[tokyo_to_motueka]

Katrina, Iraq, and the Know-It-All Syndrome. The soil erosion equipment we need to save New Orleans is in Iraq by Justin Raimondo
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 't')his act of God, which no one could have predicted. Except it was predicted, as this 2001 story from the Houston Chronicle makes all too clear:
"New Orleans is sinking.
"And its main buffer from a hurricane, the protective Mississippi River delta, is quickly eroding away, leaving the historic city perilously close to disaster.
"So vulnerable, in fact, that earlier this year the Federal Emergency Management Agency ranked the potential damage to New Orleans as among the three likeliest, most castastrophic disasters facing this country.
"The other two? A massive earthquake in San Francisco, and, almost prophetically, a terrorist attack on New York City.
"The New Orleans hurricane scenario may be the deadliest of all."

[I_Like_Plants]

www.mirror.co.uk it's at the top of their home page. "Must" reading.

[tokyo_to_motueka]

The Perfect Storm. New Orleans and the Death of the Common Good By CHRIS FLOYD
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he destruction of New Orleans represents a confluence of many of the most pernicious trends in American politics and culture: poverty, racism, militarism, elitist greed, environmental abuse, public corruption and the decay of democracy at every level.
Much of this is embodied in the odd phrasing that even the most circumspect mainstream media sources have been using to describe the hardest-hit victims of the storm and its devastating aftermath: "those who chose to stay behind." Instantly, the situation has been framed with language to flatter the prejudices of the comfortable and deny the reality of the most vulnerable.
It is obvious that the vast majority of those who failed to evacuate are poor: they had nowhere else to go, no way to get there, no means to sustain themselves and their families on strange ground. While there were certainly people who stayed behind by choice, most stayed behind because they had no choice. They were trapped by their poverty ­ and many have paid the price with their lives.
Yet across the media spectrum, the faint hint of disapproval drips from the affluent observers, the clear implication that the victims were just too lazy and shiftless to get out of harm's way. There is simply no understanding ­ not even an attempt at understanding ­ the destitution, the isolation, the immobility of the poor and the sick and the broken among us.
This is from the "respectable" media; the great right-wing echo chamber was even less restrained, of course, leaping straight into giddy convulsions of racism at the first reports of looting in the devastated city. In the pinched-gonad squeals of Rush Limbaugh and his fellow hatemongers, the hard-right media immediately conjured up images of wild-eyed darkies rampaging through the streets in an orgy of violence and thievery.
Not that the mainstreamers ignored the racist angle. There was the already infamous juxtaposition of captions for wire service photos, where depictions of essentially the same scene ­ desperate people wading through flood waters, clutching plastic bags full of groceries ­ were given markedly different spins. In one picture, a white couple are described as struggling along after finding bread and soda at a grocery store. But beneath an almost identical photo of a young black man with a bag of groceries, we are told that a "looter" wades through the streets after robbing a grocery store. In the photo I saw, this evil miscreant also had a ­ gasp! ­ pack of diapers under his arm.

[Leanan]

The mayor of NO was on CNN. He trashed the Bush administration, FEMA, Homeland Security, and the senators who only give press conferences, not real help. He said he was probably kissing his career goodbye, but he doesn't care. He actually broke down and cried. He said hundreds of people are dying - trapped in their attics with water up to their necks, waiting at evacuation centers to be picked up, etc.

According to the mayor, the vast majority of the people trapped in New Orleans are good people, just trying to survive. He says the small minority of "knuckleheads" who are causing problems are mostly drug addicts. NO was a major port for drug smuggling, and there are lot of addicts there. They've now gone days without a fix, and are going nuts. That is why they are shooting at doctors and medivac helicopters, looting hospitals, and hijacking medical supply trucks. They are desperate for drugs.

[spearGR]

The only thing I see as that will be diferent in a PO scenario is that there wont be any water.The rest seems pretty clear.
In such scenario,the only thing mobile will be military. which is probably not good.
This will all play out soon enough if there is no oil transport to other major cities and will pretty much give a clear glimpse of whats to come.
PO aware people in major cities should probably go into overdrive with some necessary preparations to ride out any crisis.

