Why does the richest country in the world still mess up a local tragedy like Katrina?

Question

I've been reading a lot about this. How the Superdrome was plagued with roaving rape-gangs after dark and families being split up but why for goodness sake did it take the Federal government so long to react? Was it a race thing ? N'awlins being the persuasion it is ? As a European I don't understand this.

I don't care to debate the 'rich' part. Please focus on the question.

The place is still apocalyptic. Why hasn't it been 'cleaned up' and re-populated with better defences?

I've been to N'awlins...twice. It was a great city. Really really loved it and the people.

..especially the accent. Loved that.

Answer 1

Because our leaders pocketed the money.

Louisiana is a poor state.No representation like a more progressive state is.Louisiana's history in politics
has been largely founded upon the politics of greed and corruption going way back.

In just interest alone,that money MAKES a lot of money..

Do the people get the interest as well?

There is more than one middle man between the relief money and the people who need it.

It used to be cool,the city.I never felt wierd racial vibes there and I used to go all the time.
And as usual,People here tend to capitalize on tradgedies,

now if you'll excuse me I have to go order my twin towers commemorative plates from the
home shopping network.

Answer 2

The problem is corruption, class and race. First of all, many leaders new that the levees could fail, but they didn't tell anyone. What happened? The levees broke and the city of New Orleans was flooded. That was government corruption on one part. The mayor of New Orleans did not handle the evacuation correctly. Then there is after Katrina hit and flooded the city. Bush did not respond to the situation correctly because he felt like New Orleans was not worthy of rescuing and the majority of the people who needed to be rescued were African-Americans, so covert racism was a factor. If it had been a wealthy, middle or upper class predominately white area like Massachussetts or Oregon, Bush would have reacted faster. Some people often asked why the residents didn't leave New Orleans. This is why. Only the people who had cars could leave, and evacuation efforts were poor at best. The Superdome is not a place to put people for evacuation. The local govenment needed to make better arrangements for evacuation efforts. More people would have left New Orleans. After the hurricane did it's damage, rescue missions were slow and people were left without food. That is why looting started. As for the reason why there are sections of New Orleans not yet fixed, the whole city of New Orleans was dstroyed, but the worst damage was in the lower 9th ward, an African-American neighborhood. It is mostly the poor and African-American sections that have not been fixed. No plans have been made because now some officials in New Orleans want to turn those areas into rich places where by process of economical exclusion only whites and maybe a few people of color can live because New Orleans was a poor city and 2/3 African-American. Most of the African-Americans who left New Orleans have no plans of returning because they have nothing to return to. No one wanted to solve the problems of the poor and we all found that out the hard way when Katrina hit New Orleans. We all discovered how severe the problems of the poor and minorities were and I have heard stories of how many African-Americans who have relocated to other cities away from Louisiana are doing better economically that they were in New Orleans.
The fact is that racism, class and corruption in all levels of government are to blame

Answer 3

Several factors were at work during this awful tragedy. First, the local government in Louisiana and Mississippi were unprepared to deal with such a catastrophe. Secondly, because a large number of people there were already low-income struggling families, they had no means to evacuate and no place to evacuate to. Thirdly, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) fell down on its job and finally, President Bush failed to see the urgency of the situation immediately.

I honestly believe that a lot of it had to do with race and class. Had a natural disaster like this happened in a more affluent caucasian area (New Hampshire or Maine, say) the response would have been immediate. People would not have been left for days without food, water, formula and diapers for there babies. What angers me is when I hear folks blaming the victims. People say ignorant things like "Why didn't they leave New Orleans"? If you don't have a car, to where do you evacuate? If you barely have any money by what means do you evacuate? I have also heard, "It's been a year, why can't these people find jobs?" Some of these people are suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome. Some are still trying to locate family members. Some did not have flood insurance. ABC News did a story on a man who had a Masters in Social Work, was relocated to TX and could not find a job and not for lack of trying. People are relocated to places where they have no friends, families or resources. People are still living in FEMA trailers. They can't return to New Orleans because 1/2 the schools are still closed, 1/3 of the hospitals remain unopened and who in the hell wants to live in a neighborhood where the majority of the houses on your block are empty?

