Martial law in New Orleans

by **robertdreed** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 1:42 am

...yawn.

by **AnnaLivia** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 2:02 am

could be this round is being staged so that next event (soon, and more assuredly of their making this time) they'll get better acceptance for martial law (they think) (and then the sky's the limit). "Remember New Orleans and all the anarchy? where we tried the state and local enforcement? well, this is even worse (bigger city/cities). you wanna be safe, or what?" (oh yes, make us safe, oh great and powerful, benevolent fedgov) yeah, right. "hey, you folks saw the pictures last time..." only trouble is, i'm seeing pictures of tens of thousands of people whose behavior has been exemplary under extraordinary pressures and hardship. these victims in New Orleans have actually strengthened my faith in people by the way they have endured this manufactured nightmare.

by **dbeach** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 2:17 am

its all test runs for the bush agenda..martial law and the round up of the dissidents and non-buseviks.. 3 branches of govt..ALL CORRUPT.. they got the cash,the power and the means..WHY should they stop now? most of the awake crowd know 9/11 was an inside job and its all related to 11/00 and their first coup..They gotta go for broke..Each tragedy will be more conditioing..

by **Dreams End** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 2:28 am

What are we seeing here? I think the key is in the mysterious gunshots. At several times today, key operations were stopped because of alleged shots at rescue workers. On at least two occasions, FEMA itself was said to be directly responsible for the orders to cease the vital services. For example, a literal flotilla of volunteers on boats were poised to go in. Allegedly someone shot at a boat and FEMA then told them it was too dangerous to continue rescue operations. A Salvation Army officer explained to CNN that they had hundreds of volunteers and lots of food to distribute but FEMA would not allow them in. Too dangeous. A hospital was in the middle of airlifting patients when someone took a shot at an ambulance. (by the way, these stories change quite a bit, so I'm putting them out as the media is last I heard it.) Finally, the actual bus caravan from the Superdome was halted for awhile due to a shot being fired at a helicopter. This story was later denied by the FAA. Chilling, isn't it? These "criminals" in the streets are taking time out from their busy schedule of stealing things they cannot possibly transport out of the city to take shots at relief workers at strategic moments which cause important rescue operations to halt. If you believe this is actually what is happening, please move to another article somewhere...this one is not for you. Why is this really happening? Several reasons. First off, I was simply appalled at the level of incompetence at this operation. But it got so bad that clearly, incompetence is not enough to explain what we are seeing. Simple matters such as dropping water and food to those at the Convention Center, from which reporters have been broadcasting all day, were not taken. There were no helicopters with loudspeakers explaining to people where to go to receive aid and transport out. Again, a trivially simple operation avoided even as Shepherd Smith from FOX News was pleading with officials for hours yesterday to send someone to his easily accessible location to tell the thousands massed there where to go for help. No food or water was airlifted into the Superdome, despite FEMA Head Brown saying food and water had been collected ahead of the storm while explaining how well prepared they were and how efficient this operation was going. (Seriously, he said that.) Several press conferences are held while CNN and others split screen with images that directly contradict the statements being given by these various Secretaries and Department heads. The reporters openly laughed at one point to FEMA statements. Another element that we need to understand before coming to our hypothesis about what is really going on, is the drumbeat about looting. Yes, racism is an element and an important one (see the "white people find things, black people loot" gem circulating all over the internet). But this started yesterday. News reporters kept talking about looting but providing few images and making no careful or quantitative distinctions between "looting" of life sustaining necessities and looting of luxury items. And, of course, no one questioned the rationale of protecting property to the extent of pulling all of the NOPD off of rescue work and onto looting prevention. A funny thing happened on the way to martial law, however. There was a slight hiccup. Reporters starting last night and continuing through today were noticing the very profound difference between FEMA and DHS statements and the facts on the ground. Some grew angry, such as Cafferty and Coooper. Some wept openly. Some simply shook their head in shock. You could see some of these carefully coiffed anchors suddenly realize they were being lied to live on the air. They began to understand that this was the beginnings of a massive coverup. I'd like to welcome them to journalism. This hiccup seems to be coming under control, however, despite Cafferty's talking about the overwhelming number of emails condemning the government's handling of this democracy demolishing disaster. For it seems the looting drumbeat goes on. The Louisiana Governor (sic and sick) announced that 40,000 troops at least would be deployed. The purpose: to bring the civil unrest under control. Now, you can define civil unrest many ways, but one part of the definition must always be this...civil unrest is visible from helicopter height. There have (unless the rebellion at the stadium has begun yet...been away from the TV) been NO shots of widespread anything resembling unrest. Some looting shots, yes. So what, then, is she really wanting to bring under control? So these 40,000 troops are coming and she said they are to use whatever force is necessary to restore order. Open season on African-Americans. You think I exaggerate, I'm sure. Well, there's actually more to her plan than that. For one thing, she wants troops which are not just National Guard. That means regular military involved in Law Enforcement. And that means martial law. And she wants these troops not only in New Orleans but in the surrounding communities taking in refugees. I assume that the southern half of Louisiana will end up under martial law soon. But back to our story. Why would the government stage those shootings or spread the distorted rumors about them? For that is surely what has happened. There are several reasons. They've had time to think about this, you see, for the CNN scroll informed me a few hours ago that this exact scenario had been a tabletop exercise a year ago. yeah, those "exercises" turning into reality again. So the reasoning includes some or all of the following. 