View Full Version : Do you think the American Goverment....
Do you think the American goverment is to blame for the effects of Hurricane Katrina?
I have been keeping up to date about it since it first happened and honestly I just cant believe how much people went through during the first couple of weeks from the hurricane. I think the American goverment is to blame for the effects of Hurricane Katrina because they should of helped more. They were mad slack on bringing help to people, bloody hell it was days before any real attention was brought on. I think the amount of deaths and injuries could have been reduced had the goverment issued some sort of more warning and had made help arrive quicker. America is one of the richest countries in the world, if they can bomb and attack other countries on the spot, why cant they help their own people in their time of need? But these are just my opinions.
PJ Matthews
20-10-2005, 14:11
Interesting one. First of all there is no way the U.S was over stretched with its commitments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and whilst they are stretching them this isn't the main issue. The U.S has a huge number of reserves in the form of Nation Guard but these were not mobilised fast enough and once they were they spent atleast a day waiting outside the city limits.
This of course isn't an easy issue to deal with. On scale for scale it would be like an area the size of London and much of the south of England being devistated. In short there is no possible human way to be ready for it as it was that large a disaster. Yes there were fall guards who were blamed but in all honesty this was a large learning experience.
The U.S pumps out much of the worlds green house gases and in all honesty doesn't give a damn about it and perhaps it is only right that they are the first ones to deal with it. Did they take note when three large storms hit Florida last year back to back? No, will they take notice now even more storms are hitting that region? Perhaps but purely because of the financial implications.
Conditions were bad but people were saying it was awful as people were walking around in torn clothes with cardboard on their feet. Well if people actually looked at the districts hit, this is the norm. People live well below the percieved poverty line here and this only became highlighted when they were left behind. Looting is not a suprise considering the poverty line these people were on. They couldn't afford to stockpile food or leave their homes for example. These people are a case of a forgotten people that their nation neither cares about nor wants to know about. Anyone who has visited NY will know that one of its features are the homeless who really have nothing, some of them obviously mentally ill but nothing is done for them. Europe has tried to tackle its homelessness problem and the booming economies of many of the European nations has helped but the U.S is a nation not willing to do anything about it in its major cities.
On another note what is more worrying was the scenes of policeman driving around in stolen lexus etc which they had taken from car shoerooms and the scenes of them beating people up (the latter after order had been restored and in the last couple of weeks). O.K martial law was declared but this doesn't mean the Police go looting aswell!
In short this has highlighted alot of issues that Micheal Moore once touched upon before he hit his big money making films and I have heard he is likely to do one on this distaster.
why weren't the flood defences constructed properly? Would have saved allot of heart ache...
Seems they have been so neglected........
PJ Matthews
20-10-2005, 16:10
Because a flood like this wasn't thought likely. It was amazing circumstances, you should seem of our flood defences if you want to be scared.
Because a flood like this wasn't thought likely. It was amazing circumstances, you should seem of our flood defences if you want to be scared.
I dont agree. Its been flooded before. There were major flaws in the basic engineering of the defences.......
PJ Matthews
20-10-2005, 16:58
Yes it has been flooded before, but nothing on this scale in recent times. Don't forget these arn't 1 in 1000 year floods for nothing! The circumstances surrounding this flood were nothing short of extordinary. There was no real flaw, only their ability to cope with a storm of this size. They were investigating at the time if there was a need to upgrade them.
master baits
21-10-2005, 00:26
Yes it has been flooded before, but nothing on this scale in recent times. Don't forget these arn't 1 in 1000 year floods for nothing! The circumstances surrounding this flood were nothing short of extordinary. There was no real flaw, only their ability to cope with a storm of this size. They were investigating at the time if there was a need to upgrade them.
Thing is peej this isnt the BIG floods that they already know about and they are getting VERY frequent....but to act like a an american for a mo and throw blame then its its own government thats to blame for its warning and cleanup.But profit is created from tragedy.
The way america is run is TOO wierd , theres council , local , state and country governemt structures , then theres policing that way also....Thats just far too many ways to make a f-up.The country is governed by the lowest price wins , the end justifies the means , and just look at how that works regarding dams.
I love the place myself makes us have a laff at their expense , they bang on about freedom of this and that and they have none themselves.They have brainwashed their masses to believe that they are the best in the world and they live in poor times feeding the rich by them remaining poor....and my personal favourite the go on about the atrocities in oil rich countries yet do nothing about worse in coutries without oil like africa.
And dont get me started on terrorism , they created , profitted from or aided most of it , and remember america was borne from it FOR profit for its rich people like GW, nothing else.
at least one state has wisened up to this though.
the animals went two by two.
Hmmmm.... interesting thoughts all, especially you PJ and masters, in a lot of what you said I have to agree.
But still all in all, do you think the goverment is too blame?
PJ Matthews
24-10-2005, 22:37
As Masterbaits is probably hinting at and indeed I have aswell, the Government is not to blame, rather the entire country, American is to blame.
Yeah sorry, tis just that it seemed a little all over the place, needed to be told bluntly lmao.
PJ Matthews
24-10-2005, 22:56
No need to apologise - lol :)
master baits
25-10-2005, 00:14
must agree tis not the american govt but the whole country , the ostrich syndrome by its people also brainwashed to believe that all things american are best , the govt for using taxation as a election ploy rather than to solve its social problems at home.
Exactly what happened to the enlightened hippy of the 60s and early 70s , they are all at the helms of the countries biggest companies now...how soon they forgot their idealogy and worshipped the god of cold hard cash.
White middle america is soiling its underwear , its predominately black states gave them a rude awakening when it was hinted that a cleanup in new orleans was slow becuase they are mostly black....While I dont think its as clear cut as out and out racism , it proves that if you cant sort out disasters in your own home , then how can you direct other countries in the world to do the same.
This country is imho following in the USA boots....thats why those that have the money are leaving and those that are in worse countries are jumping in to replace them.
A little book for some light reading , depends on how you define light of course is reefer madenss by eric schlosser , I read his fast food nation book before some film makers ripped it off ....and reefer madness shows how money is now the segregator in the world rather than colour or religion.
Cable Monkey
25-10-2005, 15:05
White middle america is soiling its underwear , its predominately black states gave them a rude awakening when it was hinted that a cleanup in new orleans was slow becuase they are mostly black....While I dont think its as clear cut as out and out racism , it proves that if you cant sort out disasters in your own home , then how can you direct other countries in the world to do the same.
It wasn't out and out racism, but when the vast majority of your poorest people are also black and hispanic, they are the ones who suffer the most. Also remember the elderly faired badly in this also.
Regarding the speed of the response, compare their response to that of the Kasmir/Pakistan earthquake or the resonse to the tsunami in Asia and you will see a massive difference. Think about it, all shipping and aircraft are removed to safe distances, roads are choked and the weather remains poor until well after the hurricane has officially passed through. While it would have been possible to get people in, getting the transport restarted and getting food in and victims out was much, much harder. Under the circumstances, bearing in mind an area the size of the UK was affected, they actually did quite well. They were evacuated eventually. People are left where they are elswhere in the world. Disease would have probably doubled the death toll. Don't be fooled by perceptions of failure. Logistically they actually did quite well.
TriggerHappy
14-11-2005, 03:16
some very interestiong opinions on here ppl
in a way they did well but i have to agree with the above posts the american attitude is wrong all this USA is the best always has been and always will be rubbish. iw ont go into detail.
more could have been done just one example of this is when the roads were congested with people trying to get out they didnt think to open the other side to speed up the process and perhaps leave just 1 lane open to go back in for services ect.
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