New Orleans: Dress Rehearsal for American Lockdown

mrmom2

Senate Member
Mar 8, 2005
5,380
6
38
Kamloops BC
Real nice stuff here 8O

The war has come home to America, right here, right now and so have myriad questions so disturbing that most Americans, even if they know what the questions are, are terrified to ask:

Why is Blackwater USA, the principal mercenary force outsourced by the Pentagon to fight in Iraq, now patrolling the streets of New Orleans?

Why the disgraceful, ghastly slowness of response by the federal government to the Katrina disaster? Why FEMA’s destruction of communication lines and implacable refusal to allow food, water, and medicine into the city? (http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/, September 6)

Why have reconstruction and clean-up contracts conveniently fallen, with perfect timing, to Halliburton and Bechtel, the two U.S. corporations most infamous for their expertise in rebuilding Iraq and worldwide whatever the U.S. military has blown up?



Mainstream media and the Internet are abuzz with stories of FEMA’s “gutting” by the federal government as the agency became part of the Department of Homeland Security, as if FEMA were some sort of altruistic savior who could have rescued New Orleans if only it had been granted sufficient funding. In reality, FEMA’s obstruction of assistance, not only from the likes of Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, and several European nations, but from humanitarian organizations inside the United States is mindboggling. For a complete list of efforts blocked by FEMA see: http://www.rense.com/general67/femwont.htm



In order to begin answering the endless disturbing questions, we must understand what FEMA actually is. In Sheila Samples’ excellent September 10 article (http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig5/samples7.html), she emphasizes the origins of FEMA in the 1980s under its architect, Oliver North. North’s Operation Rex 84, or Readiness Exercise 1984, was a plan by which the the federal government would accommodate the detention of large numbers of American citizens during times of emergency. Through Rex-84 an undisclosed number of concentration camps were set in operation throughout the United States, for internment of dissidents and others potentially harmful to the state. Existence of the Rex 84 plan was first revealed during the Iran-Contra Hearings in 1987, and subsequently reported by the Miami Herald on July 5, 1987. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_84)



For decades since North’s operation was disclosed, many dissidents have assumed that as in Nazi Germany, concentration camps were being secretly constructed for the incarceration of Americans. While this may be more than merely an assumption, there has been little speculation about what specific purpose such camps might serve—until the Katrina disaster. In the aftermath of the South Coast hurricane, we saw massive numbers of evacuees relocated throughout the nation.



Particularly since 9-11, FEMA has been very little about disaster relief and very much about “population management.” Katrina has underscored what the federal government and virtually all Americans already knew—the chaos that results from natural disasters. What the federal government knows, but most Americans don’t know is the pandemonium that will result as the consequences of Peak Oil exacerbate.



In the United States, all non-organic food growers use commercial pesticides and fertilizers on agricultural products. These have either a petroleum or natural gas base, thus insuring that as petroleum and natural gas prices increase, so will food prices. Moreover, what happens when trucking companies go belly up from gas prices, when truckers can no longer afford fuel, and when their axles break because interstates are in dis-repair as a result of the prices or shortages of the petroleum needed to build roads? What happens when the housing bubble bursts, when massive unemployment engulfs the nation, and when hundreds of thousands or millions of people must walk away from their mortgaged homes? Add to this, the likely crashing of the U.S. dollar and the certainty of more natural disasters. Anarchy may not even approach the description of such a scenario. Enter FEMA’s mandate and machinery, thanks to Blackwater, to maintain order.



One of the harshest realities of Peak Oil, but as old as the infanticide practiced by ancient civilizations is “demand destruction”, also known as population control. In a recent article, Mike Ruppert explained its integral role in a global energy crisis:



“Demand destruction” has become a priority not only to mitigate Peak Oil but also to mitigate global warming. The United States, with 5% of the world’s people, consumes (wastes) 25% of the world’s energy. How do you destroy demand? You collapse the economy. Homeless, unemployed “refugees” (what a cold, depersonalizing term) don’t buy gas, take trips, fly on airplanes or buy consumer goods (made with energy and requiring energy to operate). They don’t use air conditioning because they can’t afford it. They are the embodiment of Henry Kissinger’s infamous term “useless eaters,” a phrase from the Nazi vocabulary. If energy demand destruction, as acknowledged by the Bilderbergers and the CFR [Council On Foreign Relations], is a priority, then the only – I repeat only – beast that must be tamed is the United States.






