NEWS: Katrina Victims: More Human Sacrifice for Iraq War

A recent article on Spiegel Online penned by Sidney Blumenthal (a former Clinton Advisor) identifies a 2001 FEMA warning which identified a New Orleans flood as one of the three most likely disasters facing the United States. Additionally, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had proposed a study to determine what additional protective measures could be employed around New Orleans, but the project was halted by the Administration in an effort to free funds for the waging of the Iraq war.



So, once again, the agenda of our American President has come before the welfare of the American People. It all leads me to wonder a few points:

1) It seems that the Powers That Be (PTB) are intent upon using the American Citizenry as chattle in their struggle for wealth and near totalitarian political control.

2) It seems that the methods utilized by the PTB are having the additional effect of destabilizing the country as a whole: diplomatically, economically, and politically.

* What's the point of destroying a country to gain absolute control over it? Where's the fun of being ultra-rich when the economy has crumbled to the point that you are the king of the hill, but the hill is a dung heap? When terrorist attacks, unchecked natural disasters, and a failing economy destroy the cities and culture which define a nation, will it all have seemed worth it to those who gaze upon the destruction from hilltop mansions?

At that point, I guess it won't matter any more and even the most justified and vociferous "I told you so's" won't begin to compete with the din of the masses struggling to survive.

Watch out folks, New Orleans is not the only city being looted these days. It's quietly happening to all of us.

I've been thinking about all the terrible things happening lately and have come up with the same conclusion.
I look at the devestation, the teetering market, warning to consumer's about spending from greenspan, and oil problems.

I smell devestation across the nation in the near future, I hope ya'll be prepared. I myself am taking a community devestation course to prep myself.

Something definitely, definitely doesn't smell right.

And our elected know it.

The smell is overwhelming, I agree.

I think we should all be prepared.

They only came to this conclusion in 2001 ? I thought it would have been obvious since New Orleans was founded.

Excellent find and coverage.

Been saying it for a while - BUT - you got the documentation.

Thanks for your great work.

What laugh. It has been known long before 2001 that New Orleans was prone to hurricane danger. Why didn't Clinton do anything about it? Why didn't any prior president for that matter do anything about it?

You do not have to be a rocket scientist to know that a city below sea level is prone to any horrific hurricane.

So that would be why the current administration cut Louisiana's flood control budget? Because it's obvious?

No of course not. I was simply pointing out that many prior presidents were aware of the danger and they did nothing to improve what already had been done.

Another thing we have to take in consideration is, that is in recently years that New Orleans has become a city that their economy depend on gambling.

Without the casinos New Orleans has nothing left.

What people doesn't understand is that is also a high rate of poverty, and that poverty is never addressed when people go to New Orleans as tourist to enjoy the Splendor of Mardi Grass celebration and the use of the beautiful coastline casinos, that are not more.

Now the poverty that is behind the the main areas of the cities are showing their ugly head.

Is not going to be pretty what is going to happen in days to come.

I only hope that the poverty stricken people will come out ahead of what they have been for generations if the city is rebuild again.

But I wonder also at what cost the rebuilding is going to come, we all will be impacted by all that.

Is something that we have that no government can take away, we are strong people and very generous people also.

I see Americans becoming more unify with this tragedy and perhaps the understanding that we are in charge of the government and no the other way around will surface also.

Iraq means nothing right now when it comes the priorities of our own fellow Americans in our Soil.

And the government better start making US a priority right now, or is going to be many Angry Americans all over the nation.

In order to rebuild the cities impacted and to help the people in need the government is going to appropriate funds.

But from where this funds are going to be taken I wonder. Our bigger budget is the defense budget, are we going to leave our soldiers in Iraq with less funds? or are we cutting haliburton defense budget funds? or the money will come from our infrastructure?

We need to be aware of who is going to take the bigger cut.

Every time I see the Generosity of people my hart just swell with pride.

Its time to tell our elected officials that we are in charge and that is why we pay taxes not to favor the elite but to see our nation take care of its own when time like this comes.



[edit on 1-9-2005 by marg6043]

This has been a well known problem in NO, as long as I remember. But as much as I don't like this administration, here are a couple of points that tell me the levy project would not have saved the city.

1. The project would have taken several years, so even if they started in 2003, they would still not be done.

2. If not for the War in Iraq, the money probably would have been diverted to something else.

They have had plans to re-engineer the entire Gulf Coast area, including the marsh lands, but they have always remained only plans.

I think this will be a wake up call for all the other disaster prone areas, to take their plans and turn them into action.

I voted no on this submission as it is very biased.

Anyways, fixing the levees and improving the marshes should be done by the state government, and not by the national government. Public health and safety is part of what state governments have control over.

I doubt anyone in the government knew in 2003 or up to two days or so before it hit NO that it was going to affect that area....that's preposterous to say the least.

Maybe people should consider HELPING THE DYING POOR PEOPLE before using Katrina as a sledgehammer on one politician or another. There'll be plenty of time for politics and finger pointing ahead. People are dying, children are dehydrating, chaos is erupting. Does Bush-Bashing take precedence over disater relief for the N.Y. Times Editorial Staff? How about the author of this thread? Please save the rhetoric for a few days, use your frustration to help the victims, not just pump venom into the veins of a hurting nation.

