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!!!

[monkeytrousers]

alux

[Moomin]

i thought this article from the Independent was succinct and interesting yesterday.

[mumtoone]

I am shocked at the inadequacy of the disaster planning that seems to have gone on for New Orleans. This city as clearly vulnerable to this type of disaster. The military should have been sent in from the start to evacuate people and maintain some law and order. I am shocked at some of the things that are going on. I can understand looting for food to survive but some of the other things that are happening such as shooting at rescuers is awful. I really hope things wouldn't get that bad in the UK if such a disaster happened.

[happymerryberries]

If a disater on this scale happened to the UK the whole of the UK would be affected. So I think that it would be considerably worse.

[alux]

mumtoone what I will say does not in any way justifies the shooting of rescuers. it shows the depth of hubris.

to put these episodes into context: the police of NO is widely distrusted by the black communities. The tragedy of the last week has only made things worse. In recent years, 2 NO police officers have been on trial for rape, while in uniform, in 2 separate incidences. There is also cases of them shooting and asking questions later. Well before the tragedy. Corruption is rife in NO life with the police and politicians at every level being active participants. It is an open secret.

So many may have decided that since we will die here like feral caged animals, then I will take some of the bstrds with me.

These incidents highlight underbelly of the right to bear arms.

[soapbox]

But HMB there are 55m+ people living in the UK, far more than in the affected areas.

But in any case where do all these comparisons get us??????

Its starting to do my head in!

The crux of it is that the way it has been dealt with is not satisfactory. Whether any other country would do it better or worse is neither here nor there!

[happymerryberries]

But the size of the inumdation does have consequences. It specificaly affects the nubers of towns affected, distances between them and 'safe' areas, distances that the food etc needs to be shipped in, simple volume of water that needs to be punped out, roads repared etc etc

I wasn't making a direct comparison, but rather highlighting the vast scale of the area affected, which has direct implications of how the situation must be delt with IYSWIM

[Heathcliffscathy]

ad hominem????? anyone enlighten a girl that gave up on latin about the time that caecilius est in tricolorum (sp?) etc....help

[alux]

ad hominem: means attacking the man rather than attacking his arguement - one of the fallacies of logic.

[Kelly1978]

I've jsut heard on the news that the US are asking the EU to donate blankets, water, etc. Why? America is the world's richest country!

[suedonim]

I read somewhere that Sri Lanka has offered $25,000 in aid to the US. It's that sort of kindness that restores your faith in humanity.

[SueW]

Was Celine Dion shown on UK TV? She has donated $1m to the disaster relief altho she said that she didn't want to talk about the money. She was in tears, having a go about how people hadn't been helped, etc. More here .

Also Kanye West 'departed from his script' to say what was on his mind. More here

[monkeytrousers]

Whoever he is Kanye West is a brave man for speaking out. Good for him.

[Janh]

From BBC News website this morning:



Hope she does.

[Earlybird]

There is alot of finger pointing going on, as people want to know what caused the breakdown in communications that led to inaction for so many days. I think they want to blame that person/agency, and also "fix" it to avoid future man made tragedies caused by days of delay.

I heard Mary Landrieu, the Louisiana senator on telly last night. Who knows whether or not she's effective, but she was mind blowingly inarticulate.

[Janh]

Oh of course, but Bush is the last person who should start pointing fingers. He signed up 100% for Hail to the Chief, but not at all for The Buck Stops Here.

[Springchicken]

Haven't read this but a witness is talking about it on This Morning now.

I seriously didn't realise the sheer scale of it

[RTKangaMummy]

I am watching that too

What the reporter says about being able to fly from london to houston and then to drive into New Orleans in a car. Arriving in the dark.

And then he was saying "why can't help get there if he can do it why can't the army or supplies?????"

[betso]

does george bush still totally refuse to believe in the concept of global warming?

[sansouci]

At a party over the weekend, I overheard someone saying that Cuba had offered assistance but Bush turned it down. Is this true?

[Heathcliffscathy]

venezuela offerred assistance but as the bush administration want to assasinate chavez they turned that down too....

[Sparks]

Well it's kind of true. Castro has offered, but received no response. Here is the story

[Janh]

Has this been mentioned?:



Aid offered by Sri Lanka and Indonesia among others - not a lot but a thoughtful gesture. Turning down aid from Cuba and Venezuala is childish but no surprise.