As we witnessed the American Apartheid of relocating masses of African-Americans to cities throughout the nation, how chilling was FEMA’s promise of a $2,000 debit card for each person, then its decision to give these “useless eaters” a check for $2,000 when most have neither a checking account nor personal identification! In addition, the very fact that so many of these individuals are living from paycheck to paycheck, on the brink of homelessness, underscores the likelihood that many of them will be forced into bankruptcy which may accelerate freefall into homelessness as the Bush Administration’s Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention Act becomes law on October 17. Remember the Patriot Act—that 300-page piece of legislation passed in the middle of the night on October 26, 2001 which almost no members of Congress had a chance to read? You know, the one that shredded the Constitution and the Bill of Rights? How appropriate that the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention Act will become law almost four years to the day after the Patriot Act was passed.



It appears that FEMA did not think this one through, but alas, things are not necessarily as they seem. Certainly, the ruling elite would not intentionally arrange for millions of indigent evacuees to suddenly “litter” the streets of America. A more likely scenario could be debt servitude. I can already hear the FEMA offer that no penniless refugee could refuse: “We’d like to give you a job helping to clean up New Orleans or the South Coast. We can’t pay you minumum wage, however, since the President cancelled minimum wage by Executive Order. We also notice that you have quite a bit of debt, but never fear, we will give you the opportunity to ‘work off your debt’ by coming to work for us until you debt is satisified.” Will this be Readiness Exercise 2005, 2006, 2007, ad infinitum?



With every national emergency, the fascist agenda of this government will come more clearly into focus. On September 10, Tom Curry listed in his article, “Hurricane Spawns Flurry Of Deregulation,” (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9259887) the Bush Administration’s most recent rulings in the name of hurricane and oil supply relief:

Starting last Wednesday and until next Wednesday, the federal Department of Transportation has eased rules on how many hours truckers can drive when transporting fuel.
The Environmental Protection Agency has suspended until next Thursday certain federal fuel standards in response to possible diesel and gasoline shortages. The suspended rules are designed to combat high ozone and sulfur emissions.
Bush has ordered suspension of provisions of the Jones Act, which requires transport of petroleum, gasoline and other petroleum products on U.S.-flagged ships while operating in U.S. coastal waters.
Senate Environment and Public Works chairman Sen. James Inhere, R-Okla., said Congress would need to waive a law that limits federal emergency road building funds to $100 million per state per emergency and that limits full federal funding to 180 days.
The House unanimously passed a bill allowing the Department of Education to waive the repayment requirement for low-income college students who received Pell grants. Normally if a college student drops out of school, he must pay back the unused portion of his Pell grant.
On Thursday, Bush suspended the Davis-Bacon law on all federally financed construction in areas hit by Hurricane Katrina. That law requires the federal government to pay the “prevailing wage” on construction projects, which is often higher than the local minimum wage. Suspending Davis-Bacon will allow the government to pay lower than prevailing wages, and Bush said, “will result in greater assistance to these devastated communities and will permit the employment of thousands of additional individuals."
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, saw a need for a new energy bill as a result of the hurricane. “When one hurricane, as massive as it was, can knock out about 20 percent of our (oil and natural gas) facilities, it shows how vulnerable we are,” he said. In order to expand the long-term U.S. oil and gas supply, DeLay wants to open parts of the country that are currently off-limits to oil and gas drilling. Large swaths of the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts are under a federal moratorium on oil and gas exploration until the year 2012.
Congress does not need to approve these decisions. They have been pronounced by fiat, frighteningly reminiscent of Hitler’s unilateral directives in Germany in the 1930s. As Sheila Samples notes, FEMA has not been gutted; it is the Patriot Act on crack!
 

Ocean Breeze

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 5, 2005
18,362
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The "ugly" American/America has NOTHING on this and what is going on now. One has to assume this is what the non thinking amerikans wanted when they voted the bush regime back into more power.

All one can say ......is let them have what they want .....as long as it stays INSIDE THEIR BORDERS........Any outside interference now........even with their current messing around in Iran is being WATCHED closely by the world community. Maybe the cry should be : Emancipate completely from the US and establish new and more constructive relationships on this planet and gradually exclude the US completely. Just as excessive oil dependancy is not a good thing..........excessive dependancy on the US is suicidal now. It just continues to empower them. One can only hope that they go broke/or self destruct before they destroy this planet. (if that sounds jaded........so be it. So damned fed up with their interference and meddling. )

as this US devolution takes place........we might find an exodus of the Americans who see what is happening and have their own "evacuation" into other areas on this planet.
 

jimmoyer

jimmoyer
Apr 3, 2005
5,101
22
38
68
Winchester Virginia
www.contactcorp.net
Believe me Ocean Breeze if you want to look for the worst in somebody and you are dedicated to doing so, then you will always find what you seek.

