What really pisses me off is that this situation (looting for supplies, civil unrest) could have been prevented!

Option 1a: 
Scientists say a big ass hurricane can devistate New Orleans, and in doing so damage the national economy since a good deal of our imports come from the ports there.  GIVE THEM MONEY TO REINFORCE THE LEVEES

Option 2: Scientists say a big as hurricane is inevitable. Even if money wasn’t given for Option 1, make sure you have a working plan for evacuating the people who can’t get out of the city, and have well-stocked relief centers for any hurricane victims.  This means having the National Guard ready to be deployed, having arrangements to airlift/drive the remaining citizens out of harms way *before* the hurricane strikes, having the Red Cross and other organizations on scene, having alternate safehouses with medical techniciansm, water, food rations, and supplies.

Option 3:  Let’s say you fucked up with 1 and 2.  DON’T TAKE MORE THAN A WEEK TO GET FOOD AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO THOUSANDS OF DISPLACED PEOPLE.  It’s bad enough you couldn’t be bothered to have a plan ready, despite advanced warning.  Don’t *continue* to sit on your ass and do nothing.  In addition to ocean water, there is raw sewage floating around in that stuff, not to mention festering bodies of the deceased.  Can you say “cholera” and “typhoid fever”? 

I don’t like playing the race card, but does anyone else feel that everyone basically looked at the situation and said, “so some negroes and trailer trash die; who cares?”?

“George Bush does not care about black people!”
– Kanye West

Well, there are apparently not only rapes, muggings, killings, etc. Going on there now, but I read about reports of snipers on friggin’ rooftops someplace else, just causing trouble for the hell of it. 

So yeah, anarchy, insurgency, whatever term you wanna use, things are pretty mucked up, and the people causing trouble need to be arrested, which the Police there aren’t currently equipped to do.

Also, don’t forget that the Army Engineers did a study on this some six or more years ago, and found that even a Cat. 2 or 3 Hurricane could breach the Levees if it hit right. 

Ugh.

Lib-rool environmentalist whackos (university-based PhD researchers with armies of data-collecting grad students) have been raising the alarm since the late ‘70’s when the barrier islands and marshes began to erode away.

Granted combat-style retaking of the city is a drag but at this point (given that options one, two, and three were totally fucked up) it is the only option left.  Mayor “Send busses, mine are all parked” Nagel was right that addicts jonesing for a fix are a big part of the irrational violence.

I saw a police officer yesterday on CBS talking about how he’d just left a 60 hour shift.  He said he wasn’t sure if he’d go back--so many of his coworkers drowned trying to save people and, of those left, several had already turned in their badges because they lacked sufficient support to combat the gangs.  Police helicopters were shot at.

It sounds like things are pretty out of hand and look who we have to thank.

This is a non-issue.

Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, AKA “The Man”, has taken complete control of all National Guardsmen.  One of his first orders:  unless engaged by gunfire, your gun must either not be visible, or pointed downward.

In contrast to this article, you can (literally) watch news footage showing Honore jumping out of choppers, transports, etc., and screaming at soldiers to keep their guns down in the few cases needed:  “This ain’t Baghdad, this is America.” He has qualified this operation as a relief operation, not a combat operation.  There’s a huge difference.

In once instance yesterday, i saw Honore scream at a soldier manning a humvee’s turret.  The solider, with his M16 pointed outward, was ordered to put his weapon inside the vehicle.  LtGen Honore then proceeded to explain to surrounding men the reasoning behind such a policy.

Before anyone starts pulling out their dreadlocks, digging up their backyard weapons-cache, and calling for a Cuban-Venezuelan Coalition to liberate New Orleans, take a look at Honore’s methods and record.  He is, after all, very, very much in charge.

Brig. Gen. Gary Jones is not.

(Sorry. But, i’m double-dipping not because i can, but because i should...)

In my morning travels i stumbled upon a good, fact-based article.  Over at CNN.com they’re running a piece that details the *relief* operation currently underway in New Orleans, and controlled by LtGen Honore:

He ordered all he encountered to point their weapons down, said CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr, who was with the general. Honore repeatedly went up to military vehicles, National Guardsmen standing sentry and even to New Orleans police officers, telling them to please point their weapons down and reminding them that they were not in Iraq.

I know the facts might not be as exciting as the ultra-liberal fictional idea of the US military hunting down and killing New Orleans’ inner-city poor, looted food and diapers in hand, but it’s important to keep the facts in focus:

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/US/09/02/honore.profile/index.html

I know the facts might not be as exciting as the ultra-liberal fictional idea of the US military hunting down and killing New Orleans’ inner-city poor, looted food and diapers in hand, but it’s important to keep the facts in focus

It’s hardly a stretch to imagine that the guys-with-guns might be acting as though they’re in a war zone when they’re well aware that many of the people they’re there to help might be drug addicts in withdrawal who are less than rational, and more than likely armed.  Some parts of the city are more stable than others, and even in those parts the “good guys” are apparently wound pretty tightly…

From The Interdictor Blog last night:

7:01 pm
City Security
The city is starting to feel more secure now. Much larger military and Homeland Security presence and many fewer civilians left. Of course with this added security comes additional dangers like hyper-suspicious, armed authorities. If you watch the cam or walk the streets, you see that almost every civilian is approached, evaluated for threat potential, then either patted down or left alone. The disconcerting thing is that these authorities always have their guns at the ready and look like they’re enjoying intimidating the people. Two of us have already had guns aimed at us by police—Brian by the Federal Cops guarding the Boggs Federal building while we were waiting for the resupply, and me when we were delivering the router to City Hall.

