Hurricane katrina

[lush]

Pictures, Aug 31st

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Anarchy disrupts US storm relief

Its bad enough that a disaster should batter the lives of innocent people, help is often slow in arriving, and then you get the desperate survival for life itself with looting.

If you didnt know this occured in America, you might be forgiven in thinking it happened in a poor country, but tens of thousands of people are stranded, many have died, food is in short supply and anger and frustration is high, after 3 days in the most powerfull country on earth.

Everyone remembers Boscastle. The disaster was huge, every business a wash, homes wrecked with belongings destroyed. I visited the only pub there last year (when city played cardiff) and the spirit amongst the locals was one of pure grit and determination to get their lives back on track. They had no major handout, but they knew of public support accross the country, and indeed the world. The people of New Orleans need to know that people are helping them, and are doing so, FAST.

P.S. if you visit boscastle, checkout the "tree chairs" in the pub.

[Hitesh]

That is crazy, i was watching the pics on the news earlier and as u said, what makes it worse is all the looting etc!

[lush]

Ive just heard that the police shot those they thought were looting for water.

[cisono]

Ive just heard that the police shot those they thought were looting for water.

Looting for water... sounds almost like a contradiction in terms!

[lush]

Looting for water... sounds almost like a contradiction in terms!

looting for water when your thirsty from 100 degree heat, when your government have failed miserably to help its employees, is hardly a crime

[Fox 4 Life]

Apparently woman have been raped and people beaten and murdered now! Its carnage over there! Your right though its strange to hear this kind of thing coming out of America! Shows how shallow people really are

[lush]

Sky news have just suggested why perhaps help has been slow in coming, in that, 67% of new oleans are black, and they represent the poorer population, who have suffered the most.

Were talking about the most powerfull nation on earth, how can they be so slow in helping there own people, or dont they care?

[Fox 4 Life]

It also mentions the predominatly white police force - shows that mississippi hasnt changed much!

[Rincewind]

I listened to phone-in and whereas they said looting TV's and other electrical goods (no electricity to plug them in) was wrong taking food and other essentials for your family was understandable. It's a poor area and much of the housing is shacks anyway. An american was on and she said despite what people think most Americans are not well off. They live week to week month to month on their salary with insurance taking most of their income. Aparrantly you cannot get a mortgage on a house unless you are insured up to the hilt.

[lush]

It also mentions the predominatly white police force - shows that mississippi hasnt changed much!

To be fair, ive only seen a black copper talking to the media.

[Rincewind]

Fox 4 Life did say predominantly which means that a huge majority are white. One interview with a black policeman does not alter this fact.

[Northants Fox]

Fox 4 Life did say predominantly which means that a huge majority are white. One interview with a black policeman does not alter this fact.

That part of the country always has been and it'll never change, they've always had a shoot first ask

questions later.

[Thracian]

It also mentions the predominatly white police force - shows that mississippi hasnt changed much!

Well here we go, lots of reactionary reasoning. "Response is slow cos they're black, cos the Police Force is white cos President Bush is an arsehole etc. etc. - and most of it is just not backed by the evidence.

I tried to imagine a disaster on the same sort of scale in England. Would we go round raping people, stealing from each other, shooting at the (black and white) guys in helicopters trying to rescue/help us.

Of course there might be looting of already wrecked stores especially if you are desperate for food and sanitary items, but there wouldn't be the general ararchy. We'd react like we did at the London bombings. People would muck in, help out, companies would send in every motor coach, tractor, row boat they could find to assist. Food parcels would be there not only from the Government but from little old ladies trying to do their bit. People would organise themselves for the common good. The aid teams would respond quickly, and professionally.

The people of New Orleans are in despair, that is obvious. But it is despicable how some of em have treated one another.

How can the rapists, the opportunists, the bullies, the gun-totting gangsters etc live with themselves for not trying to help their fellow men at their most desperate time of need?.

How can anyone shoot at airborne paramedics and aid workers?

I cringe to see the authorities slow reaction to this crisis. Why on earth it has taken Bush so long to get to the scene is extraordinary and his apparent lack of initiative and even sincerity only confirms that it was idiotic to vote him into office in the first place.

Organisation is needed there and needed fast (mind you had it been anywhere else there would have been mass appeals for assistance and a mass response whereas the world seems mighty slow to help the US which, in its defence, has probably offered more humanitarian aid that most in recent years, especially for the Tsunami).

