American public seems to have. I have a news flash for all of you who believe this. . . The world doesn’t owe you shit. You are not some special, unique snowflake. The only way to obtain things of lasting value is to work for them.
• The media – I think this part of the blame goes hand-in-hand with the blame associated with the people. The media and the entertainment industry are the soured of the sense of entitlement. The American public have been sold a false bill of goods. To quote from a favorite movie of mine. . . “We were raised on television to believe that we’d all be millionaires, movie gods, rock stars, but we won’t. And we’re starting to figure that out.” (Bonus points for whoever knows what movie that was.) I understand that the networks “report news” in order to generate viewership and that one way to do so is to sensationalize a story or report the most sensational aspects of a story. I also think that journalists should have some ethical sense to report the whole story – not just the most “entertaining” pieces of it.

The ‘race issue’ – I am going to sum this up by telling everyone on both sides to get over themselves. To the black people who feel that “the man” is keeping you down: Grow the fuck up. The divisions in this country are based on economics more than race. Your continued insistence that divisions are based on race will continue the situation our country is in. If Mr. west felt so strongly, why wasn’t he volunteering in a shelter (like I was in Reunion Arena) or in Louisiana itself. I’m sure he has the means to get there and provide some measure of support. Instead, he felt his talents were better used by appearing in a fucking telethon. Give me a break.

I understand that personal anecdotes are not compelling logical arguments, but I’m going to relay one anyway. My best friend growing up was the son of a black Air Force sergeant and a white German woman. We went through grade school and middle school together – in all the same classes. In high school, I chose to take an honors course of curriculum including several AP classes. My friend elected not to do so. I graduated 25th in my class (despite never turning in a lick of homework). My friend graduated around 50th – still not too bad. My extracurricular activities were vast and varied, from academic team to baseball team to school newspaper. My friend didn’t play sports or participate in activities. We both applied for Air Force ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps) scholarships, and I am happy to report that we were both awarded scholarships. Mine was a 3-year scholarship, which meant that I had to try to pay for my first year out-of-pocket. Guess who got a free ride for 4 years?

See, like it or not, America is not the land of equality. It was never intended to be. America is the land of equality of opportunity. Everyone has the same chance to work, excel, and make something of themselves. Chance is fickle. Sometimes, even those who work hard don’t get the big breaks. That is life. The only thing that each of us can do is work to give the break a chance to find us. I don’t mean that we should invest all of our money in lottery tickets or that we should all strive to be the next Alex Rodriguez or Michael Jordan. That’s not going to happen. I mean that we should all work to make our own life better. Get a grant. Go to school.

My brother has a saying that I have become very fond of. “Hillbillies have poor impulse control.” I am from the east side of Dayton, Ohio originally. If ever a saying was true of my community growing up, it was this one. See, people with money develop habits and attitudes that tend to lead to their continued wealth. Poor people – of all colors – do not develop these habits.

Wow, that was a tangent if ever there was one.

What if? – What if the national government had pulled in a day before Katrina hit with buses and trucks and soldiers? What if they forcefully evacuated the entire city of New Orleans? Then, what if the storm veered off or petered out? I’ll tell you what would have happened. . . The ACLU would have been up in arms. Anyone who leaned to the left politically would have been up in arms because of the perception that “the man” was enforcing “his will” on the poor, unfortunate inhabitants of New Orleans. Anyone who is a proponent of less government interference (true conservatives – not these nutjobs running the Republican party) would have been up in arms due to the, well, interference into peoples’ lives.

To our friends around the world – I would like to voice my appreciation for the support that your governments have offered. I wish it wasn’t necessary. I wish each American would shell out some cash, some clothes, some time, or some combination of the three. The capitalist in me has a difficult time accepting aid from communist countries, but I guess that’s not really my decision to make.

Summation – Let’s not get hung up on whose fault this is, and who doesn’t like whom, and all of these issues that detract from the real issue. Let’s remember that we really don’t have a frame of reference for a storm this destructive. Let’s help in every way we can. Let’s stop behaving in a manner which impedes assistance (all those looters. I hope they fry.) Let’s get New Orleans rebuilt. (I suggest moving it a bit farther North and a bit above sea level.) Then, let’s learn from our experience in this catastrophe and grow to meet any challenge we face in the future.

Sorry, I had to get that out.

