Can't believe what's happening in America!!!!!

[Forgetmenot]

Have just watched the news and I'm so upset seeing all those people who just seemed to have been abandoned by the authorities, their government and the rest of their country!!!
They have no food or water and the police are only concerned with looters!!
Why isn't the whole country rallying round to help for gods sake!!!

sansouci

im finding it truly depressing, saw a new mother being transported from a hospital this morning, she had been in ICU and her new baby was in a different part of the hospital... she doesnt know where her baby has been moved to, only that she is no longer in the hospital.
...and to hear stories of women and children being raped , i cant think of any words to describe how sad i feel for those poor people who probably had very liitle anyway.

As well as being a humanitarian disaster this also has profound political resonance?s, both for the people caught up in it on the ground and those of us watching from afar. To criticise, praise or just debate the political aspects of this disaster is not the same as gloating over the plight of these desperate people. A disaster on this scale may prick some of the hubris that defines the US ?stand alone? foreign policy.

This is the most powerful country on the planet and much of this was avoidable. Many left on the ground are the poorest and most desperately in need. And lets not forget there will have been a lot of guns around even before the looting. All these unique elements go to feed the growing unease about what is happening. You can?t simply shut off political debate; it?s vital that it continues. The apathy of Bush is nothing less than contemptible. That needs to be noted and not forgotten

You?re right Expat (re 10.36 post), Britain is as greedy as the US. Neither will give up its chokehold on the global markets so the rest of the world will go down with us.

It would be ironic if it happened here. It is ironic when it happens here, yet people still blather on about growing sweet potatoes come the nicer weather and having a barbie like the Aussies at Xmas. Like we won?t be underwater or dead with the flu or BSE, or MRSA, or?any amount of pestilence we bring upon ourselves. We?re all living in cloud cuckoo land!

I don't agree with the politics of dictators in some parts of the world who take aid monies given to them and squander it on themselves and their wars whilst leaving their inhabitants to starve and die of disease or sit back whilst their people become so desperately poor they sell their own children into slavery or commandeer their young sons into child soldiery.

But that doesn't stop me from passing judgement on those who suffer. Or conclude those people are where they are b/c of their government so oh well! let them look after themselves. Let those dictators sort it out. Or that political debate necessarily has to be a part of what happened to them and what kind of treatment they need.

A poor person in need is a poor person in need, no matter what their race or creed.

Sorry Expat, I don't know what you mean.

Is it that the people caught up in this seem to be being judged by the sins of their leaders?

my view is and im prob wrong that they want people to think look oh how nice they are helping a poor country get back on its feet and they dont seem bothered about the poor in there own country. its the same here if we spent as much money helping the poor in our own country as we do other countries then we would have less kids living in dire poverty

oh and another thing (im on a ranting roll) how long do u think it will be before there is something set up for us to give money to help these people

a human disaster, that needs a human response, but at the same time I don't see why we cannot point out the flaws in the a society that spends trillions of dollars on war equipment, which could have been used for rescue and supply missions.

Criticising the administration for lack of proper response is right. I don't think one should feel guilty about it. Criticising it for diverting the resources to make profits for a few is absolutely right. Criticising the people of a supposedly civilised society for abandoning civilised behavior is quite right, too. Not too long ago when Baghdad fell to the US, there was looting in the poor suburbs of Baghdad, and the US TV coverage and comment was about how awful these uncivilised Muslims are. I don't see why it cannot be pointed out to them that a similar behavior has appeared in their own cities.

Michael Moore is right. Why have the US army helicopters not much been in evidence, (they must be in hundreds, if not more).

sorry not had time to read all of this but listening to the news now and it is absolutely unbelievable how badly this is being handled.

Horrendous. The reporter from BBC that is in New Orleans is utterly gobsmacked, saying he cannot believe the fact that no one is helping the people at the superdome. No one giving help to babies, pregnant women etc.

expats, I don't know if anyone is saying that the US had it coming and should deal wiith it themselves (I CERTAINLY am not). But I DON'T understand how all those people, who have been at the superdome since before the hurricane struck, taking shelter, have been left there with no food, no water, no medical supplies, nothing. I appreciate that you can't airlift 20,000 people out by helicopter, but you certainly CAN get supplies in by helicopter. Why hasn't it been done? They are sitting there starving and dehydrated surrounded by dead bodies. Why? Why?

It is beyond my comprehension.

And Iraq is a whole different issue, but I DO want Bush to have a Damascene revelation out of all this that perhaps global warming IS an issue after all.

helicopters were grounded yesterday because people were shooting at them. I'm not sure if they have restarted or not.

pph, i have been sat watching footage all day on tv, and keep asking "why cant they air drop stuff in?" they can do it every where else, even banda aceh in indonesia had supplies faster than the americans are getting it. what the hell is going on??? babies are starving...

Have you heard the interview with Ray Nagin (mayor of NO?) It is heartrending.

The FEMA guy was Paxmaned by the CNN presenter about why they did not even know about the convention center.

There's seems to be a lot of 'city didn't tell us' 'state didn't tell us' etc.

I looked up this story after seeing a mention in the Guardian - Bush cut funding for improving the New Orleans flood defences by 80% last year to fund the Iraq war. It would probably have been too late to prevent the disaster, but just as I feel desperately sorry for the Americans trapped in New Orleans, I feel so angry at Bush for making climate change issue such a low priority and even denying the science.

I feel upset that the govt. didn't put more money/resources forward to help people evacuate. I think a lot of the other accusations are unfair, though. New Orleans has missed a lot of storms by a whisker in recent years, so a lot of people reckoned it would be ok this time, too, didn't even try to leave

Thank God, relief supplies at last are now arriving at the superdome.

SueW, I thought the NO mayor was brilliant, I hope he doesn't suffer from higher up for his honest speaking.

Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Bush played guitar with his buddies while New Orleans descends into hell.

A BBC correspondent in New Orleans has said that he has seen many disaster situations in Asia and some in Africa and this is much worse. Partly, I guess this is because a third world country is less likely to have supermarkets stocked with guns and therefore vigilants hampering relief efforts (but that's a whole 'nuther discussion...) - but also I imagine that aid agencies start with a plan almost immediately in other parts of the world (whether it's dropping in food or the Rainbow Warrior taking MSF doctors to remote parts of Banda Aceh.) I don't think there's the same assumption that the US would want or accept this kind of assistance. Which perhaps leaves these people bereft of the help of international personnel with experience in these situations.

In some ways, it reminds me of Russia failing to ask for help in the Kursk submarine accident (even though obviously that caused a much smaller loss of life). Norway et al were poised to help rescue attempts, if I recall correctly, but offers weren't taken up because of - what? Russian pride? politics...?

20+ countries have already offered help.

Part of Ray Nagin's frank interview piece was that NO has a large number of drug addicts who are now desperate for a fix and are creating part of the problem. He said he was saying things no one else would say but since they broadcast the whole thing in the early hours of this morning, those bits aren't being repeated.

It's easy to donate directly as individuals. The American Red Cross and America's Second Harvest (a food bank) are both reputable and easy to find online.

I think the press here are doing a lousy job of reporting, their focus being overwhelmingly negative.

Americans are rallying around by giving clothes, food and money and by volunteering. The Red Cross has received $15 million so far from private donors and $6 million from companies. In the Houston astrodome they are registering the evacuee children for school. I can't imagine what it is going to be like for these people as weeks or months go by and people are still living in these shelters.