Faked Aid Shelters, Faked Levee Repairs, Helicopters Grounded

I know you’re sick of Katrina. But when my kids come home from school and read the one-line sentence about this hurricane and hear how heroically and instant the response was I want to be able to point to this entry to remind them that it took five fucking days for us to respond.

(via DailyKos) 

German news channel reports:

ZDF News reported that the president’s visit was a completely staged event. Their crew witnessed how the open air food distribution point Bush visited in front of the cameras was torn down immediately after the president and the herd of ‘news people’ had left and that others which were allegedly being set up were abandoned at the same time. The people in the area were once again left to fend for themselves, said ZDF.

Times-Picayune confirms: 

Three tons of food ready for delivery by air to refugees in St. Bernard Parish and on Algiers Point sat on the Crescent City Connection bridge Friday afternoon as air traffic was halted because of President Bush’s visit to New Orleans, officials said. “We had arrangements to airlift food by helicopter to these folks, and now the food is sitting in trucks because they won’t let helicopters fly,” O’Shea said Friday afternoon.

Governor Senator Landrieu on faked levee repairs:

Flying over this critical spot again this morning, less than 24 hours later, it became apparent that yesterday we witnessed a hastily prepared stage set for a Presidential photo opportunity; and the desperately needed resources we saw were this morning reduced to a single, lonely piece of equipment.

These are people who think that perception is reality. They still see Vietnam as a PR problem – not a policy failure. And that is what is happening here. Why can’t geniune caring and presence be seen?


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12 responses to “Faked Aid Shelters, Faked Levee Repairs, Helicopters Grounded”

  1. Daviey Avatar
    Daviey

    Do you honestly believe that our media would not JUMP on such stories if they were true? Have you deluded yourself into thinking that obscure German media is the only path to truth? Come on. I could find out in one hour if the first item were true, and knowing a wonderful, compassionate FEMA director I can tell you how much credence I give it now.

    The second issue is believable – mainly because ever since GH Bush and Hurricane Andrew, every President feels bound to disrupt any emergency situation with their immediate presence to keep the media from screaming that they “didn’t care enough”. When any president visits, there is considerable disruption – something not needed during the aftermath of a disaster. Limiting his presence to an overflight would have been the responsible thing to do, but just what would you have said then (one can only imagine).

    I have no idea about the third issue, though I can imagine that they realized that dropping bags of sand into the levee breach wasn’t doing anything. Considering the sources you use and their track record, it’s not something I’m willing to take at face value, though.

  2. Andy Avatar
    Andy

    our media would not JUMP on such stories

    I think there’s a lot of stories trying to be tracked right now and trusting just the US corporate media is asking a great deal.

    only path to the truth

    You’ll notice I cite lots of sources throughout this blog.

    immediate presence

    How many days later? Was he reading “My Pet Goat II: The Quickening?”

    The third source is the actual Governor of Louisianna.

  3. Jake Avatar
    Jake

    She’s actually the Senator from Louisianna

  4. Andy Avatar
    Andy

    Oh hell. Thanks. I saw them next to eachother at a press conference and got them confused. Corrected.

  5. Daviey Avatar
    Daviey

    When you replace slander and cheap camp with some facts, I may be back. I’ve only so much time to read these things.

  6. Chris Phoenix Avatar

    FEMA’s “wonderful, compassionate” director was fired from his last job for incompetence. FEMA has spent the last three days turning away five hundred swamp boats with expert pilots.

    Director’s incompetence:
    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/9/2/122157/2495
    http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/9/2/34622/68348

    Boats turned away:
    http://crnano.typepad.com/crnblog/2005/09/adviceaction_on.html

    If Mike Brown has managed to convince viewers that he is so wonderful and compassionate, just by being on TV a lot and claiming that no one knew about the convention center until Thursday (when the convention center is 3/4 mile from the Superdome), then this country is in even worse shape than I thought.

    Any reader with a brain, please get informed and help drown these idiots in facts. And while you’re at it, please contact your congresspeople.

    http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
    and then select your state from the “Choose a state” pulldown.

    http://www.house.gov/writerep/
    After you enter your zip code, it’ll tell you who your Representative is and ask for your name and address for a text message. If you want to get the phone number instead, click on “Representative offices” and look up your representative, then look for a “Contact us” link on their home page.

    Chris

  7. Andy Avatar
    Andy

    This maybe be biased coverage (you do watch news outside the US as well, right?). And the only thing camp is Richard Simmons. And he ain’t cheap.

  8. Dave Avatar
    Dave

    I thought that was totally staged too, then thought maybe I am too jaded. But when I saw him hugging that little girl, I thought – she looks too clean to have been through all that devastation – she must be Halle Barry’s cousin or someone “safe” like that.

  9. sam Avatar

    Yeah Andy, how dare you trust an outside source over the reputable American media? Those people went to school for years to be told what to write and how to write it, and it was hard work.

  10. Daviey Avatar
    Daviey

    “FEMA’s “wonderful, compassionate” director was fired from his last job for incompetence.”

    Uh, I was talking about a local guy – I have no idea what the guy at the top is like. The people working in FEMA (that I have talked with) are dedicated and compassionate.

  11. Daviey Avatar
    Daviey

    “This maybe be biased coverage (you do watch news outside the US as well, right?).”

    Sure, I think it is refreshing at times but I recognize that there is often an anti-US bias. I don’t have the disdain for US media in general that I hear from others. That started with the far right (Liberal Right Wing Media or just MSM), and now has spread to the far left (much to my recent surprise). Both sides seem to be using the MSM (Main Stream Media) tag these days. Honestly, I think it just reflects extremes who don’t like it when the news doesn’t track with their cause. You have to admit that the conspiracy side of it is pretty wacky.

    I try to stay away from the obvious partisan trash – dailykos.com or Shaun Hannity, etc. Otherwise I just try to verify anything of importance with other sources.

  12. Damian Avatar
    Damian

    Believe it or not, the press outside of the US reveals many stories that you’ll never see in American print. Here are excerpts from a British article-

    Mark Townsend
    Sunday September 4, 2005
    The Observer

    British families trapped in New Orleans last night claimed that US authorities had refused to evacuate them as Hurricane Katrina approached the city.
    Although assistance was offered to US residents, British nationals were told they would have to fend for themselves. According to those who remain stranded in the stricken city, police had visited hotels and guest houses on the eve of the hurricane offering to evacuate Americans, but not Britons.
    …One family from Liverpool, trapped in a flooded section of the city, told relatives yesterday of their bewilderment when they realised US citizens would be offered preferential treatment.
    Gerrard Scott, 35, spoke to his brother Peter from the Ramada Hotel in New Orleans where he has been stranded without assistance with wife, Sandra, 38, and seven-year-old son Ronan for the past six days. ‘Those that didn’t fit their criteria were told to help themselves. The police said they were evacuating Americans, and took away the majority.

    ‘The British who were left all thought the police would come back, but nobody has. They have just been left,’ said Peter Scott last night.

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