Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > New Orleans

[chicken]

Tony, you should look for a new career in bomb disposal!

Do I feel sorry for the people stranded in New Orleans? Only if they die because of their folly.

Would you feel sorry for someone that habitually ran in front of slow-moving trucks only to be hit one day by one that was going slightly faster?

Sorry - I'm in a bit of a belligerent mood today...

[swannymere]

Be interesting to see if they learn the lesson or rebuild in the current location.I think this may become a regular occurence in that part of the world.Wonder what they think of global warming now?Stupid people and guns,not a great combination,what will the National Rifle Association come up with to explain this one away?It's a Human tragedy,let's hope they learn a lesson so there is less chance of a reoccurence.

[frogger]

Psychlist, the invasion of Iraq didn't take place until well AFTER 9-11. I don't see how that's relative to the situation at hand anyway...incidentally, if polls matter, the majority of the hurricane victims were probably against the war in Iraq anyway. Feel better now?
The U.K. also invaded Iraq. Does that have anything to do with large scale natural disasters in U.K. being somehow justified? I don't understand your logic...
As far as a few looters taking potshots at helicopters, that is certainly NOT representative of Americans in general. How the hell can you guys make assumptions like that?! I'm fairly sure that if you were on the scene now, the level of compassion, generosity, hard work would give you a much more accurate depiction of the American people.
I'm sorry for the vitriolic attitude, but I've always considered the U.K. as my favorite country outside of my own. I had tears in my eyes when I read of the recent bombings in London. It wouldn't matter if it were a political tragedy or a natural disaster. The loss of life is the crux of the damn matter..even to my friends and co-workers, it was as if our fellow countrymen were the ones who suffered.
I guess you've heard of the 800 or so Iraqi's who perished by jumping off the bridge over the Tigris river. They heard rumors of a suicide bomber on the bridge, and so decided to jump for it. Does the fact that it wasn't the smartest thing to do make their deaths somehow acceptable?! Not in my book.
Of COURSE New Orleans was way overdue for something like this. The lack of planning by civic leaders, building commissioners, etc was way overdue, and RARELY is a lesson learned at so great a cost. As swannymere stated above, it will be interesting to see what the rebuilding of a great city will entail...
Again, sorry for my hot head, but a few of the comments above quite shocked me.
Americans may be a bit fat on the average, we definitely have some lousy cultural stuff going on- (the state of television is why I cancelled my cable TV years ago ), but by and large, Americans are GOOD people. Even the Harley guys, with their constant charity drives and toy runs.
And yeah, for what it's worth, I've been against the war in Iraq from the beginning.
Also, having a Ducati in the states- especially in the midwest (St. Louis, MO), makes me a bit of an oddball. The local Harley riders keep asking me when I'm going to get a "real" bike Needless to say, I've got Ducs in my blood, and have for all of my life. Unfortunately, being a lowly welder means that I have a hard time with all the maintenance costs!
Later all, and keep up a great forum! Frog-man

[frogger]

Incidentally, as regards "greenhouse gases", I'm not entirely sure how much they contributed to all this.

I am aware that they tend to strengthen any type of weather system, and they certainly don't help matters any.

It would be nice to enforce some kind of legislation, in the U.S. especially, discouraging the use of big damn SUV's, oversized trucks...although with the way petrol prices are headed, maybe, it'll be self correcting. It'll just take longer though...


.

[Brogins]

Well, after 6 years in Houston I have a couple of good friends and Collegues in NO that are involved in this tragedy...my heart is with them.. one of them lost everything, house, car..BIKE... right now is renting an apartament in Houston and is planning to stay there for a month ..that's what the authorities are telling people that right now doesn't know if they still have an house.. do not go back to New Orleans..
Of course these that escaped in time are the sensible people.. as most of Americans.. they are not looting or shooting to choppers.. but bad and poor desperate people are everywhere.. In US, in Italy, in UK...
Peace men... and I am praying for who lost more than just material things..

[YMFB]

My heart goes out to all those affected, I hope that President Blair is offering technical assistance from the UK's emergency and military resources.

I dont want or intend to be devisive or confrontational but listening to an "expert" on radio 4 (obviously beyond reproach) they said that the occurence of hurricanes/frequency and level is cyclical and it was this bad in the 1960's. That means that Geo. W Bush's policies and handling of the Kyoto agreement has little or no effect on Hurricanes now or in the future.

Thats not to say that the Geo. W Bush administrations anti Kyoto stance doesnt effect someone or something else but you shouldnt expect Geo. W Bush to change his mind because of the disaster that has hit Missisipi and the other states.

As a frequent visitor to the US over the last twenty years I have been humbled many times by American genorosity and kindness I hope that we can in some small way contribute to easing their troubles.

[psychlist]

Frogger me old fruit, I've got quite a few friends and acquaintances both Yankees and Reb's, Harley riders as well as Fireblade toting street bandits, if you'd read my post you'd know where my sympathies lie mate, with everyone suffering everywhere, whether that's from the devastation in New Orleans or from the First invasion of Iraq years before 9/11. The people in New Orleans chose to stay even when they had been made clearly aware that their lives were in mortal danger and they had the option to get out, those innocent members of a populace who died with the guilty because Blair and Bush wanted to prevent Saddam (yes he was a butcher) holding us hostage over his countries oil, didnt have that choice, they just died.

Edited to add:- Why were the levee's around New Orleans not fortified years ago when the city (army) engineers said it was necessary? G Dubbya apparently refused the funding to pay for the 2nd Invasion of Iraq.
Why was New Orleans so vulnerable? Decades of destruction of natural coastal defences to make way for human development.
It's not only the Dutch that should take note, quite a bit of southern England is at or near sea level and sinking.

[Edited on 2-9-2005 by psychlist]

[Davieravie]

After the shocking pictures on the news regarding the above and in no way wanting to get involved in argument regarding our friends across the "pond", I wonder if George Dubya would have acted quicker if the poor souls who are struggling in the South were white and not of black origin as most of them seem to be. Also maybe its down to their level of income as the wealthy have fled leaving the poorer class to fend for themselves!!! Maybe its down to votes at the end of the day!!!! This will probably finish GWB and good riddance.

[dickieducati]

this really is turning into a huge disaster.

mainly because the american government are doing ntg to help. i'm just listening to a radio interview with the mayor, and he's a bit ****ed off to say the least.

they seem to be able to illegally invade other countires quick enough but dont give a stuff about their own.

bush will fall on the back of this i recon.

[Ray]

The powers that be seem to be more interested in stopping a few looters than saving the thousands that have no food, water or shelter.

The good ole boys might be good at weilding the big stick but have a lot to learn about showing a bit of old world compassion.

Shoot first save the desparate second??


Ray.