1. The most obvious is that they simply cannot save these people...not without making the kinds of choices that put people ahead of all other considerations. They aren't going to make those choices on the side of humanity but the shootings give an excuse for why there are so many "delays". And, right on cue, this evening CNN and FOX both began running the soundbytes over and over of "the relief work cannot continue until the city is safe." (By the way, are you like me? If you were there, would you not risk a few stray gunmen to attempt to rescue people trapped in their houses, which, by the way, are away from areas of looting and shootings? And would you not turn on the TV and see that that FOX reporter is not getting shot and load up your supplies and head there? I'm sure the volunteers on the scene feel the same way. They are being forced NOT to go in.) 2. Another purpose served here is to set up the next phase. What do we know about military operations and the press (oh, you didn't hear...the situation is now being described as "urban warfare"). The press must go. The shootings will allow the military to bar the press from anywhere it sees fit and, in fact, I see from CNN's current lead that this is already happening. Oh look. I think CNN is reading this as I write: <blockquote>Quote:<hr>I never want to compare anything to what's happening in Iraq, but there is one similarity in that the ability to move about as reporters is slowly becoming compromised. To be as safe as possible, we have to sacrifice some of our ability to go out and confirm information and verify stories. And right now, with this safety situation in the city of New Orleans, that's just not possible. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/09/01/scene.blog/index.html">www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/...index.html</a> <hr></blockquote> 3. Once the press and rescue workers are contained, the work of looter shooting and body disposal can begin. The looter shooting must take place off camera, because gosh darn it, those looters refuse to wear identifying insignia and sometimes stubbornly refuse to brandish weapons. However, we MUST have LOTS of shots of men and women in uniform jackbooting around the city. This is essential. It is to accustom us to this site as a normative affair, to be welcomed in our own cities and towns. Also, the bodies must be disposed of rather discretely because simple arithmetic tells you the following: 80% of the 1.5 million who live in NO and environs evacuated. That leaves 300,000. There are 25,000 at the Superdome or whatever hell they are being shipped to. There are another 20,000 or so at the Convention Center (now receiving food a CNN scroll informed me, so all that press coverage saved some lives). There is a nebulous number of 70,000 in shelters, but I don't know if that's in addition to the Superdome nor do I know if it's part of the original 80%. We'll count them as part of the left behinds for now. Some 3000 have been plucked from rooftops. Add it up. I come up with some 200,000 missing. Some may have gotten out, but there are not too many other places in the city with large crowds. One LSU expert, as has been noted on this site, estimated that 1/3 of these total remaining 300,000 had drowned. This simply CANNOT be made public. 4. So the rescue efforts are sabotaged to cause delay and the drumbeats for martial law and "shoot the looters on site" (O'Reilly) can become policy. But it doesn't end there. Much of the disruption in oil supply as well as other factors from the hurricane are going to stress an already greatly strained economy. The gas prices alone will cause unrest as a recent truckers action BEFORE the hurricane clearly demonstrates. We will told to consider this hurricane a national disaster that will be made worse by disruptive dissent. We will be urged not to "politicize" this crisis. Dissent and unrest will become synonymous as has already happened in New Orleans. Where's the silver lining? Well, there are one or two, actually. First, the press came out of its stupor for a moment. We'll see if it lasts. I am reminded of the Ukrainian press's mea culpa in which they vowed to stop repeating lies. Okay, not quite there yet, but you should have seen the ligthbulbs going off in the normally empty heads of the CNN spokesmodels. It was almost tangible. As I mentioned, they are being reigned in as we speak, but there have been important moments. Secondly, we are poised on a razor's edge. Bush's popularity was plummeting BEFORE all of this. And while the forces of reaction are not isolated within the Bush administration, he is the current goal tender. And he is going down in flames. If this were a thriving democracy, he'd be gone in a matter of weeks. Alas, it is not a thriving democracy, but I can't see any way he can maintain power without openly declaring the dictatorship he's always wanted. In this flux, we can thank the gods of Chaos that no one can control all variables, especially of the complexity of rebellions. There is some hope in that. These people are NOT all powerful. In addition, the overt arrival of fascism is a signal to the rest of the world that they can stop pretending we are a democracy. Most of the world had already done that anyway. There are many possible outcomes. 1. Widespread martial law and a tenacious Bush and co. clinging to power. 2. Limited hangouts chucking a few of these folks to the wolves but attempting to keep business as usual. 3. The military savior option. Martial law is declared and Bush is removed from office as the military rescues the nation. I'm not sure that this isn't the ultimate plan anyway, as there've been hints of this before...when you see a "why the left should welcome a military coup d'etat" article in <a href="http://www.counterpunch.org/madsen02112003.html">Counterpunch</a>, you know that there are serious games being played. Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=dreamsend@rigorousintuition>Dreams End</A> at: 9/2/05 12:36 am

