Comments Posted By dez
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THE COMPACT OF CIVIL SOCIETIES
The news media has failed to give an adequate appreciation of how devastating to the rescue and relief effort the looting and violence have been. Thousands of National Guard troops that might otherwise be giving aid instead must focus on restoring order. Thousands more rescue and relief workers have been delayed or diverted because no one can in good conscience send these people into a war zone.
It's not the rescuers' fault, or the National Guard's. When one is fired upon, there are only two rational responses: return fire or retreat. Their rules of engagement called for the latter.
When time is critical, delays are deadly. What happened when the rescue and relief efforts were delayed should come as no surprise to anyone. While armed thugs looted and pillaged, innocent victims died.
Primary responsibility for the consequences of the looting and violence should be placed where it belongs – with those who committed the looting and violence. The theft of anything not immediately needed to sustain life and any acts of violence can not be excused, and should not be rationalized. They are simply evil, and should be regarded as such.
Meanwhile, ABC News reported last night that, at the New Orleans Convention Center, the largest emergency shelter after the Superdome, there was NOT A SINGLE PERSON from the city government. This is not inadequate preparation or even incompetence -- it is a gross dereliction of duty. The person ultimately accountable for this is not the President or even the governor. It is the mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin.
Nagin's "disaster plan" apparently consisted of the following:
1. Make sure my family and possessions are safe.
2. Get my sorry a** out of town before all hell breaks loose.
3. Hide and, while hiding, prepare my talking points for when the national media arrives.
4. Blame all failures and consequences on others, especially Republicans and the President.What a sorry piece of excrement this mayor is. Yet, if he were to stand for election against a white man today, who do you think would win?
I'm sick and tired of political pimps like Nagin blaming those who had to save their sorry a**es from the consequences of their own corruption and incompetence.
Comment Posted By dez On 2.09.2005 @ 22:24
