Politics and Poor Excuses

Remind me: didn’t someone with a vivid imagination calling itself Evil Progressive castigate me in this post for some phantom, fantasy politicization of a natural disaster?

Yes. I thought so.

*****

I have no pertinent commentary about the unsurprising racial angle that some are bringing into the mix of toxic water, dead bodies and thousands of homeless people, except to say this: there were two things that disturbed me nearly as much as the death, destruction and lawlessness. As a matter of fact, one could say that those two things were by-products of the lawlessness.

• I’m sure that I’m not the only one who noticed how many husband-less women and girls there were who had babies and children along with them.
• And I’m betting that I’m not the only one who cringed as more than one man near my dad’s age wailed plaintively about why no one was doing anything for him them.

Back when I was growing up, real men took charge and made decisions. They protected women and children--especially their own children--and got them out of harm’s way; out of the way of things like hurricanes, especially when they had days of advance warning. And if they made the wrong decision, they tried to make things right and/or took the consequences. Like young Jabbar Gibson.

They didn’t expect someone else to be the protector—be the man—and then whine about how the substitute man wasn’t being the substitute man fast enough.

No one should wonder that gangs of thieves, terrorists, rapists and murderers plagued the refugees. Such are the rotten fruit of fatherless societies--societies with a dearth of real men.

KATRINA RELIEF: Here’s a fine idea!

Please consider donating, for long-term use, your idle RV or travel trailer. We are opening our park to our good neighbors from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama who have lost so much in Hurricane Katrina.

I can’t vouch for the gentleman, but his contact info is on the page.

(Thanks to A Wandering Confluence)

And Independent Sources is selling indulgences for Katrina Relief. :-P

For every link to this page of Independent Sources I will donate $5.
For every blog roll addition to Independent Sources I will donate $20.
For every comment to this posting I will donate $1.
For every comment that says something nice about Insider $2.

Very impressive.

UPDATE: Welcome Daou Report Readers! I hope most of you are far more intelligent and articulate than is your fellow Daou denizen, Fred.

UPDATE: Oops. Almost forgot; Fred's IP address is 68.109.27.164. That real man shortage is worse than I thought.

UPDATE: Apparently, several of you less discerning folk need to scroll down to see what I look like.

UPDATE: See follow-up here.

Comments

[Don Surber]

Interesting concept on teh indulgences

[fred]

You fucking right wing dirtball. What a disgusting piece of shit the average Republican is, and you're no exception. Fuck you.

baldilocks deletes her own impulsive bravado and gets back at fred in a more effective manner.

[Independent]

You are so correct baldilocks. While I have shed many a tear for those poor folks (ecspecially the children) dealing with the consequences of this tragedy, I could not help but note the display of helplessness that surrounded what appeared to be quite able bodied people. For all the heartbreak and misery that we have all witnessed, perhaps it is now possible to have the "race" discussion we have all been avoiding for so long. There is something seriously wrong in a portion of the black community (ecspecially urban) that needs to be addressed by the nation. The problem is not racism and until Americans of all races and political leanings identify and face the problem.... well, Hurricane Katrina is just another wake-up call.

[The Unnamed Source]

It amazes me when I hear someone chastise the victims for not "taking charge." How many days did they go without food or water? How many of them had to wade through bacteria-infested waters? How many of them were stuck in attics, or on rooftops? How many of them shared space with dead bodies? How many of them were scared because lawlessness took over because the authorities cut and ran?

It's easy to sit from on high and wag a finger at these people. It amazes me -- amazes me -- when people feel the need to chastise victims who were struggling just to survive, much less "take charge."

[baldilocks]

I didn't chastise the victims for not taking charge.

I chastised the able-bodied males for not acting like men.

If some of those "men" had enough energy to loot electronics and rape thirteen year old girls, they certainly had enough physical stamina to get out of there. (I happen to know of an older man who did just that.)

But people like you, Source, don't expect black people to behave responsibly, whether under pressure or not. Right?

