Making Baby Jesus Cry

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
Dude, the rich were out of there days before the storm hit. You're seeing Social Darwinism working its course. Its sad, its wrong, but there's nothhing anyone or any govt can do to stop these things. When the shit comes down like this, those without resources are always the victims, and there's never a cost feasible way to get them out in advance.

Yeah, well "Social Darwinism" isn't so much an unstoppable law of nature as a series of decisions made by people as to who is going to have resources allocated to them. And I'm not sure what "these things" are, but if we're talking about the slow pace of the evacuation and the deterioration of conditions for those still trapped in the city I'd have to disagree. A massive, coordinated response is what we have a government for.

Again, I can't help but think that "cost feasibility" wouldn't be an issue if it were a different class of person roasting out there.

And even if there were, a lot of them wouldn't have taken the ride. All they had were their homes. How do you run from that? How do you admit to yourself that everything you've got will be gone, and you life's posessions will be nothing more than what you carry on to an emergency evacuation vehicle?

I think most people were ready to leave that shithole two days ago at least and would have taken the ride if it was available. It became a life and death issue at least that long ago.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by ironweed
Crazy train indeed. I run into a few of the Air America people from time to time because they gather at my regular gin mill. They're so far out that last summer I was accused of being "part of the problem" for saying Kerry was running a shit campaign and was going to get his ass kicked if he didn't pull it together. Must have been sort of like suggesting that Regan didn't walk on water in Penske's company.

AON, does wondering if, perhaps, the thousands of people still trapped in NO were somewhat less black and somewhat more wealthy the national guard would have commandeered everything that moves in five states to pull them out, like, two days ago, make me a cynical hater of This Great Land Of Ours?

So Air America is too extreme for middle of the road Dems, so is the DU. Where do you guys go for your biased-but-not-crazy-biased news? Say it with me Ironhead:

CBS/ABC/NBC/PBS/WP/NYT/CNN

Again:
CBS/ABC/NBC/PBS/WP/NYT/CNN

More emotion:

CBS/ABC/NBC/PBS/WP/NYT/CNN

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
So Air America is too extreme for middle of the road Dems, so is the DU. Where do you guys go for your biased-but-not-crazy-biased news? Say it with me Ironhead:

CBS/ABC/NBC/PBS/WP/NYT/CNN

Again:
CBS/ABC/NBC/PBS/WP/NYT/CNN

More emotion:

CBS/ABC/NBC/PBS/WP/NYT/CNN

Ok, you win. Posting drunk on a Friday morning trumps posting drunk on a Thursday night. I can only bow to the master.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by ironweed
Ok, you win. Posting drunk on a Friday morning trumps posting drunk on a Thursday night. I can only bow to the master.

For what it's worth, since my last performance review no drinking during the workday. I stick to darvocets- maybe a codiene chaser-no smell.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by ironweed
A massive, coordinated response is what we have a government for.

Which government? We have a state government as well as a local government. Where are they in implementing the disaster plans they too might have put some thought into?

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by ironweed
Yeah, well "Social Darwinism" isn't so much an unstoppable law of nature as a series of decisions made by people as to who is going to have resources allocated to them. And I'm not sure what "these things" are, but if we're talking about the slow pace of the evacuation and the deterioration of conditions for those still trapped in the city I'd have to disagree. A massive, coordinated response is what we have a government for.

Again, I can't help but think that "cost feasibility" wouldn't be an issue if it were a different class of person roasting out there.

I think most people were ready to leave that shithole two days ago at least and would have taken the ride if it was available. It became a life and death issue at least that long ago.

You're mostly correct... But I don't think there are ever enough resources to deal with this sort of thing. This is like 9/11. The "system" ain't built for this contingency. That is where I think Social Darwinism comes into play. After the protections of the govt safety net have been exhausted (as they were the minute the levee broke), the first victims are the most vulnerable.

I don't think the slowness of response is deliberate or negligent. I think people are overwhelmed. Coordinating this thing is like herding cats... thousands of them.

I disagree that most people would have taken the ride. From what I've been hearing, a lot of people thought this was another false alarm.

