New Orleans

[rklenseth]

The news is now reporting that there are over 10,000 people dead in New Orleans alone.

[Schme]

Jesus Christ.

Whole new meaning to the song "New Orleans is Sinking."

Man, some crazy shit, eh? Who'd ever have thought anything like this would happen.

I don't understand why Louisiana is packed with soldiers by now, though. Hell, Florida alone has got around a few dozen military bases. Why aren't those guys coming over in droves?

This is real fucked up, is all I can say.

[rklenseth]

Well, the military wasn't in charge originally. It was the state and the National Guard that was in charge but they screwed up so now the Federal Government has taken charge and is pouring US Troops into New Orleans. They're sending 1,000 Marines from Iraq directly to New Orleans. Those Marines should be in the city by Sunday. There are already 600 US Army MPs with a three star general in New Orleans.

Another problem is that the hurricane destroyed many of the bridges, roads and left debris strewn across 90,000 square miles that they had to clear in order to get to those people.

But there are still 30,000 starving and dying people at the Convention Center. I don't think help will arrive to them in time to save a lot of people there.

[DougBrown]

So was anyone we know here in cantr hurt? Did anyone live there and play cantr?

[XBL]

What's bugging me, is that I read in the newspaper here, that the mayor is asking for help. They needed 30 or 40k of people to evactuate and stop the plundering and shooting and whatever more is going on right now.

Does the US not have enough troups (a national reserve, whatever) to be sent there within a timespan of, say, 24 hours? They do have enough men to be sent to Iraq, but lack enough men to help in their own country?

Maybe I haven't read all the news on the things going on there right now (I've had other things on my mind), but as far as I can see, is this the case...

Jochem

[Schme]

That's just it. Normally, Florida and Texas are packed with soldiers, but now, there all overseas.

[ephiroll]

Does the US not have enough troups (a national reserve, whatever) to be sent there within a timespan of, say, 24 hours? They do have enough men to be sent to Iraq, but lack enough men to help in their own country?

That's exactly the case. See, every man we send overseas is at the expense of our citizens in more then one way. First, it takes the tax dollars that should be going to something in our own country, then when something like this happens we get screwed even worse because all the men and equipment that could mop are halfway around the world helping people that hate us.

[A Neo Irony]

I'm still waiting to see who, out of all the countries we've helped out over the past century, will rush to help us.

I'm not counting Canada because they've always been very kind.

[kinvoya]

I heard that Cuba offered doctors and medicine.

[Schme]

That's exactly the case. See, every man we send overseas is at the expense of our citizens in more then one way. First, it takes the tax dollars that should be going to something in our own country, then when something like this happens we get screwed even worse because all the men and equipment that could mop are halfway around the world helping people that hate us.

Not that any one would be complaining about that if nothing had happened.

And actually, the money is not going outside of America, and even the money that is does not go outside American influence.

See, the money used to pay the troops, at war or peacetime, is still in the hands of the troops and families of the troops, and that money gets spent in America by them and there families, espicially in the Iraq conflict, because unlike other places where American troops are and have been stationed, even the money that the American troops do take out of there paychecks is hard to spend, as most of the time they are stuck on the base, and when there not, they don't really get much chance to spend it, and even where they off the base, not much to spend it on. There are barely any bars in the entire country, as muslims (most of them) don't drink, and so there is never been much demand for them, and so they don't exist.

Secondly, there are very, very few prostitutes to be had in those parts.

Third, the situation is such that there is barely anything that is contraband, so anything that they would be buying that would normally cost alot (drugs, untaxed hammers, whatever) is really cheap, as is everything legitamit (except for maybe things like gold and liquer which isn't allowed on bases, and what have you.)

And furthermore, the government maintaining such a big army, paying money to all of these soldiers and there families, that is spreading the capital around to thousands and thousands, doing wonders for the economy. They, in turn, spend that money, which further distributes the capital, and so on. So, the government does lose money, but the economy wins out.

As for any money the government spends rebuilding things in Iraq, what are they building? Government offices, bridges, infastructure, hospitals, and so on, all of which remains under the control of the Iraqi government, which is (and let's not lie to ourselves here.) a puppet of the American government.