[baldilocks]

And Duh! I wasn't talking about the ones stuck in their houses.

[StinKerr]

Ah, and I see that Fred doesn't have a firewall. Do a tracert and see for yourself. Not only is he rude crude and socially unacceptable, he's an idiot waiting for bad things to happen to him. Entertainment must be sparse there in RI.

[StinKerr]

I saw the crowd going into the SuperDome and they looked like a reflection of the demographics of New Orleans.

Like Juliette, I have a problem understanding how out of twenty some thousand people stuck in there that there weren't any (male or female) with enough character and fortitude to protect the innocent from the thugs, bullies and advantage takers who inevitably infect any large group of people.

I suppose that the ones who have the personal fortitude to take care of themselves and their families had found the means to get out of town, leaving the ones who expect things to be done for them to wait for that to continue and only complain and become vitims when it didn't happen.

I feel terrible that young girls were raped but I feel worse about the older, wiser women and men who did not protect them.

I feel bad for all of these people who were stuck there because their mayor and emergency planning manager abandoned them to their fate while they themselves holed up in a hotel across the street from city hall.

They left them there rather than utilize the public transportation assets that they had available to evacuate these people on day #1. Now those buses are scrap and will have to be replaced.

I don't feel sorry for the city administration who were faced with an enormous challenge and not only failed miserably to even address the problem but now seek to blame others for their own failure.

It's just a crying shame that there weren't more Jabbar Gibsons in the city and a double damn shame that no one like him was in charge.

[cardeblu]

Apparently NO didn't have very many 'men' on its police force, either.

Excerpts from an interview with Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, chief, National Guard Bureau, at the DoD:

[...]
"Q: General, you mentioned a disintegration of the New Orleans Police Department. Do you know how many officers are still on duty?

GEN. BLUM: I would rather not say. I think you'd be better to refer that question to the mayor of New Orleans. I have my own estimate. I would say they are significantly degraded and they have less than one-third of their original capability.

Q: So is it fair to say it is the National Guard that's keeping law and order in New Orleans?

GEN. BLUM: No. As long as there's one uniformed police officer in the city of New Orleans, we will send as many National Guard soldiers to augment, support and work in support of that lone law enforcement officer as necessary. So if hypothetically there's only one left, who's in charge? It's still that lone police officer supported by the National Guard in their role as military support to law enforcement.

We are not in the lead. We have no need nor intention of imposing martial law or having the military police the United States of America.

Q: What happened to the other police, general?

GEN. BLUM: Again, that can be best addressed, but what was told to me by the Mayor day before yesterday is many of them lost their homes, many of them lost ability to get to the precinct, many of them who did show up found what they were dealing with so overwhelming and dangerous or threatening to them as an individual that they made the personal decision to not risk their life until the situation made more sense to them. That was an individual decision, it was not the police chief's decision or the mayor's decision. I think that the mayor and police chief are working right now to reconstitute the New Orleans Police Department, but that question would much better be addressed to them for detail.

[...]

"Q: One quick follow-up. Is it fair to say, using the convention center as an example, that one reason it took until Friday to get aid in is the National Guard needed time to build up a response team with military police to ensure law and order because the New Orleans Police Department had degraded so much?

GEN. BLUM: That is not only fair, it is accurate. You've concisely stated exactly what was needed, and I told you why. We took the time to build the right force. The outcome was superb. No lives hurt, nobody injured. It was done almost invisibly.

Q: And you estimate there's about a third of the New Orleans Police Department left. Do you remember about how many are in the New Orleans Police Department?

GEN. BLUM: On a normal day they should have 1,500 paid officers in New Orleans, give or take. Some people have said it's 1,650. It's in the rough order of 1,500-man police force, and I think the mayor told me they're down to less than 500."

via Dean)

(I hope that's not too much bandwidth, Baldi; delete if necessary)

[tubino]

Emergency was declared prior to the hurricane hitting. It was DHS/FEMA's job, as declared by fed govt, prior to the hurricane.

