Stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again
I am disgusted, absolutely. Many others have written eloquently about such issues as where the hell our non-President was (is) during this natural catastrophe, about how the dangers could possibly have gone undetected, or how the supposed infrastrucure of this marvelous country played out its cost-analysis Russian roulette on the construction of the breached levees... but what makes me ill, truly ill, beyond the fact that the overwhelming victims are, of course, New Orleans' most-disenfranchised, beyond the lack of national relief mobilization... is that the only fucking thing that the news can talk about is the looting. Who fucking cares if materials are "looted", who fucking cares??? ABC news (there is a reason I never turn on my television) reports that 1,500 of New Orleans police officers have been taken OFF the rescue detail to enforce repression of the supposed looters. I reiterate, who FUCKING CARES?!!! 1,500 people could be out there saving lives, rescuing grandmothers from rooftops, and babies from second-story windows, saving families from venomous snakes and poisoned and pestilent waters, but no, what are we -goddamn patriots that we are: all bow to the mighty gods of capitalism- concerned about? That's right, protecting the interests of the almighty businessman, protecting all those terribly useful televisions from theiving hands. Where is it that they really think these people would be making off, undetected, with their allegedly stolen goods?
posted by ilana at 10:09 p.m.
8 Comments:
Quizá te llame la atención este sitio (It's not looting if you're white).
Lo que voy a decir es una barbaridad, pero por alguna razón, las noticias en CR y creo que en algunos periódicos de américa latina no han mostrado la catástrofe en su verdadera dimensión. Recién ayer en un noticiario reconocieron que esto es lo peor desde el terremoto de San Francisco. Creo que esos que causan tu justificada ira son los mismos que se averguenzan de verse vulnerables ante el mundo y de pedir ayuda.
Yuré, Sole... como siempre, están en mi cabeza... Jeff and I had this exact phone conversation yesterday (skin color = criminality), and the fact that the very same media moguls that control the puppet strings which could make things move on a large scale are the ones hedging their bets, covering up... I know it would be going too far to remind people that "ethnic cleansing" is not such a distant dream for some sectors of this population (powerful ones), and I am not such an inflamatory person... but...
Gosh! You're so right. This whole damn mess is downright outrageous. Can't believe that "looting" is even an issue in a situation like that.
I was reading Jon Donley's blog at NOLA.com yesterday, and it all is heart wrenching. All those accounts, searches for missing persons (human beings, for God's sake!), and pleadings for help and assistance; and the largest efforts seem to be focused on avoiding "looting"?!?!
I mean, for crying out loud; from what I can gather people are breaking in, mostly, into convenience stores and markets in order to get hold of much needed food and health supplies and water.
Who, on God's green earth is gonna steal appliances or designer clothing from Canal stores in a situation like THAT? Gimme a break!
New Orleans, Biloxi and Gulfport have a special place in my heart. A lot of good friends are in my thoughts and prayers right now.
You're right, Yure, the race issue on the looting front is another one that is setting my teeth on edge. See http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/09/01/photo_controversy/index.html for more details. I'm just saddened and pissed about the whole thing. My only consolation is that this disaster will bring to the forefront all of the problems with all of (especially Bush's) our poor policy and planning initiatives. Hopefully this will yield more environmentalist policies. Of course, that is highly unlikely.
well, what do you know, I just waxed poetic about why I love Jenny and here she is:)
Oscar, welcome...and I wholeheartedly agree... I will never understand why for some people human life is supposedly sacred, but when confronted with the lives of others that are different from them (or conflict with their economic interests), suddenly a right to life doesn't apply...
Pongámosle sal a la herida: esas tiendas de Canal Street y del resto de New Orleans, donde la gente supuestamente está robando ropa de diseñadores y aparatos de televisión (para ver las noticias ahora que no tienen electricidad, pero tal vez así se enteren de cuándo llegarán los rescatistas), esas tiendas van a cobrar pérdida total de las compañías aseguradoras por la inundación, y nadie se va a poner a contar el inventario.
Dean, justamente me da rabia pensar en eso, que los negociantes, al menos las compañías grandes, podrán cubrir las pérdidas con sus aseguradoras y esta gente se le ha criminalizado se le está disparando como primer recurso.
Claro, está llegando a tal grado de locura que la gente está empezando a demostrarse violenta, pero eso es de esperar cuando carece de una organización eficaz que canalice la salida y el amparo de los "damnificados".
Mientras un no-presidente tiene la cara de idiota, rascándose... "no entiendo, ¿cómo habrá pasado? Oh, sí, cortamos presupuesto para el refuerzo de esa zona tres años seguidos para poder apoyar nuestra guerrita querida - claro, tenemos alguna experiencia en crear desastres, mira qué bien hicimos en debilitar ese puente antes de que pasaran los peregrinos."
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