It has to be said. . .

kisara · Post by **kisara** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 6:40 am

I'm really quite peeved today. More peeved than I usually am anyway. With all that's going-on right here, why is it that everytime I turn-on the news and see all the tragedy in the south. . . why is that a little blurb gets thrown in there. . . "President Bush says, "blah, blah, blah about the war in Iraq." ????? I know it's still there. I know it's not ending any time soon. But please o' please dear commander in chief, I'm really concerned about OTHER things right at the moment and I'm kinda thinkin' that maybe, JUST MAYBE, you should be too. Like maybe. . a hospital that still hasn't been evacuated after nearly a week. That'd be a good start. Or the fact that there are fookin' snipers preventing aid from getting to people right here. HERE!!!!!! In OUR country!!! Not in blasted IRAQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Am I missing something?

Cloud · Post by **Cloud** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 6:41 am

I knew he was president, but I never knew he says blah blah blah about the war in Iraq. Where then?

soda · Post by **soda** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 7:10 am

Ditto to that and what you probably edited out.

Cloud · Post by **Cloud** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 7:10 am

I think I need a deeper algorithm.

Ashura · Post by **Ashura** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 7:47 am

There a F#cking snipers preventing AID!!!

I hope they get shot to death

Why have I not heard about this....I have been watching the news up until late yesterday afternoon

Cloud · Post by **Cloud** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 7:47 am

Really what did you see?

kisara · Post by **kisara** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 7:50 am

Yes, ashura. . . Yesterday or the day before there were about 100 people with guns waiting on the runway for a releif plane. There was also a case of a helicopter being unable to evacuate patience from a hospital because snipers were shooting at it. This is the state of things down there.

here's the report on the hospital. . .

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=1090083

Post by **sensei** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 7:57 am

We all need a deeper algorithm.

I was talking to an academic colleague last night, and we agreed that Hurricane Katrina and the Invasion of Baghdad both illustrated a similar mindset, which I called the Noah's Ark Fallacy. In both cases, it was presumed that "people" would take shelter during the most dangerous time in secure places (like the Superdome, or the areas of Baghdad not considered military targets). Then, once the storm had blown over, "people" would come out, see the rainbow, and resume life as usual.

Ignored in both cases was the predictable results of disrupting both the physical networks (gas, electricity, food and water) and the chains of command (police, rescue squads, etc.) The days of chaos in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities were critical factors in dissipating any good will the Americans might have had for deposing a dictator who was disliked by some (but not by any means all) of the people.

Of course, people who believed the Ark Fallacy didn't read on to see what the first thing Noah did after he'd been set free from the (stinky, non-air-conditioned) shelter in which he'd been confined to see the corpse-strewn mess he'd been told to help repopulate. (Worth reading and not part of the regular lectionary: Genesis 8:20-21.)

My wife and I have made as generous a donation to Lutheran Social Services as we could: they were one of the leaders in the long-term relief efforts in the wake of the Asian tsunami disaster and are on the scene now.

Ashura · Post by **Ashura** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 8:03 am

kisara wrote:Yes, ashura. . . Yesterday or the day before there were about 100 people with guns waiting on the runway for a releif plane. There was also a case of a helicopter being unable to evacuate patience from a hospital because snipers were shooting at it. This is the state of things down there.

here's the report on the hospital. . .

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=1090083

That makes no sense....that's crazy!

Cloud wrote:Really what did you see?

What I saw were babies being taken to hospitals without their parents. A little boy crying so hard and so loud that he puked because they took away his dog after boarding an evacuation bus....and a city full of people that just lost their homes, many losing loved ones and so much more. My heart bleeds for them......god I just feel so sad

kisara · Post by **kisara** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 8:19 am

if you've forgotten. . .

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

I'll be writing. On a postcard. Big bold letters so I'm certain SOMEONE sees it. I think y'all should too.

vapalla · Post by **vapalla** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 8:24 am

Saw this live on the news this morning, herse's the New York Times quote:

President Bush said today that the results of efforts to aid regions severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina was "not acceptable," shortly before embarking on a tour to survey the damage in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

"The results are not acceptable," Mr. Bush said from the White House lawn as he prepared to depart. "I'm looking forward to talking to the people on the ground. "I want to assure the people of the affected areas and this country that we'll deploy the assets necessary to get the situation under control."

I don't understand- supposedly we have been preparing for years to survive a major terrorist attack, Why can't we handle a hurricane? Why weren't the poor people who didn't have transportation get bussed out BEFORE the hurricane?

kisara · Post by **kisara** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 8:26 am

quite simply. . .

everyone's head was stuck up the a%^ known as Iraq.

Cloud · Post by **Cloud** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 8:26 am

When was this exactly?

Ms. Poe · Post by **Ms. Poe** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 8:48 am

To me...If I were a terrorist...I'd be laughing and planning my next big event.

The way this whole thing had been handled is ridiculous. The morning after, the national gaurd should have been sent in FULL FORCE. These people needed halp ASAP! Even though the evacuation was mandated...There are hundreds of thousands of people who simply couldn't afford to leave. We as a country can NOT blame them and get them aid when we feel necessary!

See how quick we are to jump to war when people attack us. But when it comes to aiding our fellow citizens, we get to it when it fits into our schedule.

Where is the food and water?!?! Get these people some! Some company could have re-routed a truckload of non-perishable goods down there. But, i bet the politics said hold it...Not til' we say so!

I'd say more...But I have to go ot work. But, I agree...I am disgusted at how this has been handled, and EVEN MORE disgusted at the gang snipers. I'd have them shot back at by our military, and see who wins...

Post by **sensei** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 8:57 am

vapalla wrote:Why weren't the poor people who didn't have transportation get bussed out BEFORE the hurricane?

I think the short answer is that the roads were clogged with the automobiles and charter buses of the people who had money to get out of New Orleans on their own. From what I can tell, nobody really gave much of a thought about the people who didn't have cars or money to buy transportation, or for other reasons (chronic illness, for example) couldn't move out quickly enough.

They just didn't exist in the minds of the people who made up what passed for the disaster plans.

As CNN notes, it's clear that the vast majority are not only poor but African American. 'Nuf said.

Ms. Poe wrote:To me...If I were a terrorist...I'd be laughing and planning my next big event.

But ... hasn't New Orleans achieved this goal already?

The aim of terrorism is to disrupt society, not just through the violence of the initial act, but through the aftermath of fear and anger, in which people who should be working together against a common cause instead turn against each other and expose their moral bankruptcy to the world.

But if terrorists didn't cause Hurricane Katrina, who did?

Is someone trying to show us something about ourselves?