Katrina- Aftermath - Page 5

Bazf · 05-09-2005, 19:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by staggeringman

you could shift 3 million people no probs what is left behind are looters and pillagers. the area that was hit is god knows the size of the U.K. but when people are watching it arrive on there tellys the yank government should have been ready to move in.yes all you accy webbers saying it was harsh but you are talking about the super power that puts people in space, they can wander around the moon and mars ! but they cannot get aid to someone in there own country took them 7 days. IRAQ 24 HOURS.

Well I would love to see the response if anything like that happened in the UK, you can't even clear snow, and yes, guess what, it comes every year.

SPUGGIE J · 05-09-2005, 20:10

It would depend on if anybody knew were to find Tony Blair.

mez's baby boy!!! · 05-09-2005, 20:26

think he's in bognor or somewhere like that.............

Busman747 · 05-09-2005, 20:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acrylic-bob

I was surprised to read that Sri-Lanka (formerly Ceylon), despite still struggling to cope with the effects of the Christmas Tsunami, has pledged $25,000 to the Red Cross disaster relief fund.

Have you seen the latest list of countries willing to help? amonst others: RUSSIA, CHINA, SOUTH KOREA, CUBA, VENEZUELA,KUWAIT, SAUDI ARABIA, QATAR ....and IRAN!

It is good to see that countries with long lasting disputes with the United States can put aside those differences in the face of a disaster.

entwisi · 06-09-2005, 08:04

As with Bazf this has shown to the world the big secret that America has kept hidden. A massive underclass, usually black, who do not and would not recognise the America that is shown to the rest of the world. These people are suffering yet as with all humans in times like these they have reverted to base. i.e. survival of the fittest. looting, robbery etc is just the outwards signs that the 'fittest' are trying to make sure they come out on top. I would in teh same circumstances do whatever it takes to keep my family alive. If that involves robbing etc then so be it. I can repent and ask for forgiveness later.

The fact that America has and is still spending as massive amount on war in Iraq is what I find hardest to understand. That money alone would have made it possible to have prevented this catastrophe by moving people away from the area when they knew there was going to be a problem. However I find it difficult to understand why these people who claim to have no means of getting away didn't use the one god gave them. Even at an easy pace it is possible to walk 20 miles in a day. Couldn't the powers have organised mass walks to safety?

JohnW · 07-09-2005, 18:59

A SADSTATE OF CORRUPT LOCAL GOVERNMENT LOOKING FOR A HAND OUT.

Politics over duty

This is a post from a fellow over in Merritt Is, FL, a reporter who's been researching what went on before the storm hit

I think all of Nagin's pomp and posturing is going to bite him hard in the near future as the lies and distortions of his interviews are coming to light.

On Friday night before the storm hit Max Mayfield of the NationalHurricaneCenter took the unprecedented action of calling Nagin and Blanco personally to plead with them to begin MANDATORY evacuation of New Orleans and they said they'd take it under consideration. This was after the NOAA buoy 240 miles south had recorded 68' waves before it was destroyed.

President Bush spent Friday afternoon and evening in meetings with his advisors and administrators drafting all of the paperwork required for a state to request federal assistance (and not be in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act or having to enact the Insurgency Act).

Just before midnight

Friday evening the President called Governor Blanco and pleaded with her to sign the request papers so the federal government and the military could legally begin mobilization and call up.

He was told that they didn't think

it necessary for the federal government to be involved yet.After the President's final call to the governor she held meetings with her staff to discuss the political ramifications of bringing federal forces. It was decided that if they allowed federal assistance it would make it look as if they had failed so it was agreed upon that the feds would not be invited in.

Saturday before the storm hit the President again called Blanco and Nagin requesting they please sign the papers requesting federal assistance, that they declare the state an emergency area, and begin mandatory evacuation.

After a personal plea from the President, Mayor Nagin agreed to order an

evacuation, but it would not be a full mandatory evacuation, and the governor still refused to sign the papers requesting and authorizing federal action.

In frustration the President declared the area a national disaster

area before the state of Louisiana did so he could legally begin some advanced preparations. Rumor has it that the President's legal advisers were looking into the ramifications of using the insurgency act to bypass the Constitutional requirement that a state request federal aid before the federal government can move into state with troops - but that had not been done since 1906 and the Constitutionality of it was called into question to use before the disaster.

Throw in that over half the federal aid of the past decade to New Orleans for levee construction, maintenance, and repair was diverted to fund a marina and support the gambling ships.

