Don't believe the hype

[substitute]

Watch out for hysterical urban legends, unconfirmed reports, and exaggerated nightmare scenarios about looting in New Orleans. There's looting and violence all right, and when all is told there are going to be some sad and frightening stories about it

Comments

[kineticfactory]

Of course, if the reports that large numbers of NOPD police were among the armed looters are true, that puts a different perspective on the blame.

unsurprising

[substitute]

A decade ago the NOPD completely fell apart. Some 40 officers at one time were being charged with felonies including calling out hits on each other. A friend of mine at the time was a cop there and leaving at high speed to switch careers to avoid either becoming a dirty cop or becoming dead. It was later "cleaned up" but you can't clean up a town with one new police chief.

Forget it, Jake, it's Chinatown.

[labrujah]

AMEN

Ray Nagin is keeping it real.

[sp0rk0]

http://www.dementedramblings.com/images/nagin.mp3

[spacemummy]

The federal response to the disaster sickens me. It is blatantly criminal. And they behave as if no power in the world will be able to take them to task. And the sad thing is that they are probably right.

re

[alienhand]

I see blame on both sides. I felt there was adequate warning, heck, there were reports so scary I almost evacuated California... Everyone living in that area knew their precarious situation. This did not strike suddenly like an earthquake or tsunami.

Sure those in power fail us as always. Sure there were a few mortally poor amputees who probably couldn't get themselves out. Sure there are stories of real tragedy.

But many of these folks could have been better prepared. Seems like too many people just chose to hang out and take their chances on a category 5 hurricane. Category 5. Maybe some of them saw a payday coming?

God I sound like a neocon..