- Every American needs to hear this. Nagin on radio interview. (Transcript.) : “I’ve talked to everybody under the sun. I’ve been out there man. I flew these helicopters, been in the crowds talking to people crying don’t know where their relatives are. I’ve done it all, man and I tell you man, Garland, I keep hearing that it’s coming. This is coming. That is coming. And my answer to that today is “BS”. Where is the beef? Cause there is no beef in this city. There’s no beef anywhere in southeast Louisiana and these god damn ships that are coming – I don’t see them.”
- More reportage from high-rise.
- City is now on fire.
- Call your Senators, call your representatives, and demand immediate action and aid and assistance.
- Visual comparison of CNN, MSNBC, and FOX News homepages. As can be expected, FOX stands out.
Katrina Headlines XXVII
– September 2, 2005Posted in: Katrina
The Call by Yannick Murphy: The always interesting author of Here They Come and Signed, Mata Hari returns with a novel that whips up a worldview from a rather quirky set of limitations: namely, the call logs that a veterinarian maintains as his son is unexpectedly put into a coma and an unforgiving economy denies him work. What emerges is a surprisingly optimistic, often funny, and very moving account on how one family uses acceptance and forgiveness as a way to atone for hard knocks. (
Birds of Paradise by Diana Abu-Jaber: Forget Franzen and Eugenides. If you're looking for a social novel that counts, Diana Abu-Jaber is the author you're looking for. Building from the free-form exploration of consciousness and identity in Crescent and the gripping procedural structure of Origin, Abu-Jaber's latest novel is her finest, equally fluent with gutterpunk culture and smarmy real estate men. It has been suggested by The Washington Post's Ron Charles that you will likely gain some pounds while reading this novel. This is certainly true. Abu-Jaber's description of food is so precise that it often made me want to do more cooking. But I very much admired the way in which Abu-Jaber presents all her characters as unwitting victims of rough capitalism, which permits them some dignity even as they perform terrible acts.
The Last of the Live Nude Girls by Sheila McClear: This memoir isn't so much about the decline of the Times Square peepshow, as it is about one young woman's efforts to pull herself up by by her bootstraps when presented with few economic options. Filled with self-introspective candor and a quiet dignity, McClear's story is one that might befall any of us in these volatile times. While McClear does get back on her feet, her book leads one contemplating the terrible fates of other young women now moving to New York and falling into deadlier vocations. (
Bush is a liar and has dropped the ball in a huge way on this one,He’s more worried about some damn oil in Iraq,that will line his pockets I might ad,than taking care of the people in his own country.I say impeach his sorry ass.
Katrina is not Pres. Bush’s fault!
only the stupid people can even try to say this.
I’d agree with you on this. why can we just send in some holicopters or planes to drop at least water and foods.
This is one major fu*ckUp from BUSH. and we are all paying for it. GoddamnIT.
Opps!
Did Homeland Security wake up Tuesday morning sounding the “EVERYTHING IS OK!” alarm?
I am so disappointed at the Federal Government. It breaks my heart each time I see these pictures on TV. I do not see how our president, congress, senate, homeland security, fema and the any other agency in which we pay taxes in order for them to exist, to have turned their heads and totally ignored this horrific situation. These people are proud Americans in which you have failed. I am upset that more americans have not set up to volunteer their services (ex. greyhound, Red Cross, United Airlines, etc.) these are major companies in which we had bailed out of trouble – now where are they? This is truly a sad day for America when we rush to the aid of other countries in less than 24 hours and it has been 5 days in which people have not eated any food or drank water. People are dying – Children are being exposed to scenes that their precious eyes should not see at such an early age. Please let’s tap into all of our sources and help our fellow Americans and help save their lives.
If N.O. was 76% Caucasian and they were the ones who were trapped and desuetude. The federal government would find the money, the aid and the resources to hurry to their rescue. However, because the demographics in this city is predominantly African-American- it is to hell with these people because they brought this on their selves by not evacuating. The hypocrisy of the United States government sickens me. We have billions of dollars to finance a war in a country that did not attack us and did play a role in the 9/11 attacks, but when it comes to helping America’s own citizens the government is no where to be found….Or should I say that the government only expeditious comes to rescue of those who are of the right ethnicity
I am truly appauled by the response from the US government. We seem to have compassion for everyone else except our own citizens. How is it that we are so organized when it comes to helping other countries, but we can’t seem to get organized to help those here in this country. Its okay to send people’s sons and daughters to Iraq to fight a war all because of OIL (the almighty dollar) than to take care of our own. Then they get on TV and say they told people to evacuate, but how do you expect those who had no means of transport or the elderly to evaucate. Did anyone ever thought about sending buses into these communities to help evacuate those who didn’t have means of evacuating? I know for a fact if anyone’s child from congress was isolated in that situation, they would have found a way to get them out. What are we doing? We are more organized in Iraq than we are here. In the bigger picture, this disaster is just a small indication as to what would happen if we got hit with bioterrorism, etc. We might as well count ourselves dead which this lack of leadership. Osama Bin Ladin is actually sitting back in the mountains laughing at us. We’re, “a superpower” and we can’t even get it together to help our own. Wake up, Mr. Bush and Congress. We the citizens of America put you in office.
New Orleans and Louisiana traditionally have the most inept, inefficient, and corrupt politicians in the country. It is not up to the federal government to immediately ride in to a disaster. An example in point was NYC during 9/11. Did you see any federal troops? It’s up to the mayor and govenor to provide leadership and request federal help in a timely manner. Something both the mayor of New Orleans and the governor of Louisiana did not do. The feds can’t just indiscriminately waltz in to a state. We have a “federal system”. The levies in New Orleans were only capable of withstanding a catagory 3 hurricane when they were built in the “Carter Administration”! This was old news. Several presidential administrations have been aware of this shortcoming. Just some points to ponder.
Bobs correct. It comes down to states rights and a time when people took a lot more pride in their home state than it seems today. A let Texas be Texas kind of attitude, we’re U.S. citizens, but we can take care of our self’s on a state level. Any order given by the President for federal assistance without first being requested by the Governor would be an unlawful order. Why can he send aid money to Iraq but not help our own people? Because they are not U.S. citizens they do not have states rights under our Constitution. This laws in place to keep the federal government from getting to powerful, to keep it from sending troops against its own people. It just backfired this time.
Also we’re all a lot smarter than the media treats us. You may hate the Democrats or the Republicans but that does not mean that they are always wrong or right. Ever step back and look at the crap out there? If there is any controversial angle that’s the part we’ll be given. Lets face it facts are boring, facts don’t sell. Unless it’s half the facts.
Thanks for the soapbox!