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
Which government? We have a state government as well as a local government. Where are they in implementing the disaster plans they too might have put some thought into?

Don't get all defensive. Here's a disaster plan - mobilize the National Guard, whatever part of our Army, Air Force and Marines that's still here, and commandeer every bus, truck, van, boat and Vespa scooter you can find. Load it will bottled water and slim jims. Drive it to NO. Drop off the food, pick up as many people as you can carry. Repeat as necessary. Do this two days ago. Sounds dumb, right? Insufficient consideration for adverse conditions, cost, etc. Believe me, if there was a will, there would be a way.

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by Penske_Account
Sebbie, there is no escape. Don't make me delete you, you do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me and Spanky and Slave and Club et al, and we will complete your training (including but not limited to phottoshoppe instruction). With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the Board.

You used to have him. You blew it.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by ironweed
Don't get all defensive. Here's a disaster plan - mobilize the National Guard, whatever part of our Army, Air Force and Marines that's still here, and commandeer every bus, truck, van, boat and Vespa scooter you can find. Load it will bottled water and slim jims. Drive it to NO. Drop off the food, pick up as many people as you can carry. Repeat as necessary. Do this two days ago. Sounds dumb, right? Insufficient consideration for adverse conditions, cost, etc. Believe me, if there was a will, there would be a way.

I'm not being defensive; i'm questioning a) why you put the blame (apparently) on teh federal gov't and b) whether your expectations are realistic.

If you look at the maps, basically every decent sized road into NO is at least partially submerged. When the trucks drive in, they meet with sniper fire and unruly crowds (yes, the latter could be dealt with through more troops). Remember 9/11? NYC had prepped with this great command center for just such an event. Except that it got crushed by two falling buildings before they even got going. It's not like anyone could have massed trucks of water and food in Baton Rouge just before the storm, ready to go in.

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
Remember 9/11?

No, not really. What happened that day?

It's not like anyone could have massed trucks of water and food in Baton Rouge just before the storm, ready to go in.

Really? What about the day after? Or the day after that?

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by ironweed


Really? What about the day after? Or the day after that?

Dimwit, what happened in NO was not expected. Mississippi got hit harder and had no similar problem. NO turned into a lake when a part of its infrastrure broke.

Next day who would bring in the water? Everyone who could had headed in the other direction. Nat'l guard have to be called up and taken away from their lives. That takes a few days.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by ironweed
No, not really. What happened that day?



Really? What about the day after? Or the day after that?

The roads weren't in better shape the day after the storm.

And where is this food coming from? The warehouse in Baton Rouge where they stockpiled all the food for New Orleans? What you're asking for is to spend $several billion in advance of a storm on the chance it will be as devastating as this one was. Hurricane Andrew, which was as powerful and created as much destruction, didn't kill so many people or leave so many people in this situation.

But I'm sure FEMA could use someone of your prescience.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
The damage to the wetlands took place slowly over the last two hundred years. Nobody in the Bush Admin was going to reverse that in five years. The people who are crying "Bush responsible" and "wetlands" in the same sentence are trying to trick the audeince into believe Bush had something to do with the erosion just because he hasn't done anything to start reversing it. That. Is. Intellectual. Dishonesty.

I'm not going to defend some moron whom you saw on TV, and I'm not going to say that five years of wetland protection and restoration would have left New Orleans dry. But the fact is, the Bush Administration has been looking the other way on that shit, and the reason you worry about it is because sooner or later this day comes.

[Penske_Account]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
The silver lining to the prospect that this Katrina stuff will, like everything else in American politics these days, become politicized is the breathless anticipation with which we all await your photoshopped posts trashing the hurricane victims as treasonous terrorist sympathizers. Not to get ahead of you, but by asking for handouts from the government, aren't they diverting resources from the war on terror and thereby aiding and abetting our enemies? Why do they hate America? (I mean, besides the fact that they've been left without food and water to sit in several feet of sewage for days now.)

At least they have their Second Amendment rights to fall back on. The founders have their backs.

[Penske_Account]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
. That. Is. Intellectual. Dishonesty.

(1) That.is.modern.day.liberalism;

and

(2) New Demo motto?