Toss in the investigation that will look into why the emergency

preparedness plan submitted to the federal government for funding and published on the city's website was never implemented and in fact may have been bogus for the purpose of gaining additional federal funding as we now learn that the organizations identified in the plan were never contacted or coordinating into any planning - though the document implies that they were.

The suffering people of New Orleans need to be asking some hard questions as do we all, but they better start with why Blanco refused to even sign the multi-state mutual aid pack activation documents until Wednesday which further delayed the legal deployment of National Guard from adjoining states.

Or maybe ask why Nagin keeps harping that the President should

have commandeered 500 Greyhound busses to help him when according to his own emergency plan and documents he claimed to have over 500 busses at his disposal to use between the local school busses and the city transportation busses - but he never raised a finger to prepare them or activate them.

This is a sad time for all of us to see that a major city has all but been destroyed and thousands of people have died with hundreds of thousands more suffering, but it's certainly not a time for people to be pointing fingers and trying to find a bigger dog to blame for local corruption and incompetence. Pray to God for the survivors that they can start their lives anew as fast as possible and we learn from all the mistakes to avoid them in the future.

SPUGGIE J · 07-09-2005, 20:15

Now what johnw sent makes HBC look kind of respectable.

WillowTheWhisp · 07-09-2005, 20:26

Good grief John. That beggars belief!

Watching the news today it looked as if things were beginning to come under control but all that toxic water is bound to cause problems where it is being pumped to. I felt sorry for the people who had survived the storm and want to stay to protect their property now being told they have to leave. Parts of New Orleans don't look as if they could ever be restored. Is it feasable to rebuild a city which is sinking? I can't put into words what I want to say about the horrors of it all.

cashman · 07-09-2005, 22:56

it certainly beggars belief, if its true? havent a great deal of faith in reporters and press, could well be correct,but a cynical git like me thinks they tend to print what sells papers as the main bible.

Bazf · 08-09-2005, 01:00

Well the thing to remember is that George Bush is doing a spin job, the reporter is a well known Republican supporter as is his newspaper and the mayor and the Govenor are Democrates. The fact that he handled 9/11 so well in his first term but handled this so badly will go against him and of course the Republicans in the next elections.
You think the Labor and Conservatives are nasty to each other, this lot would knock them in to a c ocked hat.

staggeringman · 08-09-2005, 01:08

AT the end of the day they are all cockeyed and are in it to win it, they dont care who has lost who, as long as they are alright thats all that matters, a bit like the ENGLAND TEAM TONIGHT, we are there so we dont care?

JohnW · 08-09-2005, 17:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bazf

Well the thing to remember is that George Bush is doing a spin job, the reporter is a well known Republican supporter as is his newspaper and the mayor and the Govenor are Democrates. The fact that he handled 9/11 so well in his first term but handled this so badly will go against him and of course the Republicans in the next elections.
You think the Labor and Conservatives are nasty to each other, this lot would knock them in to a c ocked hat.

I have to agree Bazf, George is doing a spin job. But then all the democrats are putting their spin on the whole thing as well. As per usual, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I just get sick to death of hearing 'Dubbya' getting the blame for every damn thing that happens. There has been much said about him not giving a damn about New Orleans etc. Let's face it folks, New Orleans has been below sea level ever since the damn place was settled. The fact is that successive governments, both Democrat and Republican, are to blame for not building levies high enough throughout decades of office. Poor old George just happened to be in power when the big one struck. What did Bungalow Bill Clinton do for New Orleans when he was in power? Oh, that's right, he was too busy getting a blow job and playing hide and seek with his cigars in the Oval Office. There you go you see, it's so easy to criticise.

SPUGGIE J · 08-09-2005, 17:42

If both parties put as much effort into avoiding these kind of disasters as they do into spinning and political points hunting then it would not have happened. Today any disaster is like a free for all for polititions at the expense of those who have suffers its a disgrace. To think we elect people like this to represent us then they try a verbal sparing match when they should be at peace and helping those in need. Since when did spin become more important than human life and suffering. Round them up and leave them in New Orleans for 72 hours and see if they like it.

WillowTheWhisp · 10-09-2005, 20:33

Thought you might find these photos interesting. It's also worth reading the captions because they give an insight into what it was/is like there and more of an understanding of why everyone didn't immediately evacuate. You need to click on each of the thumbnail thingies to move through them.

CLICK HERE

Mik Dickinson · 14-09-2005, 21:04

Does not work or better said it did not for me