FEMA can do a lot, still, when directed to. It was directed to do a LOT, in Florida in an election year:

http://tinyurl.com/d65zg

Now, not only is FEMA in DHS now, with DHS taking responsibility for all major natural disasters, now, but FEMA has been forced to outsource for years. At least for some areas (not Florida in an election year!).

So for NOLA, the principal planning duties are not left to local govt, but to a private contractor hired by DHS/FEMA.

How did that work out in NOLA? A contract was made, and half a million dollars paid.

"IEM, Inc., the Baton Rouge-based emergency management and homeland security consultant, will lead the development of a catastrophic hurricane disaster plan for Southeast Louisiana and the City of New Orleans under a more than half a million dollar contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)."

Result was disaster, of course. We're ALL screwed like the Iraqis, because the contracts are going to Bush donors, with little or no accountability.

Just read it!
Source: http://tinyurl.com/b2rvj

[Jesse]

So, would you cringe if Jews in concentration camps didn't stand up for themselves? Do you think a leader should have arisen at Auschwitz to combat the Nazis? Was there something defective in their society that let them be persecuted by the Germans?

Yeah…I’m making an obnoxious point. And also, I really do ask these questions, as painful as it is for me. How could they have let it happen? Why didn’t they foresee it and get the hell out. The fact of the matter is, that the Jews, economically strong and well educated, couldn’t see what was coming. But I would not blame them for not getting out. I would not blame them for not organizing in defense. To blame them would in itself be a sin.

Now you have a bunch of lower-income Black people living in one of the most crime-ridden cities in America…in the middle of a natural disaster. They couldn’t or wouldn’t get out. In your opinion, does that make them lazy, stupid, or just stubborn? How would the sick and elderly get out anyway? (answer: many didn’t…and the government didn’t have plans or resources to help them)

One of the above posters says the problem is not racism. OK. There is something to be said for self-empowerment. The problems of urban black communities ultimately need to be solved by the urban black communities. But there is also something to be said for a society that helps people empower themselves and looks out for people. The people in the lower black communities of New Orleans (lower meaning further below sea-level) were already isolated. They lived on the bad side of town…and no one really put together the resources to help them get out of town. A

BTW, would you leave, knowing that if you did, your elderly mother might die? That your possessions would be taken? That the streets are dangerous with thugs? Where would you go? Yes, you probably have the resources, the money, etc to do something. But what if you didn’t? What if everything you had and everyone you knew were staying behind?

“If some of those "men" had enough energy to loot electronics and rape thirteen year old girls, they certainly had enough physical stamina to get out of there. (I happen to know of an older man who did just that.)
“
Here you lump together the looters and those who seek escape, as if all men left behind were looters who then decided to make their way out, but coulded.

Many struggled to get to the convention center. They just lost everything they had in the world. They may have lost relatives. They are in shock. When they were let inside they were not let out. They went from one war-zone to another. Dead bodies and violence everywhere. Thugs and violence. No food. No water. Sickness. What are they to do? Suddenly become the “leader” and escape that ghetto? Suddenly take care of themselves when they have nothing? Some might. Most would not. I pray that I would have the inner-strength and together-headedness to lead and protect others in that situation. But I have seen people in shock, and they usually do not act nobly or with insight.

Those men were complaining that no one was doing anything for them because they have no ability to do anything for themselves or their families in their situation. And they were led into a “shelter” that was more like a prison.

[DarkStar]

Baldi, I think you are being a bit unfair with your charge against the men.

1. How many men stood up who aren't being shown?

2. When you are put into a situation like this, told to go somewhere, then get your family there, only to be put into a dire situation, then what?

New Orleans is *HOT* and *HUMID* in the summer. You're in an area with sewer water and toxic waste all over the place. You get your family to a place of "safety" and then no information is getting around to say what next.

Would *YOU* expect your "man" to leave your fmaily and start walking to God knows where?

