Is the USA having her eyes wide shut
For one thing, the lesson learnt form Katrina were not lost. So when Hurricane Rita came slamming home the State and Local officials were prepared. The evacuation from Houston was fairly orderly and there was minimal loss of life as a consequence of Hurricane Rita. Of coursr, one can say that the different reactions to a similar natural disaster within two weeks of each other has to do with the different ethnic and racial profiles of the two states. In Louisianna the Federal Government wainted 3 full days before letting the National Guards in to help the state and local officials. Of course many would know that the Louisianna National Guards are now serving in Bush's War in Bagdad.
Let us take a long look at history. When was the last time the State of Louisianna affected by a natural calamity that compares with that unleashed by Katrina, In 1927, when the ancient levees gave way and let loose a torrent of water into New Orleans there was a Republican government in Washington DC let by a man whose name is notorious in American history for being a silent president, Calvin Coolidge.Then too the Federal Governmnt did virtually nothing. Huey Long made an issue of this indifference and created a populist political platform that changed the political landscape of the South forever . Long revived the long dead Democratic Party and pushed for federal intervention. The result FDR was elected and the New Deal for the American people.
The beneficiaries of the Flooding and human catastrophe in New Orleans are already beginning to circle over New Orleans. The Federal Governmenrt has gone in for no-bids contratcs to rebuild New Orleans. You guessed it yes, the winners are the very folks who are earning their millions in Iraq, Halliburton andBechtel Corporation. Whereever their is human misery these two pillars of the US establishment willnot be far away. According to information available to me a contract for 100 million $ has already been awarded to Bechtel and the contract to clear up New Orleans harbour has gone to Halliburton with which Dick Ckenney was associzted with.
Now political workers like Rahaman, an Afro_American Muslim have drawn attention to a more sinister motive behind the rebuilding od destroyed neighbourhoods and communities.By building large mega sized husing complexes, there is every chance that the black vote which pre Katrina was concentrated will get diluted making it difficult for the Afro American population already reeling under the impact of this catastrophe to assert itself politically. The tone has already been set by the FIRST MOTHER Barbara Bush: "What Im hearing which is sort of scary is that they all want to stay in Texas. Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And many of the people in the (Houston Area)here you know were underpriviliged anyway so this is working very well for them". So the First Mother says that the victims must be happy that the Hurricane took them to the earthly Paradis, Texas.
It seems that the Hurricanes took Iraq out of the headlines. The security situation is fast becoing a nightmare. Even Americans who just a year back were cheerleaders in the Bush Band Wagon have now started questioning the War. Yesterday there was an anti war demonstration in Wasington DC that drew 100,000 marchers.Iraq has become, yes the V word again, Vietnam.