But that doesn't disguise the fact that one hell of a lot of people in New Orleans should be ashamed of themselves for the way they've treated their fellow sufferers and the callous and disgusting way they've taken advantage of the weak.

t that does not hide the

[Rincewind]

Response was slow because that area has never been high on the list for redeveloment funds. This has always been the case. It's in the history books. Wasn' Mississippi where the Klu Klux Klan was ripe? There are also many poor white families living there not just black.

[Steven]

Well here we go, lots of reactionary reasoning. "Response is slow cos they're black, cos the Police Force is white cos President Bush is an arsehole etc. etc. - and most of it is just not backed by the evidence.

I tried to imagine a disaster on the same sort of scale in England. Would we go round raping people, stealing from each other, shooting at the (black and white) guys in helicopters trying to rescue/help us.

Of course there might be looting of already wrecked stores especially if you are desperate for food and sanitary items, but there wouldn't be the general ararchy. We'd react like we did at the London bombings. People would muck in, help out, companies would send in every motor coach, tractor, row boat they could find to assist. Food parcels would be there not only from the Government but from little old ladies trying to do their bit. People would organise themselves for the common good. The aid teams would respond quickly, and professionally.

The people of New Orleans are in despair, that is obvious. But it is despicable how some of em have treated one another.

How can the rapists, the opportunists, the bullies, the gun-totting gangsters etc live with themselves for not trying to help their fellow men at their most desperate time of need?.

How can anyone shoot at airborne paramedics and aid workers?

I cringe to see the authorities slow reaction to this crisis. Why on earth it has taken Bush so long to get to the scene is extraordinary and his apparent lack of initiative and even sincerity only confirms that it was idiotic to vote him into office in the first place.

Organisation is needed there and needed fast (mind you had it been anywhere else there would have been mass appeals for assistance and a mass response whereas the world seems mighty slow to help the US which, in its defence, has probably offered more humanitarian aid that most in recent years, especially for the Tsunami).

But that doesn't disguise the fact that one hell of a lot of people in New Orleans should be ashamed of themselves for the way they've treated their fellow sufferers and the callous and disgusting way they've taken advantage of the weak.

t that does not hide the

It is clear that America is stretched to the limit and is unable to respond effectively.

[Thracian]

Did you not think Bush looked shell-shocked. Completely bewildered? Frightening that he should be leader of a band let alone a Super Power.

[lush]

Fox 4 Life did say predominantly which means that a huge majority are white. One interview with a black policeman does not alter this fact.

Well out of all those white officers, a black one speaks to the majority black public via the media, and we musnt forget the black mayor who was allowed to swear on national radio, and get away with it, which i dont mind actually, but a white mayor might not have got away with it?

[lush]

That part of the country always has been and it'll never change, they've always had a shoot first ask

questions later.

When decent people are intent on breaking the law, its not surprising thats the policy.

[lush]

Did you not think Bush looked shell-shocked. Completely bewildered? Frightening that he should be leader of a band let alone a Super Power.

I agree, bush looks seriously out of place with any humanitarian cause. And to think, "our" PM thinks hes cool

[Fox 4 Life]

He does look out of place, but to be fair to him he has been right in the thick of it face to face with the victims. I just think America are too "this would never happen to us" The last thing they would think is the people would turn on each other!

[lush]

He does look out of place, but to be fair to him he has been right in the thick of it face to face with the victims. I just think America are too "this would never happen to us" The last thing they would think is the people would turn on each other!

What channel are you watching?

...damn ive only got bbc, itv, c4, c5, sky news, cnn, fox news and abc news

[Fox 4 Life]

Was on CNN as the aid came in, he was with alot of the survivors should I say.

[Fox 4 Life]

I jus think that is quite honourable actually being down with them, and it means alot to the people, he was talking to everyone and helping hand out food etc. Could you see Blair doing that?

The one thing that you cannot take away from Bush is he is a classic American and thats why they love him!

[lush]

Was on CNN as the aid came in, he was with alot of the survivors should I say.

Oh you mean those 2 quietly controlled females who couldnt hurt a fly

When you said face to face, i thought you meant FACE TO FACE, like outside the dome, where people have zero patience with his pathetic efforts to stop them dieing, where basic human needs of bread & water are in serious shortage, which gave them no option but to steal to survive, not them then, just reasonable happy females which make him look good

[lush]

I jus think that is quite honourable actually being down with them, and it means alot to the people, he was talking to everyone and helping hand out food etc. Could you see Blair doing that?

The one thing that you cannot take away from Bush is he is a classic American and thats why they love him!

blair would never wana help us, unless it helped him, bush is no different.

Very true, bush is a serious American, and i think blairs slightly proud to be Scottish, but i doubt he cares about Englishness, or britishness for that matter.

Hes more of a marxist euro-crat, than a patriot of any country.