Top Mud Sites Forum - View Single Post - Hurricane Katirna - NOT mud-related

Sinuhe · 09-07-2005, 05:49 AM

Ilkidarios Posted on Sep. 05 2005,21:34
'Petty politics?' Petty? This isn't really about politics, it's about local and federal incompetence and negligence.
If a democratic government had handled the disaster in an equally disastrous way, they would have received the same blame that is now directed at the republican administration.

The authorities knew, years ahead, that the protection walls of New Orleans were inadequate and that there was a very distinctive risk of large parts of the city getting flooded.
They knew several days ahead that the hurricane was going to hit the city.
You could even deduct that they knew that the walls would break. After all, you don't tell the inhabitants of a million people city to evacuate their homes, unless you have a pretty good idea that something devastating is about to happen.

So since the authorities had the knowledge and forewarning; why the blundering and delay?
Why weren't the walls repaired, when it first became obvious that they were at the risk of breaking? Why wait until the city is flooded, when the costs will be hundreds of times higher?
Why wasn't the evacuation at least organised properly, with transportation and facilities waiting for the evacuees?
Why wasn't the National Guard called in to supervise the evacuation, stop the looting and uphold the peace _before_ the hurricane struck, instead of several days after?
Why were fugitives left to die from lack of food, water, medicine and shelter in the very places they were instructed to go to?
Why did the president of USA feel that he had other more pressing engagements than taking care of the biggest national disaster since September 11th?
And why is this same president now proposing to lead the commission that is supposed to answer these and other questions?

This isn't about what the Republicans 'did', it is more about what they didn't do, and why.

Jazuela @ Sep. 05 2005,09:15
In the light of the government inactivity, it seems a bit cheap to blame the locals for 'choosing' inaction.
They obviously didn't get any help from the authorities, apart from the order to evacuate. They probably didn't expect any help either. Apparently a large percentage of the inhabitants were extremely poor. Maybe they didn't have TV or internet access? Maybe they didn't have any money, or any friends or family outside the disaster area to go to? Maybe they felt that they didn't have anything to lose? And in the cases of people that did have something to lose, maybe they even made the conscious choice of staying, to protect their homes against the looters that seem to be ever present when there is a crisis in USA?

09-07-2005, 05:49 AM	#40
Sinuhe Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 55	Ilkidarios Posted on Sep. 05 2005,21:34 'Petty politics?' Petty? This isn't really about politics, it's about local and federal incompetence and negligence. If a democratic government had handled the disaster in an equally disastrous way, they would have received the same blame that is now directed at the republican administration. The authorities knew, years ahead, that the protection walls of New Orleans were inadequate and that there was a very distinctive risk of large parts of the city getting flooded. They knew several days ahead that the hurricane was going to hit the city. You could even deduct that they knew that the walls would break. After all, you don't tell the inhabitants of a million people city to evacuate their homes, unless you have a pretty good idea that something devastating is about to happen. So since the authorities had the knowledge and forewarning; why the blundering and delay? Why weren't the walls repaired, when it first became obvious that they were at the risk of breaking? Why wait until the city is flooded, when the costs will be hundreds of times higher? Why wasn't the evacuation at least organised properly, with transportation and facilities waiting for the evacuees? Why wasn't the National Guard called in to supervise the evacuation, stop the looting and uphold the peace _before_ the hurricane struck, instead of several days after? Why were fugitives left to die from lack of food, water, medicine and shelter in the very places they were instructed to go to? Why did the president of USA feel that he had other more pressing engagements than taking care of the biggest national disaster since September 11th? And why is this same president now proposing to lead the commission that is supposed to answer these and other questions? This isn't about what the Republicans 'did', it is more about what they didn't do, and why. Jazuela @ Sep. 05 2005,09:15 In the light of the government inactivity, it seems a bit cheap to blame the locals for 'choosing' inaction. They obviously didn't get any help from the authorities, apart from the order to evacuate. They probably didn't expect any help either. Apparently a large percentage of the inhabitants were extremely poor. Maybe they didn't have TV or internet access? Maybe they didn't have any money, or any friends or family outside the disaster area to go to? Maybe they felt that they didn't have anything to lose? And in the cases of people that did have something to lose, maybe they even made the conscious choice of staying, to protect their homes against the looters that seem to be ever present when there is a crisis in USA?