New Orleans

[nzlegend 1]

 Quote:

Originally posted by slow:
I think it's nonsense, unreasonable, unintelligent (I don't know what to say...) to compare the city destroyed by nature to the city destroyed by war.

Slow, as powerful as as atomic bombs are, they are little compared to nature.

• earthquakes
• volcanoes
• Massive hurricanes

Nature can unleash power that makes atomic bombs seem insignificant. Mt St Helens volcanic eruptions unleashed the power of 500 Hiroshima bombs. Mt St Helens was pretty small too, historically there have been eruptions 50 times bigger!

 Quote:

A fully developed hurricane can release heat energy at a rate of 5 to 20x1013 watts and converts less than 10% of the heat into the mechanical energy of the wind. The heat release is equivalent to a 10-megaton nuclear bomb exploding every 20 minutes. According to the 1993 World Almanac, the entire human race used energy at a rate of 1013 watts in 1990, a rate less than 20% of the power of a hurricane.

10megatons is about 700times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb.

We as humans often underestimate the power of nature yet we never do they same to nuclear bombs.


I can understand how you could view the comparison as tasteless but to others its sums up the total devastation, its the only comparison they can find, nothing rivals it.
Also I dont think they are comparing the horrible injuries inflicted on people by bombs, more the destruction and devastation of buildings and structures.

[sunrise 0]

Published on Thursday, September 1, 2005 by the Chicago Tribune

Why New Orleans is in Deep Water

by Molly Ivins

 

Like many of you who love New Orleans, I find myself taking short mental walks there today, turning a familiar corner, glimpsing a favorite scene, square or vista. And worrying about the beloved friends and the city, and how they are now.

 

To use a fine Southern word, it's tacky to start playing the blame game before the dead are even counted. It is not too soon, however, to make a point that needs to be hammered home again and again, and that is that government policies have real consequences in people's lives.

 

This is not "just politics" or blaming for political advantage. This is about the real consequences of what governments do and do not do about their responsibilities. And about who winds up paying the price for those policies.

 

This is a column for everyone in the path of Hurricane Katrina who ever said, "I'm sorry, I'm just not interested in politics," or, "There's nothing I can do about it," or, "Eh, they're all crooks anyway."

 

Nothing to do with me, nothing to do with my life, nothing I can do about any of it. Look around you this morning. I suppose the National Rifle Association would argue, "Government policies don't kill people, hurricanes kill people." Actually, hurricanes plus government policies kill people.

 

One of the main reasons New Orleans is so vulnerable to hurricanes is the gradual disappearance of the wetlands on the Gulf Coast that once stood as a natural buffer between the city and storms coming in from the water. The disappearance of those wetlands does not have the name of a political party or a particular administration attached to it. No one wants to play, "The Democrats did it," or, "It's all Reagan's fault." Many environmentalists will tell you more than a century's interference with the natural flow of the Mississippi is the root cause of the problem, cutting off the movement of alluvial soil to the river's delta.

 

But in addition to long-range consequences of long-term policies like letting the Corps of Engineers try to build a better river than God, there are real short-term consequences, as well. It is a fact that the Clinton administration set some tough policies on wetlands, and it is a fact that the Bush administration repealed those policies--ordering federal agencies to stop protecting as many as 20 million acres of wetlands.

 

Last year, four environmental groups cooperated on a joint report showing the Bush administration's policies had allowed developers to drain thousands of acres of wetlands.

 

Does this mean we should blame President Bush for the fact that New Orleans is underwater? No, but it means we can blame Bush when a Category 3 or Category 2 hurricane puts New Orleans under. At this point, it is a matter of making a bad situation worse, of failing to observe the First Rule of Holes (when you're in one, stop digging).

 

Had a storm the size of Katrina just had the grace to hold off for a while, it's quite likely no one would even remember what the Bush administration did two months ago. The national press corps has the attention span of a gnat, and trying to get anyone in Washington to remember longer than a year ago is like asking them what happened in Iznik, Turkey, in A.D. 325.