by **Dreams End** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 2:44 am

Oh yeah, and, no surprise. CNN now announcing that they are out of room at the Astrodome (I accidentally had written "Superdome". Somewhere in this thread I said this would happen. CNN knew it would happen. Therefore the world knew it would happen. Evidently, only FEMA didn't know it would happen. Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=dreamsend@rigorousintuition>Dreams End</A> at: 9/2/05 7:38 am

by **Dreams End** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 2:50 am

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>It was unclear what had occurred. Police said there had been a shootout as they forced a reporter and a photographer out of a passing car at gunpoint, pushing them face first against the wall. They took away a reporter's notebook and tossed the photographer's camera on the ground before returning them and telling the pair to leave.<hr></blockquote> <a href="http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_Times-Picayune/archives/2005_09.html#076000">www.nola.com/newslogs/bre...tml#076000</a> <blockquote>Quote:<hr>She said of the soldiers: “They have M-16s and they are locked and loaded. These troops know how to shoot to kill . . . and I expect they will.’’<hr></blockquote> <a href="http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_Times-Picayune/archives/2005_09.html#076000">www.nola.com/newslogs/bre...tml#076000</a> (further down than the first quote) Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=dreamsend@rigorousintuition>Dreams End</A> at: 9/2/05 12:52 am

by **rain** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 2:59 am

I am stunned. you write some good stuff, but that was brilliant, and in the midst of all this turmoil. a true 'coming of age'. there's probably another item a little further down the list, and I've been trying to remember the cite - '...they'll welcome U.N. troops' stay safe.