This can apply to anyone and any nation.

As far as what FEMA is and how to read those bureacrateese memos that apparently no one important reads and probably should is an example any lesser mortal like you or me would go about solving the problems of disaster.

And inevitably of course you'll find a critic for any plan you come up with.
 

mrmom2

Senate Member
Mar 8, 2005
5,380
6
38
Kamloops BC
Private armys with shoot to kill orders is a nice touch to the US so called freedom and democracy don't ya think jim :? Watching your constitution get trashed right before your eyes on TV also a nice touch .Gun confiscation for your own good nice touch beating old women nice touch .What it going to take to change your mind about the gang of thieves ruining your country jim :?
 

Ocean Breeze

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 5, 2005
18,362
60
48
Re: RE: New Orleans: Dress Rehearsal for American Lockdown

jimmoyer said:
Believe me Ocean Breeze if you want to look for the worst in somebody and you are dedicated to doing so, then you will always find what you seek.

This can apply to anyone and any nation.

As far as what FEMA is and how to read those bureacrateese memos that apparently no one important reads and probably should is an example any lesser mortal like you or me would go about solving the problems of disaster.

And inevitably of course you'll find a critic for any plan you come up with.

this is merely dodging the issue, jim. A "typical" game that neo-theo-fascists seem to favor these days...

( but would rather "see" the worst.......then wear blinders or rose colored glasses... to remain myopic.... :wink:

( Pretty sure there is a better term than "neo -theo-fascist" that describes the current US regime..........just can't think of it at the moment. Can anyone help??? thanks... )
 

Ocean Breeze

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 5, 2005
18,362
60
48
September 13, 2005

New Orleans provides us with a reliable template for judging what the Bush administration will do in the event of a massive "casualty-producing" terrorist attack. However depressing, this is useful information.

Special military units will be deployed to the affected areas to patrol the streets in heavily-armored vehicles; conducting house-to-house searches according to their own discretion.
The cities will be placed under martial law; invoking shoot to kill orders for anyone either looting or out of doors after the designated curfew.
Heavily-armed mercenaries and paramilitaries will be used on various assignments that require secrecy or additional security. We assume they will be used to protect dignitaries, perform harsh and illegal interrogations, intimidate dissidents, and subvert efforts by the media to provide accurate information from the region.

A massive media campaign will be mounted to create a narrative of an "involved and compassionate government" providing security to their people in times of crisis.

Is this a fair description of what is taking place in New Orleans?

There's little doubt that the Bush administration capitalized on the hurricane to activate its strategy to militarize the city. There's ample evidence that they had extensive knowledge of the magnitude of the disaster, and yet, chose to do nothing. In fact, for more than 3 days they prevented food, water or medicine from entering the stricken city. Here are just a few of the headlines that illustrate this point, although there are numerous others:

``FEMA won't accept Amtrak's help in evacuations.''
``FEMA turns away experienced firefighters.''
``FEMA turns back Wal-Mart supply trucks.''
``FEMA prevents Coast Guard from delivering diesel fuel.''
``Homeland Security won't let Red Cross deliver food.''
``FEMA bars morticians from entering New Orleans.''
``FEMA blocks 500-boat citizen flotilla from delivering aid.''
``FEMA fails to utilize Navy ship with 600-bed hospital on board.''
``FEMA to Chicago: Send just one truck.''
``FEMA turns away generators.''
``FEMA first responders urged not to respond.''

The administration's criminal negligence in the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of New Orleans occupants is not in doubt, nor is their predictable response in countering the bad press. Michael Brown said it best when he noted that he wanted "to convey a positive image of disaster operations to government officials, community organizers, and the general public." Brown's "positive image" of the catastrophe has been left to the usual Bush media-operatives, who have deftly shifted the national dialogue away from "criminal negligence" to the more benign-sounding "government unresponsiveness" or "failure of leadership." Neither of these have anything to do with the facts as we now understand them. Many of the people who died in the disaster were murdered by their government just as surely as if Bush had personally held their heads under water himself.
Now, the city is a fully-militarized war-zone no different than Baghdad or Kabul. Already, reports are coming in of doors being kicked down by armed soldiers and terrified residents being shunted off to special detention camps in hand cuffs.
We should not expect a different scenario when America's major cities come under terrorist attack sometime in the not-to-distant future.

