PeterD wrote:For starters, for ignoring the ample warnings. They knew there was a high probability it was going to be a H5 or H6. As you correctly stated, the levees were built to withstand, at most, a H3. Where were the troops? The provisions?
Pay attention: in this country responsibility begins at the local level. Given your profound knowledge of America, I'm sure you know why.
Both the city and state were slow to act. The Bush administration called Blanco late Friday evening and urged her to allow a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans. She refused. Don't believe me? Read
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 01680.html . See especially the 4 paragraphs beginning "Behind the scenes...".
Perhaps more importantly, the Mayor violated his own hurricane planning. Specifically, the city's planning calls for evacuation to begin at a minimum of
72 hours before a category 3 hurricane. Don't believe me? Read
http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx?portal=46&tabid=26 . But Nagin didn't order evacuation (an order he was unable or unwilling to enforce) until 24 hours before a category 5 storm!
PeterD wrote:Second, for cutting funding to the Army Corps of Engineers, as well as diverting FEMA funds to the Dept. of Homeland Security, to fund the Iraqi war.
As I already pointed out the 17th Street Canal levee was newly reinforced. Army Corps of Engineer staff expressed surprise that this very section gave way. Suppose that the Corps project was fully funded: how much stronger would this newly reinforced section have been? Would it have been any stronger? How do you know it would have stood up to this prodigy of nature?
But the deep secret here is that had the project been fully funded and finished on time; and had the hurricane still broken the levee, whose fault would it be? Come on everybody! Join me in this familiar refrain:
Bush's fault!
PeterD wrote:Third, for appointing idiots like Michael Chertoff and Michael D. Brown.
I may not be overly impressed by these cats, but Nagin and Blanco are the real incompetents in this tragedy.
PeterD wrote:Fourth, for not signing the Kyoto Accord. Let's see him try and make light about the effects of global warming now!
How moronic! Even the New York Times is running articles about what sloppy science it is to blame the force of this hurricane on global warming.
PeterD wrote:Fifth, he "does not care for black people." If am not mistaken, the primary role of government is to protect its citizens, including its black citizens. The U.S. government failed miserably!
What an ugly lie! I try to provide solid sources for my claims. You quote a rapper.
PeterD wrote:Are you saying that the mighty United States of America can't walk and chew gum at the same time? Trust me, you can do both! Americans deserve no less.
No. Pay attention. I'm saying that I fear your 'compassion' may mask a vengeful nature. As a Christian, you might want to look into that.
Also, you sure have a lot to say about America. Yet you know absolutely nothing about it. So why don't you stop telling us what America is supposed to be? Pretty much everything you say is wrong.
Why don't you pin your revolutionary hopes on
your homeland? There must be
some problems in Canada you can devote your energies to....
Cordially,
Paul