[DarkStar]

One more thing, I would steal food.

I would be very hard pressed to steal a vehicle. I blame my socialization for that, not my lack of male hormones.

[tristero]

Back when I was a boy, the poor were considered downtrodden, but decent and worthy of help when they couldn't help themselves. They weren't the object of sneering contempt by those who had worked themselves out of poverty into the middle class.

The only people who felt like you were the spoiled kids of robber barons, which I assume you are not, but simply one more middle class American.

This just goes to show that while money never does, bad values and character flaws do trickle down from the very wealthy to the middle class, corroding the country's shared beliefs.

[beaupeep]

Tristero, re: "bad values and character flaws..."

I won't say you failed to hear baldilock's point, but it appears you are determined to misapprehend it.

[Evil Progressive]

Here we go again with "blame the victim" and the thinly veiled racism.

It is the moral decay of the black men of New Orleans -- the ones who are not "men" enough -- and the unwed black mothers -- read "sluts" -- that caused a humanitarian crisis, the like of which is generally seen in some God-forsaken Thirld-World country, not a pathetic lacck of leadership and its corollaries: abysmal incompetence and cruel indifference.

I am so glad that you are on the side of the righteous, Baldilocks. It is thanks to people like you that this country is rapidly turning into an underveloped shithole.

[sabinal]

baldilocks,
as a fellow black female myself, I could not help but notice this too. It hurt too much. This is the wound of New Orleans finally opened up. This learned helplessness over the the past week has been too much for me to handle. And what about Mississippi? they got directly hit and are still waiting for aid yet are nowhere as upset. I think MLK is spinning in his grave.

[Scott Chaffin]

Thanks for putting up the RV request. We're working on a national network for this kind of effort.

[realignment]

TRUTH PANIC, TRUTH GUILT, TRUTH VOYUERISM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina

"Federal disaster declarations blanketed 90,000 square miles (233,000 km²) of the United States, an area almost as large as the United Kingdom. The hurricane left an estimated five million people without power, and it may be up to two months before all power is restored. Disaster relief plans are in operation in the affected areas."

http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1107/p06s02-woeu.htm

from the November 07, 2003 edition -

15,000 heatwave deaths this summer spur Paris to fund care for the aged by forgoing a public holiday.

'Marc Blondel, leader of the left wing 'Workers' Force' union, said it "plays on people's guilt, attempting to make scapegoats out of those Frenchmen who were on holiday while their parents were suffering." '

http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/050211_earthquakes_2004.html

11 February 2005 10:39 am ET

"... total deaths from the Dec. 26, 2004.......stands at 275,950, according to a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) statement released Thursday."

"...earthquake and tsunami is likely to create a death toll in 2004 greater than any caused by ground shaking in more than four centuries."

http://www.ifrc.org/what/disasters/response/iran.asp

"Tragedy hit Iran on 26 December 2003....... The area most affected was the ancient city of Bam where more than 43,000 people were killed, an estimated 30,000 injured and up to 75,000 left homeless, according to official estimates."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/07/28/mumbai.rain/

India rain death toll nears 750

Arrests made over rumors that led to deadly stampede

"The city, which is home to more than 15 million people and is the commercial and financial hub of India, has come to a virtual halt."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/08/25/europe.floods/index.html

"At least 34 people have died during three days of torrential rains that caused lakes and rivers to flood their banks, leaving thousands of homes destroyed in their wake."

"Fatalities were also reported in Germany, Switzerland, Bulgaria and Austria."

"Romania has seen the worst flood damage, where officials estimate more than 20,000 homes have been affected, many of them destroyed."

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1753105,00.html

China flood death toll: 910
12/08/2005 07:44 - (SA)

"Beijing - Floods and related disasters have killed 910 people in China since May with another 218 missing, the International Red Cross said on Friday as it launched a $4.4m emergency appeal."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/28/world/main620174.shtml

Flood Death Toll Could Hit 2,000

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, May 28, 2004

"You can still see bodies in the water coming up," said Michel Matera, a U.N. technical adviser for disasters who traveled to Mapou on Thursday. "Palm trees are almost covered... There is a grave risk of an epidemic."