A great deal has been written about the ethnic-cleansing operation of New Orleans poor and black, that has paved the way for America's flagship corporations to set up shop in the Big Easy.

What more can I add to the volumes that have been transcribed about this global project? Americans have been warned that they would be treated no differently than anyone else, and that the masters of new world order claim no regional loyalties. New Orleans merely adds an exclamation point to what everyone should already know.

It should be instructive to die-hard supporters of the commander-in-chief that the military deployment was accompanied by orders for all residents to "surrender all legally-registered firearms" to the authorities. I can only imagine the fidgeting at the next NRA meeting when the membership conducts an open forum on the governments' plan to disarm the nation in the event of a terrorist attack. I am reminded of George Washington's sage advice:

"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government".

Or, Thomas Jefferson:

"The constitutions of most of our states assert that all power is inherent in the people. That it is their right and duty to be at all times, armed."

That, of course, was before the reign of George 2 and the hasty rescinding of the Bill of Rights. Did gun-lovers really believe they would be spared Bush's terrible swift sword?

The "disarming" of America is a similar ruse to the WMD-scare that was used to invade Iraq. The New American Century is predicated on the belief that only the overlords will have weapons. A careful comparison of Haiti to Iraq provides an interesting contrast in the benefits of self-defense.

The deployment of mercenaries to the region should be of particular concern to Americans. Currently, more than 40,000 National Guardsman from Louisiana and Mississippi are serving in Iraq. It would have been quite simple to return them to their home states to meet the needs of the tragedy. Instead, the Bush administration chose to use exorbitantly-paid mercenaries.

Why? Is it because pacification on a large scale cannot be accomplished without a well-paid, elite-corps of corporate-warriors who are free to carry out orders with complete impunity? Are mercenaries imperative for neutralizing resistance, or is there another motive; perhaps, covert or illegal operations directed against American citizens that require additional secrecy?
In any event, paid killers should never be used on American soil.

New Orleans is looking more and more like a dress rehearsal for an ambitious cross-country strategy. It is unlikely that any plan for militarizing the country will evolve at a "snail's pace" of one city at a time. The administration would have to take advantage of massive "casualty-producing" events occurring in many strategically important cities at the same time. (Coordinated terrorist attacks?) This would provide the necessary cover for the same scenario we see presently unfolding in New Orleans.

It's worth thinking about.
 

Jo Canadian

Council Member
Mar 15, 2005
2,488
1
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PEI...for now
 

Martin Le Acadien

Electoral Member
Sep 29, 2004
454
0
16
Province perdue du Canada, Louisian
Details of My Mission on 9-13-05:

I was sent to Leeville, LA by the Presbyterian Relief Society on a mission to scout out areas to set up relief sites for the lower part of the Parish south of the Hurricane Protection Levee.

Hell, I am Catholic and now I am being recuited by the Presbyterians! My friend called on the Ham Radio at 9 AM this morning and said that two fellows needed an escort and somebody with some communication (Our cell phones are still iffy and to see the Leeville Radio Tower laying over in the Marsh is one sight I will never forget!) Well we went to Leeville and checked in with the Harbor Police, everything was fine there but they could use bottled Water and MREs. Duly noted and I called HQ in Thibodaux, LA (50 Miles to the North for the order) I think if I would have brought son Timbits in that police station I could not have been more welcolmed, they were really helpful and pointed out the few people who live there (I knew them already) so we seeked them out and got a shopping list going. Most had just came back and Port fourchon is Commercial Port, so More on this later!

We were sent to Louisiana's only community which faces the Gulf of Mexico and 11 miles (20 kms) away to the East, the destruction that met us was beyond my comprhension! Houses (Summer Camps actually) along the road were GONE! The Marsh had been chewed up and from the water marks on the existing light Poles, the water had to have come at least 6-9 feet above the road and the road is 2 ft above sea level at high tide.

