Being a resident of Houston, the effects of the disaster at New Orleans strikes home for real- with poor people left stranded all over the United States, the obvious incomptetency of the government in managing huge disaster situations is more than obvious. The Almighty United States seem incapable of helping it own people? What a shame..while I commisserate with the victims of this natural disaster, there are some lessons that can be learnt from this: this post is adeparture from most blogs I have read that were just passing the buck..I would just let the buck stop on one desk..Mr. Presidents! The lessons are:
1. No nation is immune from the devastating effects of natural disasters. And that while it is convenient to blame corruption and bad government for the misery in Africa, misery caused by draught and other natural phenomenons in nations like Niger were not man made and the US as a world leading nation should be more aggressive in seeing this point of view and aiding these poor countries, having been at the receiving end now. Indeed, the disaster of draught and hurricances should start convincing Mr. Bush of the science and facts of global warming. May be those facts are what you need sir!
2. The cost of Iraq war is enormous. The lack of national guard troops and personel on ground immediately after the disaster is exactly the danger many forward seeing men were pointing to during the last general elections..is any american listening?
US Troop Deployment: 125,000 US Troops Killed: 1,887 (So Far) US Troops Wounded: 14,265 (So Far) Cost Per Week: $1 Billion Finding Zero WMDs: Priceless
3. The Homeland security department is another cosmetic bureucracy that would only weigh down the work of securing the homeland. The inability of FEMA to respond effectively to the disaster, bulked down by the web of bureucracy is a telling sign of things to come. Terror is an unforseen danger like natural disasters and can add another fearful dimension- we dont think America is prepared.
4. Big broda..small father. Bush did not need the permission of United Nations to remove saddam and save Iraqis, but he was holidaying while big easy got struck..,imagine, he complained of not being updated or invioted in to help..excuse me, who updated you on Iraq? was that Rumsfeld or home girl Condi? Please Mr. Prez, save us the excuse, you need to fire somebody!
5. The state of race relations in America today is uneasy. race is a very emotional issue, and until government start getting serious about removing the class barrier that promotes racial disharmony, the fight of MLK, JFK and LBJ may be in vain. 40 years after, 35 million in poverty majority who are blacks does not bode well for the world most powerful nation- it is a national security risk and should be treated as such.
6. Ever watched these partisan networks..I couldnt help but see the lopsided FOX News coverage..what a shame! And Orielly was more concerned about looting than people dying..lesson learned, the far left and right would always play politics with anything even human life..callous shameless poiliticos that have taken over governments and rendered them impotent. Cant help but notice the people calling fellow americans refugees..save me the crap!
7. Where were the churches? Umn..they wouldnt give up a sunday service to house the displaced all over the country..people..where are my tithes and offerings..umn..
8. That fire brigade approach to issues would not work. Building infrastructure is an investment in the future and all those involved in cutting 30 million dollars from the fund to strenghten the levys in N.O. should be punished..simple! say by the voters..we have an election next year thank goodness!
9. America needs friends in the world. It was human kindness that means we can all help..John Bolton is not really the man that UN needs to put this together, we need a George H. Bush and Bill Clinton.
10. Three day of terror and it made rapists, and looters of americans. It is not just Iraqis and Africans that do this: survival , chaos and desperation are recipes for the manifestion of man's infinte animalistic instincts..I bet those faces of New orleans looked exactly like those i saw in the wake of the Nigerien disaster! yes, right on CNN.
11. Many cities rejected the dislocated. They were scared of poor , black people I suppose..Umn, so much about being Americans. The lesson learned: If you are black and poor, you have two options - u stay with system or you beat it- even with ur votes--vote, vote, vote! If you are black and u are rich, consider moving to Canada. If you are white and poor, you are the target audience of the media- the poor black people are out to get u! If you are white and rich or okay, feel right at home: the government works for you.
12. While we all cried, Wall street joyed..made some buck this week? This disaster means the housing boom is not over, so the last lesson is that you should not have sold those housing, contruction and aggregate company stocks..if u did ? Sorry - nobody makes money panicking.
3 comments:
Good list.
The hurricane also played havoc with oil and natural gas wells, pipelines, refineries and import terminals. Another lesson would therefore be to beware of centralized oil, electricity etc. distribution systems that can be knocked out by a single disaster.
Thanks for this article.
It was a painful experience all around, just watching the hurricane coverage on TV and wondering WHY.
I hope you're OK. (Where were you for Hurricane Rita?)
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