New Venice, that's the new name for the once lovely French Quarter New Orleans. How did that name come about? Well, it's simple really, the city's below sea level and the levees broke during the latest Hurricane Katrina natural disaster and literally drowned the entire city. So, what does Venice look like? New Orleans is just that, New Venice. After all, it is another New city.
At present the flood waters are receding, but there is much to learn from this tragedy:
(1) When asked to flee your homes by authorities just before a CAT 4 storm, you should listen and flee, not stay behind and hope for help after, or that the storm will miss you and you'll escape unscathed, not even in a Hollywood movie will you escape alive, anyone remember the movie Twister? Same thing applies.
(2) Everything in your home should be made either waterproof or inflatable, so that you can tie them together and gather them later.
(3) When there's a disaster of this magnitude, nobody's going to help, everyone's for themselves. So don't blame anyone else if you didn't prepare or listen to warnings before the event.
Not to be mean or uncaring or evil, but the people of that country do tend to have this victim complex. It's not a new complex, it's inherent in everyone of us, but more so for the people of that country. What do I mean, here are a few examples,
(1) I'm a victim here, the storm hit and I've got no home, I'm a victim.
(2) I blame the government for not moving fast enough.
(3) I blame the President for not caring.
(4) The President arriving would rather hug 2 beauties than 2 fat black New Orleaneans.
(5) I blame you for making me homeless.
(6) Where's our food? Where's our home? Where's our help?
(7) Where was God in this? God's just cruel, he's made me a victim of circumstance.
(8) God's abandoned this city, the city of jazz. God hates jazz!
All these sound so familiar, just 4 years ago with the 11 September 2001 event. Take it from me, it was a terrorist event, it wasn't anything more than any other disaster that history couldn't remember. No need to make a mountain out of a molehill.
Sure, that was a tragedy, many people lost their lives, died, everything was senseless, but riddle me this...have they caught the ultimate culprit Osama yet? No they haven't. With all their vaunted technology, stealth weapons blah, blah, blah... they can't even catch a simple bad guy? It's sad, it's pathetic and they made Saddam the scapegoat for it. Yeah sure, the world is a much better place without Saddam. Tell that to the families who have lost their sons and daughters and loved ones with the troops killed in Iraq everyday.
Iraq was a mistake. One that the President isn't willing to admit because he's out playing another round of golf during a hurricane. If I'm not mistaken, he was taking a vacation again this time. You don't just go in, invade the country to catch their dictator, claiming Weapons of Mass Destruction, and find NOTHING! Even Tony Blair has been hiding from his mistake. You don't hear him so often now.
Bottom line: People are still missing, starving, homeless and aching from the disaster. Up till now, relief efforts are only probably 50% to 60% and the higher-ups are still arguing that FEMA chief shouldn't be in-charge of relief efforts, because he fucked up. Now, he's resigned! In effect, blaming everyone again, ring around the rosie. This, ladies and gentlemen, this is the level of efficiency of relief and help you get if you're living in New Venice.
"Now watch this drive!"
-- President George W Bush playing golf, quote taken from Michael Moore's Farenheit 9/11
At present the flood waters are receding, but there is much to learn from this tragedy:
(1) When asked to flee your homes by authorities just before a CAT 4 storm, you should listen and flee, not stay behind and hope for help after, or that the storm will miss you and you'll escape unscathed, not even in a Hollywood movie will you escape alive, anyone remember the movie Twister? Same thing applies.
(2) Everything in your home should be made either waterproof or inflatable, so that you can tie them together and gather them later.
(3) When there's a disaster of this magnitude, nobody's going to help, everyone's for themselves. So don't blame anyone else if you didn't prepare or listen to warnings before the event.
Not to be mean or uncaring or evil, but the people of that country do tend to have this victim complex. It's not a new complex, it's inherent in everyone of us, but more so for the people of that country. What do I mean, here are a few examples,
(1) I'm a victim here, the storm hit and I've got no home, I'm a victim.
(2) I blame the government for not moving fast enough.
(3) I blame the President for not caring.
(4) The President arriving would rather hug 2 beauties than 2 fat black New Orleaneans.
(5) I blame you for making me homeless.
(6) Where's our food? Where's our home? Where's our help?
(7) Where was God in this? God's just cruel, he's made me a victim of circumstance.
(8) God's abandoned this city, the city of jazz. God hates jazz!
All these sound so familiar, just 4 years ago with the 11 September 2001 event. Take it from me, it was a terrorist event, it wasn't anything more than any other disaster that history couldn't remember. No need to make a mountain out of a molehill.
Sure, that was a tragedy, many people lost their lives, died, everything was senseless, but riddle me this...have they caught the ultimate culprit Osama yet? No they haven't. With all their vaunted technology, stealth weapons blah, blah, blah... they can't even catch a simple bad guy? It's sad, it's pathetic and they made Saddam the scapegoat for it. Yeah sure, the world is a much better place without Saddam. Tell that to the families who have lost their sons and daughters and loved ones with the troops killed in Iraq everyday.
Iraq was a mistake. One that the President isn't willing to admit because he's out playing another round of golf during a hurricane. If I'm not mistaken, he was taking a vacation again this time. You don't just go in, invade the country to catch their dictator, claiming Weapons of Mass Destruction, and find NOTHING! Even Tony Blair has been hiding from his mistake. You don't hear him so often now.
Bottom line: People are still missing, starving, homeless and aching from the disaster. Up till now, relief efforts are only probably 50% to 60% and the higher-ups are still arguing that FEMA chief shouldn't be in-charge of relief efforts, because he fucked up. Now, he's resigned! In effect, blaming everyone again, ring around the rosie. This, ladies and gentlemen, this is the level of efficiency of relief and help you get if you're living in New Venice.
"Now watch this drive!"
-- President George W Bush playing golf, quote taken from Michael Moore's Farenheit 9/11
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