"An estimated 10,000 people in 26 surrounding villages are in urgent need of help and essentially cut off by roads devoured mudslides, Matera said."

[StinKerr]

Here's someone with a few thoughts on ths subject.

[DarkStar]

can anyone verify that portions of NOLA were blocked off and people were not allowed to leave?

[shocked]

can anyone verify that portions of NOLA were blocked off and people were not allowed to leave?

Shepard Smith (Fox News) indicated that there was a checkpoint on the only road out of town. Apparently people trying to walk out of the city were not allowed to leave by the National Guard

[shocked]

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/09/02.html#a4763

Here is a link of the video. Shepard & Geraldo were quite upset about the inability of people to leave. So much for the blame being solely on the victims as this article suggests. What is this argument trying to accomplish? It is quite sad, only focusing on the crimes of a small portion of the victims.

If you want to talk about responsibility, the Corp of Engineers is responsible, by law, for the levees which protect New Orleans. The Mississippi and Lake Pontchartrain are both jurisdictional waters. Where were the "real men" at that agency? Where were the "real men" opposing the funding Corp's funding cuts when they knew American lives were at stake?

This clown that is running FEMA had no prior experience in disaster relief. Wouldn't a "real man" stand up and learn how to do his job that he was being paid for?

Chertoff is responsible for overseeing FEMA. By law, FEMA has authority in disaster situations. Was he acting like a "real man"? He claimed that he did not know there were stranded citizens at the convention center. I had been watching the disaster unfold at that location for 24 hours prior to Chertoff's "revelation".

If the governments involvement in flood control, welfare, disaster relief is so offensive to conservatives why not gut everything? Where are the "real men" to do what needs to be done? Perhaps worried about re-election? Perhaps aware that these positions are out of step with the vast majority of citizens?

Where are the "real men" who are supposed to be running the US (the greatest country on earth)? Conservatives have had a monopoly on power for a while now, it hasn't worked out that well, has it?

[Toren]

For those of you who can't seem to grasp the real chain of responsibility and insist that all roads lead to the evil Bushitler, here is a post that lays it out for you:

In case you aren’t familiar with how our government is SUPPOSED to work:
The chain of responsiblity for the protection of the citizens in New Orleans is:

1. The Mayor
2. The New Orleans director of Homeland Security (a political appointee of the Governor who reports to the Governor)
3. The Governor
4. The Head of Homeland Security
5. The President

What did each do?

1. The mayor, with 5 days advance, waited until 2 days before he announced a mandatory evacuation (at the behest of the President). The he failed to provide transportation for those without transport even though he had hundreds of buses at his disposal.

2. The New Orleans director of Homeland Security failed to have any plan for a contingency that has been talked about for 50 years. Then he blames the Feds for not doing what he should have done. (So much for political appointees)

3. The Governor, despite a declaration of disaster by the President 2 DAYS BEFORE the storm hit, failed to take advantage of the offer of Federal troops and aid. Until 2 DAYS AFTER the storm hit.

4. The Director of Homeland Security positioned assets in the area to be ready when the Governor called for them

5. The President urged a mandatory evacuation, and even declared a disaster State of Emergency, freeing up millions of dollars of federal assistance, should the Governor decide to use it.

Oh and by the way, the levees that broke were the responsibility of the local landowners and the local levee board to maintain, NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

The disaster in New Orleans is what you get after decades of corrupt (democrat) government going all the way back to Huey Long.

Funds for disaster protection and relief have been flowing into this city for decades, and where has it gone, but into the pockets of the politicos and their friends.

Decades of socialist government in New Orleans has sapped all self reliance from the community, and made them dependent upon government for every little thing.