Tonight as I type this, people will die, some children, some elderly, all Americans. Is it time to debate the Iraq war or the budget appropriations of 2001/2003?

In case you were wondering, although I doubt it, here are some links where you can donate.

The Red Cross
Habitat for Humanity
CraigsList
Animal Resue
Network for Good
FEMA - Donate or Volunteer, it's all needed

I do not wish to stop anyone from expressing their views, it just seems pointless to be playing the blame game while so many are still clinging to life and waiting for help. Now is a time for helping and coming together not dividing in an effort to conquer in the next election.

Another thing we have to take in consideration is, that is in recently years that New Orleans has become a city that their economy depend on gambling.

Without the casinos New Orleans has nothing left.

Wrong without the French Quarter and the Super Dome NO has nothing left. Gambling only arrived in the past few years, however NO is known for it main attractions like the Super Dome (Super Bowl) and Mardi Gras that is were the residents made most of their money.

You are right Lookingfortruth, but some other members will never see it that way....

I would not recommend anyone going to that area trying to help, the only thing they would do is put themselves in danger and also give more work for the agencies, first aid responders and police that are there helping, or trying to help these people.

The help needed is mostly money and any food, water or other necessities you can send.

You are right Lookingfortruth, but some other members will never see it that way....

Me thinks the story was started with one point in mind to take snipes at the administration which is a no no now, too bad people do not understand that.

You are right and just a way above vote from me

Just a portion of the article is all that is needed to show that this never would have gotten done regardless what some claim

Agency officials said on Thursday in a conference call that delayed work was not related to the breakdown in the levee system and Parker told Reuters the funding problems could not be blamed on the Bush administration alone.

Parker said a project dating to 1965 remains unfinished and that any recent projects would not have been in place by the time the hurricane struck even if they had been fully funded.

Budget cuts delayed New Orleans flood control work

There you have it right from the Army Corps of Engineers

After a flood killed six people in 1995, Congress created the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project, in which the Corps of Engineers strengthened and renovated levees and pumping stations. In early 2001, the Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a report stating that a hurricane striking New Orleans was one of the three most likely disasters in the U.S., including a terrorist attack on New York City. But by 2003 the federal funding for the flood control project essentially dried up as it was drained into the Iraq war. In 2004, the Bush administration cut funding requested by the New Orleans district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for holding back the waters of Lake Pontchartrain by more than 80 percent.


Bias or not, it's interesting - and illuminating - information.

We're talking budget priorities here, and ordinary Americans clearly are not a priority.

No not really budget priorities, since even with funding it would not have been completed by now.

Parker said a project dating to 1965 remains unfinished and that any recent projects would not have been in place by the time the hurricane struck even if they had been fully funded.

as posted by soficrow
We're talking budget priorities here, and ordinary Americans clearly are not a priority.

"Budget priorities"?
I guess when it comes to budget priorities, it only matters under Bush because he is the administration that Katrina occured on, because of the Iraq war, and simply because its Bush....you know: "Its all Bush's fault", as always, correct?

soficrow, and others seeking to place blame, the real blame starts with the Carter administration and goes from there on. You folks going to blame a president for a natural castastrophe, do it with a bit more objectiveness than many of you care to show, k?

"I'm not saying that this would not have occurred in New Orleans in this situation," Parker told The Associated Press. "I am saying that there would have been less flooding if all the projects had been funded."

A senior Corps commander discounted the notion the disaster could have been averted by full funding of projects such as new and beefed up levees to protect against hurricane surges from Lake Pontchartrain and improving pumping and drainage capacity in New Orleans.

"These (projects) were not funded at the full ability of the Corps of Engineers to execute the project," said Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, commander of the Army Corps of Engineers. "But the important question is, 'Would that have made a difference?' And my assessment is, no, it would not."

Here:

Other presidents also have taken aim at the Corps' budget. President Carters' first veto came against a big water projects bill passed by a Democratic-dominated Congress. And President Clinton squeezed the Corps budget as well. Doing so frees money for other White House priorities.

"I fought every ... administration when they tried to use the Corps of Engineers as a piggy bank to pay for other projects," said former House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bob Livingston, a Louisiana Republican who represented the New Orleans suburbs for more than 20 years. "I had major battles with the Clinton administration."

"Going back to Carter. They've all sought to draw down the Corps of Engineers and put it elsewhere," he said.

Former Louisiana Sen. John Breaux (news, bio, voting record), a Democrat, said it was clear during his time in Congress that flood control projects were shortchanged.

"Those levees are OK under normal times but once every hundred years, that's not enough," he said in an interview. "We've all said for years that a category 4 or 5 hurricane hit just right on New Orleans, there was nothing there sufficient to prevent New Orleans from being 20 feet under water."

White House Backpedals on Flood Control

Talk is cheap, the time for action is now!
Nothing but 'a' typical witch-hunting place the blame going on.

Question: is doing such remotely helping those people in New Orleans in any way, shape, or form? I thought not....






seekerof

[edit on 1-9-2005 by Seekerof]

I call it like I see it - and what I see is a president vacationing while a city burns - completely inadequate pre-planning for a predicted catastrophe - and budget priorities that covered economic colonization of Afghanistan and Iraq but NOT evacuation and emergency measures in New Orleans.

This hurricane was not a surprise to anyone. Taking care of ordinary Americans just wasn't covered in the budget.