by **trainable23** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 3:25 am

in the street a hundred times piece by piece no surrender for the beast who's grown accustomed to the bleat but raging waters roar we don't need no movie underscore for our fuckin war on terror comin right down on ya the last that you will see afore ye be flayed upon the heap... a billion smiling sheep the last that you will smell the burning meat that once was you hangin in the street piece by piece slouching on to hell

by **Starman** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 4:21 am

WheW! VERY sharp distillation there, DE. I'm gratified you're able to think so clearly about these tremendously difficult issues and lay-out your views so well. I've been grappling with the weight of mounting evidence that supports your observational theory -- I have to admit it fits the facts MUCH better than anything else, especially the fumbling incompetance excuse, let alone the FAR more fantastic 'we're doing an excellant job, we planned ahead and everybody is doing everything they can' bullshit, and the equally idiotic 'we are under fire and can't proceed.' I keep feeling, 'I can't fucking BELIEVE this' -- There's just no WAY the whole snafu makes sense. Like you, I wouldn't hesitate to go-ahead with rescue in such a dire situation -- I think MANY people were prepared to go ahead but were prevented by FEMA. And then FEMA says they're only in a supporting role -- and their explanations, as you pointed out, just don't jive. One report says that rescie efforts had been suspended, while another official says they never stopped. Brown claims NO ONE in the Federal Government knew about the refugees at the convention center until today, around noon. Fer Chrissakes -- It was blasted all day yesterday! Christ, but FEMA's Brown is evidently an evil, malicious stooge to be playing such a grossly duplicious role. Your critique of the public and press being cleverly conditioned and set-up for a monstrously fanatic, extremist 'solution' seems right. There could well be 50,000 drowned, dead people already, with untold thousands more susceptable to disease and exposure -- of COURSE the Gov. is gonna do EVERYTHING they can to keep this secret and covered-up. Ah -- what about a perfect super-disease epidemic which cause the entire city to be quarantined? How ELSE to explain this absolutely chilling report: What the HeLL?? CNN's Aaron Brown just reported --earlier today, a group of about 500 NO refugees who had contracted for some 11 busses tfor $25,000 to evacuate their school-group, trekked 3 hours, probably some 6 miles, and I guess crossed the I-10 bridge across the river -- and were stopped by military-type cops with shotguns! Told they couldn't go any further, they couldn't leave the city! They explained they were supposed to link-up with the busses they'd contracted, which when they showed up the military commandeered. I guess it was an explosive situation and the person who told Aaron this feared for his life, cuz he effusively thanked another guy who was there, an Afro-American, who said, Hey, if I can walk around, they can -- And so then the group was allowed to keep walking out, where they ended-up in a local community (something like 'Neville' -- I didn't write it down immediately and can't find my map to confirm it). A very freaky, wierd story, man. Did anyone else see this? Could this be an 'opportunity' to use a custom- engineered virus superbug, tied to the many dozens of suspiciously-dead microbiologists? This just occurred to me. And of course, the condition the people are forced to endure are PRIME cholera breeding-grounds -- dead-bodies, unclean water, polluted-foul, reeking flood-waters contaminated with bodies and sewage and toxic-chemicals and poisons and petro-products -- it's a fucking indescribable CRIME to make people stay there an hour longer than absolutely necessary -- this IS nothing BUT deliberate genocide, the 'message' being promoted to the watching public, fighting through the bleeding-humanity and compassion, is, 'Be LUCKY you aren't there; Stay tuned and follow instructions and we'll protect you.' Just ... outrageous. Of COURSE I'm almost speechless with outrage. But JeSUS, what ELSE is the idiocy of using National Guard to preserve law and order -- How the hell are people supposed to live? These officials are absolutely OUT of their minds!!! HOW can you preserve a dead city????They're obviously stalling for time, not knowing where to send these people -- WHY don't they, why didn't they set-up and build temporary staging centers and refigee camps, or use some of the infamous FEMA internment camps, or unused military bases, or put the masses of now-homeless disaster-victims in motels and hotels across the nation, and in campgrounds and apartments and rental-houses. Look at what a huge boost to the economy this infusion of cash would be! This head-up-ass inaction while babies and children and mothers and aged and ill is simply amazing -- it shows how utterly FUCKED the official's values are who have authority over all the necessary resources to alleviate this atrocity. But it's so typical of what America has been doing to 3rd-world peoples for god how-many centuries -- Like AnnaLivia pointed-out. And now, it's America's turn to be sacrificed for greed and out of the PTB's reckless, selfish interest in protecting their franchise on wealth and power and privelege -- and putting these NO refugees, some 100,000 plus into communities across the country, having to subsidize their shelter and social needs and medical care and clothing and food while they TRY to make some new life, which many people frankly aren't going to be well-prepared for -- the State, ie. Bush and his economic-cartel 'base', probably utterly LOATHE the idea of these 100.000 plus masses becoming non-productive wards of the state. But also, the very FACT of these refugees 'burdening' communities as guests who quickly exceed their welcome-guest status, become a mounting political liability to the Repubs, becoming embarrassing in-your-face evidence of Bush's reckless disregard for the public's interest and his administration's notorious irresponsibility and profligate wasteful squandering and diversion of the nations wealth and treasure -- They must be thinking this is a huge challenge for them to spin in their favor, perhaps an opportunity for a grand-slam 'solution'. That's just as bad as shoot-to-kill policy. Which reminds me -- I saw, earlier, a report that a state National Guard detachment of some 300 Iraq-Veteran troops will be showing up to lend their 'expertise' to the emergency -- well-blooded and experienced, battle-hardened troopers with M-16s, now -probably- being given the same kind of flexible rules-of-engagement they have become used to in Iraq. What possible SENSE does this make? And -- we have a total Gulf Area Health Emergency -- so FEMA can quarantine indefinitely if they choose to. This just adds to catastrophe building, each hour the refugees aren't physically moved out of the NO environs. Only IF the city or corp of engineers had a heavy-lift helicopter and a supply of boulders and stones, they could quite possibly have plugged the breeched levee breaks -- thus preventing most of the awful consequences the people of NO have been suffering -- what incredible incompetance, now being turned tobalme the refugees for not 'saving' themselves. What's it gonna take -- volunteers to rent trucks and busses and go down there and do it themselves? What about a fleet of semi-trailers? For all the talk by the inflated-importance honchos like FEMA's Brown talking about, "All options are on the table." Bullshit! Doesn't the army have field-camp equipment? Doesn't anyone know how to set-up a simple refugee shelter, multiplied by 1000s? People are dying while Bush and his brain-dead staff are stalling. Oh, and now the Astrodome with perhaps 5000 refugees has been declared to be at its limit. And the busses and passengers weren't even told this until they arrived at site -- again., absolutely NO communication. The Superdome is already a massive disease-bomb -- to force people to stay there is cruel and criminal. Here, I thought perhaps a corner had been turned with some indications of improvement starting. So the case for this being a deliberate crime is damn compelling. GoDDAMNED it! Maybe we ought to do everything we can to demand an immediate, all-out evacuation -- which is what should have been initiated on Monday, when the levee failure became evident. Calls and e-mails to the WH and Congress and our 'reps', letters to the editor, massive net blogging, faxes to civil and International officials ... And God-DAMN Hannity and O'Reilly, they keep pushing the lawless meme for their evil interests, belying their real contempt for people in general and lack of compassion. And how ELSE to rationalize Gov (sic) Brownel's authorizing to bring IN 40,000 troops with arms locked-and-loaded. This is the stupidest, scariest single thing I could imagine -- The whole Criminal Element message is grossly exagerrated, by all indications I've seen, and as Rev. Sharpton also remarked. The IMMENSE logistical effort to bring these troops in instead of using resources to get the folks out. Folks, I am REAL worried for how this thing could get even worse, REAL bad. No doubt, if this was an upscale neighborhood, they'd be outta there like right NOW! Oh -- and Gov (sic) Brownel, talking 'to' the looters and 'criminal element' during a press conference, warning them they'll be lawful or ELSE!!! -- BUT: They don't have Televisions or radios! And also, I agree- the people have for the most part been remarkably patient and civil. Bush's Floodgate HAS to be his final, definitive accountability moment ala Impeachment -- followed by a 75-count indictment and grand-slam conviction. Followed by total crony house-cleaning purge and the People reclaiming their Government and common stake in the nation's prosperity and health. Starman

