Re: Katrina

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: Good points. But I'd counter that even though people don't have cars, they have feet, and I'm sure some bicycles. And I know one person whose brother is there and had plenty of means to leave. He just refused. This is complacency or ignorance of the situation. They all expected it to be lighter, for the levies to hold...They must have, because no one would consciously stay knowing they'd be so cut off. As for aid being faster...maybe it is slow, but remember that 9/11 was relatively localized and the infrastructure remained intact. I mean roads and stuff. Even if aid was mobilized at the earliest possible moment, they still have to clear roads and make their way in, all the time dealing with the stream of refugees out. I have trouble placing all the blame when we haven't seen the extent of the damage. This is miles upon miles to pick through. Also Rhino didn't mention the tsunami case, but many have, and we have to remember there that what we knew, was that aid was "mobilized" immediately, but we have no idea how fast that aid actually reached the victims in the hardest hit areas. I have heard that the American media coverage was a little slow. I wasn't here then, but I was in an asian nation which takes a much closer interest in events in its own region and we heard almost as it was happening how it was going. I know that some of those people still hadn't gotten aid months after the popular outcry ended...simply because there were no roads to get to them. Finally the villagers had stabilized their own place enough to send a boat out to ask for help. In this light, I think we can at least reserve judgement until more information is in. Not to mention, it's always easier to sit at a distance with filtered information coming from media sources and make judgements. As I said in the other post, the politicains can make all the games they want, but the people on the ground, the aid workers and the distaster relief people are people just like you and me who are trained to do their jobs well. I'm sure they are doing the best they can. Anyway, good debate, but let's not forget to pray and do what we can regardless...in the end it's about relieving suffering not placing blame. Not to mention the effects haven't hit us yet...high gas prices are likely just the beginning. It won't take much for gas shortages to create similar tensions throughout the southeast. : : : : : ~In absence of Ryan having tendonitis in the arm, preventing from typing, he would like to respond to Ox through me, Marcos Palacios. In regards specifically of the poor not being able to evacuate, To remember that 60% of the New Orleans population is below the poverty level. Therefore, they have no means of getting out, because the public transportation had stopped, and the majority of them dont have a private car. Therefore, to blame them for not leaving their home is not right, for remember they don't have the means that you and I do. : : I agree that blaming Bush on Katrina is incorrect, but we as a society as a whole may be contributing to these natural phenomena, because of global warming, and the government for decades have no way of dealing with this, while giving no incentive to polutting corporations, and the majority of our money and our troops are spent on an unjust war in Iraq. : : The response of the federal aid to the catastrophe has been delayed for some reason, where as with 9/11 federal aid was very quick, and also for the tsunami. There is no excuse for it. : : Hopefully, from this period on, we see that as a nation we need to change our ways, of spending how we are using our resources of oil and gas, to when we can no longer depend on that, and reduce waste such as unrecycleable plastic and finding other ways of re-using waste. : : : I realize that I may be walking right into the lions den here, but I have got to say something to someone...I think I will go throw up first... : : : (Ox leaves the room to spend several hours worshipping the porceline god) : : : O.k., now that I've done that, here it is...I am a conservative dressed in Liberal clothing. Yes I know, this is a shock to many, but I believe that less government involvment in our lives is a good thing, and I believe that we should all be so lucky to live at Club G'itmo, yet I digress. The fact is, President Bush did not cause Katrina. He didn't go over to Africa and sneeze off of the coast causing a tropical wave which he had planned to aim right for the Big Easy. Now don't get me wrong, I don't agree with Bush on many levels, but I don't think that blaming him for things he cannot control is fair, or right. That is just as stupid as blaming him for 9/11, or blaming Clinton for the fact that I aquired diabetes in 1993. Bill couldn't have given me diabetes, he was too busy giving away ghonorrea. And another thing, Katrina didn't just target Blacks...she targeted the Orientals as well. Thank God no white people were hurt, or else I would just walk away from this country. (I kid of course...kill whitey!!!) All I can say is give me a #&*%ing break. : : : Back in the '90's the cool montra was "get real", o.k. let's get real. The fact is, PEOPLE run this country, not perfect beings, and hind sight is ALWAYS 20/20. Oh, here's another interesting fact, hurricanes happen. No kidding!!! so do earthquakes, tornados, tsunamis, mudslides, volcanos, blizzards, and even drought. No matter what part of the country you live, you will experience at least one of these forces of nature. And the funny thing is that the amount of money we as a nation spend to give minimul protection to areas affected by these things is still a daunting amount. Oh, and another thing, when they build things, the may be right for that time period, but they do get old, and need frequent updating, which again is a daunting task for every government official to undertake. I guess the easiest thing to do is blame Bush. (can you see my hypocracy running deep...instead of doing something about it, I complain...) : : : Also, I think it's repulsive that "artists" get together to raise money for the poor in Africa, and throw away $12,000 gift baskets of food. And what nation or group of "artists" will come out and support our people financially? How much aid did we recieve from other countries after 9/11? I would bet that it didn't even come close to the aid we gave out after the Tsunami. (hypocracy in action...I know, you're saying moveon with it) : : : Here it is in a nutshell; speak out against the government when it's done something foolish, i.e. property rights (puke for another post); slam Bush on stupid decisions he's made in leading our country, i.e. stabbing israel in the back (again puke for another post); stand up for what is right, i.e. kill whitey; question any artist from Canada telling the U.S. how to run it's country, i.e. System of a Down; and finally, don't believe everything that you read unless I am the one that wrote it. : : : Ox

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