Stream of consciousness on Katrina
I thought a lot about Katrina today (the storm)...(were moving out tomorrow for the new office in exton and its hard to concentrate and without stuff, you really can't work a whole lot!) and DBL and I discussed, via email, why people are behaving like they are...my theory(s) as stated in the following excerpt from that email...
{
-The damn media is so obsessed with getting footage of the aftermath with their helicopters, its like they're teasing people stranded on roof tops or between the levees with their transportation. The media admits on the TV, "as you can see there are some people trapped on the rooftop...very upset, obviously hungry, waving at us..but we're not equipped to help"...think about how pissed you'd be.
-I'm not defending the crime, but I also think the people feel like they're being neglected because most of those trapped are poor, blacks. Also, it only takes one guy to wave his gun around, whose not a cop, to try to create some order and then everybody flips out and starts shooting each other. I don't, however, understand why citizens in their boats, trying to rescue people are getting shot at.
-The people are wondering what's taking so long, and to an extent, I don't blame them. I suggested last night that they should use the navy to send cruisers in. Cruisers are self sustained battle stations, good for transporting troops, fuel and holding supplies. They could pair those up with those large...ah..what are they called, boats that are powered by a big fan and ride on a big air cushion, to help do some individual rescues. I know they can only get the cruisers in so far, before its too shallow, but those air boats can do a lot of good. Which brings me to my next point....
-it obviously takes a lot of planning, but I think Bush is being just a little to sluggish (i do support his actions, I just wish he would make some). I read several articles today saying that he's reluctant to accept aid from poorer nations....TAKE THE CASH DAMMIT! (just search "katrina foreign aid" and you'll read a lot of these articles.) Canada was quoted as saying something like "just tell us what, where and when...and we'll be there"...the friggin' French are offering to help...ACCEPT IT and get those people over! The fucking Venezuelan guy who hates us is willing to sell us cheap oil! I think Bush really wants the cheap oil, for obvious reasons, but if the rest of the country can take the hit..and gosh darnit, by carpooling and driving less for a few weeks, we can take a hit on gas and focus it on the south so we can get fuel in there to keep up the rescue.
ah...it's thoroughly frustrated, I was telling my parents about you and your Dad's idea for a relief company, and my Dad and I both agreed that we'd be interested in it.
}
{
-The damn media is so obsessed with getting footage of the aftermath with their helicopters, its like they're teasing people stranded on roof tops or between the levees with their transportation. The media admits on the TV, "as you can see there are some people trapped on the rooftop...very upset, obviously hungry, waving at us..but we're not equipped to help"...think about how pissed you'd be.
-I'm not defending the crime, but I also think the people feel like they're being neglected because most of those trapped are poor, blacks. Also, it only takes one guy to wave his gun around, whose not a cop, to try to create some order and then everybody flips out and starts shooting each other. I don't, however, understand why citizens in their boats, trying to rescue people are getting shot at.
-The people are wondering what's taking so long, and to an extent, I don't blame them. I suggested last night that they should use the navy to send cruisers in. Cruisers are self sustained battle stations, good for transporting troops, fuel and holding supplies. They could pair those up with those large...ah..what are they called, boats that are powered by a big fan and ride on a big air cushion, to help do some individual rescues. I know they can only get the cruisers in so far, before its too shallow, but those air boats can do a lot of good. Which brings me to my next point....
-it obviously takes a lot of planning, but I think Bush is being just a little to sluggish (i do support his actions, I just wish he would make some). I read several articles today saying that he's reluctant to accept aid from poorer nations....TAKE THE CASH DAMMIT! (just search "katrina foreign aid" and you'll read a lot of these articles.) Canada was quoted as saying something like "just tell us what, where and when...and we'll be there"...the friggin' French are offering to help...ACCEPT IT and get those people over! The fucking Venezuelan guy who hates us is willing to sell us cheap oil! I think Bush really wants the cheap oil, for obvious reasons, but if the rest of the country can take the hit..and gosh darnit, by carpooling and driving less for a few weeks, we can take a hit on gas and focus it on the south so we can get fuel in there to keep up the rescue.
ah...it's thoroughly frustrated, I was telling my parents about you and your Dad's idea for a relief company, and my Dad and I both agreed that we'd be interested in it.
}