Devastation
I've been hiding under a rock the last few days since I'm still trying to feel better. However, clearly what I'm going through is of little importance compared to the grief of the Gulf Coast. Never in my life have I been so amazed and disgusted by events. I swear that if you showed anyone in the world the reports with no reference to the location, one would never NEVER believe this was happening outside of the Third World.
This is the result of one thing -- the current political state of this country. We've made our choices and our priorities are providing results. Hurricanes are nothing new and until this week, Gulf Coast Natives would have never doubted their ability to weather just about any storm. Clearly, this storm was a bit worse than others but it was not that much worse and from what I'm seeing, this is not even one of the worst storms in the country's history though it has quickly grown into one of the country's worst natural disaster.
We cannot simply blame it on nature because we have created the environment, especially the social environment, which has allowed this to happen. Now, while the people on the ground try to rebuild their lives, while they try to hope for a future worth living, the rest of us are going to have to figure out exactly why we, the richest nation in the world, allowed this to happen in the year 2005.
Yes, the aid orgy has begun and we will be moved and amazed by the outpouring of sympathy and assistance from near and far. Soon, the stories of heroism and faith will start in an attempt to pull us back from the overwhelming barrage of stories on looting, dead bodies left to rot, starving orphans and aid being tossed out of helicopters while gangs of young men fight for what little has come five days late while the poor, young, disabled, old, and pregnant continue to do without.
Why were the weakest left in the line of fire in the first place? Because it's every man for himself now in America. Those with a car and enough money to get somewhere else aren't staring death in the face this very moment. But soon, even the middle class that escaped will quickly run out of whatever little means they have and the pain will spread. Just wait and watch.
Americans cannot say they haven't signed up for this. This is exactly what happens when you gut domestic spending to wage war half a world away and give tax breaks to the rich. We are getting exactly what we deserve because this did not have to happen -- we could have and should have been better prepared because we know that disasters like this are going to continue to happen. We chose to gut spending for natural disasters and send the money elsewhere.
Will Americans become as consumed by the fear of being wiped out in a natural disaster as we seemed to be after 9/11? It is going to be very interesting to see how this plays out. Will we declare "War on Ill-Preparedness?" We can't stop storms, quakes, volcanoes, and such from happening, but we can be prepared.
I'm overwhelmed. I'm angry - very, very angry. I dread to think what would happen should something like this happen to me. Earthquakes and volcanoes don't provide much warning so would we be able to do a better job of dealing with a disaster of this magnitude? Would someone come for Robin and I or would we be left to fend for ourselves? Would the drug addicts in my neighborhood start looting? Do the people across the street have a stockpile of food to keep their kids fed or will they be breaking down doors to find food?
Don't fall into the trap of believing that your neighborhood is somehow immune to a New Orleans style disaster because fear, hunger, and detox change people. New Orleans isn't really different -- they are Americans the same as other Americans. Clearly, this isn't a Third World phenomena and we all need to be prepared.
This is the result of one thing -- the current political state of this country. We've made our choices and our priorities are providing results. Hurricanes are nothing new and until this week, Gulf Coast Natives would have never doubted their ability to weather just about any storm. Clearly, this storm was a bit worse than others but it was not that much worse and from what I'm seeing, this is not even one of the worst storms in the country's history though it has quickly grown into one of the country's worst natural disaster.
We cannot simply blame it on nature because we have created the environment, especially the social environment, which has allowed this to happen. Now, while the people on the ground try to rebuild their lives, while they try to hope for a future worth living, the rest of us are going to have to figure out exactly why we, the richest nation in the world, allowed this to happen in the year 2005.
Yes, the aid orgy has begun and we will be moved and amazed by the outpouring of sympathy and assistance from near and far. Soon, the stories of heroism and faith will start in an attempt to pull us back from the overwhelming barrage of stories on looting, dead bodies left to rot, starving orphans and aid being tossed out of helicopters while gangs of young men fight for what little has come five days late while the poor, young, disabled, old, and pregnant continue to do without.
Why were the weakest left in the line of fire in the first place? Because it's every man for himself now in America. Those with a car and enough money to get somewhere else aren't staring death in the face this very moment. But soon, even the middle class that escaped will quickly run out of whatever little means they have and the pain will spread. Just wait and watch.
Americans cannot say they haven't signed up for this. This is exactly what happens when you gut domestic spending to wage war half a world away and give tax breaks to the rich. We are getting exactly what we deserve because this did not have to happen -- we could have and should have been better prepared because we know that disasters like this are going to continue to happen. We chose to gut spending for natural disasters and send the money elsewhere.
Will Americans become as consumed by the fear of being wiped out in a natural disaster as we seemed to be after 9/11? It is going to be very interesting to see how this plays out. Will we declare "War on Ill-Preparedness?" We can't stop storms, quakes, volcanoes, and such from happening, but we can be prepared.
I'm overwhelmed. I'm angry - very, very angry. I dread to think what would happen should something like this happen to me. Earthquakes and volcanoes don't provide much warning so would we be able to do a better job of dealing with a disaster of this magnitude? Would someone come for Robin and I or would we be left to fend for ourselves? Would the drug addicts in my neighborhood start looting? Do the people across the street have a stockpile of food to keep their kids fed or will they be breaking down doors to find food?
Don't fall into the trap of believing that your neighborhood is somehow immune to a New Orleans style disaster because fear, hunger, and detox change people. New Orleans isn't really different -- they are Americans the same as other Americans. Clearly, this isn't a Third World phenomena and we all need to be prepared.
posted by xj at 8:08 PM
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