[Roxie]

• The people – Yeah, I’m pretty sure that this isn’t going to be too popular, but this is the way I feel. The people are somewhat to blame. Some reason that poverty is sufficient condition enough to not be self-reliant. I could not disagree more. I have been poor in my lifetime. Before I joined the Army, I was working three part-time jobs in order to make ends meet because that was all I could do. I was never so poor that I could not save up $80 for a bus ticket – given two weeks notice.
Firstly, there were give 3 DAYS notice. Not two weeks.
Secondly, most of the ppl left behind are destitute, have families, are pregnant or are elderly, making it very hard for them to afford to pick up and move.

Really, do I need to make sure my bills are paid if my house will no longer be there? (Only somewhat joking.) Let’s not forget that the local and state government BEGGED and PLEADED for everyone to leave the city. For the record, there were rescuers – volunteers from Texas – who were there within 48 hours who were trying to rescue those stranded in the disaster area BUT THEY WERE BEING SHOT AT!
You need to look at the link that JPC provided to understand why they were shooting. There is a reason.

Nothing was more embarrassing to me, as an American, than this. I never saw a mob mentality in the Tsunami aftermath like I saw in the wake of Katrina.
Then you weren't paying attention. There was mass looting, people picking up children as sex slaves, girls being raped, etc...

[LJustus]

Firstly, there were give 3 DAYS notice. Not two weeks.
Secondly, most of the ppl left behind are destitute, have families, are pregnant or are elderly, making it very hard for them to afford to pick up and move.Did those people go to the Red Cross for help? Or their local church? Or any number of United Way charities?

Please understand that I am simply advocating personal responsibility. I detest government interference in the daily lives of citizens - as did the founding fathers of our country. The more we lean on the government to support us, the more they can slowly and subtly strip away our freedoms.

You need to look at the link that JPC provided to understand why they were shooting. There is a reason.Try to think of it from the other side. Is shooting at the helicopter more or less likely that the crew of said helicopter will turn and help?

Anyways, I was not referring to the helicopters that made it there 3 or 4 days later. My reference was to the people coming along in shallow boats - 1 and 2 days after the hurricane - who were there to get people out but were unable to do so because they were being shot at.

Then you weren't paying attention. There was mass looting, people picking up children as sex slaves, girls being raped, etc...Or it was because the news media was concentrated on the resorts where all of the westerners were vacationing? As far as the looting, I don't recall any stories of anyone in the tsunami trying to escape with a beer truck full of stolen luxury items.

[Jay]

Everyone caught up in tht storm should be quickly labled legally retarded and shipped off to sea to die. Its jus blatant ignorance and stupidity that got them in that situation they should all be shot for being retarded. And now they want unemployment and beneifits they are retarded everyone tht died form drowning in tht were retarded they had AMLE time to pack their shit and leave or jus fucking leave their shit and LEAVE! They are not victims they are fucking tards...

Quoted for truthfulness.

Right now there's a bunch of people homeless because they DIDN'T WATCH THE FUCKING NEWS to see that a hurricane was coming their way.

[Roxie]

Everyone caught up in tht storm should be quickly labled legally retarded and shipped off to sea to die. Its jus blatant ignorance and stupidity that got them in that situation they should all be shot for being retarded. And now they want unemployment and beneifits they are retarded everyone tht died form drowning in tht were retarded they had AMLE time to pack their shit and leave or jus fucking leave their shit and LEAVE! They are not victims they are fucking tards...
No. You're the victim of stupidity here.

Everyone who could get out, DID. The majority of those who couldn't are dead broke families, pregnant, and the elderly.

3 days isn't "ample" time if you don't have a car. 3 days isn't "ample" time when Greyhound buses are all sold out.

I really can't believe how anyone could fix their mouth to say such blantantly ignorant statements. It's just fugly how stupid that is.

[Pretentious]

Everyone caught up in tht storm should be quickly labled legally retarded and shipped off to sea to die. Its jus blatant ignorance and stupidity that got them in that situation they should all be shot for being retarded. And now they want unemployment and beneifits they are retarded everyone tht died form drowning in tht were retarded they had AMLE time to pack their shit and leave or jus fucking leave their shit and LEAVE! They are not victims they are fucking tards...

NOT EVERYBODY HAD THE MEANS TO GET OUT. Is that such a hard concept to understand? There's a ton of poor people in New Orleans. They don't necessarily have the means to fill up on gas, stock up on some supplies they'd need, and "get out of Dodge". Some people had no other choice than to ride it out and hope things would be alright. Plus like Roxie said, three days isn't ample time to order a mass evacuation of a major American city.

[Kass]

Nice to see everyone paid attention. :rolleyes:

And to be fair, a very large number of people stayed because as several people on TV said, "I was born in New Orleans, I'm gonna die in New Orleans and you can't make me leave." A lot of them also stayed because many couldn't get their pets on transports or hotels wouldn't take them.