by **antiaristo** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 5:04 am

"If the people were to ever find out what we have done, we would be chased down the streets and lynched." -- George Bush, cited in the June, 1992 Sarah McClendon Newsletter

by **Starman** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 6:31 am

I hear now, large numbers of NO police are turning in their badges rather than face angry crowds. I'd already heard previously that 20 percent of NO police had just left their posts, while in other Gulf Coast and surrounding towns up to 50 percent of police forces have abandoned their posts -- possibly out of disgust at the sheer ineptness of the Federal and State response which has totally overwhelmed local and city resources. The situation is now beginning to decay so bad that it CAN'T be inefficiency or simple lack of planning or even foolishness -- the coldblooded lack of concern is downright criminal, and dare I say, evil. In addition to dysentary and cholera, there is also now a major, growing risk of bird flu and anthrax. A HUGE irony, is that ALL the 'stuff' in the NO stores which the 'officials' are so concerned about protecting (over Life!) is NOW contaminated with toxic poisons and disease organisms and, for all practical intents, cannot even be legally or ethically sold. So WHAT'S the concern over merchandize but a cheap-shot excuse to paint the refugees as dirty, criminal hoodlums. What a GD tragic farce. Such cruel dishonesty should be a hanging offense. This following post on the toxic contamination of the 'stuff' the Gov. is so foolishly obsessed with saving over and above human life, is spot-on. Great DKOS diary thread, and many others on the index homepage also. There should be a non-stop convoy of trucks and busses and even cars. Amazing. The 'loot' is a lost cause! Get REAL!!! From: <a href="http://cindysheehan.dailykos.com/story/2005/9/2/31040/36581">cindysheehan.dailykos.com...1040/36581</a> on another board i visit a good friend of mine commented: "personally though? I tend to view all "looters" as "finders" in this particular circumstance. because like I say...even if they're "stealing" television sets...um...that television set is going to be illegal to sell in another day or two, if it isn't already. the reason is, because, its being constantly exposed to a toxic health risk, which is, standing water full of shit, piss, puke, paint chemicals, oil, tire skid marks, a shitload of drowned rats, and probably more than a few human corpses. in 90 degree weather with high humidity. gross, I know, but relevant. that water is a perfect breeding ground for the marriage of anthrax bacteria and bird flu mosquito larvae. that water's even grosser than a chill room, in other words. and any retail product exposed to the water for a week or more, will need to be seriously cleaned before any retailer can legally expect to put it back on a shelf. cleaned to the point where there's just no profit to consider. business leaders should just give up and publicly announce, "we hereby relinquish any products of ours found in or near the standing water, as well as any perishables such as dairy or produce, found anywhere - take em, people, and get by for another day or two" - this would be SO much more commendable, than making a multi-million dollar donation for relief funds, in a month or two once things have settled down... and the white house should focus on locating survivors, pumping out the water, and discreetly counting/burying the dead...not protecting all those Cheetos, iMacs and second-rate tennis shoes over at the local Wal Mart." and it made me wonder if the violence and desperation might be helped if they quit making these people, who are already living a nightmare, feel like criminals. are they even aware that martial law is in effect? do they understand that the orders are "zero tolerance" and "shoot to kill"? that is just what we need - pictures of dead people clutching pampers and soda. "quack!" - george bush <<a href="http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x11385.xml?ReleaseID=820">www.quinnipiac.edu/x11385...easeID=820</a> weather forecast <<a href="http://www.nws.noaa.gov/>">www.nws.noaa.gov/></a> by Cedwyn *** Our dimwitt Prez, interviewed by Diane Sawyer, sez there must be a zero-tolerance policy for ALL laws, including theft -- even in dire situations, He is SO fuckin clueless -- claiming 'we're doing everything we can to get help to these folks -- they gotta understand that.' Zero tolerance includes gas price-gouging and insurance fraud ... And THIS is the biggest, most arrogant, reckless, greedy and piggish theives of them all, him and his cohort collaborators who have pillaged and ransacked their way across the world with unmoderated arrogance. I'd like to see our feckless 'leader' spend two nights with no food or water, seeing uncountable dead neighbors and crying, dying children and wailing mothers, in foul, reeking water-and-crap-soaked clothes, filthy unwashed and aching and confused, with NO word or contact with any official who has something to communicate, seeing NOTHING reresenting law but occasional passing armed troops in armoured vehicles and reckless armed punks robbing and raping at will. Starman Some more right-on DKOS comments: <a href="http://cindysheehan.dailykos.com/story/2005/9/2/31040/36581">cindysheehan.dailykos.com...1040/36581</a> Is this really America? It's hard to imagine that the immediate, gut reaction of the government leaders wasn't "help these people." The people in New Orleans are hungry, sick, tired and dying. What coldness must it have taken to have just stood by and ignored it for those critical few days? This goes beyond mistakes, beyond incompetence -- this is inhuman. by monster *** The repugs despise government and believe that government cannot do anything right (except, of course, hand out favors to friends) and for 5 years have been doing everything in their power to prove their theory correct. That is why a political hack was put in charge of FEMA. Expertise does not matter for it is only the government. That coupled with not caring about anyone who is not a rich Republican partisan has created this disaster. The people of New Orleans, the latest casualties of Iraq. by Jlukes *** And their solution would be to put Halliburton in charge of disaster recovery. They would certainly have plenty of bottled water available. For $3 each. In October. by monster

