No one had even talked about building a strong enough infastructure to prevent this from happening though. The project they were working on wouldn't have cut it as it was only being built to deal with a category 3 storm. And we've never engineered a successful defense for hurricanes. The buildings they made to be hurricane resistant have all been destroyed in hurricanes.

 

It's very disturbing that it took until 2004 for someone to start talking about defending against what happened this week.

 

I think the big question now is what to do about rebuilding and if they should move New Orleans. It seems like a bad idea to leave the possibility of this happening again.

THey have known for years that New Orleans was at risk... and it has already been mentioned that talks were in store long before 2004 to strenthen the levees. It has also been mentioned that the federal govt. CUT funding that could have gone to this project.

 

And when something catastrophic of this nature happens domestically then why are we wasting valuable resources overseas when they could be here, helping with the rescue and security needed?

Fats Domino and other musicians are missing in New Orleans. Apparently, Mr. Domino informed his now-frantic manager that he'd be riding out the storm in his home. I'm sorry, but if you've got the means to get the hell out of there after fair warning about what's on its way, and you decide to stick around, you're asking for trouble.

Bush is visiting tomorrow. Gotta figure there are a handful of civilians who would love to pop a cap in his head.

Bush is visiting tomorrow.  Gotta figure there are a handful of civilians who would love to pop a cap in his head.

I'm thinking the same thing. I'm no fan of Bush, but I don't want to see the man get fucking killed. As lawless as NO is, having the President anywhere near there is a BAD idea.

The FEMA director just stated that they had no idea the people at the Convention Center existed until today. WTF? I knew about these people and the friggin head of FEMA had no idea. Turn on the fucking news dumbnuts.

I wonder if Bush will be surrounded by fire-fighters, or would it be guys in scuba gear?

 

I think the theme of this disaster has been "opportunism". Leave it up to mankind to turn lemons into stolen tv's.

After 9/11, they had FEMA set up and troops rolling tanks down Broadway within 48 hours...now NOLA is in ruins and the Gulf Coast is pretty much obliterated and still 4 days later no one above the state level can find their asses with both hands and a fucking road map.

 

Where's all the trillions we put into Homeland Security? We've been told for years that voting against the people in charge would spell certain doom, since only they could be trusted in the event of a crisis.

 

Well, here's a crisis, where the fuck's everyone at? Congress can jump a red eye to vote about Terri Schiavo, but people trapped in NOLA have to wait till they're good and ready to get back?

 

It sickens me to turn on the news (even FOX, I have to admit) and see what looks like a third world refugee camp in America. Countries we tend to make fun of in Asia had their shit together more after the Tsunami than we seem to now. It's an embarrassment, after all the emphasis placed on security and disaster preparedness (September is National Preparedness Month, in your LOL Moment of 2005) all we got for our money is a fucking color code system and people so scared they wrapped their house in plastic sheeting and duct tape.

 

It's just mind boggling. While Mad Max: Beyond Superdome is playing out, Condi Rice is out shoe shopping in NYC. This is your Secretary of State folks.

 

But this is what really bothers me. On Tuesday, when the scope of what was going on was becoming crystal clear, what was the Commander in Chief doing?

 

 

At a fundraiser, playing a fucking guitar given to him by some country singer.

 

People were fucking DROWNING, and he's busy photo-opping it up. He didn't even leave his ranch till yesterday.

 

 

Disgusting.

That picture is priceless.

NYC probably had more financial investment than NO. Price of Oil going up is good for Bushes pals, I don't think the NYSE going down is.

 

Not that that is the actual explanation, but it's the one I like. A better, more accurate, explanation is that WTC falling didn't lead to miles and miles of flooded streets and hundreds of thousands of homeless people. Lots of dust? Yes. Dangerous flooding? No. 9/11 was a dropped card or two, while this is more like 52 pick up. Clearly, people are the most important thing, but where do you start?

If anything, they have less of an excuse in the case of a hurricane. 9/11 came out of nowhere and they were able to mobilize almost instantly. They had days notice that the storm was coming and did nothing. They knew what a mess it would likely cause, they could have mobilized the National Guard, local military bases, anything so that people wouldn't have to be without food and water for 4 days before something's done.

