The Horror of New Orleans
I sincerely hope that all of your friends and family are safe and well. The scene developing in New Orleans is becoming truly horrific, and it seems as though the devastation and frustration are erupting into violence.
And I just don't understand - why isn't it possible for the richest nation in the world to arrange to evacuate the 30,000 people at the SuperDome, and all other stranded citizens? I'm not trying to be facetious, or make a point. I do get that the logistics would be nightmarish. But it seems to me that a country that is capable of sending 100,000 of its troops across the world to wage a war should be equally capable of reacting immediately to this kind of crisis. How hard would it be to arrange for 100 or 200 coach buses to congregate at the outskirts of the city, away from the floods? Can't the temporarily displaced be temporarily harboured by neighbouring cities? Not all of them would need to be sent to the same place, but I just can't fathom why more isn't being done more quickly. I suppose there must be some reason that makes it impossible, but it doesn't make sense to me in this day and age that a rapid, large-scale relief and rescue operation would be impossible.
What's saddest of all is that, as usual, the ones who are most badly in need right now were likely the most poverty-stricken Americans in the city to begin with.
And I just don't understand - why isn't it possible for the richest nation in the world to arrange to evacuate the 30,000 people at the SuperDome, and all other stranded citizens? I'm not trying to be facetious, or make a point. I do get that the logistics would be nightmarish. But it seems to me that a country that is capable of sending 100,000 of its troops across the world to wage a war should be equally capable of reacting immediately to this kind of crisis. How hard would it be to arrange for 100 or 200 coach buses to congregate at the outskirts of the city, away from the floods? Can't the temporarily displaced be temporarily harboured by neighbouring cities? Not all of them would need to be sent to the same place, but I just can't fathom why more isn't being done more quickly. I suppose there must be some reason that makes it impossible, but it doesn't make sense to me in this day and age that a rapid, large-scale relief and rescue operation would be impossible.
What's saddest of all is that, as usual, the ones who are most badly in need right now were likely the most poverty-stricken Americans in the city to begin with.