JasonZavoda wrote:The Katrina disaster was about state corruption, a governor who didn't call for help till it was too late and a city mayor and police chief who were not just corrupt but incompetent.
sauromatian wrote:Weirdly enough, most of the pre-Katrina attention directed to FEMA preparedness seems to have come from conspiracy theorists. FEMA, they claimed, was assembling the resources to put thousands of ordinary Americans into camps. Just what would be expected in a natural disaster, but as described by the the UFO crowd, these would be concentration camps for untold sinister purposes. This idea was sufficiently popular to make it into the first X-Files movie.
sauromatian wrote:A great deal of the criticism was indirect. The State & National Guards are supposed to respond to national disasters, but couldn't because they were in Iraq. When the federal government eventually did organize an evacuation of Katrina refugees, it involved truckloads of Mexican soldiers to fill in. As has been pointed out on this thread, FEMA was trying to do more than it was designed to do. Weirdly enough, most of the pre-Katrina attention directed to FEMA preparedness seems to have come from conspiracy theorists. FEMA, they claimed, was assembling the resources to put thousands of ordinary Americans into camps. Just what would be expected in a natural disaster, but as described by the the UFO crowd, these would be concentration camps for untold sinister purposes. This idea was sufficiently popular to make it into the first X-Files movie.
ashmire13 wrote:Not gonna happen Mike thanks for the offer though, so may have a word with my man Bret, to see what he can screw up!
Badmike wrote:Well the Vikes didn't do it but I hope you do....just donated! Good Luck!Mike B.
JasonZavoda wrote:First I've heard of mexican soldiers in the USA. Where is the source for that?
JasonZavoda wrote:The National guard could not respond because the Governor refused to call it a federal disaster and request aid.
sauromatian wrote:This one's more difficult to reference, as it has to do with accusations pitched from all sides. I could list a hundred essays accusing Blanco of not responding quickly enough (or defending her), and accusing the Guard of being stretched thin (or defending them), most of which are neatly divided by the political orientation of the essayists. Too depressing.
jasonw1239 wrote:Instead of spending hundreds of millions (if not billions) of dollars on flood protection so that people can build on land that is below sea level the whole concept of "New Orleans" should be reevaluated.Either follow the Netherlands idea of going all out to reclaim land from the sea and then protect it with layers of defenses, or allow the low laying areas to flood and create more lakefront property for the higher areas.
Badmike wrote:So less than 200 Mexican medics and health care workers were deployed in San Antonio for three weeks to distribute aid and medical supplies?
Badmike wrote:Blanco dropped the ball, pure and simple. Whether or not she asked for troops is a "yes or no" question, not something that has to be politicized. If she had asked, they would have been there
Badmike wrote:the National Guard isn't a political organization but they have to obey a chain of command, of which the state's governor is the top.
sauromatian wrote:The feds attempted to take over command the National Guard response. Blanco refused to relinquish command, & their dispute further delayed things. Did this constitute a refusal for the troops? Depends on which side you ask.
Badmike wrote:I think we are arguing the same thing.
sauromatian wrote:Agreed. I looked at a few sources for information on this topic, & came across all manner of crazy stuff. My favorite: "FEMA sent hundreds of firefighters who had volunteered to help rescue victims to Atlanta for 2 days of training classes on topics including sexual harassment and the history of FEMA."
Gnat the Beggar wrote:http://www.wired.com/video/open-source-3d-printer-turns-designs-into-objects/61029613001?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29Build your own miniatures and castles too. One piece at a time.
