This mornings Atlanta Journal-Constitution today did something almost unprecedented in modern newspapers. It ran a front-page editorial:
The rescue operation mounted in the wake of last week's hurricane was characteristic of a third-rate country, not the world's only superpower.
Shame on the public officials who reacted slowly to the cries for help from New Orleans. Shame on the criminals wandering the streets, preying on the poor and helpless. Shame on those who didn't heed the warnings about the vulnerability of New Orleans.
Shame on all of us.
The people of New Orleans, many of them lacking the wherewithal to evacuate on their own, were left stranded without enough food or water to survive. For days, their pitiful pleas largely went unanswered.
By midweek, bodies began piling up at the Louisiana Superdome, while bloated corpses were seen floating down still-flooded city streets.
How could this happen in the United States?...
So, and I'm asking this in all seriousness, do we think the country could collapse?
The Supreme Court that appointed Bush president now has two openings for him to fill. A huge portion of the country, including much of our refinery infrastructure, is in ruins. The economy which is just starting to recover may bottom out again. Obviously our national guard isn't operating efficiently (at least not quickly). We're in over our heads in Iraq. Any terrorist with any sense would hit us RIGHT NOW. And so much is shipped -- very little food-wise and merchandise wise produced near our population centers anymore. And warehouses are smaller than ever because of our over-nighting world. Basically, our supply lines are permanantly thin.
And what sort of collapse? Economic? Then a long term/permanant martial law and the end of already wobbly civil liberties? Then a civil war?
I'm not being doom-n-gloom, I'm asking. Could this be what we are facing?
Not going to post the obvious, but in response to this:
no taxes in the world would be providing diapers and such right now to the victims,
Isn't that actually part of emergency relief? I mean in a non-clusterfuck response to a disaster aren't food, water , medical care, and diapers, forumula,tampons and other personal neccesisties provided?
Meet The Press with Aaron Broussard - President of Jefferson Parish. Apparently the actual video is really heart-wrenching. Here is the partial transcript
[link]
Bureaucracy has committed murder here in the greater New Orleans area and bureaucracy has to stand trial before Congress now.
...
Yesterday — yesterday — FEMA comes in and cuts all of our emergency communication lines. They cut them without notice. Our sheriff, Harry Lee, goes back in, he reconnects the line. He posts armed guards and said no one is getting near these lines…
...
I want to give you one last story and I’ll shut up and let you tell me whatever you want to tell me. The guy who runs this building I’m in, Emergency Management, he’s responsible for everything. His mother was trapped in St. Bernard nursing home and every day she called him and said, “Are you coming, son? Is somebody coming?” and he said, “Yeah, Mama, somebody’s coming to get you.” Somebody’s coming to get you on Tuesday. Somebody’s coming to get you on Wednesday. Somebody’s coming to get you on Thursday. Somebody’s coming to get you on Friday… and she drowned Friday night. She drowned Friday night! [Sobbing] Nobody’s coming to get us. Nobody’s coming to get us…
Le nubian, I watched him and it was heartbreaking. They had to break away from him because he completely broke down.
I'm going to Tivo the repeat on MSNBC tonight. Wow.
Could this be what we are facing?
Nope. I think we're in for some very tough economic times ahead, but that's it. The buffer between the Federal Government and the people are state and local governments, and they aren't all gung-ho over Bush and basically control local services.
As long as we don't have another disaster hit this country, I think the country will be okay. But if we have something hit us - natural or otherwise, I'm stockpiling shit in my basement.
In case this hasn't been linked already, Target is selling American Red Cross First Aid Emergency Preparedness Starter Kits and donating $10 of each sale to the Red Cross (through 8/31/06). Kits include:
Equipped for 4 people, the kit includes both first aid and emergency items: 2 pairs of non-latex gloves, 2 flashlights and batteries, 2 pairs of canvas gloves, first aid/emergency preparedness guide, transistor radio and batteries, 4 emergency ponchos, survival blanket, instant cold compress, 4 dust masks, children’s activity booklet and crayons, plastic drop cloth, scissors, breathing barrier, adhesive cloth tape, assorted adhesive bandages, 3" and 4" roll-type bandages, triangular bandages, absorbent compresses, 3x3" and 4x4" sterile gauze pads, hydrocortisone ointment, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, thermometers, aspirin, tweezers, moist towelettes, 4 plastic whistles and 8 snap lights.
The buffer between the Federal Government and the people are state and local governments, and they aren't all gung-ho over Bush and basically control local services.
So a well prepared municipality is in better shape. But what if a whole city or section of a State is destroyed? There are dozens of stories of FEMA blocking one community aiding another. The national guard can't be deployed from one region to another without orders from Washington. Traditionally the Republicans were the guardians of States' Rights. Has their abandonment of this task lead us to this?
Even with good local structures, could we end up with, essentially, viable city-states that are basically on their own and negotiate with one another? The world has been evolving from smaller autonamous governments to larger governments for a couple of thousand years now. Does that hit a tipping point and go ::splat:: and send us back to small 'kingdoms' of some sort?
