Re: OT: Katrina's Wrath

Lueko Willms wrote: 

   Please go back to the Marxmail archives of September 2004 and find
out that New Orlean's mayor was aware of the dangers to the city
resulting from a major hurricane. And that he said the the 100'000
poor of New Orleans would have no chance to get out of harm's way
because they own no car.

   Did he organize to set up plans to get the people evacuate
nevertheless? Did he organize plans to reinforce the levees and
organize their protection against a hit by a hurricane. Nope. Nothing
happened.

   When the evacuation was finally ordered shortly before landfall of
Katrina a few days ago, it was as announced a year before: everybody
is left by themselves, no common effort to save everybody.

Sadly, many Americans don't see the need for something until a tragedy occurs. Look at our lackluster response to Islamic terrorism from 1993 - 10 Sep 2001. Something bad happens, it finally gets attention and public support.

   Before the disastrous hurrican Ivan hit western Cuba in September
2004, 1.5 or even 1.9 million people have been brought out of harms
way, in an organized fashion, without leaving anybody behind.

   When poor Cuba can do it, why not the rich USA? They could have
organized a dozen or more planes, hundreds of buses, and what have
you, to organize a complete evacuation of the city.

That's the thing about freedom - you have the freedom to make an unwise choice. I'd much prefer it that way to the way Cuba is run. :) It's not the *government's* responsibility to get people out - the truly responsible thing would be to not live below sea level to begin with! In this country, you are responsible for you (and your family) - no matter how many socialistic programs are enacted (or attempted), the bottom line is that each person has the power to choose what they do, where they go, where they live.

Think about the mayor's year-old warning another way - if people heard that warning a year ago, and knew they would not be able to get out the way things were, why did *they* (the people) not do anything?

   There are no material reasons not to save peoples lives, only the
incapacity of the capitalist society which is well able to bring shock
and awe and real destruction in all parts of the globe, conquer
countries, organize hundreds of thousands of soldiers to terrorize
people all around the world, but even then they can't create
conditions where human beings can live in peace and progress.

Government in this country has a limited function. Providing for the defense of the land is probably the biggest one. Name for me one other country that has given more to this Earth than the USA has over the past 100 years. There's not one! Just because people don't heed warnings (which, freedom being what it is, they can make that choice)doesn't mean that it's still not the best place for peace and progress.

   From the standpoint of humanity, saving human lives is the first
priority, capitalism is incapable.

   Think also of those who managed to get out of New Orleans and other
areas hit by Katrina. They might be about a million people who are now
wandering around in the USA, who have lost their jobs, their homes,
and will soon not even be possible to use their credit cards to pay
hotel accomodation or whatever, since the banks at home are shut down,
they are flooded and have no electricity and the bank workers
themselves are among the refugees.

And that's where the extreme generosity of the American people kicks in. Our private charitable contributions for the tsunami last year far outpaced what our government gave - as it should. Taxes are for running the government; charity is for helping folks in need.

A real social crisis is looming for the USA.

I don't know that I'd call it a social crisis. Sure, there's a crisis dealing with people (and the looters, apart from food/water/a few clothes, need to be shot where they are). But the bigger issues are policy-related, specifically energy and public safety. And, they'll be addressed. That's another great thing about freedom - we can address problems and learn from the bad things that happen.

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