Human helplessness in the face of nature

[scottishlass]

"The help and cleaning-up costs money ..."
Bush, you are an idiot. In this kind of situation you don't ask about how much it might cost, you just do and ask later. Ppl are dying there ... not because of Katrina but because you and your staff seem to be unable to stage a proper SAR operation.

Two years ago we had a terrible flooding here in Germany and ppl along the whole Elbe River in Germany, Poland and Hungary were helped immediately. Pumps, water regenerators and soldiers with heavy gear were sent there immediately ... and cross country and nation. If three countries with three different languages and different ecological/economical set-up can stage a SAR operation of this scale, Bush and his administration should be able to do so as well.
*shakes head*

At least German technical organisations as well as fire departments already offered to come - esp. with water regeneration units and heavy duty pumps to get parts of New Orleans cleaned up. I just hope Bush is not stupid enough to ignore that offer just because Germany isn't part of the Allied Forces.

Comments

[dragonamara.livejournal.com]

If you haven't noticed, our lovely Commander in Chief is deeply stupid.

I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't accept foreign aid, sadly enough.

[ceruleanedge.livejournal.com]

bush is not only stupid, but also arrogant. *ARGH*

[koellegirl.livejournal.com]

I was wondering, that they hadn't send in troups and aid in earlier or even evacuated the area more thoroughly. How can it be, that people sit on their roofs for days - why aren't there more helicopters?
I don't think Bush will agree to help from outside - he has just enough wrong pride in him to dismiss it.
The pictures from that area are horrible, they give me the creeps. If you hear that opposed gangs fight with each other even in these conditions, I am in fear for mankind.
I can only hope, that all those poor people will be out of the area soon.

[falinemalfoy.livejournal.com]

There's aren't more helicopters because the people who are trying to be resued are shooting at them. They're shooting at armored Black Hawks that are attempting to rescue the good people of New Orleans.

[koellegirl.livejournal.com]

Sorry, you lost me completely. Why are they shooting at the helicopters?
We watch german as well as english news here and up to this morning you mainly saw very desperate people on rooftops or clinging to boots who waved cardboards with "help us" at the helicopters.
Tonight I saw pictures where long convoys of army trucks brought in food, medication and water.
It is just so horrible - one always thinks, that a rich, developed country like the USA could handle a situation like this better - but maybe I am unfair - thank god I have never been in such a situation.

[falinemalfoy.livejournal.com]

It caught the whole country off guard. Everyone knew New Orleans would make it through the hurrican, and it weathered it pretty well. It was when the levies broke that really mucked things up.

And unfortunatly everything has pretty much dissolved into political nonsense. The left wing blames the President, for a natural disaster, and is throwing it's weight around as much as possible to defame him for causing a hurrican. Imagine that, a president that can create natural disasters.

I can only imagine what sort of fear and loss of common sense has struck the residents of New Orleans, which would explain why they're shooting at the helicopters. And it's not everyone. The people who really need the help aren't getting it because it'd be stupid to try and bring a helicopter into a zone that's, for all extents and purposes, hostile. And it is very hostile. The police are being shot and killed. 30 or 40 of the Louisianna National Guard have gone missing, with no known explaination for their where abouts.

It is, quite literally, a war down there. I'm honestly ashamed that Americans are doing this. One would think we'd have enough sense in our own country to allow people to get out of the danger areas and into safety. Because the sooner New Orleans gets cleared out, the sooner the government and major relief organizations can start focusing their full attentions on places that CAN be saved quickly, like Alabama and Mississippi, as well as other areas of Louisianna.

Because it's going to be years before New Orleans is up and running again . . . if they even try and rebuild. These people who are stubbornly refusing to leave their home town don't understand that there's nothing there for them. THere's no food, no water, no electricity. It has been plunged into a very flooded third world. And they're not going to be very happy when the rest of the National Guard arrives and starts enforcing a martial law, something Louisianna doesn't see too often.

I do agree that my government *should* be able to handle a situation like this better, but we were caught unaware and then purged into a literal frenzy of worry and fear, all around the country. Only time, and the ever rising gas prices, will tell what this hurrican will destroy in the American 'Way of Life'. (It isn't looking so good right now)

[falinemalfoy.livejournal.com]

There's good news, at least on a smaller level. The National Guard was just called up all over the US. One of my friend's unit just took off yesterday. These are the men that were in Iraq and whether you support the war over there or not, they know what they're doing and they're going to get this taken care of. The biggest problem right now is getting everyone the hell OUT of the city.

There's NO need whatsoever for citizens to attempt to remain in their homes as it will be YEARS before the area is habitable again. They need to just start a city sweep and get people out of that dirty water and on to dry land where help can easily reach them. And get everyone the hell out of the Astrodome. That's just a fiasco.

I really hope the Bush doesn't pull the high and mighty and refuse help from ANYONE. Perhaps not all help offered, but certainly equipment and money. Now is no the time to have a stick up your ass about foreign policy.