New Orleans OT

This now seems to be a completely tragic situation, one which is not nearly
over and will not be resolved for weeks, and it may have a much broader
impact on our society. Although the damage was obviously going to be serious
in any event, with inevitable loss of life and property, I discounted many
of the early news stories, prior to the hurricane hitting, because
newspapers love these "weather stories" almost as if they were ghost
stories or newspaper-friendly versions of the latest catastrophe film -
there's a 'thrill' quality for the reader which is often somewhat of an
exaggeration of the facts. While it looked initially that the hurricane
would do serious damage, it still seemed that even in the mid-term this was
another event which, for the most part, people would overcome as one of the
periodic disruptions in our lives.

However, the breaking of the two levees, the destruction and additional
death caused by this, and the civil disorder which follows makes me feel as
if this will not be much less disruptive for this part of the country than
9-11 was for New York and to a lesser extent Washington. I think about how
Detroit was changed by the riots, and never really recovered, and although
there will be more infrastructure standing after the flood waters finally
recede (in a few weeks), the extent of the damage done, and the social
fabric torn -which may be a big part of it - may make a permanent change for
the city, and perhaps more broadly in terms of our dependence on oil and gas
as energy sources. The power blackout in New York in the 70s lasted for only
a day, I believe, but for many years thereafter the rioting and looting and
needless loss of life gave many people a view of the society as far more
fragile and stress-ridden (between classes) than they'd thought of before.
Obviously it was largely the poor and the underclass which couldn't (or
didn't want to) leave New Orleans, and the looting and disruptions
otherwise, as well as what looks to be the fiasco of the Superdome, may have
a serious impact on the consciousness of everyone who thinks about returning
to New Orleans. No doubt, more people will have to come back and live
there than was necessary in Detroit - there is an offshore oil and gas
business to attend to, and it's a tourism city - but I suspect that this is
going to be more of a turning point - perhaps not in a good way - for people
than we thought even a few days ago.


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Relevant Pages

  • Re: New Orleans OT
    ... Although the damage was obviously going to be serious ... > newspapers love these "weather stories" almost as if they were ghost ... > periodic disruptions in our lives. ... and perhaps more broadly in terms of our dependence on oil and gas ...
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  • Re: New Orleans OT
    ... PLEASE NOTE that the following did NOT originate with the REAL La Donna Mobile, who does not use a Yahoo address, and possesses considerably more compassion than the idiot troll who impersonates her! ... Although the damage was obviously going to be serious in any event, with inevitable loss of life and property, I discounted many of the early news stories, prior to the hurricane hitting, because newspapers love these "weather stories" almost as if they were ghost stories or newspaper-friendly versions of the latest catastrophe film - there's a 'thrill' quality for the reader which is often somewhat of an exaggeration of the facts. ... While it looked initially that the hurricane would do serious damage, it still seemed that even in the mid-term this was another event which, for the most part, people would overcome as one of the periodic disruptions in our lives. ...
    (rec.music.opera)
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