Political correctness and a lack of will to fight crime have created the single most corrupt police force in the country, and has permitted gang violence to flourish.

The sad thing is that there are many poor folks who have suffered and died needlessly because those that they voted into office failed them.

[shocked]

"Oh and by the way, the levees that broke were the responsibility of the local landowners and the local levee board to maintain, NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT."

Obviously you are not aware of the regulations regarding jurisdictional waters. Any undertaking that may affect jurisdictional waters is controlled by the federal government. The federal government permits ALL projects that occur on these waterways, therefore are ultimately in charge of ALL decisions. I know this, this is what I do for a living. I can cite the laws if you need proof - they are a little difficult to get through (legal ease).

While you are correct that the chain of command is supposed to function in the manner that you outlined, it doesn't work like that anywhere. Your argument is based on a theoretical model of states rights, personal responsibility, etc. That is fine, but we are seeing the consequences of that right now. On a human level we have failed our citizens - a national shame.

"The sad thing is that there are many poor folks who have suffered and died needlessly because those that they voted into office failed them."

I myself voted for Bush/Cheney because I thought they would make our country safer. My brother was murdered in the WTC and I thought Bush was taking care of the homeland. Big talk, little action. Thank god Wyoming is getting DHS money while folks in NY are screwed. Now we have hack polical appointees in important positions - and there are real consequences. Iraq seems to have drained our resources. What an utter failure of leadership. What a failure of a human being. Simply disgusting.

[Anonymous]

As the leader of our government why can't Bush ever take responsibility for anything? He is in charge, when things go wrong he is ultimately responsible. Instead everything just gets spun. This time it won't work.

[inmypajamas]

I, too, was very struck by the lack of any leadership emerging in the NO community, in the city or the Astrodome, in the vacuum left by the hapless Mayor and his cronies. When I read a comment by a National Guardsman on arriving at the Astrodome about the complete and utter chaos there, I was reminded of what I have read about Jewish responses during WWII to being subjected en masse to forced moves. They almost invariably set up some sort of crude "government" and social organization whenever they stopped moving, even if it was only for a couple of days. In fact, a personal history written by a family member, mentions this tendency, and theorizes that one of the reasons the Nazis broke up their "camps" so often was to disrupt this rudimentary organization as much as possible. Where were the natural leaders at the Astrodome, the ones who say, "Is there a doctor in the house?" and start directing medical care; the ones who say, "Can we get some men to volunteer to forage outside for water/food?"; the ones who say, "Let's get patrols together to protect the place."??? I certainly don't intend to "blame the victims" since many of the people there were unable to leave and were suffering under the abysmally poor disaster management of their city fathers, but I am just surprised that that there was no sign of leadership or confidence in their own power to make a difference. Maybe some would lay the blame for that powerlessness on racism but I think Baldilocks has it right when she points to the constant message that blacks are helpless without handouts and hand ups and the erosion of the black family by the well-intentioned failure known as the "War on Poverty".

[Anonymous]

How in the world do you have any idea that people did not work together to survive? From what we know there was some well-publicized looting and some idiots shooting at hospital workers. You people are focusing on these issues only as the Republicans are the ones that are partially to blame for this. The city, state, and federal government are all culpable. The fed's (republican controlled) are the losers in this PR game. We all know it, you have just lost the remaining moderate voters that weren't allready disillusioned by the disaster in Iraq.

[DarkStar]

I've asked for permission to print one person's view of what happened in NOLA.

All stories aren't being told yet.

[DarkStar]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/04/national/nationalspecial/04police.html?ei=5090&en=8bf8550c348bbc33&ex=1283486400&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=print

Law Officers, Overwhelmed, Are Quitting the Force
By JOSEPH B. TREASTER

NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 3 - Reeling from the chaos of this overwhelmed city, at least 200 New Orleans police officers have walked away from their jobs and two have committed suicide, police officials said on Saturday.

