New Orleans disaster

[rebs23]

Why, for saying what I think? You accuse me of being intolerant, and now you want to remove my right to free speech. Brilliant.

Not for your right to express your views but because of what I and a lot of others percieve to be your gloating at the deaths of possibly thousands of mainly black poor americans who did not have the neccessary money or cars to evacuate.
People have been banned from this forum before for expressing racist and/or xenophobic political opinions. Your views of Americans,in my opinion, are completely objectionable and are equally distasteful as some of the views that have got people banned from this forum before.
Just apologise Eanna, I doubt you mean what you said.

[Éanna]

1. I'm not gloating. If it appeared to anyone that I was, I apologise for that, because it was not my intention.
2. I have never taken any pleasure in seeing innocent people suffer, let alone die. Quite the opposite. Its appalling.
3. Despite the 2 points above, I do not feel any sympathy for the USA over recent events, given its behaviour to the rest of the world. The individuals themselves, do deserve every sympathy, of course, but for the USA as an entity, I feel no sympathy whatsoever.

[ken foree]

eanna i'd say the majority of n. orleans voted for kerry given that about 80% of the city is black american. louisiana on the other hand is a red state overall, and as usual in this country, the poor are left to fend for themselves. the wealthy white were able to get out, the poor and infirm - where would they go? why didn't their state, local, federal government help them? n. orleans is a very corrupt city but such is the loathing of government assistance by the right wing here, so paranoid of communism are they that this 'get what you deserve' mentality starts to trump the humanitarian disaster. in short, i don't think the poor blacks of n. orleans are getting what they deserve!

[dahamsta]

1. I'm not gloating. If it appeared to anyone that I was, I apologise for that, because it was not my intention.
2. I have never taken any pleasure in seeing innocent people suffer, let alone die. Quite the opposite. Its appalling.

Screw 'em.
...
Tough **** USA

.....

[shedite]

A few points about this disaster.

1) This thread is rubbish

2) New Orleans is truely hell on earth. The superdome is 30,000 people in a room with no airconditioning, food, showers or toilets (imagine the smell). On top of that, there's no law in there. Rapes and beatings are happening all day long.

3) Approxametley 90% of New Oreaners (?) evacuated. Some had places to go but many just went to random towns and asked for help. In the most parts, they got it. Decent people helping people out in their time of need.

4) Heard a radio show here last night where a woman came on compalining about the world being two-faced. Apparently America is helping the whole world and now nobody is helping America. She even singled out Bono - asking where is the concert he's organising???

5) I don't expect New Orleans ever to be the same again. It will take too long and too much money to rescue the survivors, remove the bodies, replace the dams, replace the pumps, drain the city, repair roads, electricity and telephone wires, rebuild the buildings and then try to convince business' to come back, knowing that this could all happen again in 12 months time

6) The media aren't doing people any favours calling it looting. What else are they supposed to do??? I'm sure amny of these people would be willing to pay for the food but there are simply no shops or nowhere to produce food.

[Aldini98]

I have to side with Eanna a little. Its hard to sympathise with the USA as a whole. Their recent enviornmental history is not great and add that to their leaders re-election and continuous mis treatment of Iraq wouldn't endear me to them. I agree that the poor are suffering and I hope they get looked after. This should not be turned into an anti-American thread.

[Éanna]

.....

I don't see how a lack of sympathy for the USA (not the individuals themselves) can be construed as gloating

[Éanna]

Its hard to sympathise with the USA as a whole. Their recent enviornmental history is not great and add that to their leaders re-election and continuous mis treatment of Iraq wouldn't endear me to them. I agree that the poor are suffering and I hope they get looked after. This should not be turned into an anti-American thread.

You've actually said what I wanted to say a whole lot better than I managed to say it

[sligoman]

Eanna, you criticised me before about been a "racist". Do you not think, by what your saying, that you are been racist against Americans?

[Dodge]

Americans aren't a race Sligoman. Bringing up an old battle with Eanna helps no one...

[Éanna]

Eanna, you criticised me before about been a "racist". Do you not think, by what your saying, that you are been racist against Americans?

Honestly? No.

[sligoman]

Americans aren't a race Sligoman. Bringing up an old battle with Eanna helps no one...

They're as good as! It's not an old battle I'm bringing up. I'm bringing it up cos he is been a hypocrite with his views

[paul_oshea]

Americans aren't a race Sligoman

no but they are a distinct people. its discrimination at the end of the day.

[sligoman]

no but they are a distinct people.

Thank you Paul. They are a nation, whatever way you look at it, they are a group of people just like coloured people etc. So it's still RACISM!

[pete]

I've never understood why americans riot when a natural disaster. Do people suddenly lose all idea of civilisation once theirs no police on the streets? Country must be really fecked up for this to happen on relatively often basis.

[Metrostars]

I've never understood why americans riot when a natural disaster. Do people suddenly lose all idea of civilisation once theirs no police on the streets? Country must be really fecked up for this to happen on relatively often basis.

So God forbid, if there was some natural disaster in Dublin and the Gardai were nowhere, that not one person would take advantage?

[pete]

So God forbid, if there was some natural disaster in Dublin and the Gardai were nowhere, that not one person would take advantage?

I don't think would ever have on the scale as street riots & looting as the US seems to have in LA or at any major hurricane.

[patsh]

So God forbid, if there was some natural disaster in Dublin and the Gardai were nowhere, that not one person would take advantage?

There would definitely be some looting, but things seem to have descended into anarchy very quickly in the US.
This is a very unhealthy sign for American society, suggesting that society there is extremely weak and is based entirely on the economy.

[paul_oshea]

what sign?

that americans are false?? solely driven by the golden calf.

it didnt need this disaster to point that out.

[Éanna]

I've never understood why americans riot when a natural disaster. Do people suddenly lose all idea of civilisation once theirs no police on the streets? Country must be really fecked up for this to happen on relatively often basis.

Not to mention sports events etc etc. Its hilarious really, they go on the rampage when there's a hurricane, or some makey-up sport like American "football" result doesn't go their way, yet when someone steals an election, they don't. Shows americans up for what they are in general- materialistic, greedy and self-interested.