Federal Response - TV versus Reality

[Ghost of BiB]

You know, I was thinking of exactly the same thing.

 

But can you imagine the great songs they could write about that one?

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"Tin soldiers and Bush is comin'..."

[Crap Throwing Monkey]

One of the idiots on CNN was whining about why we didn't drop paratroopers on NO the day after the levees broke.  Paratroopers! 

 

Now even if we had paratroopers ready to be deployed in the United States, dropping them into a flooded city is probably only going to result in a lot of families finding out that their paratrooper sons and daughters drowned in NO.  You don't drop paratroopers into the water.  One of the Nazi defenses in France prior to D-Day was to flood areas so that paratroopers who landed there would drown.  And if we told our paratroopers to pack light (and not be weighted down), basically all we'd achieve by successfully putting them in NO is add a few thousand more people with guns and little to eat or drink.

 

And that's assuming paratroopers are trained and prepared to quell riots (which I sincerely doubt they are).

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Actually, the ready brigade of the 82nd Airborne can be moved in something like 24 hours (I think...it might be as much as 72, I'm almost certain it's not less than 24). Which in itself is interesting in that:

 

1) Even a brigade held in readiness for immediate deployment can't move in less than 24 hours.

2) For that to happen, it has to be held in a high state of readiness.

 

But everyone else in the US government is supposed to move faster than the most mobile and most ready brigade in the Army?

 

 

And aside from that...drop them into a flooded city? DROP???? Know what you get when you drop paratroopers into a lake? Dead paratroopers. Know what you get when you drop them in a city? Dead paratroopers. Now take a guess what you get when you drop them in a flooded city... Where does the media find these "experts".

[SilverNRed]

And aside from that...drop them into a flooded city?  DROP????  Know what you get when you drop paratroopers into a lake?  Dead paratroopers.  Know what you get when you drop them in a city?  Dead paratroopers.  Now take a guess what you get when you drop them in a flooded city...    Where does the media find these "experts".

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I don't think it was an "expert." I'm pretty sure it was a newscaster or some idiot celebrity like Jesse Jackson.

 

All I know is that I was in awe that the self-proclaimed "Most Trusted Name in News" thought they needed to interview someone who was actively promoting an idea that would kill off hundreds of American paratroopers almost instantly.

[Crap Throwing Monkey]

I don't think it was an "expert."  I'm pretty sure it was a newscaster or some idiot celebrity like Jesse Jackson.

 

All I know is that I was in awe that the self-proclaimed "Most Trusted Name in News" thought they needed to interview someone who was actively promoting an idea that would kill off hundreds of American paratroopers almost instantly.

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But if they air dropped them with kayaks!!!...

 

I'm laughing because it's so, so sad. We need more natural disasters to cull the "Why do I have to take care of myself, the Nanny State will do it for me" crowd.

[GG]

Now you guys are channeling a WKRP classic.

 

Maybe they should have dropped turkeys that can float.

[SilverNRed]

But if they air dropped them with kayaks!!!...   

 

I'm laughing because it's so, so sad.  We need more natural disasters to cull the "Why do I have to take care of myself, the Nanny State will do it for me" crowd.

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I went searching for it, couldn't find it, and ended up finding something just as pathetic (which plays right into what you just said).

 

Idiot Letters

 

As I have watched the news over the past few days, my anger has steadily grown. Where is our federal government? Why isn't more being done in New Orleans? Isn't this the United States?

 

If our great nation could drop paratroopers onto a beach in Normandy on D-Day 60 years ago, why can't we get help to our own citizens in 2005?

 

Just a few weeks ago, my husband and I walked the streets of the French Quarter, we ate at Felix's oyster bar, shopped on Royal Street and lounged at the Maison Dupuy pool. Today, one of my favorite places in the world is in chaos, and I don't know why.

 

I watched in horror as Fox News broadcast scenes of the Walgreen's on Canal Street being looted. I listened to terrified tourists being interviewed - afraid for their lives. I watched young mothers begging for water for their babies. I saw old people crying for help.

