On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 19:36:13 GMT, John Emmons wrote:
Nah, protecting property is apparently far more important than saving lives.

So you see the two as exclusive of the other? News flash: the people
doing looting, probably aren't _helping_ others survive either. Stop
them by whatever means is convenient, and you've solved 3 problems: they
stop looting, they stop making the situation worse, and you don't waste
time and resources trying to save that particular individual.

Contrary to Mr. Bush's comments, a lot of people knew exactly what would
happen when the levee's were breached. They were asking, begging and
pleading for federal money for decades to help fix the problems.

Which is why it's particularly asinine for people to blame Bush for the
events in question.

The lack of leadership from the federal government is mind numbing. The
president went to a freakin golf course AFTER being informed that a class
4,5 hurricane was less than 100 miles from landfall.

Right, because he could have stopped the storm? Wake the **** up. He
was equally powerless to predict it's path as anyone else. We get
several hurricanes a year - is he supposed to drop everything every
time? I'm sure you'd be equally critical then; "and the bozo wets his
pants every time it gets stormy" or something.

The directors of both FEMA and of Homeland Security have exactly zero
experience in emergency/disaster preparedness and response. Mr. Brown of
FEMA had to be told by television reporters the extent of the problems
erupting at the New Orleans convention center. And these are the people who
are in charge of things? God help us when we actually get attacked by
someone.

If your plans for survival include "wait for the government to save me
despite warnings to get the hell out", well, maybe you _should_ be
stranded. It's not like they didn't have warnings, an evacuation order,
warnings, know that they lived BELOW SEA LEVEL FOR ****S SAKE, and
warnings.