 

It's not like hurricanes spring up and catch people by surprise.

This entire situation is absolutely disgusting. And to see the television news feed off the misery is pathetic.

This entire situation is absolutely disgusting.  And to see the television news feed off the misery is pathetic.

Amen.

 

However, I gotta hand it to Anderson Cooper. He's been out in Mississippi trying to help people, and he almost lost it during his show tonight. He had to stop to keep himself from breaking down. I almost lost it watching him compose himself, you could just see the man was physically and emotionally in shock from all the destruction around him.

No doubt there is some incompentency at work here, however I think the sheer scope and size of something like this cannot be prepared for in a day. Think of everything that needs to be mobilized in that time, and how many people you have to coordinate. Their first (and seemingly only) goal was to save lives at that time, not to disarm citizens, protect the hospitals, police the police, etc. etc. etc. It's pretty obvious that their approach was "let's wait to clean this up" rather than "let's limit the mess by scotch guarding the couch and putting newspapers on the floor". Right now they are examining the key problem areas and are deciding on a course of action - it's easier to fix a problem when you know what it is.

 

I think you may be expecting too much out of your government, though it is within your right to have high expectations for The Greatest Nation on Earth. I don't think something like this could be avoided, or even foreseen (to this extent). 9/11 and the WTC was localized to a few blocks, while this is spread out. The attacks stopped after the buildings fell, while this is a continuous shit-stream and the enemy isn't over in Afghanistan, it's your own citizens and motherfuckinnature.

I understand the scope of the problem is huge, but I don't think it's expecting too much of my government to think they should have some advance preparations made for a disaster they had at advance warning on. Especially since the Department of Homeland Security has been telling everyone to Be Ready and it's becoming obvious they weren't.

 

Their first (and seemingly only) goal was to save lives at that time, not to disarm citizens, protect the hospitals, police the police, etc. etc. etc. It's pretty obvious that their approach was "let's wait to clean this up" rather than "let's limit the mess by scotch guarding the couch and putting newspapers on the floor"

 

Right, thats why the main focus was OMG LOOTERZ~! How shocking that people who lose everything start stealing shit. I heard the Gov of LA instructing cops to stop looking for people and start going after looters and it made me sick. Fuck the looters, help the people surfing on their roofs first.

Indeed. But when your government officials seem to have time for shoe shopping in the midst of this crisis, one can't help but become quite irritated.

I understand the scope of the problem is huge, but I don't think it's expecting too much of my government to think they should have some advance preparations made for a disaster they had at advance warning on. Especially since the Department of Homeland Security has been telling everyone to Be Ready and it's becoming obvious they weren't.

 

Their first (and seemingly only) goal was to save lives at that time, not to disarm citizens, protect the hospitals, police the police, etc. etc. etc. It's pretty obvious that their approach was "let's wait to clean this up" rather than "let's limit the mess by scotch guarding the couch and putting newspapers on the floor"

Right, thats why the main focus was OMG LOOTERZ~! How shocking that people who lose everything start stealing shit. I heard the Gov of LA instructing cops to stop looking for people and start going after looters and it made me sick. Fuck the looters, help the people surfing on their roofs first.

Sek, do me a favor and just calm the fuck down for a second.

 

Want to know why they suspended rescue operations? Because the fucking looters were shooting at the helicopters, hijacking the boats, and heading towards the general area of the remaining known civvies in New Orleans (French Quarter / Central Business District / Superdome).

 

The helicopters are refusing to fly anyone else out until the situation on the ground can be stabilized.

 

 

 

 

That doesn't even take into consideration the problems on the ground in areas OUTSIDE New Orleans...

 

My office was in total fucking uproar for half the day because of the wild rumors being spread about what's happening a few blocks away at the River Center, where the fucking SWAT team was sent in with no warning to the rest of us.

 

The looting is adding unbelievable stress on my area because of the amount of stress our infrastructure is under due to the approximately 250,000 to 500,000 extra people we're having to accomodate.

I just want to know how we can take Baghdad in a week but we can't get soldiers to New Orleans.

 

In happier news, Fats Domino is indeed ok...

 

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/0...mino/index.html

If our rescue personnel are in aircraft that can be shot down by random people with small caliber weapons (unless someone looting has anti-aircraft weaponry) then I'm very concerned indeed.