 

Just plain political bad luck that, in June, Bush took his little ax and chopped $71.2 million from the budget of the New Orleans Corps of Engineers, a 44 percent reduction. As was reported in New Orleans CityBusiness at the time, that meant "major hurricane and flood projects will not be awarded to local engineering firms. Also, a study to determine ways to protect the region from a Category 5 hurricane has been shelved for now."

 

The commander of the corps' New Orleans district also immediately instituted a hiring freeze and canceled the annual corps picnic.

 

Our friends at the Center for American Progress note the Office of Technology Assessment used to produce forward-thinking plans such as "Floods: A National Policy Concern" and "A Framework for Flood Hazards Management." Unfortunately, the office was targeted by Newt Gingrich and the Republican right, and gutted years ago.

 

In fact, there is now a governmentwide movement away from basing policy on science, expertise and professionalism, and in favor of choices based on ideology. If you're wondering what the ideological position on flood management might be, look at the pictures of New Orleans--it seems to consist of gutting the programs that do anything.

 

Unfortunately, the war in Iraq is directly related to the devastation left by the hurricane. About 35 percent of Louisiana's National Guard is now serving in Iraq, where four out of every 10 soldiers are guardsmen. Recruiting for the Guard is also down significantly because people are afraid of being sent to Iraq if they join, leaving the Guard even more short-handed.

 

The Louisiana National Guard also notes that dozens of its high-water vehicles, Humvees, refuelers and generators have also been sent abroad. (I hate to be picky, but why do they need high-water vehicles in Iraq?)

 

This, in turn, goes back to the original policy decision to go into Iraq without enough soldiers and the subsequent failure to admit that mistake and to rectify it by instituting a draft.

 

The levees of New Orleans, two of which are now broken and flooding the city, were also victims of Iraq war spending. Walter Maestri, emergency management chief for Jefferson Parish, said on June 8, 2004, "It appears that the money has been moved in the president's budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq."

 

This, friends, is why we need to pay attention to government policies, not political personalities, and to know whereon we vote. It is about our lives.

 

Molly Ivins is a syndicated columnist based in Washington.

 

© 2005 Chicago Tribune

[sunrise 0]

This link is helpful to track hurricanes/typhoons/cyclones including category changes. (Looks like a 5 is heading for Okinawa at the moment).

 

http://forecast.mssl.ucl.ac.uk/shadow/tracker/dynamic/main.html

[Ocean11 0]

Timely mention of the NRA there. It seems they're having some trouble with guns down there too. The 'militia' is not very 'well regulated' by all appearances.

[slow 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by snowglider:
Also I dont think they are comparing the horrible injuries inflicted on people by bombs, more the destruction and devastation of buildings and structures.

I can understand that. Thank you, SG.

[NoFakie 45]

Good link sunrise. Molly Ivins is a great writer. Someone Texas can be very proud of. The point that politics does matter is very pertinent.

 

It seems like the evacuation plan for New Orleans was "leave town in your private car". People without transport have been screwed. I suspect that many media outlets will now be more interested in sensationalizing the incidents of lawlessless than the actual plight of the majority of survivors. In which case the poor of New Orleans will be screwed again. Since when have dead bodies floating around and a few stolen TVs been equally newsworthy?

[Curt 1]

It's shoot-to-kill now apparently folks

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4207202.stm

[damian 0]

Of what quality are 'civilised' human beings? A few days without the benefits of civilisation and all hell breaks lose. The Superdome serves as a strategic refuge for over 20,000 people. In the last day people have been shot, police helicopters shot at and women raped... all from within the strategic crisis refuge. Raped!!!! I can hardly fathom it.

 

What substance is that community built upon? What hope is there that other American communities would maintain civilised human behaviour in times like these? A society built on capital punishment, guns and violence has little hope in times of civil breakdown. I pity the country in the extreme event: when oil starts to run out.