Don’t get me wrong, some guys are more professional than others. You can tell the ones who took the job because they wanted to bullies and who took the job to protect and serve. That’s one thing a catastrophic situation does—it sifts people’s true personalities out.

If they’re pointing guns at a couple of white guys in the Central Business District as they’re bringing equipment to City Hall, I have NO trouble believing that they’re approaching the sections of the city reported to be overrun with armed gangs, junkies and thugs as though it’s occupied by insurgents.  I don’t think it’s necessarily RIGHT for them to do so, but it’s not all that difficult to see how it’s come to be that way.

Yeehaw!!!  I’m back!  I had to weigh in here (after over a year without comment).  Speaking of ultra-liberal fictional ideas, does anyone find Governor Blanco’s comments a “wee bit” disturbing?

“These troops are fresh back from Iraq, well trained, experienced, battle-tested and under my orders to restore order in the streets.

“They have M-16s and they are locked and loaded.

“These troops know how to shoot and kill and they are more than willing to do so if necessary and I expect they will.”

What an incredible, ass!  The people of LA need to replace this bitch without delay.  Luckily that 3-star was there for a reality check.  Did anyone witness anything other than incredible compassion on the part of the GIs?

Hopefully the mayor will be slinging gumbo in Lafayette soon too!  His head is already shaved to resemble the walking penis that he is!  (Oh what’s that…rich white folks need to get out…well yassir Mistuh Chawley, you kin take dem buses).

I have absolutely no doubt that if a Conservative said these words or did these things there would be 1,000 negative comments about it.  But because liberal chicken hawks said them/did them, they go ignored.

Naturally the whole thing is Bush’s fault and the Gov, who kind of should have put HER guardsmen on alert, has no culpability in this debacle.

Anyone ever notice how we don’t see shit like this in Florida?  That’s because we take ‘Canes seriously and the authorities here are on top of it.  I got hit by Ivan last year and Dennis this year; the recovery effort was unreal!!!  It went like a military op!  The authorities in Nawlins pretty much were just wishing the thing wouldn’t hit them.

OOPs...I forgot to put my call sign in the previous message.

That would be THE Mild Bill!

I know the facts might not be as exciting as the ultra-liberal fictional idea of the US military hunting down and killing New Orleans’ inner-city poor, looted food and diapers in hand, but it’s important to keep the facts in focus:

What the fuck, Rob? I don’t think anyone here suggested such a thing. It IS a fact that the Army Times are describing AMERICANS as an INSURGENCY. Let’s see, what’s the definition of insurgency? Oh yes…

Insurgency

n : an organized rebellion aimed at overthrowing a constituted government through the use of subversion and armed conflict

I don’t think the assholes shooting up New Orleans quite qualifies. Criminals? Yes. Dangerous? Absolutely. Worthy of being shot if they shoot first? Without question. But they’re not a fucking insurgency.

For the record, I’m very happy to see someone like Lt. Gen. Russel Honore in charge down there. We could use a few more people like him lending him a hand.

Welcome back, Mild Bill. I wonder how long it’ll be before you flip your lid this time.

Adding some left-wing suspicion here:

Wouldn’t it fit neatly into the modus operandi of the current US adminisration to divert blame by using such words (like insurgency?).

I don’t know if it’s gonna work any better* than the previous times, but this administration HAS a track record of tying unrelated concepts together to boost its political bona fides. Saddam = 9/11 anyone?

*It worked well enough, ‘nuff said!

I truly hate to interrupt the perpetual anti-government love feast all, but the Army Times is an independent publication that is not in any way sponsored by the ARMY!!!  It’s just like the Air Force Times, which I have personally heard senior Air Force leaders refer to as “The Air Force Enquirer�?.  These rags are obviously aimed at the military, but get little respect from the services.  They generally bait you into buying one by putting something about pay on the cover and the rest is mostly horseshit.  Any “Air Corps�? dudes out there to second me?

By the way, why did my little quote from Field Marshal, Governor Blanco escape comment???

Les

Flip my lid indeed you old fart!  Geez 38, you were 36 the last time I was here…seems like that was only a year ago.

I used to work in many of these areas where the most damage was done.  I spent weeks at a time in Waveland, MS, which I read does not exist anymore.  I also worked Ocean Springs/Biloxi, which obviously did not fair well.  A telecomm site at Pearlington, MS, which had the highest number of dead in MS, was also on my route!!!  It’s just a dinky little place a few hundred yards away from the LA border.  In New Orleans I worked right next to the Hyatt in that 10/12-story black building.  We used to eat lunch at the Hyatt (whenever we were feeling fancy) and walked by the Dome everyday.  Watching that shit on TV was surreal.

Somebody has got to explain why we just sat on our asses here, 150 miles away from MS, and watched this shit on TV.  I was/am so f^%$#’ mad I could spit!!!

Huh…
I (seriously) thought people understood Army Times wasn’t a governmental publication.

I guess i should have, first, corrected that bizarro misunderstanding.

I (seriously) thought people understood Army Times wasn’t a governmental publication.

I wasn’t aware of that, no. I was thinking it was something semi-independant at most.