BushCo didn't cause the hurricane, but they saw in it an opportunity . . .

[OneBlueSky]

to essentially eliminate one of the country's most vibtant (albeit poorest) urban African-American communities . . . so they decided to go for it . . . simply through intentional neglect . . .

once they fully engage, however, this will also give them an opportunity to test out how to best impose and manage martial law . . . and handle "refugees" (detainees) . . .

New Orleans will be their laboratory for some serious social re-engineering . ..

[MercutioATC]

1. ***Biting tongue*** I respectfully disagree.

I think you're giving this administration too much credit with "intentional neglect".

IMO, this was just another example the same incompetence we've seen throughout Bush's tenure. He's not an evil genius, he's an incompetent idiot.

[NoQuarter]

2. * is NOT running the show. eom

[MercutioATC]

3. Probably not.

I still don't believe the response was intentionally slow because NOLA has a large minority population. They're all just that incompetent.

[NoQuarter]

5. Just as they ignored

"Bin Laden determined to attack inside the United States" (or whatever that title was) to get their Iraq agenda under way, they eschewed any idea of preparations for the people that they KNEW would be left in NO when that bitch Katrina showed up.

[MercutioATC]

7. I really don't think the thought process went that far.

They wanted to do other things with the money (like fight wars and give it to the wealthy) and other programs suffered. Obviously, upgrading the levees was one project that suffered.

I really believe that's all there is to it. Negligence, but no specific intent.

[NoQuarter]

11. It wasn't just levees.

Everybody paying any attention at all KNEW this storm was gunning for The Big Easy. They also KNEW that folks were going to be there after it hit. Absolutely NO preparations were made for that. Zero. Nada. Zilch. And as people were dying, the pResident partied in my city. As I watched his photo-op here in San Diego, I just knew he was going to head back to D.C., but NOOOOOOO, one more night in Crawford was necessary. For What? Laura's not the Commander in Chief, so she can pack his personal things. No excuses for not making a bee-line to the Nation's Capitol. NONE.

It can be argued whether the plan should have been to get as many people out who couldn't do it themselves, or prepare to get the survivors out, but they KNEW it would be hell on earth and they did NOTHING.

FOR DAYS.

[applegrove]

4. No. New Orleans was just a means to give Bush back some money

in his "fear account". 9/11 was no longer working. Now that he has reinvigorated fear among his constituents..fear of anarchy..by not sending troops into a CITY, IMMEDIATELY, When law & order broke down...he can laugh all the way to the bank.

[NoQuarter]

6. You got that right.

Halliburton, indeed.

Any more questions?

[jpgray]

8. You give them way too much credit

How was Monday's playing of the guitar part of this grand scheme? This was a huge PR opportunity for Bush and he blew it completely--this is not what they wanted to happen. If he had handled it well, his popularity would be back in the 80s today.

[Rainscents]

9. I agree with you! I been having a same thought myself.

[Wizard777]

10. Weather Trends in Oil Infrastructure Speculation.

It's really that simple.