 

I also pity the everyday people of New Orleans whose lives have been ruined. We are all so far fortunate that it has not been in our lives that this event happened. We should not too quickly forget how miserable life today and in the medium term future must be for those people. Perhaps it will engender some compassion for fellow humans who are living in daily hell due to forces out of their control (nature, US Military).

 

But allow me to step away from pity and the trgedy of the actual event. As cold hearted as it may appear, lets look at what the consequent events are telling us.

 

On further reading: I can understand why the community can't cope in a non-threatening civilised manner. Look at the mentality of their leaders!

 

Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco:

"These troops are battle-tested. They have M-16s and are locked and loaded," she said. "These troops know how to shoot and kill and I expect they will."

 

It isn't Hollywood.

 

It is safe to assume that this type of violent mentality is a vicious circle and has existed in the past, hence breeding like-minded bloodiness in the population, which re-enforced the need for more bloody minded leadership and civil administration.... which instilled even deeper in the social psyche the innate acceptance of violence against fellow man. Using violence to solve today's problems is ironically sick as it was the use of violence in the past that incubates today's problems. Pretty soon you dig yourself a pretty deep hole. A hole so deep that no gun can be used to climb out.

[kkk 7]

Did this kind of wild behaviour happen in Asian countries when the Tsunami hit?

[sunrise 0]

Good point BPC, but I don't' think it's confined to Americans. Perhaps not just confined to westerners either. The whole thing has had me remembering a chilly book I read in primary school called Lord of the Flies, I also saw the film. English in origin, not American.

[kkk 7]

And what the heck is this? Explosions?

 

--

 

NEW ORLEANS — An explosion jolted residents awake early Friday, illuminating the pre-dawn sky with red and orange flames over the city where corpses rotted along flooded sidewalks and bands of armed thugs thwarted fitful rescue efforts.

[soubriquet 0]

Lord of the flies was fiction. This is reality. God, Guns and Guts made America Great. Lets keep it there. Not here.

[Karnidge 2]

I remember reading something on New Orleans a while ago, just found it again.

 

http://www.weather.com/newscenter/specialreports/hurricanes/vulnerablecities/neworleans.html

[kintaro 0]

The HAVE NOT'S of the region are acting out and showing their disgust for the misrepresentation they are receiving from the Fed govt. I don't think we can generalize the deviant behavior as norms in the US breeding pool. But the situation is out of control and will probably get worse. The footage seen on the news is embarassing...guns being fired at evacuation hellicoptors, looting, rapes.... and God knows what else. My wife passively walks by and sees me watching CNN and says the US looks 3rd world - I don't dissagree. I think that if this hurricane hit Manhattan the situation would be being dealt with in a more expeditious manner (even considering geography. ) It might have something to do with the constituency

[Ocean11 0]

> I don't think we can generalize the deviant behavior as norms in the US breeding pool.

 

I think it's the Chimp gutting FEMA and spreading freedom, peace and hope in other countries that does it. I think his gene pool has some toxic stuff in it. The deviant behaviour goes right to the top. On the news here they covered a US 'news' program in which a guy with what looked like a 70s deep pile carpet on his head pretended to get tough with the head of FEMA about the failure of the response. Both must know damn well that FEMA has been gutted out of Chimplike meanness - and both were too cowardly to say it. So they both ate shit onscreen.

[nzlegend 1]

this post will probably be construed as racist but its merely an observation of the situation and a fact. Sadly the vast majority of the

 Quote:

'civilised' human beings?

as BPC puts them are black Americans, the people at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder, the poorest 20% of the New Orleans population.

All the looters, most of the faces of the people at the superdome and the other refuge areas are black.

80% of the city evacuated before the Hurricane: most the middle and upper class people - the white Americans got out leaving the poor people behind.

 

The poor people, the oppressed who feel once again society has shafted them, wonder where all the help is. They are likely thinking to themselves 'if there were more white people, more rich people here with us there might have been a more "prompt" rescue relief'.

When you are left with dregs af society, in testing situation naturally the criminally inclined, the immoral members of that group are going to take advantage of it, as they have.

