Monday, August 13, 2007

A Bridge To New Orleans

I haven't spoken much about Katrina, since I have very little experience with New Orleans specifically, and the South in general. I haven't been there to see the devastation, though I have seen Spike Lee's often completely infuriating documentary on the subject. Leaves you with the feeling that everyone in power was to blame, and that they're idiots to boot.

However, let's not let a complete lack of knowledge stop my mouth from chattering on...

It is my understanding that we're still holding fundraising events for the victims of Katrina. The government (in the shape of FEMA, and all it stands on) gave out trailers that are outgassing formaldehyde (more than usual - love that new car/corpse smell!) and making the occupants sick. Good old government contracts - they pay well, and sometimes you get sued. The levees are currently behind in their refitting, and won't really be ready for the next big storm that hits that region.

Oh, good. More dead people. (but, you know - black and poor, so no one will notice so much)

Oh, whoops, I'm sorry, I forgot, all the folks who lived there pretty much moved away, so that the developers can move in a bunch of "market rate" housing, and New Orleans will gradually become whiter and whiter. Greg Palast, I tell ya, the guy just makes me angry every time I read him. So, this time, when these folks' housing gets washed away in the next flood, the insurance companies won't necessarily be able to not pay them, as they did with so many folks who had lived in their homes for decades, paid them off, paid their premiums, etc. The folks that are going to live there will have more money, access to lawyers, and be the right color in the first place.

And a Democrat will be president, so it'll be her fault, anyway.

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