This is a Test, This is Only a Test. Had this Been an Actual Emergency

[omega minimo]

"It can't happen HERE"
--Frank Zappa


:patriot: The American response to the New Orleans disaster appears to be appropriately outraged and compassionate. We must also realize the implications for the entire structure of the nation and the vulnerability of every community to malign neglect (which appears to be happening). We must contact our elected representatives and demand accountability from the nation's CEO-- running the country as Big Business has run the nation into the ground.

It is dangerous to assume, because this is a racist AND a classist perpetration of horror on a segment of the population, that your area is not endangered by the same perpetrators.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=2063337

My immediate concern watching the New Orleans disaster unfold on Tee Vee was that some Americans would downplay the inhumane treatment of the survivors because they were black; the habitual association of African Americans with poverty and indignities permeates the American consciousness.

These scenes would be perceived totally differently if these people were not black-- they would not even be happening. (The posts today advocating "rubbing people's faces in the photos" of the dead in NO made me want to :puke: These are human beings-- not cartoon characters. We don't need to look at those photos to guage the suffering or the horror).

THAT is the racist aspect here. To deny it is to not see honestly what is before our eyes-- and it is imperative that we do.

The bigger picture is that we have to recognize that this IS A TEST of how we respond to the inhumane and irresponsible treatment of a segment of the population. To downplay the implications because these poor, brown people "should have" done something other than be in NO when the hurricane hit, is to miss the point....

To split hairs over whether this is about their race OR their class is to also miss the point.

This could be your neighborhood. The lesson here is THEY WILL DO THIS TO ANY SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION, ANY COMMUNITY.

This is an experiment. The safe, opinionated, observing public are the GUINEA PIGS.

This is a test. This is only a test. Had this been an actual emergency, you would have been notified by the dead air on the emergency broadcast system and the helicopters flying overhead, passing passing passing into the distance.......

[smoogatz]

1. Your ass would have been grass.

Bushco to Gulf Coast: Fuck You!

[libhill]

2. Should've / would've / could've

I'm so damn tired of the public complaining about people not leaving NO in advance of the storm. A lot of people in this country, whether white, black, Latino, other, whatever, are dirt fucking poor. They don't even have transportation. How the hell can you exit a city if you have no way to exit? Not everyone in this country is Lexus driving fucking yuppie.

[omega minimo]

3. FEMA Boss Brown: "Thousands of people we didn't know were there"

started appearing after the hurrican hit.

The invisible poor.

Now the nation sees them.

[libhill]

5. They damned well better see them -

As other posters have stated elsewhere, what happened in NO could happen in other communities, any where in the nation. If you're working class or poor, the Repukes could give a rats as if you live or die. "Just give us your votes, then fuck off".

[GodHelpUsAll2]

4. Me too

Sick sick sick to damn death of all the jackasses blaming the people because they didn't leave the city ahead of time. How many of the middle class or well off folks helped those less fortunate get the hell out of the city? Were there any citizens offering rides to those who had no transportation? My guess is not very many, if there were any at all. The interviews with tourists that had no way out because the rental cars were all gone and the airport was shut down recalling how the wealthy tourists loaded their SUV's with the luggage and split leaving everyone behind and making no offers to help others get out. Welcome to America, it's dog eat dog and every man for himself. As long as I am ok that's all that matters.

[libhill]

8. True

and the god damn Republicans encourage that type of thinking. If you're poor or working poor, it's your own fault. Your just a lazy welfare bum sponging off the public dole, depriving all of the poor businessmen and zillion dollar a year CEO's of what is rightfully theirs. So if you happen to get stranded in a city that's hit by a disaster, it's your own fault. You should have walked you ragged, barefoot ass 20 or 30 miles to safety. Hell, there are plenty of good swamps in La. for drinking purposes. Well, I'll shut up now, I'm so pissed off that I'm ranting and making no sense.

[omega minimo]

9. "Let them eat cake"

I still don't get why Americans have gone along with Repug BS for 2+ decades. The is the inevitable outcome of their policies. Enough people have already been hurt. Enough industries and livelihoods have been destroyed...

Probably the fact that this president was non-elected-- twice--- helps.

Why can't people get upset about Halliburton, fer gawd's sake?

[libhill]

10. A lot of people are

upset about Halliburton. Thing is, you have to understand the mentality of a lot of Americans. We're propagandized from birth, to think that America is God's country, we do no wrong, all of our actions are motivated by good will and altruism. Which of course is bullshit. America is just another damn country, better than some, possibly, but certainly worse than some others. But some of us can't get past the propaganda, and those are the folks who buy into the Republican b.s. and rhetoric without any critical thought at all. God / guns / gays /abortion, "praise Jaysus" and "God Bless America". That's the Republican platform, and you'd be astounded by how many people buy into that crap, and vote against their best economic interests. Oh, well - I'm tired now, and pissed off, and I'm ranting again. To bed with me I suppose.

[Porcupine]

6. Rich peoples dogs were treated better than the poor...

Aint' that America.

[omega minimo]

7. That's why this is the wake up call this country has needed for 25 years

This is where the Reagan Era ended up.

This is why we all need to send letters to Congress and the media and tell them we demand accountability from the White House.