Some officers told their superiors they were leaving, police officials said. Others worked for a while and then stopped showing up. Still others, for reasons not always clear, never made it in after the storm.

The absences come during a period of extraordinary stress for the New Orleans Police Department. For nearly a week, many of its 1,500 members have had to work around the clock, trying to cope with flooding, an overwhelming crush of refugees, looters and occasional snipers.

[Evil Progressive]

Baldilocks,

You and your ilk are monsters.

Never in my long life have I encountered people who are so cruel, mean-spirited, so devoid of compassion and humanity, as you and the rest of the right-wingers. You people are morally bankrupt and rotten to the core.

You ARE monsters. You are sociopaths, and some of you are psychopaths.

Images of exhausted mothers holding dehydrated children evoke nothing for you, but blame, because -- God forbid -- they may be unwed mothers.

I hope you burn in hell for your total disregard for human life and dignity, for your total lack of compassion (Christians as you claim to be) and humility. You are not part of the human race. You are rot. God will deal with you.

[baldilocks]

Your father is the Father of Lies, Evil Progressive. That's how you can pretend I said things I didn't say, imply things that no reasonable person would imagine and then go on an ad hominem-filled fit of rage over your own hallucinations.

And if you were the arbiter of who went to Hell and who didn't, I'd be a militant atheist. Thank the God of which you know not one thing about that a liar and an EVIL person like you is not that judge.

[Richard]

Baldi, I understand your point completely, and had similar thoughts. I also don't understand why so many stayed, they have had decades of warnings that a storm such as this could ruin the city and endanger their lives, what preparations did they each make for such an event? I suspect the answer is, none.

Many of your readers don't deserve your insights, it is wasted on them. Just as the all of the warnings of peril coming to New Orleans were wasted on so many. Now, the rest of us must once again help the helpless. It is easy to recognize the helpless, when they aren't asking others to do for them what they refuse to do for themselves, they are running their mouths blaming those who would help.

[baldilocks]

Thank you, Richard and thanks to the other adults on this thread, both agreeing and disagreeing.

[Evil Progressive]

I am a staid, moronic twit.

I am bankrupt filth trying to pass as a human being..

I am stupid enough to keep slinging insults and profaning God on someone else's bandwidth when that person has the power to change my posts and turn my insults back upon me.

I don't know how to have a normal conversation, nor do I know how to take what someone says at face value or try to understand what they say. I only know how to spew curses in the name of a God I know nothing about and to hold up strawmen (lies) and argue against that.

I am pathetic; but the hostess of this blog will pray for me.

baldilocks says: I will, indeed.

[Brian DeSpain]

Well I have seen other blogs discussing the economic decision to leave. Marginal Revolution is a great one to start. The summation is that's is complex decision to make and hindsight is 20/20. For example many of the people who got caught in Hurricane Andrew were evacuating - Andrew just made landfall 100 miles north of the expected location. Blaming people who followed the plan - Remember local government told them to go to the convention center and the Superdome. What I believe we say was a total failure of the system from the mayor all the way up through FEMA. Mike Brown, Director of FEMA, whose previous job was setting up Arabian Horse Shows, should be fired. FEMA ran a simulation of this two years ago. His constant refrain of it wasn't planned for simply isn't true.

New Orleans is a VITAL part of national infrastructure and should be protected. It was apparent early on that local response was ineffective. The federal response was horrific as it's 4 years after 9/11. We are supposed to be better at responding at crises.

[baldilocks]

Keep it up, Evil Progressive. Your posts will be similarly edited every time you come here and show your fondness for irrational communications.

[Evil Progressive]

Baldilocks,

I am morally rotten and evil.

I can't help myself. I will end up in a mental institution, because that is where I belong. Anybody is so nasty,mean-spirited, and cruel, belongs in an institution. I am a menace to society.

baldilocks says: I'm happy you got that off your chest, Evil, but shouldn't you be confessing these things to your shrink? I would say that you should see your clergy, but I know you don't believe in God.

