Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans

[maZe]

Ive seen it already, I didnt care much about the timing really. Even still, if he was at the World Trade Centre site ten minutes after they fell it would have made no difference hes only a man, he cant bring people back to life, do you really think his smirking face would have lifted the spirits of people in America ::):

No. But I do think that if he would have listened to the security briefing, this could have been prevented.

But let's face it - Sept. 9-11 is the greatest thing to happen to Bush!
1) his popularity went way up in 2001-2002 and 2003.
2) He was able (with no success whatsoever but anyway) to revenge his father and attack Saddam
3) He was able to attack Afghanistan and Irak : which means more control over petrol and oil for the USA and for his family
4) All this while protecting his friends in the Qatar, Saoudite Arabia and the United Arabs Emirats

[Apollo]

Pictures from New Orleans, Nov 2004, check out the beer:-







Finally

[Alycidon]

AS a sideline I noted in one of yesterday's papers that scriptwriters were rushing to rewrite the ending of Bruce Willis' latest "Die Hard" movie, which was planned to have as an all action finale scenes where New Orleans is devastated by enormous tidal waves. Where do the Hollywood guys get their ideas from.

[Roxburgh]

I read an interesting chronology of the events in the Boston Globe yesterday. What is clear is that there were a series of failures, both in the decision making area and in communications, at all levels of government. Local, state and federal. Indeed, the only organisation to come out of this looking good was the US Coastguard. In addition, local authorities in New Orleans seriously underestimated the strength of Katrina and ignored the warnings they were given. As a result, the order to evacuate came 12 hours late.

It is too easy to blame Bush for the things that went wrong. That displays a poor understanding of the complexity of US Government and of the federal system. Bush does not have absolute autonomous executive power and both states and localities protect their rights and autonomy jealously. That was part of the problem here. Complex permissions and authorities were required for certain things to happen. That is not to entirely absolve him but there needs to be a more nuanced understanding of what happened.

[crusty_bint]

It is too easy to blame Bush for the things that went wrong. That displays a poor understanding of the complexity of US Government and of the federal system. Bush does not have absolute autonomous executive power and both states and localities protect their rights and autonomy jealously. That was part of the problem here. Complex permissions and authorities were required for certain things to happen. That is not to entirely absolve him but there needs to be a more nuanced understanding of what happened.

It's true, it is too easy to blame Bush, but the fact remains if he had given the nod for action to be taken sooner then lives could have been saved. Instead he went running to his daddy who couldn't do anything until he finished his round of golf.

It just illustrates how weak a leader that man is and I hope the citizens of the US take heed.

Nero supposodly fiddled while Rome burned: Bush played cowboys and injuns while New Oreans drowned ...watch yourselves America, history has a way of repeating itself!

Here's a couple of pics I was sent of Katrina before spout formation:

[Vladimir]

wow

[stinkpad]

Here's a couple of pics I was sent of Katrina before spout formation:

I think you're confusing a hurricane with a tornado.

[Alycidon]

I think you're confusing a hurricane with a tornado

Insn't a Hurricane a famous propellor driven WWII fighter and a Tornado a current front line Shock and Awe delivering tax guzzler

[crusty_bint]

Here's a couple of pics I was sent of Katrina before spout formation:

I think you're confusing a hurricane with a tornado.

I think you're being a bit anal ...I apologise profusely.

[stinkpad]

Here's a couple of pics I was sent of Katrina before spout formation:

I think you're confusing a hurricane with a tornado.

I think you're being a bit anal ...I apologise profusely.

Sorry, I was in pedantic bastard mode there.

[crusty_bint]

Nae bother, no offence

[mrlipring]

Beautiful pics. Terrifying what the consequences can be AFTER the clouds do that, but jesus, it's beautiful.

[Apollo]

Looks like I'm not the only one fed up having to listen to those lucky enough to be able to sit on their safe, fat backsides and lob criticism from relative safety, knowing that the majority who will stand behind them have no concept of the size of the area or operation involved:

Jason van Steenwyk is a Florida Army National Guardsman who has been mobilized six times for hurricane relief. He notes that:

"The federal government pretty much met its standard time lines, but the volume of support provided during the 72-96 hour was unprecedented. The federal response here was faster than Hugo, faster than Andrew, faster than Iniki, faster than Francine and Jeanne."

For instance, it took five days for National Guard troops to arrive in strength on the scene in Homestead, Fla. after Hurricane Andrew hit in 1992. But after Katrina, there was a significant National Guard presence in the afflicted region in three.

Journalists who are long on opinions and short on knowledge have no idea what is involved in moving hundreds of tons of relief supplies into an area the size of England in which power lines are down, telecommunications are out, no gasoline is available, bridges are damaged, roads and airports are covered with debris, and apparently have little interest in finding out.

Journalists complain that it took a whole week to do this. A former Air Force logistics officer had some words of advice for us in the Fourth Estate on his blog, Moltenthought:

"We do not yet have teleporter or replicator technology like you saw on 'Star Trek' in college between hookah hits and waiting to pick up your worthless communications degree while the grown-ups actually engaged in the recovery effort were studying engineering.

"The United States military can wipe out the Taliban and the Iraqi Republican Guard far more swiftly than they can bring 3 million Swanson dinners to an underwater city through an area the size of Great Britain which has no power, no working ports or airports, and a devastated and impassable road network.

"You cannot speed recovery and relief efforts up by prepositioning assets (in the affected areas) since the assets are endangered by the very storm which destroyed the region.

"No amount of yelling, crying and mustering of moral indignation will change any of the facts above."

"You cannot just snap your fingers and make the military appear somewhere," van Steenwyk said.

Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05254/568876.stm

Finally, did you know that New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has already bought a house in Dallas, enrolled his kids in the school system there, and claimed the state as his home? Somehow this, also, slipped through the cracks of the media. Which hey, I don't see how it couldn't have. You've almost got to dig some of the truth up sometimes.

[Dexter St. Clair]

nally, did you know that New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has already bought a house in Dallas, enrolled his kids in the school system there, and claimed the state as his home? Somehow this, also, slipped through the cracks of the media. Which hey, I don't see how it couldn't have. You've almost got to dig some of the truth up sometimes.

This is sourced by the right wing blogs to Foxews which in turn says it got it from The Dallas Morning News. Others say it is from the New orleans times Picayune.

The Times site is subscription but i ahve had a look at the Dallas site and can't find the story.

Does anyone have an original source for it?

[kirkyguy]

The New Orleans police found four black guys floating down the main street.....





















they think it might be the drifters