When the Levees Broke

[hannahsaunt]

Did anyone else see the first part of the Spike Lee film last night? Taping part two tonight - horrifically fascinating. Really not sure how Bush (and various others) can sleep at night.

[speedySleighmamahohoho]

Missed it and could not tape it as we have problems taping from digi channels. Hopefully it will be shown again.

When people say that TV is rubbish, I point them towards programmes like this.

Dubya and his ilk should be forced to watch this, if only to acknowledge that there is a poverty stricken underclass that is out of sight and out of mind.

[hannahsaunt]

Lostinfrance - remember the second part is on tonight on BBC 4 - it's in two parts as the whole thing is 4 hours long.

Compelling viewing. Respect for Conaleeza Rice has flown out of the window.

[KathyMCMLXXII]

It was very good - good to hear the viewpoints of such a range of people who were involved at the time. (Eg. it was interesting to hear where the stories about babies being raped in the Superdome started off.)

Some very upsetting stories though - don't watch it if you're pregnant

Had completely forgotten about what an arse Bush was - at the time I naively thought this would be the end of his presidency, but no, he's still around....

[caffeinequeen]

Annoyed as it clashed with The Choir which I'd been watching for 2 weeks and hate to "give up" on "invested" tv watching time IYKWIM!
Did I miss much in yesterday's prog? Will I be able to "keep up" tonight?
Apols for over use of inverted commas btw, don't know what's wrong with me!

[bluejelly]

It was great, and I'm sure tonight's will be compelling even if you havent watched the first part.

Bush is such a tosser ( sorry it's been said a million time before, but had to say again)

[WhyDooLittleStarsShine]

Harrowing.

Really showed Bush and Rice to be thoughtless and completely lacking in compassion.
Watching Bush when he finally did go to New Orleans made me wretch.

[KathyMCMLXXII]

Well, you'll have missed the hurricane and the first week or so - I think the next half is about what happened to the people who were evacuated and issues surrounding the rebuilding.
I'm sure it will be on again some time though.

[WhyDooLittleStarsShine]

I was in the States a few days before the hurricane.
There was 24 hour coverage warning of the hurricane. It was fascinating and terrifying.
Bush the idiot said nobody told him how bad it was. The man must have been blind and deaf!!!

[hannahsaunt]

We were in QLD during cyclone Larry and the footage in the first act with the warnings going out, the preparation etc brought home how intensely frightening that time was - so many memories (and the memory of the QLD premier in the aftermath saying that he had declined an offer of help from Bush, adding that Larry would be a model how Katrina should have been managed).

Sure the second part will be just as interesting without having seen the first part. We thought before hand that it seems rather long but actually it's doing it justice and maybe we should take longer over reflecting on things, to take on the enormity of the event and the aftermath and the consequences for people's lives - just the fact that families were dispersed across the US, wherever the next evacuation coach was going - how did they get back in touch again? Absolutely frightening and to think it was in America makes the whole thing even more shocking.

Loving the soundtrack - v inspired

[Gem13]

It was really harrowing. That dreadful publicised photo of Bush looking out of Air Force 1 at the city.

At 39 weeks pregnant I was drawn to the couple who were getting on a bus with what looked like premature twins after days in the Superdome. I just can't imagine the worse than animal conditions they were kept in.

The lack of humanity from people who should have been there to help - like the police holding people back on the bridge from going into 'their' county was beyond shocking.

I felt so stressed after watching it I couldn't go to bed for hours!

[Amanda1]

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