What else do they do? They pay Iraqis to provide work, services, security, to fight for them, for information. So any money that actually does find it's way into the Iraqi economy, it is well worth it.


So any money that is spent over there is still under American control.


And on top of that, America (or the American government, anyways) recoups alot of it's losses in Oil profit skimming, aswell as it accomplishes it's (the government's) goal of controling the important oil producer that is the Republic of Iraq. On top of that, now that Saddam and the Baathists are gone, those pesky U.N. sanctions on Iraqi oil experts are gone with it.

As for helping people who hate America, well, weather you personally agree with the war or not, it comes with the territory of illegaly invading a sovereign nation, overthrowing it, occopying it and installing a puppet government.

But if you're worried about American capital going abroad, the people you want to see is The House of Saud.

That rhymes. Hmmm.....

Anyway, that's the real place were the government is putting money out of the country, and not just them, but the corperations, too.

In fact, most American capital that actually makes it out of the country is from private American corperations doing bussiness abroad (I.e. Tapping into the cheap labor markets of the lesser devoloped world. Not that I wouldn't do the same, were I that sort of bussinessman.)

You're right about the soldiers not being there. But like I say, had nothing happened at home, nobody would be complaining about the fact that they weren't at home to help America. Nobody was expecting this. Everyone was thinking that men in turbans and robes were going to blow up every national landmark in the country or something.

And it annoys me how people blame the president for things not going well. Not that it's any of my bussiness, but you can't expect him to solve everything by snapping his fingers. What do people want him to do, use his magical presidential powers to make all the bad go away? Him and his friends up there are doing what they can (Believe me, I'm sure they are, because right now, there asses are on the line if they fuck this up more than it has to be.).

Hell, he's already taken federal control, appealed to foreign nations and gotten a lump sum of ten point five billion, with more to come.

Hell,ten point five billion is more than the gross domestic product of Jamaica.

But you're absolutly right. Were the troops here and not in the President and Pals war, things would be going a hell of alot better down in New Orleans.

And, like you say, the war does cost alot of money, yes.

I'm still waiting to see who, out of all the countries we've helped out over the past century, will rush to help us.

My guess? Everyone.

I don't want to get into the America the Benovolent thing, though. Don't wanna even touch that. Whole other things.

People who help will be helping because it's moraly right and to earn favor, and not out of gratitude.

Who's Indonesia ever help? No one, but everyone helped them. Nobody wants to be the industrialized nation that didn't give a couple bucks and medicine crates to disaster A or B, as we've seen. It looks bad, and people use it as an excuse in the future.

I heard that Cuba offered doctors and medicine.

Like I said.

[Stan]

When looking at things like this or any other thing...

It's always better to give than to recieve. That's in more ways than one. We shouldn't give because we expect something in return. We give and help because it is right...at least we should.

In the case of this disaster those who feel they should, will give. America's in a much better position to take care of this issue without lots of external support (though it warms our heart to see others helping). Someone like Indonesia after the tsunami is in a much different position than we are. As Americans (and Canadians, Europeans, Australian, etc), we should be grateful that we don't need to receive often and not be disappointed.

[kinvoya]

I'm sure lots of countrys have donated but another one I saw, in particular, was Afghanistan gave $100,000.

[Schme]

Like I said. Afghanistan can't actually afford to help. They've got there own problems. It's just a token donation, and it's probably money from America anyways.

But they don't want to be the ones who didn't donate. Espicially not after America toppled the Talibs.

Your right though. I'm sure that by now most countries have donated something, at least.

[A Neo Irony]

This really shouldn't be about who is donating what. It should be about trying to help the thousands upon thousands who are now homeless, penniless, and slowly dying. Hell, if I was eighteen, I'd be down there offering my electrical skills to help get power back to the state.

[XBL]

Most west-European countries offered their help, Afghanistan gave the US€85k (about $100k, I guess), Kuwait offered $500 million in oil and oil-products and maybe some more countries I forgot.

Quite nice to hear, is that some guy in US asked to get some Dutch, so they could design a delta-plan. So don't worry, if the US accepts our help, The Big Easy will be the first polder outside the Netherlands .

Jochem