 

In the United States of America, this is inexcusable. Our president has told us to be patient, but this is the greatest country in the world. We shouldn't have to be patient.

 

There are dead people lying on Interstate 10. There are thousands of people surrounded by anarchy, and America sits and watches in horror. I have been supportive of this administration, but this is gross negligence.

 

Maybe it's because only one state separates me from them. Maybe it's because my next-door neighbor can't locate his elderly parents who couldn't evacuate the city. Maybe it's because the aspirin in my kitchen cabinet came from that Walgreen's on Canal Street. But, I need to know how this could happen in America.

 

Janet C. McClendon

Maylene

This woman feels an extra special attachment to NO because she bought her aspirin there. No kidding.

 

I think the sentence in the middle sums up everything wrong with America these days:

In the United States of America, this is inexcusable. Our president has told us to be patient, but this is the greatest country in the world. We shouldn't have to be patient.

[Tux of Borg]

Actually, the ready brigade of the 82nd Airborne can be moved in something like 24 hours (I think...it might be as much as 72, I'm almost certain it's not less than 24).  Which in itself is interesting in that:

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The DRF-1 (aka DRB-1) is wheels up in 18 hours.

[Crap Throwing Monkey]

I went searching for it, couldn't find it, and ended up finding something just as pathetic (which plays right into what you just said).

 

Idiot Letters

 

This woman feels an extra special attachment to NO because she bought her aspirin there.  No kidding. 

 

I think the sentence in the middle sums up everything wrong with America these days:

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Retarded...

 

If our great nation could drop paratroopers onto a beach in Normandy on D-Day 60 years ago, why can't we get help to our own citizens in 2005?

 

As though D-Day "just happened" one morning, thus so should anything else. Does she have ANY idea the preparation that went into that? "If we can do something sixty years ago that we planned, prepared, and practiced for eighteen months, we can certainly save New Orleans overnight. Because the aspirin in my kitchen is from New Orleans."

 

I cannot BELIEVE how utterly and grossly stupid people are in this country.

[SilverNRed]

As though D-Day "just happened" one morning, thus so should anything else.  Does she have ANY idea the preparation that went into that?  "If we can do something sixty years ago that we planned, prepared, and practiced for eighteen months, we can certainly save New Orleans overnight.  Because the aspirin in my kitchen is from New Orleans."

 

I cannot BELIEVE how utterly and grossly stupid people are in this country.

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Not to mention that we put off D-Day for years because we were nowhere near prepared to do it right. Hence, the invasions of North Africa and Italy. So it was nearly 3 years in the making from the start of the war. Then you consider that we had begun building up our armed forces even before Pearl Harbor so the real preparation for D-Day began even before that.

[Kevbeau]

 

I cannot BELIEVE how utterly and grossly stupid people are in this country.

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Why learn something yourself, when TV will tell you everything you need to know in a few minutes.

 

I have to listen to the idiots at work babble on and on about airdrops, when not a single one of them understands the logistics and planning that goes into a "simple" airdrop.

[Ghost of BiB]

Ok, first off, Sean Penn has nothing to do with this topic. I guess it must be one one of those far-right talking points like the "blame game" babble.

 

Secondly, how did every news outlet in the entire country get into New Orleans without "recon" assistance? I have no military background and I still believe it's not ok to take 4-5 days to deploy a military response to this national disaster. I think forty eight hours is acceptable to have at least 2000 troops and provisions on the ground with more on the way. I may not understand the military operations, but I know how dedicated they seem to be when they're given a mission. Jeees, just look at what the Coast Guard did. Do ya think they felt it was ok for the National Gaurd to take 4-5 days????

 

Lastly, Bush has even admitted he messed up and that should tell you something right there.

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I've tried really, really hard...but I can't help it.

 

You haven't a clue. Not one. I hope your football acumen is more evolved than your understanding about the country or the world.