The Highway 1 bridge into Grand Isle had been shifted some and one vehicle at a time is allowed on the damaged part! I opened my door and the passengers in my Pick-up opened their doors as instructed and we slowly made our way across the bay! I gingerly crossed the damaged part and speed up when I got more solid bridge!!!! The destruction on the barrier island was enormous, since every thing by code must built on stilts after 1985, the stuff in the air survived the flooding but had terrific amounts of wind damage, cars were still piled up like toys and debris was everywhere!

When we arrived at the Town Hall, I introduced the relief fellas and the Mayor told me about his Communication Problem. The Town Fire Dept building had been taken over by the National Guard but their radios wouldn't work and the antenna tower was blown over!. I had a VHF 2 meter (144 to 148 Mhz) ham antenna and some coax with me so I gave it to the Town and fished out some coax. In no short time, we had something working and I called back to Thibodaux (70 Miles 110 kms) with no problem and the National Guard communication specialist wa happy.

After eating an MRE, Bullshitting with some buddies from the island, we were ready to return up the Bayou as we say down here! On our way out, the destruction was horrendous and most anything on ground level was desttroyed, this place was less than 10kms from the landfall of Hurricane Katrina! We crossed the bridge again and hoped we could get to the other side without wetting ourselves! Mission completed and the relief guys were calling in stuff on the radio for immediate delivery and where it needed to go!

MY observations on the ground:

!. Help is needed but the right kind of help. For instance, 25 Police Officers have been sent down here from Alabama to pay back when the town sent aid, but what is really needed in 5 Officers & 20 relief workers to help with the debris removal and relief effort! More Indians and less chiefs!

2. Equipment is lacking for some National Guard units since their equipment is in one place and they are somewhere else (IRAQ)! These fine young men and women are really doing what they can but with out the heavy equipment, radios that function or basic supplies, it is rough.

3. Where is FEMA? Some supplies have arrived but with cases of water on the roadside, MREs stored in the open, and other supplies shipped in without a though to local needs and wants, waste is rampant. FEMA sent down 3 truckloads of ICE but with no place store it it would have been wasted! Luckly, several Shrimp Boats survived the storm and the captains of the boats could put most of the ice in their holds, bonne chance, or else it wuld have been water! With no forethought, logistics is a nightmare unless you know before hand what is needed! These relief guys are getting their shoping lists ready, seeing what is needed on the ground and establishing communication links via Ham Radio so only what is needed gets delivered!

REBUILDING LOUISIANA ONE DAY AT A TIME!
 

Martin Le Acadien

Electoral Member
Sep 29, 2004
454
0
16
Province perdue du Canada, Louisian
Ocean Breeze said:
September 13, 2005

Special military units will be deployed to the affected areas to patrol the streets in heavily-armored vehicles; conducting house-to-house searches according to their own discretion.
The cities will be placed under martial law; invoking shoot to kill orders for anyone either looting or out of doors after the designated curfew.

Heavily-armed mercenaries and paramilitaries will be used on various assignments that require secrecy or additional security. We assume they will be used to protect dignitaries, perform harsh and illegal interrogations, intimidate dissidents, and subvert efforts by the media to provide accurate information from the region.

A massive media campaign will be mounted to create a narrative of an "involved and compassionate government" providing security to their people in times of crisis.

Is this a fair description of what is taking place in New Orleans?

There's little doubt that the Bush administration capitalized on the hurricane to activate its strategy to militarize the city. There's ample evidence that they had extensive knowledge of the magnitude of the disaster, and yet, chose to do nothing. In fact, for more than 3 days they prevented food, water or medicine from entering the stricken city. Here are just a few of the headlines that illustrate this point, although there are numerous others:

``FEMA won't accept Amtrak's help in evacuations.''
``FEMA turns away experienced firefighters.''
``FEMA turns back Wal-Mart supply trucks.''
``FEMA prevents Coast Guard from delivering diesel fuel.''
``Homeland Security won't let Red Cross deliver food.''
``FEMA bars morticians from entering New Orleans.''
``FEMA blocks 500-boat citizen flotilla from delivering aid.''
``FEMA fails to utilize Navy ship with 600-bed hospital on board.''
``FEMA to Chicago: Send just one truck.''
``FEMA turns away generators.''
``FEMA first responders urged not to respond.''