 

I'm not doubting that the looters are adding extra and unwelcome stress to the area, but don't you think there should have been national guard and/or military personnel to keep that shit on lock while the cops and Red Cross people go out to rescue trapped folks?

If our rescue personnel are in aircraft that can be shot down by random people with small caliber weapons (unless someone looting has anti-aircraft weaponry) then I'm very concerned indeed.

 

I'm not doubting that the looters are adding extra and unwelcome stress to the area, but don't you think there should have  been national guard and/or military personnel to keep that shit on lock while the cops and Red Cross people go out to rescue trapped folks?

Sek,

 

It ain't the chances of shooting the craft down...

 

it's the realistic chances of the pilots and/or EMTs inside getting plugged by some fucking jackass shooting at them for no good reason.

 

 

I don't blame them one fucking bit for not wanting to go back in until they get some form of security, as they don't have the kind of cover fire that medivac units in Iraq get.

In other news, I think there will be a LOT of Southerners in Congress who'll want Denny Hastert out as Speaker if he doesn't shut the fuck up.

 

 

 

"It makes no sense to spend billions of dollars to rebuild a city that?s seven feet under sea level, House Speaker Dennis Hastert said of federal assistance for hurricane-devastated New Orleans.

 

?It looks like a lot of that place could be bulldozed,? the Illinois Republican said in an interview Wednesday with The Daily Herald of Arlington, Ill.

"

 

 

There are some things you don't say WHILE RESCUE OPERATIONS ARE STILL ONGOING.

A couple of random notes here...

 

One, I'd be interested to see if the Republic Party takes a hit in the Deep South, usually a strongbase for them.

 

Two, I notice the Google Ads are trying to sell hotel rooms in New Orleans. Anyone up for a vacation?

A couple of random notes here...

 

One, I'd be interested to see if the Republic Party takes a hit in the Deep South, usually a strongbase for them.

 

Two, I notice the Google Ads are trying to sell hotel rooms in New Orleans.  Anyone up for a vacation?

Al,

 

IMHO, a lot of the problems aren't with the federal response as much as problems with the state and local jurisdictions (Gov. Kathleen Blanco, Mayor Ray Nagin, etc.), almost all of whom are Democrats.

 

 

New Orleans is partially IN this shitstorm because the Democrat machine down there chased off the talented people and put political cronies into positions of high importance.

 

By having these incompetent people in power for so long, it resulted in a dysfunctional city incapable of doing basic operations, let alone a massive effort like what was needed.

 

 

 

 

Seriously... I don't see a lot of blame being pointed at the President over the way rescue operations are going in Mississippi and Alabama, which were also hit very hard. The only sore spot is New Orleans, where all Hell broke loose.

teke, you have to be kidding me. The only help that was there from the start were the Red Cross, state and local cops, and the National Guard (which is under the juristidiction of the Governor).

 

FEMA has been incompetent, Congress just now is returning to session, the Secretary of State is shoe shopping, the President couldn't be arsed to cut short his fund raising, and its the LOCAL DEMOCRATS fault?

 

That's amazing.

 

Seriously... I don't see a lot of blame being pointed at the President over the way rescue operations are going in Mississippi and Alabama, which were also hit very hard. The only sore spot is New Orleans, where all Hell broke loose.

 

I've seen people along the coast asking where the help is, NOLA gets the coverage because its a major US city that was thrown into chaos. Fair or not, it's going to get more attention than small coast towns getting obliterated.

 

All I've seen all night on TV are federal officals repeating over and over "we understand people are angry, but *insert excuse for no one helping*".

Sek,

 

I'm really not up to dealing with this shit now.

 

 

You DO know what my job is, don't you? I run data analysis for the LA Department Of Revenue And Taxation.

 

I sat down this morning and was figured out how much of a pothole this is going to put in the state's budget, which is ALREADY out of control.

 

The destruction New Orleans is going to cost LA about *ONE BILLION* dollars per year in lost taxes alone.

 

 

While I'm already having to deal with the stress of everything happening on my doorstep, I'm also having to deal with the reality that my city and my state are almost as fucked as New Orleans itself is right now because of the massive changes happening here overnight.