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It seems that controversy seems to follow the United States ever since 9/11. We all know about the war that rally should never have been fought and the fact that it contributed to the hike in crude oil prices. Of course, they cannot be blamed for natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina which has been plastered all over the news in the last week or so, but the aftermath is a different story.
Perhaps it’s wise to provide some background on the city in question. We cannot deny that New Orleans has close to 500000 people based on 2000 census figures, so we can assume that today’s population is closer to the 600000 mark. We cannot deny that it is difficult to evacuate the city with so many people, not to mention to numerous tourists. Of course, some people make their own decision to stay to defend their own territory, and their decision MUST be respected.
There is one problem which has seemingly angered the majority of the coloured population. The lack of basic aid when it was most needed and the slow evacuation of those who wanted to leave is something that has been given plenty of air time on programs that matter. What makes it worse is that the younger children were and still are struggling to remain alive with the lack of water and medical help. Diabetics are also in distress as supplies of insulin become extra valuable. Exhaustion and dehydration was common. Understandably, the coloured population are crying foul against the US government.
Of the 100000 or so that remained in the affected area, there was not one food drop or even army presence for at least a week. Little wonder that reports of rape, looting and widespread death not directly caused by the flooding are being shoved down our throats. The only way out was by your own methods; a dangerous option considering the dangers of outside. It was fortunate that a handful of Australians managed to hitch a safe ride with a TV car.
Still, it took a while for the US to actually do something. They waited whilst other nations provided money for relief efforts. They waited whilst celebrities from the small screen, the big screen and from the recording studio dipped into their pockets and brains. They waited longer than someone counting to 20 and being stuck after 4 before looking for everyone in a game of hide and seek. Eventually (thankfully) came some semblance of a restoration of law and order when the US National Guard arrived.
Was it good enough? If you want a biased opinion then ask the coloured Americans in the midst of it all. They think that the whole episode after the storm was racially based against them. If you really think about it they do have a point considering that there were not many grabs of the non-coloured population on the TV.
Perhaps it would be fair to compare the relief efforts to the tsunami in Indonesia and across Asia late last year. From what I can remember aid was very quickly provided compared to what happened in New Orleans. Search parties for missing and deceased were organised without much hassle. Relief efforts through various charities were also rapidly put together, although it could be said that this was the only thing that New Orleans could hang their hat on.
In the end, it could be seen as another failure for George W Bush. Maybe now this will make him aware that there is more in this world than capturing someone in a volatile environment to basically cause a war not worth fighting.
UNTIL WE SPEAK AGAIN
YOU KNOW I’M A GOOD BLOKE
MOOKS