Race, rescue and New Orleans...

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Bruzilla

Guest
I watching the Rumsfeld press conference yesterday, and the reporters kept hounding him and General Myers about total BS. They were especially upset that military helicopters took so long to deliver food and water to those poor refugees who were camped out on the highways... which was where most of the reporters were, which is the only reason they knew these people even existed. Rumsfeld and Myers told them that the first priority was to save lives by keeping people from drowning. After hearing the same BS from four reporters I kept hoping Rumdsfeld or Myers would just ask "how many people died from starvation last week? How many people died of thirst last week? Now compare that to how many people were actually at risk of drowning last week. That's why we set the priorities the way that we did." But alas, they kept their composure.

I also love how the media types are attacking the government for not moving whole groups of emergency and military forces to the area as fast as they moved their van and three-man camera team. "Well, we were there before the storm even passed, where were you guys?" Yeah, like moving three guys in a van is the same as moving most of a division with all its equipment using an airport that's underwater. Yeah... the military was sure messed up. What BS!!!
 
Lenny

Lenny

Lovin' being Texican
Bruzilla said:
I also love how the media types are attacking the government for not moving whole groups of emergency and military forces to the area as fast as they moved their van and three-man camera team. "Well, we were there before the storm even passed, where were you guys?" Yeah, like moving three guys in a van is the same as moving most of a division with all its equipment using an airport that's underwater. Yeah... the military was sure messed up. What BS!!!
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The media types didn't require a request from the "do-nothing" mayor and permission from the "Who me?" governor before moving in federal troops.
 
Larry Gude

Larry Gude

Strung Out
We're not actually gonna pretend...

Lenny said:
The media types didn't require a request from the "do-nothing" mayor and permission from the "Who me?" governor before moving in federal troops.
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...this is anything but a witch hunt, are we?

Not even for a minute.
 
B

Bruzilla

Guest
Heck Larry... there's going to be no end to the opportunism we're going to see coming out of this.

The Democrats are already busy attacking the Republicans for not moving fast enough, which is a total crock of BS, yet the Dems are just demonstrating again how they have no regard for the country.

The lawyers will soon be on the way to try to make their bag of gold by getting a bunch of welfareites to join in a class-action lawsuit against some deep pockets that'll net them millions while yielding a few grand for the poor.

Houston is going to get hammered because all those people they took in are the same people who lived in those hovels back in NO, and were content to live like that. Now they'll be content to be "kept like animals" in Texas, and how are the folks in Houston going to be able to get rid of those freeloaders without looking like the bad guys???

Lastly, did you see the condition of most of the housing in No BEFORE the storm? What's the government going to do? Rebuild hovels? No, they'll builf all these nice new houses for everyone, and all at our expense.
 
Tonio

Tonio

Asperger's Poster Child
I've never been in a situation where there was widespread death and devastation. But I suspect that the human mind can be exposed to only so much of that before suffering breakdowns in logic. People want to vent their fear and frustration and helplessness. They want to find scapegoats. Larry, I don't know how bad Hurricane Isabel hit Frederick County, but here in St. Mary's, the mood was ugly after a few days. And I don't remember anyone dying here as a direct result of Isabel.
 
Larry Gude

Larry Gude

Strung Out
Tonio...

...you're falling on deaf ears.

Every time the wind blows my aunt used to call all the cousins and tell us to get some water, batteries, fill the tub, get a battery radio, blankets and so forth, be ready just in case.

She doesn't do it anymore because we all grew up, meaning we figured it out.

I can't be the only one with an aunt. Or an uncle or mom or dad.

It makes me sick that the greatest nation in history is filling up with crybabies standing around waiting to be helped BY THE GOVERNMENT.

Get a generator. Leave town. Fill the car BEFORE the storm.

Isn't anyone excited by the challenge of an emergency anymore? isn't anyone proud of being capable and able of dealing with stuff anymore?

Ugly mood from Isabel? Why? Because it DID knock out power? Because the stores DID run out of milk and bread? Because it got hot and sticky and no one could shower? The TV didn't work?

Boo ####ing hoo.
 
huntr1

huntr1

.
You got that right larry!