by **Dreams End** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 9:21 am

Now CNN reports that the armed gangs are roaming the streets and outnumber the police. Has anyone seen any evidence of this? Any actual eyewitness reports from reporters? Pictures?

by **Dreams End** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 9:49 am

Do I even need to comment on the chemical plant explosion? It was massive. Folks, if enough gas and oil gets on top of the water...it's game over.

by **Qutb** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 10:00 am

CNN interview with a guy from a hospital (?), said that there had been an armed gang outside the hospital and trying to get in, but they had talked them out of it and they had left. After that, they hadn't had any problems with "armed gangs". So yes, it would appear that there are indeed armed people out there, but armed gangs going on a rampage, outnumbering the cops? Qutb means "axis," "pole," "the center," which contains the periphery or is present in it. The qutb is a spiritual being, or function, which can reside in a human being or several human beings or a moment. It is the elusive mystery of how the divine gets delegated into the manifest world and obviously cannot be defined.

by **boogie** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 10:25 am

"snipers attacking rescue workers" and "armed gangs of looters" were the excuse the LAPD & National Guard used to pull back (and conviniently encircle the poor area(s)) and let most of South Central LA's buisinesses burn to the ground and be looted (after leaving many buisiness owners trying to unsuccessfully guard their buisiness by themselves) during the LA riots. This was of course while National Guard units and LAPD swat were posted to EVERY shopping mall in the LA area to "prevent looting". But if it was in South LA, as well as many other 'poor' areas of LA County, the LAPD/Nat Guard's attitude was "fuck it" Can't forget this was all after Martial law had been declared in LA County...

Martial law in New Orleans

...

Re: What about the FEMA camps?

Re: What about the FEMA camps?

What we are witnessing

Re: What we are witnessing

Re: What we are witnessing

DreamsEnd

bush will hang

re: What we are seeing ...

Re: bush will hang

re: Bush will hang

armed gangs

Re: armed gangs

Re: armed gangs

The more things change the more they stay the same..

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