New Orleans

[Sureshot]

This place sounds like something out of a movie at the moment.

NEW ORLEANS - An explosion at a chemical depot jolted residents awake early Friday, illuminating the pre-dawn sky with red and orange flames over a city awash in corpses and under siege from looters.

http://205.138.199.81/videos/7/101346_62c6c.wmv

I wonder where they go from here?

[Jagdiesel]

It truly is tragic how bad things are there.  I pray that the Marines that are heading there can help with the looting/rapes/assaults/etc.  
I feel that in this extreme of a circumstance if someone is shooting at rescuers/helicopters, the police and military should have shoot to kill orders.  Sorry, but how damn stupid can people be:  "Well, they're coming to help us and take the sick/infirm away.  Hmmm.  Let's shoot at them."
I just don't understand the logic in that...

[captain_nintendo]

In desperate times Chris , sometimes logic goes out the window. I know it shouldnt though.

I do agree that shoot to kill orders against people who are causing harm or hindering in the rescue effort might be a solution. I think it would only need to happen a few times before idiots learned that they cant get away with this sort of shit in this situation.

[Izret101]

Yea it realy is aweful whats going on down there.

I think the shoot to kill orders are god against those who are trying to harm the rescuers but you kno that will get taken out of control.

The minute you give someone that kind of power somethign always happens in a way it shouldn't.

[Jagdiesel]

I think the shoot to kill orders are god against those who are trying to harm the rescuers but you kno that will get taken out of control.
The minute you give someone that kind of power somethign always happens in a way it shouldn't.

I disagree.  The military, especially the Marine Corps, are trained to follow orders - that means do exactly as you are told.  Marines in this situation would be there to ensure the safety of rescuers and suppress rioting/looting/crime.
This is such a shitty situation.  I love the response we are getting from the world - or lack thereof.  Where are the people who cried "the US must lead the efforts" when the tsunami hit?  Where is OUR help?

[Tynstar]

What I find amazing i s that people knew this was going to happen and nothing was done about the levies.

Very very sad.

[captain_nintendo]

What  I find amazing id s that people knew these was going to happen and nothing was done about the levies.

Very very sad.

Damn Scott... Slow down when typing buddy  



I also agree that trained military will not shoot to kill unless the situation calls for it. I do see that if it did come to that. (them shooting a civilian) there would probably be some bogus lawsuit   If people or a person is causing harm or slowing progress of this rescue effort they need to be handled.

[Izret101]

I do see that if it did come to that. (them shooting a civilian) there would probably be some bogus lawsuit  

Exactly.

If someone is shot there chances are there will be a huge controversy about it and then people will hold a vigil for the person and criticize the Gov for using excessive force and blah blah blah.

But i think the military presence and warning of shoot to kill will be enough to straighten people up.

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

Yeah, something needs to be done about the lawsuits made against cops who only did their jobs.

P.S. Damn Jag. That babe in your profile pic is hot.

[captain_nintendo]

Are other countries send us aid or help ? I mean I only did a little searching on the web and could not find an article about this  

[TraderJake]

Headline from Le Parisien

"WASHINGTON SOLLICITE UNE AIDE EN PÉTROLE"

English Translation: Washinton solicits aide in oil.

From what I can read, it appears as though the major European nations have agreed to send us oil, or the refined products from oil. I've also been following The Guardian, and as of today they have said nothing of foreign aid.  Not surprisingly very little has been said in the Arab News online English Paper. Japan Today reports that the Japanese governement will send $500K in aid, and Japanese automakers will be sending aid in the millions in the form of vehicles and other essentials.


This is a tragic, tragic disaster. People knew that it was going to happen eventually, so why wasn't the infrastructure in place to guard against such a catastrophe? Why didn't the government force people out before the tragedy occurred. Why was New Orleans allowed to grow in a basin, where any natural disaster could flood the basin?

What will happen to the city and its people? Will the city remain where it stands today, or will it be moved elsewhere, and it become the US's first major ghost town? The city probably won't be habitable for a year, and they'll be lucky if the city will be dry by Christmas. There is also the uncertainty of another storm coming through, and given the massive activity that has been occurring this hurricane season (which meteorologically speaking is only halfway through), that could happen. This is not something that can be fixed just by cleaning up. People are going to be permanently displaced, and the Big Easy will cease to be so big. I pray for the well being of all those displaced, and I hope that everyone down the road will be able to get their lives back together.

[Arrrhalomynn]

I don't think other countries can really do something at the moment. The big mess has to be cleaned up first.

[Jagdiesel]

The avatar is my future exwife Kelly Carlson (Nip/Tuck, Starship Troopers 2).  She is HAWT!!!
Scott, I agree, they KNEW that Katrina was coming.  But... how could they know that the levvies would bust?  That is just shitty luck in the middle of a terrible situation.
The problem I have is this:  these people KNEW Katrina was coming, KNEW to evacuate, KNEW that staying was a dumbass idea, BUT stayed anyway.  Other than the elderly and infirm I just don't get why these "refugees" are so pissed off.  They should have left, enough said...

[Arrrhalomynn]

It's not like anybody expected it to be THIS bad. And a lot of people probably didn't have a good place to go and thought it was better to stay and wait it out. It's not like it's the first storm.

A friend of mine lives near new orleans and she didn't evacuate either. One of her reasons was 'we had a bad storm before and that went well, so we'll survive this one too'. Maybe not too smart, but understandable. I wouldn't be too fond of leaving my house behind either.

[Sureshot]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4207492.stm

For some EU aid info.