[baldilocks]

Thanks for providing me with so much entertainment, Evil. Changing your posts is so much more fun than simply banning you outright. However, I will get around to banning you when your antics become boring. That is, unless you start taking your meds and behaving like an adult. Just so we have the ground rules straight.

[karin]

baldilocks says: Posting entire articles, yelling and general trolling aren't allowed around here, karin, but thanks for visiting.

[nerdbert]

"For example many of the people who got caught in Hurricane Andrew were evacuating - Andrew just made landfall 100 miles north of the expected location."

Uh, no. 36 hours out it was supposed to hit just south of West Palm Beach in Boynton Beach. There wound up being a blocking high pressure ridge that shoved the storm south. It wound up hitting Homestead much south of that, about 80-90 miles if I recall. So if folks actually had been trying to get away they would have gotten away just fine.

We learned many things from Andrew. South Florida learned to turn all lanes of the interstate and tollway to northbound to deal with this. I stayed put during Andrew and I'll admit to my stupidity for doing so in my first hurricane; I'll never stay for another hurricane, ever. It's not worth it.

[Sirkowski]

But this is the South. The Bible Belt. The land of the Good Old Values.

A fatherless society? Not in JesusLand, nope, not possible.

baldilocks says: Where's this place called 'JesusLand?' Can't find it on a map. Can't find it in the bible. Is this another one of those imaginary places?

[DarkStar]

Baldi, here is a link to an email I posted from someone who lived through Katrina.

http://www.visioncircle.org/archive/004563.html

[Evil Progressive]

I'm so bent on spewing hatred on this blog, that I don't even realize that the hostes can change the content of any post that she sees fit.

[Iron Mike]

Real men love their families.

Real men love their children.

Real men take care of helpless women and children.

REAL MEN EVACUATE THEIR FAMILIES WHEN A CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE IS ON THEIR A$$ES.

These are things my father taught me.

Oh, and Real Men love Jesus. ("Who's this Jesus hombre all the vatos are talking about, mi hijo?" asks Carlos.)

[Evil Progressive]

People like me are the sick underbelly of America: self-righteous, momumentally egotistic, abysmally stupid, racist, and morally bankrupt. I don't have the right to tell anyone to stop talking about Jesus. I don't even know what Jesus stands for. That's why I say things like "Jesus throws up when he sees people like you," to people I don't even know. And things like this: " ...wonders how he could have made such a criminal mistake in creating a sub-species like you." People like me, who haven't opened a Bible or darkened the door of a church in years, generally talk about God in the manner that I do--as if He were a backbiting human--and I attribute my own personality traits to God: small-minded, silly and mendacious. I assume that God is a raging maniac like I am.

[teal marie]

Dang. I was expecting disaster relief not comedy relief.
After you've made Evil confess his lengthy shortcomings, I'd like to see him courtsey, kiss your foot and call you Your Royal Majesty. Please?

[StinKerr]

Go loot a bible, Evil P. You're getting your metaphors mixed. Jesus didn't create anything, although he was handy at a party when the wine cellar was getting low and he was a caterer without equal if you like fish sandwiches.

I also have a hard time believing that you know what makes Jesus sick as you seem not to believe in him and regularly mock his followers.

Pick a side and stick to it. Quit jumping back and forth as the mood swings you.

Oh, and as far as "self-righteous, mo[n]umentally egotistic, abysmally stupid, racist, and morally bankrupt", I think you are most qualified on all counts.

Have you no shame good sir. That was the most repugnant piece I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Your own contempt for America is so thinly veiled. Why do you hate America so much?

[Evil Progressive]

I'm finally leaving because I'm tired of lying about God, this country and the hostess. I will continue to behave like a crazy person--do the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result each time--but I will take my public nervous breakdown to a blog that appreciates me or I will go talk to my cats.

baldilocks says: Goodbye Evil Person. Don't let the door knob hit you. May you find a good shrink. Since you live in New York City, you shouldn't have a problem.