Not everyone stayed in New Orleans out of necessity, though they are likely the largest of the groups.

Now, please, ask yourself why did Mayor Nagin who is now threatening to drag people from their homes by force NOT make the evacuation mandatory until after Katrina. He has the authority. The federal government does not. It is actually unconstitutional unless that authority is specifically turned over to the feds. If he can order the police to drag people kicking and screaming from their homes, he could have ordered all those school bus-shaped aquariums be used to transport the indigent, elderly, infirm and otherwise transportationless people out of the city before the hurricane. Why did the Louisiana governor not do it? She has the authority. The president does not unless that authority is relinquished by the state.

Larger cities have plans that can nearly empty a city in 3-4 days. New Orleans should have too. DC, LA, San Francisco, Atlanta, New York City, Deattle, Miami, etc. all have comprehensive emergency management plans. Where was New Orleans' plan? "Please leave and if you could pick up a neighbor on the way, that'd be swell" ain't a plan.

Why was FEMA not better organized? That agency has been in decay for decades is part of the reason. The bureacracy is atrophied. It has also never responded to this massive a disaster. Also, as nice a theoretical proposal as DHS is--all the agencies working together and sharing information, blah blah blah--it creates an unweildy and enormous bureaucracy. Leadership didn't make great decisions either. President Bush responded abyssmally. Congress is too busy trying to make politcal hay of this disaster to do any real good. It is laughable that Ted Kennedy says "this shows the widening disparity between the haves and have nots" (paraphrase). yeah Ted. What side of that gap do YOU fall on? Oh yeah, and according to the Wahsington Post, the budget for the Corps of Engineers and what projects they undertake is set "almost entirely by Congress." Louisiana gets the most money out of their entire budget and are second in the number of construction projects.

There has been so much gone wrong from the word go, and then the packs of sub-human animals roaming the Superdome and Convention center preying on the stranded only prove that there are some people in that city that DON'T deserve to live. Period. It highlights the worst this country has to offer and we have a TON of that to offer.

It also highlights how well this country can pull together and help out when our fellow citizens are in need. People are opening up their homes, giving of their time, money and property. People are showing kindness and generosity in unbelievable measures.

[JudoPorkChop]

...and if you walked out during the hurricane, by yourself, with no supplies or money to purchase such, you are now fatigued, in need of shelter, STILL exposed to the elements, starving, and possibly dehydrated. So, you'll likely die.

Also, I seriously think you have no concept of speed. At all. Do you know how fast 10mph is? You can't WALK 10 miles in an hour. You've obviously never tried. Why? Ever try running a mile? Hmm. Drawing from my military PT testing, I am in decent health, and RAN two miles in 16 minutes. That's two 8 minute miles. The fastest person in our squadron turned in a time of 12.5 minutes. That's around 10 mph. In order to maintain 10 mph for 10 HOURS, they'd have to be... on crack, PCP, and painkillers to ignore the muscle strains and tearing.

Even if they walk, what's to prevent them from being robbed? Raped and murdered? Yeah... you didn't think much about this before insulting everyone did you, troll?

But yeah, everyone deserves to die because they can't run at 10 mph for ten hours, or fatigue themselves by walking all day without food or water, with no place to protect themselves from the elements, because it wasn't exactly sunshine and rainbows outside of the hurricane area.

Thanks for playing though. I like easily shredded half-assed thoughts. It makes looking smarter than you SO much easier.

[JudoPorkChop]

And again, for one who is ripping on me for not reading:

But yeah, everyone deserves to die because they can't run at 10 mph for ten hours, or fatigue themselves by walking all day without food or water, with no place to protect themselves from the elements, because it wasn't exactly sunshine and rainbows outside of the hurricane area.

So, again, they are tired from walking all day. No shelter to stay in. No money to buy food or water. And it's not porkchops and applesauce on the outskirts of the hurricane, either. Do remember, Mr. Pre-Seal (odd, the Seals I know wouldn't tolerate your attitude, much less exhibit your intelligence) that not everyone is in the same condition as you or I, nor have they undergone survival training. What do you propose they do, other simply die in another location?

[Pfalzer]

Tht walk can be spaced during the three days and from wht ive heard they had a little over one weeks notice about this. At least by then they would have been well out of harms way relief and their beloved FEMA would have been at the curb to help them better there than at the hurricanes footsteps.

I mena they could have fucking tried instead of sittign their waiting.

[JudoPorkChop]

The citizens had three days notice. And FEMA hadn't set up rescue points yet, so depending upon which way they went, they might never see FEMA at all. Again, what do those people do?

