Re: OT: New Orleans (VERY long!)

Pat P wrote:
The following was written on our local newsgroup by a journalist from America . I was curious as to whether people on here agreed with him or otherwise. V ery well written - and thought provoking. It could explain the accounts reported by lots of our own people who have just returned home after their ordeal - particularly in the Dome. 

	I think the author makes some significant missteps.
Poverty <> criminal behavior.  Yes, there were criminals
left behind, and they caused a lot of havoc.  However, there
were also many poor people who were in no way inclined
towards criminal behavior and who were victims, pure and
simple.  Use of the term "Welfare State" implies that
somehow, if the government would just stop coddling these
folks, it would all be better.  That's a load of crap and
demonstrably untrue.  Poverty, on the other hand, is a
vicious destroyer of lives.  You saw third world-like
situations in NO because in many ways, it *was* a third
world situation, with the attendant lack of resources.
Not only does NO have a high level of poverty (leaving
NO with limited resources), but Louisiana is also a very
poor state.
	As far as it being somehow unpredictable that
resources would be required to keep the peace, that's
also ridiculous.  Anyone with even the least experience
in such situations is familiar with that need, and
previous simulations of such a disaster in NO clearly
demonstrated the need for such (not to mention previous
experiences with other disasters).  I can't imagine
why anyone would have suspected this situation would
somehow be free of that need.
	I think much remains to be seen in terms of
local, state, and federal government culpability for
what was obviously abysmal planning and/or execution.
I have heard various reports in those areas, some
indicating that there weren't plans, some saying that
there were plans that weren't executed, some saying
that there were plans and attempts to execute but
not enough resources.  At this point, it's unclear
to me precisely where the failures were.  I suspect
there will be plenty of blame to go around.  I do,
however, think the notion that somehow the local
government's administration of welfare aid had
anything to do with preventing adequate planning.

Best wishes,
Ericka
.

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