Man vs Nature

I am officially fed up with this country (for the millionth time).

Read this news story. [link is no longer active in 2010 - MD]

The scene down in New Orleans and its surrounding areas is a fucking catastrophe on a scale none of us have ever seen in our lifetimes. So why is it that no one seems to fucking care?

An entire American city (stirke that, and entire region of America) has been destroyed and there has been merely a slight shrugging of shoulders to publicly acknowledge the fact. The news story above describes an awesome and horrible picture of conditions down there that are affecting millions of people.

Looking at all this devastation on the news, I was immediately reminded of September 11th. Where are the public out-pourings of support, moments of silence, and massive aide efforts today like there were then? Shit, we even had those things during the London bombings! What makes this much larger disaster different?

What has happened in New Orleans is a thousand times worse than 9/11. It is like an individual terrorist crashed a plane into every fucking house and building in the entire region. And then if you count the armed looters and hi-jackers it's like a small army of terrorists invaded the disaster zone to hinder relief efforts.

Why is there no public dialogue going on about this disaster? Why are we all so quiet? Is it because we don't see how it affects us? Or are we all awed into silence by nature's might? Or maybe it's because we have no one to invade or punish for the wipe-out.

Really the only thing I hear people talking about is the higher gas prices that have hit this week and how much it costs to fill 'er up. Once again like 9/11, when airports were freaking out, the main thing people seem to be concerned about is their convenience over the welfare of their fellow man.

Ultimately this is what truly pisses me off about people. Nobody fucking cares, says a fucking word, or lifts a finger to help or raise awareness. But then they are a fucking martyr at the Pump or airport security line.

And then, about those looters. What kind of fucking stupid asshole must you be to take up guns and hi-jack hospital trucks? I can understand looting for food and supplies because you need to survive and the infrastructure of the city is gone. But shit, stealing cars, hospital trucks, home appliances, and a nursing home bus? Where do you think you are going to go with that stuff? It is ridiculous that their is a mob of armed looters and roving bands of (well) bandits (for lack of a better word) down there diverting rescue efforts during what could be the last moments of life for some poor soul in dire straits.

What drives people to anarchy in situations like this? What's fucking next? Hurricane babies for sale?

Aargh...

Originally posted on September 1, 2005 on Myspace.

Katrina and the aftermath was an American tragedy on almost every level imaginable.