[Pfalzer]

Like i said before do not put your trust in anythign but yourself. Its your life not Femas life not the Americas life its your life. You take care of number one and your family you dont depend on welfare fema medicaid. Because when those things fail thts exactly the question you will be left asking yourself. "wht do i do now" ...when u shouldnt have been asking those questions to begin with. Your life is your responsibility not your govenrments. Its especially not theirs when an act of nature decides to fuck you up.

[KujiInRetsu]

Jon Stewart's segment on Hurricane Katrina's bungling:

"Meet the F**kers," featuring FEMA Director Michael Brown and Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff. Tell me that's not appropriate. Today, Brown was pulled from Louisiana back to Washington to fill a desk instead of lending his inept expertise to the relief efforts. Now, I'm hearing all these people say that we should wait until we've resolved this crisis before we hang people, but it's been a week and a half already, and there's not much else we can do. We've donated money, supplies, expertise, time and effort. If there's a time to address accountability issues, it's now. First heads to roll will be that of FEMA Director Michael Brown and his two top deputies, all of which have no experience in disaster management. In fact, the previous job Brown held was a commissioner at an Arabian horse show.

Just... ugh. I've heard of the spoils system, but I never thought I'd see it rear its ugly face so far out in the federal government. This is fucking ridiculous.

Some people wonder why we lose faith in government. The Bush administration should put an end to all wonderings. Just... ugh.

[IrishPixie]

I agree. I am a white girl from Detroit Mi... In this area *I* am the minority... a lot of my friends and a few ex boyfriends are black.

I have seen hypocracy and racism in this REGIME (and it is one) since the begining.

For those of you in Japan, you are lucky... stay there.

IP

Edit:This was me agreeing with Kanye West.

[TygressVirgo]

If you have ever experienced a Hurricane/Typhoon than you know that there is quite a bit you can do to protect yourself. You know how to prepare for it, what to store, and if you have to where to go for shelter. It's a matter of personal responsibility and government responsibility. Plain and Simple.


I've been in a 150 MPH Typhoon on a tiny ass island in the middle of the flippin pacific ocean. No one, and I mean no one that I can recall died from that typhoon. People where warned the second the damn thing started to form, I believe that it was a week ahead, still in like a tropical storm condition 4 or something. We knew that there was a chance that it could hit or a chance that it could pass us. We prepared for it the best we could. Those with tin, yes tin houses, were sent to shelters. All other houses have been built out of concrete since we learned that typhoons cause damages to wood and tin houses. Shutters and boards were put up to protect those inside from any broken glass. After the storm, there was flooding, mudslides and other such things that follow a typhoon. Power was out for weeks, running water was out for at least a week. Telephone was out for about two. But you know what, we survived because we prepared. We knew what could happen, and we prepared. And you know what, FEMA and SBA were out there the day after the storm passed.

My take on what happened is this. The state of Louisianna knew that it could happen for years, years, and even more years. They knew that they were several feet below sea level, which rises every year. They knew that the levies were not up to par. They knew they were in wood houses. They knew that if something happened they needed a plan. Point is they knew that it could happen at any time!!! And What did they do? They didn't have a plan. The money for the levie was not used for it. They did not build houses that could withstand this disaster. They did not try hard enough to get people out in time. FEMA, National Gaurd, SBA, and everyone who could help should have been on notice the day the storm hit, not days after. THis whole thing is a huge mess because of a lack of preperation. You have people who have lived in the state for years and years who have said that they always knew a storm like this would come. So who is to say that they did not have time to prepare. Their leaders are fools, plain and simple. I give credit to the mayor, he seemed to be the only one trying to do anything. Not enough was done to prepare, and everything was done too little too late.

I'm sorry for my bluntness, I know people are suffering and my prayers go out to them. I am going to do everything that I can to help. But it still does not change the way I view the situation. You always plan for a worse case senario at all times. If Guam was ever threatened by a storm that bad and in a situation that bad, I hope, and I can only hope, that every plane avaliable will send as many people as possible over to other countries. And that those with money will help those who don't. It's just a sad situation.

[ImEllPro]

This is very simple.

1) The US government fucked up.
2) FEMA fucked up.
3) NOLA fucked up.
4) The citizens of New Orleans fucked up.
5) The media fucked up.
6) The Rightwingers and the Leftwingers fucked up.
7) The Republicans, Democrats and Independents fucked up.
8) Az fucked up by dating someone that would come up with The Octopus.

Everyone fucked up. Drain the city, bury the dead, rebuild, wait for the alien invasion from Alpha Centauri to occur, die. End of fucking story.