[VinceG]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Leanan', 'T')he mayor of NO was on CNN. He trashed the Bush administration, FEMA, Homeland Security, and the senators who only give press conferences, not real help. He said he was probably kissing his career goodbye, but he doesn't care. He actually broke down and cried. He said hundreds of people are dying - trapped in their attics with water up to their necks, waiting at evacuation centers to be picked up, etc.

[Leanan]

Here's story. It was a radio interview, so there's no video. They might put an audio up.
CNN
WWL was the station that did the interview; maybe they'll have an audio.

[retiredguy]

Here's what I see as the lessons to be derived from NO.

When the order to evacuate came, those that had the resources, for the most part, did just that. Those that stayed behind mostly fell into two groups. The criminal element would certainly not leave, seeing the breakdown in social order as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. These folks had an organization and knew how to survive in extreme circumstances. The second group largely consisted of people who were depend on social or government agencies for survival: the old, the sick, the poor. This latter group is the worst prepared to survive a catostrophe.

The only way the suffering we see could have been mitigated is for the authorities in NO to have made plans to evacuate this at-risk population before the storm hit. Because of the cost of doing so and, I hate to say this, but because these people are largely disenfranchised, they got left behind.

I agree with Jack that NO, in many ways, is a litmus test for what could happen PO.

[VinceG]

Well argumented, couldn't agree more!

[Leanan]

Vince, Tinosorb found this link. It's an MP3 of the interview:
audio

[tokyo_to_motueka]

[url=http://www.counterpunch.org/flaherty09032005.html]Notes from Inside New Orleans

By JORDAN FLAHERTY[/url]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I') just left New Orleans a couple hours ago. I traveled from the apartment I was staying in by boat to a helicopter to a refugee camp. If anyone wants to examine the attitude of federal and state officials towards the victims of hurricane Katrina, I advise you to visit one of the refugee camps.

In the refugee camp I just left, on the I-10 freeway near Causeway, thousands of people (at least 90% black and poor) stood and squatted in mud and trash behind metal barricades, under an unforgiving sun, with heavily armed soldiers standing guard over them. When a bus would come through, it would stop at a random spot, state police would open a gap in one of the barricades, and people would rush for the bus, with no information given about where the bus was going. Once inside (we were told) evacuees would be told where the bus was taking them - Baton Rouge, Houston, Arkansas, Dallas, or other locations. I was told that if you boarded a bus bound for Arkansas (for example), even people with family and a place to stay in Baton Rouge would not be allowed to get out of the bus as it passed through Baton Rouge. You had no choice but to go to the shelter in Arkansas. If you had people willing to come to New Orleans to pick you up, they could not come within 17 miles of the camp.

I traveled throughout the camp and spoke to Red Cross workers, Salvation Army workers, National Guard, and state police, and although they were friendly, no one could give me any details on when buses would arrive, how many, where they would go to, or any other information. I spoke to the several teams of journalists nearby, and asked if any of them had been able to get any information from any federal or state officials on any of these questions, and all of them, from Australian tv to local Fox affiliates complained of an unorganized, non-communicative, mess. One cameraman told me "as someone who's been here in this camp for two days, the only information I can give you is this: get out by nightfall. You don't want to be here at night."

There was also no visible attempt by any of those running the camp to set up any sort of transparent and consistent system, for instance a line to get on buses, a way to register contact information or find family members, special needs services for children and infirm, phone services, treatment for possible disease exposure, nor even a single trash can.

[Mom]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', 'W')hat I find interesting – being a 'get away from cities' kind of guy, is that the folks supposedly starving aren’t leaving NO but staying right in the middle of the sh!t
I could be wrong but I haven’t seen any streams of refugees hoofing it to dry land on the news. And I have heard they aren’t allowed to leave the dome – very bad sign for city folks.
I don’t blame them for expecting more help by now but it is interesting they are staying put.

[sventvkg]

I couldn't care less if people are looting from Wal Mart, Home Depot and the big conglomerates..And I REALLY don't care if they are trying to get food or water..Were I the police I would let them by happily..Those big corporations are insured to the max!!! Which Is more then I can say for many people so I dont' feel sorry for them in the least.

