Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Katrina , 9/11, and the Hubris of Man..........



As we hit the 1st Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, I've been reading a lot of posts and the media accounts. I'll stay clear of laying blame - that's already been done by all the pundits, or at least those with an agenda. However, I have had one overwhelming thought that hits me everytime I listen to everyone's comments: We have no respect for things we can't control...

First, I watched Big Easy Mayor Ray Nagin on 60 Minutes. His "It's taken NY 5 years to fill up a hole in the ground" needs to be looked at two ways. Yes , it's only about 16 acres that were affected, but they did have to sift through 4 or five major concrete and steel buildings, not to mention identifying 3500 bodies crushed to about the size of a quarter each. It takes time. However, he does have a point.... September 11th really was restricted to a small , targeted area, whereas Katrina cut a 90 mile wide swath across the Gulf. This gets me to my main point. America has a real pair of brass ones if we think we can control Nature.

I watched a Weather Channel special on New Orleans and what a Category 3 hurricane could do TWO YEARS before Katrina hit, and it went exactly as they said. Too bad local officials and FEMA don't watch basic cable.. We can build walls and skyscrapers and huge ships, but every once in a while, Nature comes along and kicks our butts to show that we really are NOT in control. So, as a refresher, here is the pecking order for Planet Earth:

Number One: Your Deity of Choice.. Personally, mine is Our Lord God.

Second Place: Mother Nature. And as we know from TV....It's not nice to fool ( or mess with) Mother Nature.....

Last Place: Man.

Sure , we can try to develop chemicals that can stop hurricanes, but against No.'s One and Two, we are basically powerless. Want proof? You need look no further than earlier this Hurricane Season.. Remember Alberto? It was chugging along at Cat.1 speed towards Florida, when a wind shear suddenly and literally stopped Alberto in it's tracks.

I go back to a quote from PBS's "The Civil War". A century and a half ago, man was worried that they woul have to power to destroy the Earth with it's might. We may destroty Man one day, but we never give earth the respect it deserves..The Earth has an amazing ability to destroy or repair itself - we're just residents. Maybe we'll figure it out .........

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

As you know I have been spending a lot of time in the Crescent City/The Big Easy lately. While Nawlins is still one of my favorite places to go at one time I did call it home years ago. My area is not bad in and near the French Quarter also around Kenner, Laplace and the airport area. Over in Plaquemine Parish what a mess but it is rural. The 9 TH ward is like they say it is. A friend of mine and I did a tour together. It was just like a ghost town the streets and homes empty for as far as the eye could see. It is such a eerie feeling riding down street after street without seeing a living thing man or beast. This was just a few days ago. Down around the Super Dome the homeless are back and so is crime. In fact the crime rate is as high or higher than ever. I seen dozens of cars parked under bridges with people living in them and hundreds of FEMA Campers. Not trailers but Campers parked in the streets with people living in them but not the 9 TH ward that was hit so bad. The trash is everywhere I cannot believe after one year the mess is still so bad. Thousands of homes damaged beyond repair still where they are one year later. Just think they reelected the Mayor mostly by votes outside the city. I have my opinions Mother Nature caused it. The Mayor and the Governor did a terrible job getting people out and controlling the situation and yes my President who I almost always support did one Sh-- job of realizing what had happened. The head of FEMA at the time was not qualified and it will take a long time for the GOP to overcome what happened on the Gulf Coast because we are the ones most of the locals blame for this disaster. So does CNN, ABC, NBC, MSNBC and Brian Winters. We should had been on top of this from the moment it hit and before what a blunder by all. Until you see the damage no pictures will tell the story.

Anonymous said...

Mike, my own hunch is that you're missing one dumb and dumber face, Senator Landrieu, whose family business, I recall, was reported to have a nice contract with the Corps of Engineers to build and maintain some levees in and around New Orleans.

I also recall that her first term in the US Senate proved to be the result of significant voter fraud that was gleefully overlooked and protests dismissed within Louisana. You can't get the graveyard precincts to raise a ruckus that they don't think their votes were tallied correctly...

Anonymous said...

Dick Cheney blew up that levee with his 12 guage shot gun and you all know it! OK, maybe not, but...
The government did fail at all levels.
George Bush claiming he had no idea the levees could fail due to a storm of that potential...Thou shalt not lie George, and you know that was one!
Ya know, it would be nice to see a politician actually tell the truth, actually do some work for the American people, instead of worrying about getting their party elected or re-elected.
Oh, on the subject of chemicals to stop hurricanes...when that happens there will be peace and democracy in the middle-east...i.e. NEVER.
Ok, so I'm all over the place here in my rant because I am so discusted with the government at every level. I better go now and prepare for the wrath of Ernesto...in other words, prepare for the streets of my neighborhood to be 2 feet under water again for the 10th time this summer. Oh, it's only been a problem here for the past 15 years, taken to council, and still not a damn thing done about it...15 F'n years...woooohoooo, there's MY government at work!

Thoroughbred 401k said...

Two apologies... I skipped Landrieu because she wasn't in the Photoshop pic that I stole. I also need to slow down the typing - my misspells are getting bad lately.

Anonymous said...

Bobby, having been read into FEMA's incident management system, I watched folks on several levels playing a I can do it myself, I don't need no Federal interference telling me how to run my state, my county, my town... oops oh c^@p! When are you gonna gimme Billions to save my political career?

New Orleans, where most of the damage came from ill-maintained system of levees failed (and we suspect that a legit investigation would hang too many in power), easy cheap shots at FEMA and Bush were poured forth as convenient half truths like you liberties with potshots at Georgie boy.

Yes there's plenty of blame to go around, but most of the aid rendered came through church volunteers that are still going on missions of service to the Gulf coast. In fact, Rick Warren brought in the figures and it seems that over 70% of the people responding were not governmental aid, but private citizens organized with their churches in acts of benevolence.

I can look back at Hugo and the FEMA response in SC, once the San Francisco earthquake interrupted the World Series FEMA left us high and dry, and our one competent Senator did nothing to yank them back to fininsh the job...

Thoroughbred 401k said...

Bobby, when I get to council, I promise to make Johnnie Rodgers get your neighborhood fixed, and to have a Penn State or Orioles logo tattooed on his tooshie! THAT is Gov't in Action!

Anonymous said...

The rumors that the goverment blew the levee is surreal. It never happened this time. It may have happened back in the days of Huey P Long who was a Democrat. I cannot believe anyone would even go there now because as has been said due to African Americans is why the goverment blew the levee.
What a crock. Makes me want to puke. About as bad as someone blaming the goverment over street flooding in Charleston. I hope we all choose to live where we are at and if you choose to live where it floods big deal get out. The goverment is not meant to raise us from cradle to grave. Take responsibility for yourself and grow up.

Thoroughbred 401k said...

Ladies and Gentlemen.. The return of the Pee Dee Pundit!! Great to have you back!

Anonymous said...

I agree Mike the peedeepundit is quick what a great post.

Thoroughbred 401k said...

Two kids in 14 months!! How do you have time to post at all??!!

Anonymous said...

peedeepundit you do know what causes babies right. Enjoy.