[Dan Gross]

Jeees, just look at what the Coast Guard did. Do ya think they felt it was ok for the National Gaurd to take 4-5 days????

 

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Just FYI...

Coast Guard = Federal

National Guard = State

That's beyond the fact that it was two totally different missions with totally different requirements.

[ExiledInIllinois]

It might be the most valid point and the least reported.

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So true.

 

I think nobody knows about it or cares to know about.

 

I may be way off base in the end. It may just be that Katrina devastated the levees... IMHO, I just find that REALLY HARD TO BELIEVE.

 

There is a smoking gun somewhere... We just don't care to look for it.

 

The sad part is... I don't think it will ever be investigated from this angle. All they are saying is that they were in "good" shape. The things were almost 40 years old. There are life expectancies on these things. You just can't keep throwing patches on them. Pushing critical maintainence back on things due to 30 years of political and budgetary pressure is sure to bite you on the arse. Mix in growing environmental concerns that always seem to slow things down and you got a festering boil that will just pop one day.

 

You might think that I am beating a dead horse... I just think the Corps is breathing a sigh of relief that people refuse to grasp the basic concept of the system.

 

People just don't believe in preventative maintainence anymore. They see it as a waste of resources in a throwaway society.

 

You think NASA can't get their act together? At least that sh-- can be confusing. The stuff the Corps is doing shouldn't be.

 

I don't want to come off as being partisan to this issue but, my career with the government hinges greatly on this issue. I don't want it to sound like I am crying wolf only to protect my personal interests... I want to be fair and impartial when it comes this.

 

I am not a PE. I give them all the credit in the world and respect their education and training.

 

I see the rules they break and it bothers me.

 

Sometimes I regret the path I took, I feel my voice might have been heard more down a professional career path. Then again, I am not sure if that path would have kept that voice alive?

 

There is such a big difference between the design world and the practical world.

 

Sorry for the rant.

[ExiledInIllinois]

I understand what everybody on the right is saying... I know it takes time.

 

We gotta learn to operate faster and get better... That is what makes us a great society.

 

Don't sit on our laurels.

 

About 10 years ago, in the early morning I witnesses a drowning. A guy attempted to "take a swim" while we were waiting on a petroleum tow to lock south. I probably should mention that the guy was liquored up and went for this swim fully clothed with workboots on. I don't know if he was just playing with the people on the boat first but, they freaked out and spun the vessel around and head toward the open chamber screaming and yelling that he was in distress. What they did was the start of the end for the young guy in the water... THEY CREATED A PANIC SITUATION.

 

There is about a 1000 feet of approach they were in... Did they take note on shore at what foot marker they were at? NO.

 

First thing I had to do was call the tow off and have it stop. Second I had to close the dam and the draw it was creating. Next the USCG was called in. All this took about 10 minutes.

 

The guy was already a goner.

 

I can vividly remember a young lady on the boat screaming that something had to be done... That somebody had to jump in the water and save him, somebody who was well under water and has been out of site for more than 15 minutes.

 

I tried hard to calm her down... All I could say is that the USCG was on the way and two people possibly drowning is not what we wanted. I tried to keep her hope up that he might be found alive... I knew otherwise, it was just too long.

 

All I knew was to keep others from entering the water and creating more causalties. It was really hard to see people helpless... Seeing someone die and not be able to help them. It was out of my hands.

 

The USCG showed up with marine units and helicopter within the half-hour... Dive crews swept the murky river bottom for 4 hours and finally pulled the body up at the 900' from the upper gates.

 

The body was twisted with a gash on his head. IMO, created when the people spun the boat around in the panic situation... The skag of the motor doing the final blow.

 

I still remember the name of the small boat, "Heaven Sent".

 

To make a long story short... We did the best we could. Could we have responded faster, sure... But, what would have really been accomplished? The man was already under, it was dark.

 

Would we have wanted more causualties? Things had to be down right or more deaths would have surely happened.