[Ocean11 0]

Not with my taxes please. Make 'em pay market prices already! That would be a fine lesson in economics.

[kkk 7]

 Quote:

I don't think we can generalize the deviant behavior as norms in the US breeding pool.

Why not?
Is this not a major US city?

[damian 0]

Sunshine - Agreed. I don't expect that this type of behaviour would be isolated to Americans, not at all, but I also don't think it would be as bad in most western countries due to the lack of American gun culture that most of us enjoy.

 

Sad stories, hopefully all not true:

 

 Quote:

Four days after the killer storm hit, New Orleans was still plagued by gunbattles and rapes, with gangs of looters and carjackers roving the streets and bodies just left lying by the roadside.

 

Residents reported survivors dropping dead in shelters or gunned down outside the New Orleans convention centre. Hospitals were evacuated after power ran out and helicopters ferrying patients and babies drew gunfire.

 Quote:

Around 200 frightened Japanese, European and American tourists, who had been thrown out of their hotel on Thursday morning, told how police fired over their heads as they attempted to get to buses to take them to safety.

 Quote:

Amid reports that two children had been raped at the stadium, many people were outraged after spending four days without proper food, water and sanitation and enduring nights of lawless blackout.

[kintaro 0]

I don't think you sound racist at all snowglider. I assume many of us have made the same assumption you've mentioned. It's obvious nearly all of the evacuees are black. The HAVE NOT'S seem to be taking advantage of a situation..I'm not going to try to be Freud. But circumstances of the poor in the region, as you undoubtedly can understand, really have nothing to do with the wealthy 'chimpanzee' in the white house. And those poor people really do deserve sympathy and help...regardless of what our own little chimp on this forum thinks.

[Ocean11 0]

> And those poor people really do deserve sympathy and help...

 

It's just a shame all the help America has to offer is going to go to resettle the dispossessed ... Israelis of Gaza. The blacks of the south just ain't biblical enough I guess.

 

If only Americans could get their priorities sorted out a bit better...

 

Kintaro, don't be rude to me. I'm only trying to help you understand your own country better, as you're clearly very poorly informed.

[kintaro 0]

I'm not poorly informed my friend. And I assure you, I agree America need's to get its priorities sorted out. I don't like what's going on there. I'm sorry for being rude, I hate when I do that. It's an immature habbit. One I think you would be well to own up to yourself.

[sunrise 0]

Point taken about the guns BPC.

[Plucky 0]

I'll just say it.

 

Federal response to this tragedy has been so slow because Bush could care less about blacks. If this had hit and destroyed Galveston or some other good 'ol boy Texas gulf city, response would have been immediate. This is the end for Bush. He is an embarrasment to America and her people. His handling of this tragedy has been pathetic.

 

Ocean learned American culture from watching Happy Days and Oprah. Americans learn about the British from Hugh Grant. The thing is, Ocean actually thinks he's an expert on a place he's never lived from reading uber-liberal blogs and websites.

 

Ocean, do you still think Bush whipped up Katrina using a magic wand and a spell? I think I saw Dick Cheney on the news planting dynamite at the base of one of the levies.

 

By the way, New Orleans is not your typical American city. It's culture and people are very unique for this country (French Canucks/Acadians). It is also one of the poorest cities in the US. The extrapolations to the rest of the US population being applied based on looters in NOLA is pathetic. You can't learn about a country's culture based on reports you see on BBC or from reading the Washington Post.

[sakebomb 0]

 Quote:

"I don't treat my dog like that," said 47-year-old Daniel Edwards, pointing at the woman in the wheelchair. "You can do everything for other countries but you can't do nothing for your own people. You can go overseas with the military but you can't get them down here."

I think this quote is very appropriate.
I believe this event will lead to a few changes, well we can only hope.
I have good friends from New Orleans who always had some very interesting stories to tell about their home town. From what I have heard, Plucky is right in saying it is not your typical American town.