It will take many years for that area to be restored and even then the multicultural face of New Orleans will not be the same. Unfortunately, many will never be able to return due to price gouging, land buy outs and re-zoning. Its truly a horrible situation and America should use this as a lesson or an opportunity to discuss racism and classism and how to overcome it.

Answer 4

It was not just the federal governement that screwed up, the city and the state had much to do with it as well. What it came down to was that all agencys were unprepared to handle the situation with a sudden scrambling and cinfusion at the last minute. The media did not make matters any better by suggesting that the lack of aid and efficiency was a matter of race. Those stories that we all hear are not all true about gang raping in the Superdome etc... But I'm sure if you throw thousands and thousands of people together for days that something bad will happen especially in a high crime city such as New Orleans.

Answer 5

First of all, as a European, you have front row seats to how badly America can mess something up.
Second, have you seen our president? (enough said)
Third, you can't believe absolutely everything you read. Yes, the aftermath of Katrina was horrific BUT you and I were not there so therefore should not spread rumor and heresay. The people that were there know exactly what they went through and we can only go forward and make sure that history does NOT repeat itself.
Fourth, considering the per capita income of the area, the likelihood that everyone could get out of there in time was nil.
Fifth, our country did not have a plan for a catastrophe like this (actually still doesn't)...when you don't have a plan things get buggered.

Answer 6

It was a mess all the way around. The local government did not have a plan even though they've been waiting for the big one to hit for years.The local government knew how many people they had living there who didn't have cars, who were poor, etc.They should have had a plan in place to get those people out in time. They had 300 school buses just sitting there that could have gotten those people out before the hurricane came to shore. Others refused to leave their homes because that is all they've got. Of course staying didn't save their homes.The federal government was too little too late,also. Hopefully, that's been changed since we have a new person in place to head FEMA. Those people in New Orleans are still living in trailers & it will take a couple of years to get things straightened out. It was a mess & I was embarressed that it happened in our country. Katrina hit all ages, allraces and did not discriminate. Unfortunately, the local gov't didn't have a plan to help those left behind.

Answer 7

first off the local government has to ask for help in the form of troops, the president does not have the poer to deploy troops on American soil for police actions. The local government is just as at fault as the federal government was. As far as the state of affairs in New orleans today it has received $120BILLION in aid, NYC after 9/11 only got 12Billion from the federal government. The local government is just dragging it's heals. AND get this those morons in New Orleans re-elected the same mayor this year!!!! My big point of contention is since when is it the job of the government to make sure youhave a place to live and a job or source of income? At what point does it become a matter of personal responsibility for one's self?

Answer 8

It was due more to the failure of local government than to federal government. News Orleans is rife with greed and corruption in it's politics. Playing the race card is a favourite excuse used by people that don't want to or are unable to except responsibility for their own lives. Many white and other races were also effected by Katrina. Other parts of the country where disasters have occurred did just fine recovering without massive federal aide.

Answer 9

I feel they put this all off to the last minute because they couldn't comprehend that Katrina was really going to happen. If they did then our president would/should of cut his vacation short and start evacuations earlier. Some refused to leave... they felt it wouldn't be as bad. Some had no where else to go. The government should of allowed taxi companies to offer free rides to those w/ no money or little money. There are times our company only puts half effort into things such as the levees. I am sure deep down they knew those levees would not hold that type of hurricane. They put it off. to much work to do. now the people of that city are paying the consequence for the governments actions. Its sad really.

Answer 10

Those in power in the USA at the top levels in Washington, who represent the far right wing of the Republican Party, and who occupy the Whitehouse, who say they believe in G-d, really don't. If these people in power were really loving caring people, they would have demonstrated it. It is the same reason we are bombing around ther world. It is about their feeling they are superior, that they are better, that less pofrtunate shopuld be forgotten and ignored. Thiose in power feel they have the right and indeed the obligation to the world to dominate then steal foreign oil for personal gain and power.

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