 

I take NOLA was kinda like this story.

[1billsfan]

I've tried really, really hard...but I can't help it.

 

You haven't a clue. Not one. I hope your football acumen is more evolved than your understanding about the country or the world.

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No sir. You don't haven't clue about how these apologies are sounding to the rest of the country. In a word...weak. 4-5 days is what I would expect it would take if this were some country like France, but this is the United States of America. Maybe I have more faith in the capabilities of our forces than ya'll do. If it takes 4-5 days to rescue the people in New Orleans from Katrina then there's something wrong with our leaders, our preparedness or both. It's not good enough. Maybe some of you are ok with this "can't do" mentality, but I believe we can and will do better next time. Eventually we'll get answers to the specifics of what happened. Until then I will choose to believe that our forces have the capability to save fellow Americans in much more rapid fashion than 4-5 days.

[Crap Throwing Monkey]

No sir. You don't haven't clue about how these apologies are sounding to the rest of the country. In a word...weak. 4-5 days is what I would expect it would take if this were some country like France, but this is the United States of America. Maybe I have more faith in the capabilities of our forces than ya'll do. If it takes 4-5 days to rescue the people in New Orleans from Katrina then there's something wrong with our leaders, our preparedness or both. It's not good enough. Maybe some of you are ok with this "can't do" mentality, but I believe we can and will do better next time. Eventually we'll get answers to the specifics of what happened. Until then I will choose to believe that our forces have the capability to save fellow Americans in much more rapid fashion than 4-5 days.

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He spent last week working on the recovery efforts in the hurricane zone (not just New Orleans). You've admitted you're ignorant...and he doesn't have a clue?

 

Again, you'd be looking a lot better here if you just kept quiet.

[1billsfan]

 

He spent last week working on the recovery efforts in the hurricane zone (not just New Orleans).  You've admitted you're ignorant...and he doesn't have a clue? 

 

Again, you'd be looking a lot better here if you just kept quiet.

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Immature much? I've grown tired of your insults pal, comprende?

 

I know he did, if you try reading my reply again you'll notice that I was not denegrading his knowledge of recovery. Grow up.

[Crap Throwing Monkey]

Immature much? I've grown tired of your insults pal, comprende?

 

I know he did, if you try reading my reply again you'll notice that I was not denegrading his knowledge of recovery. Grow up.

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What insult? I samply stated four facts: 1) he's worked the problem, 2) you've admitted you're ignorant on the topic, 3) you've accused everyone else of being ignorant, and 4) spouting off in your admitted ignorance is not doing you justice.

 

And to reiterate #4: you really need to just shut up. Now you've said you're not "denegrading" [sic] his knowledge...but you keep saying that you know better than him.

 

BTW, if France sufferred a comparable disaster, their response time would be, roughly, never. It would destroy a good chunk of their entire country; they'd have nothing left to respond with.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Question?

 

The empty buses that came in to take the people away... Why didn't they have supplies in them?

 

Off load the supplies... On load the people and take them away. Away goes one bus, in comes another loaded to the gills only to swap cargo for passengers.

 

 

Would have been very workable considering the distribution network was set up before the storm.

 

??

[Crap Throwing Monkey]

Question?

 

The empty buses that came in to take the people away... Why didn't they have supplies in them?

 

Off load the supplies... On load the people and take them away.  Away goes one bus, in comes another loaded to the gills only to swap cargo for passengers.

Would have been very workable considering the distribution network was set up before the storm.

 

??

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Takes time to set it up, probably? At the very least, it takes time to load a bus, and that's presuming they have stuff to load on to it.

 

And now that I think about it...dropping off supplies probably would have done little if any good anyway, given the chaotic conditions. No means of distribution on-site, outside of "everyone grab what you can before somebody else does". If the idiot mayor had had the foresight to have even a rudimentary organization at the shelters for organizing and distributing supplies, maybe it would have done some good. Not in the situation he created, though.