When it came time to power the barn, I decided that it made more sense to buy a generator and use that, than it did to spend the same amount (or more) to run electric from the house to the barn. I now have the generator (which is full of gas) and 2 5 gallon gas cans (both full) ready in case of bad weather. My brother-in-law is going to wire up a plug and emergency circuits for me so I can run the important house stuff off the generator.
 
Tonio

Tonio

Asperger's Poster Child
Larry Gude said:
It makes me sick that the greatest nation in history is filling up with crybabies standing around waiting to be helped BY THE GOVERNMENT.
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You're preaching to the converted, Larry. I think you missed my point. Of course there are plenty of people who didn't do the responsible thing and make preparations before the storm. And yes, most of the anger comes from those people. I wasn't trying to excuse or justify the ugly mood. I was just saying the ugly mood is something that the rest of us have to deal with, whether we like it or not. Especially if stuff is being looted from your home or store.
 
Larry Gude

Larry Gude

Strung Out
Ok...

Tonio said:
You're preaching to the converted, Larry. I think you missed my point. Of course there are plenty of people who didn't do the responsible thing and make preparations before the storm. And yes, most of the anger comes from those people. I wasn't trying to excuse or justify the ugly mood. I was just saying the ugly mood is something that the rest of us have to deal with, whether we like it or not. Especially if stuff is being looted from your home or store.
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...but the more WE scream and holler that the press is asking stupid questions and that these people CHOSE to stay, the more likely some kid might say, 'uh, storm coming, warning, maybe I best do something about it."

The LAST thing we should be doing is justifying that these people were somehow too helpless or too poor or too this or that.

TOO BAD. Next time ACT IN YOUR OWN SELF INTEREST.

It is CRIMINAL to teach people they are helpless.
 
Tonio

Tonio

Asperger's Poster Child
Larry Gude said:
The LAST thing we should be doing is justifying that these people were somehow too helpless or too poor or too this or that.
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Absolutely. It burns me that people are trying to harm others who are trying to help, such as shooting at the Army Corps of Engineers workers who are rebuilding the dikes.
 
Larry Gude

Larry Gude

Strung Out
See?

Tonio said:
Absolutely. It burns me that people are trying to harm others who are trying to help, such as shooting at the Army Corps of Engineers workers who are rebuilding the dikes.
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There's the problem, New Orleaners don't like dikes.
 
B

Bruzilla

Guest
I don't think it's what you do before the storm that counts, it's what you do after the storm. When that hurricane hit St. Mary's we had damage, but everyone in the neighborhood pulled together. We went house to house clearing yards, cutting up trees, getting damaged vehicles out of the way, cleaning up water, etc., while others pooled their gas grills together and cooked for groups rather than families. We didn't all run up to the Food Lion and ransack the place before the last rain drop had fallen.

Look at the government and anti-government forces in Indonesia when the tsunami hit. Even they called a cease fire and worked together to help people who needed the help. And I think if you look at most areas where disasters occur you'll find the same thing. But New Orleans has about 60% of it's people living below the poverty line, which means many of them are used to living on some kind of assistance, so it's no surprise that they acted the way they did. They're used having someone tell them how to live, and when it came time for them to use some independent thought and personal initiative, they found those cupboards were pretty bare.

Folks in the media and Democrats are all wailing and nashing teeth because people went without food for three days!!! OH MY GOD! The horror of it all. Please... I went without food for four days during land survival training in the Navy. BFD.
 
Tonio

Tonio

Asperger's Poster Child
Bruzilla said:
We didn't all run up to the Food Lion and ransack the place before the last rain drop had fallen.
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True. But there were a few people who tried to harrass emergency workers and utility workers.
 
B

Bruzilla

Guest
Tonio said:
True. But there were a few people who tried to harrass emergency workers and utility workers.
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Words like "few", "tried", and "harass" don't quite equal "many", "did", and "shoot at."
 
Tonio

Tonio

Asperger's Poster Child
Bruzilla said:
Words like "few", "tried", and "harass" don't quite equal "many", "did", and "shoot at."
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I'm not comparing the two. I'm saying that in any crisis, large or small, there are always some people who act like self-centered asshats. They don't know how to handle a crisis for the reason you mentioned--they're used having someone tell them how to live. Even during Isabel, there were people complaining that every neighborhood was getting help except their own. They think it's all about them. Even when their actions don't directly threaten others' lives, I still find their behavior irritating.
 
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