As far as the other social breakdowns it's unfortunate but predictable based on the Governments refusal to provide adaquate help in a timely manner..In fact The government could have authorized the funds to fix the levies and replace and beef up the pumps but instead the CUT IT!!

[dagod1]

Ya know I really used to think that fema, red cross, us national guard and the police are helping us. But no they are not and I will list out what I am watching on tv and in the news.
#1 The Governors and Mayors and directors running the show are all confused. They don't know who has food and who doesn't. Why, because we have show ponnies in office. All of these guys should be in one central location, like a battlefield instead of try to call each other on the phone. They have time for countless interviews but not enough time to send police, bullshit.
The news has better information on TV than these guys do and they are in charge.
No leadership, if these people can't help others while in a situation what makes you think they are going to plan for you in the future, not going to happen.

#2 Only 60% of the police showed up for work in New Orleans, some just turned in those shiny badges and left town. These people should be arrested. The police are only present in the safe areas.
They are letting crime happen and doing nothing.People are coming to them for help and almost laughed at.
The police are the ones with the guns remember, thank god people can still buy their own guns.
Remember what they will do in the future during peak oil is say if you want food they turn in your guns, you won't see me in that line, no way. I am really getting good at growing food.
#3 The national guard was called in 3 days after the storm hit. WHY?
I don't know why, I would have called it in on the same day, but no not these Governors. They finally showed up today , day 5

#4 The superdome and the bridge on I-110(not exactly sure of the name) , these people are not getting enough supplies and the police don't even have a presence in these areas, busses came and left with the Mayors 400 friends, tourists and others who by the way were in the back of the lines. They are saying that 5000 people are on this one bridge.
When these people want to leave these specific locations and walk to other areas north for more help they are not allowed. Yes that is right.
They are being held like a prison camp and not allowed to leave. And then being beating, raped and shootings are taking place in theses areas with no bathrooms.
I am glad I will not need the help of FEMA or the government when peakoil really get here.
I really belive the government is testing out scenerios for the future.
Maybe they are testing what people will put up with, before a group of 500 to 3000 weak and hungry with babies until finally the people say FUCK You FEMA.

This is america not a concentration camp.
This disaster has no leaders, no leaders.
Why aren't the cops shooting looters and the gangsters with the guns. Kill them. O no we don't want to hurt the bad guys, GOD forbid.
Remember how this was handled, because looters will not just travel in one or two in a group they will storm your house in groups of 10 to 20 and rape your wife and daughter and your 90 year old grandmother, then take your daughter with them for later..
I hope all of you gun haters get yours when they come into your house. Because I am not helping all of you extreme non gun owners who think guns kill people.

I am not helping anyone but my friends who have planned with me. I may ask your daughter to be an extra wife since she will have no food or clothing or heck she won't have anything.
But I will shoot all twenty looters and then bury them in the woods and then nobody will even no they existed.
These are just my opinions because I feel let down and I am 600 miles away and can only give money. Which I have.
This sucks

[NTBKtrader]

photo

[I_Like_Plants]

Hold it a minute, that photo may not be what it seems. Notice at the upper corners, two ppl there wearing full Army kit, not something gangbangers wear. The white guy in the center of the photo is either in bad shape or has died, but if you look closely, those don't look like his killers, rather his rescuers.

[Jenab]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('big_rc', 'I')LP you are a genuine idiot. Quit trying to turn this disaster into some sort of racial thing. Hundreds of thousands of people of all colors were devastated in this horrible event. Put your backward racial up your ass where they belong.

[Jenab]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Macsporan', 'T')his must be an American phenomena.
Died for want of Social Cohesion.

[Jenab]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('I_Like_Plants', 'H')old it a minute, that photo may not be what it seems. Notice at the upper corners, two ppl there wearing full Army kit, not something gangbangers wear. The white guy in the center of the photo is either in bad shape or has died, but if you look closely, those don't look like his killers, rather his rescuers.

[trespam]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jenab', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('I_Like_Plants', 'H')old it a minute, that photo may not be what it seems. Notice at the upper corners, two ppl there wearing full Army kit, not something gangbangers wear. The white guy in the center of the photo is either in bad shape or has died, but if you look closely, those don't look like his killers, rather his rescuers.