The administration's criminal negligence in the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of New Orleans occupants is not in doubt, nor is their predictable response in countering the bad press. Michael Brown said it best when he noted that he wanted "to convey a positive image of disaster operations to government officials, community organizers, and the general public." Brown's "positive image" of the catastrophe has been left to the usual Bush media-operatives, who have deftly shifted the national dialogue away from "criminal negligence" to the more benign-sounding "government unresponsiveness" or "failure of leadership." Neither of these have anything to do with the facts as we now understand them. Many of the people who died in the disaster were murdered by their government just as surely as if Bush had personally held their heads under water himself.
Now, the city is a fully-militarized war-zone no different than Baghdad or Kabul. Already, reports are coming in of doors being kicked down by armed soldiers and terrified residents being shunted off to special detention camps in hand cuffs.
We should not expect a different scenario when America's major cities come under terrorist attack sometime in the not-to-distant future.

A great deal has been written about the ethnic-cleansing operation of New Orleans poor and black, that has paved the way for America's flagship corporations to set up shop in the Big Easy.

What more can I add to the volumes that have been transcribed about this global project? Americans have been warned that they would be treated no differently than anyone else, and that the masters of new world order claim no regional loyalties. New Orleans merely adds an exclamation point to what everyone should already know.

It should be instructive to die-hard supporters of the commander-in-chief that the military deployment was accompanied by orders for all residents to "surrender all legally-registered firearms" to the authorities. I can only imagine the fidgeting at the next NRA meeting when the membership conducts an open forum on the governments' plan to disarm the nation in the event of a terrorist attack. I am reminded of George Washington's sage advice:

"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government".

Or, Thomas Jefferson:

"The constitutions of most of our states assert that all power is inherent in the people. That it is their right and duty to be at all times, armed."

That, of course, was before the reign of George 2 and the hasty rescinding of the Bill of Rights. Did gun-lovers really believe they would be spared Bush's terrible swift sword?

The "disarming" of America is a similar ruse to the WMD-scare that was used to invade Iraq. The New American Century is predicated on the belief that only the overlords will have weapons. A careful comparison of Haiti to Iraq provides an interesting contrast in the benefits of self-defense.

The deployment of mercenaries to the region should be of particular concern to Americans. Currently, more than 40,000 National Guardsman from Louisiana and Mississippi are serving in Iraq. It would have been quite simple to return them to their home states to meet the needs of the tragedy. Instead, the Bush administration chose to use exorbitantly-paid mercenaries.

Why? Is it because pacification on a large scale cannot be accomplished without a well-paid, elite-corps of corporate-warriors who are free to carry out orders with complete impunity? Are mercenaries imperative for neutralizing resistance, or is there another motive; perhaps, covert or illegal operations directed against American citizens that require additional secrecy?
In any event, paid killers should never be used on American soil.

New Orleans is looking more and more like a dress rehearsal for an ambitious cross-country strategy. It is unlikely that any plan for militarizing the country will evolve at a "snail's pace" of one city at a time. The administration would have to take advantage of massive "casualty-producing" events occurring in many strategically important cities at the same time. (Coordinated terrorist attacks?) This would provide the necessary cover for the same scenario we see presently unfolding in New Orleans.

It's worth thinking about.

Sobering, I hope the FEMA boys are just inept, I wuld hate to think they were that stupid on purpose!

Interesting note, however, when Katrina hit, Communications went to hell. As a Ham Radio Operator, I was able to use Shortwave Freqs to communicate between Rayne, LA (20kms east of Lafyatrte, LA) back to Plaquemines Parish, Lafourche Parish and just any where in the stricken area. Radio traffic passed to the State EOC and when jump teams offered to go in the first wave, the FEMA boyz said they did not want any civilians along because of liability? Their radios were short range VHF and Satellite systems which were very complex to operate and failed more often than not! The Amateur Radio Operators already in the area provided superb communication out of the area and FEMA did not want to admit that "civilian" Amateur types could do what they could not!

I think FEMA is inept, not that powerful because private relief efforts are running circles arund where they are pouring lots of manpower at the problem but coupled with an inefficient bureaucracy, it would be laughable if not so tragic.
 

dumpthemonarchy

House Member
Jan 18, 2005
4,235
14
38
Vancouver
www.cynicsunlimited.com
Funny, I punched "peak oil" into the internet this morning and read much of the same thing by Mrmom2. Hopefully Bush's lame response to Katrina will kill plans for allowing presidents to run for three or more terms.

Ignorant Americans and a supine media allow the infringement of civil liberties and create ineffective governments. Extreme weather, future energy price spikes and shortages are here. To have increasingly authoritarian gov'ts is no good for democracy.