General Chat

From what I have seen Bush and his cronies seem more concerned about the effects on oil supplies than anything else. All hail the mighty dollar !

Genocide is defined thus: Article 2 In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: (a) Killing members of the group; (b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; (d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; (e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. It isn't actually genocide under international law, but that's not to say the situation is acceptable. Even if there was some sort of negligent homicide charge, which authority would be willing to initiate charges? They all seem equally inept.

Genocide is the deliberate murder of a race or culture and I don't think Bush's actions are far off that - he's deliberately witheld aid, food and nutrients and people are dying because of his neglect. Yes it's a big area and a big disaster but it was terribly managed given the advanced notice and flap all has been done to help these poor people. America can send people into space and armies and bombs into foreign countries so I really don't see why they can't use boats, ships, helicopters whatever needed to help its citizens.

Alter we all know it's a hard task and yes not easy when there is a SMALL minority of people taking advantage of the situation...that will always happen...New Orleans has a large drug problem, they should know this would become a problem. They knew that this area was in a hurricanes path...they knew that this area was below sea level and would flood....these are facts. Why were they not prepared. This is a big country with an awful lot of resources, plans should have been there for this eventuality...there is no excuse!! Jacquie xxxxx

Copying more or less what I put on Lynda's thread ... Like Lynda I too wondered if he would bother to take anyone out of N.O. in his plane. Does anyone really think that he will be meeting ordinary victims ?? He will NOT. He will be kept away from them by his security and will probably meet a few officials and some who were rescued early on. Those who have not had food or water for days will not be allowed to get near him. If the US were busily invading somewhere they would soon erect pontoon bridges and build helipads - in a matter of hours - to facilitate access. There is NO excuse. Yes in my opinion the response would have been very different if this had happened in an affluent area. Maz

before people start pointing fingers,and quoting individuals fromSri lanka,(a country that in the last year have tried to dictate to Oxfam what they should do with their funds to the point where oxfam have had to hold funds back from fear of wastage).............the situation is immense.....and has taken everyone by surprise-headlines have changed from 50 dead to 1000's virtually overnight.........nobody is prepared for disasters of this scale,certainly not in such an awkward geographical position. Imagine being a helicopter pilot trying to drop off aid and being fired upon,before you all judge the efforts being made.We are all privy to just a small fraction of the whole picture.

Lindy, we cant do anything!! but I think Bush will not be around much longer, his handling of the situation has been a disgrace!!

Oh at last some who agree with me, sitting here now watching CNN Bush being told what is being done and he looks totally disinterested, and some of the men are such arse lickers it is unreal, maybe Bush should just sit and watch CNN then he just might do something!!!!! Oh yes I am still very very angry and feel totally useless. xxhugxx for all those who care.

i'me not an expert in logistics,but surely the US marines could have gone in quickly,with amphibious vehicles. in tragic situations,such as this,every minute/hour is important,but what was bush doing...trying to sort out the oil shortage. bryan.

Jeanette , Ive just managed to see the TV today, mine too has been taken over by small people..... I havnt acknowledged until now just how bad this is..my God people are dying and are left in chairs, no water...the list is soo long as you all know... I work in and Emergency Control Centre and we are the first port of call for Major incidents in the city ..We have an Emergency Plan, and the planners have practise runs trying to cover all possible senarios.....why has this gone soo bad...it just beggars belief ..

lindy it is looting ,rapes/why the hell hasn't bush do something sooner.this is one of thr richest countries in the world and they have no food and waterxxxxxxxxxxx(:

Lindy...I had been reading on the CNN website..have just listened to the Mayor being interviewed...I am sitting here crying my eyes out....is no one listening to him!!!! Jacquie xxxx

Neeta If it was Homer Simpson they would at least have emergency rations of Duf beer! I haven't bee able to watch the tv today as it has been comandeered by the kids, but I am absolutely disgusted at what I have read on here. for one of the richest countries in the world, this is diabolical.

Maybe more of you should watch CNN coverage, Jesse Jackson Jnr. has just made the most wonderful speach, if Bush does not get the message now he never will. Many of you do not agree with the word Genocide maybe I should change it to murder or manslaughter. Yes I am very very angry at this situation and make no excuses or apologies for my anger, would any of you like to see your grandmother die and be left in the street in a wheelchair for the rats to get???? now think again.

Im soo shocked at the news reports comming in... Sadly you expect to this in poorer countries when disasters of this kind happen...but my God ...in America.. Who is in charge of there Emergency Planning.....Homer Simpson!!!!!

l'm thinking on the lines of Hal here - l think genocide is far too extreme. Can you imagine trying to get aid in there at the moment, even if it had arrived the next day - thugs and drug addicts etc would be a massive problem. We need to be there and see it properly for ourselves to know what to call it. l know, l know we can see it on TV, but what about the other side of the story???? (not argueing,just my view) jude sarf wales

Taken from a message board posted from someone in New Orleans. Edited for bad language. Just to let people know I`m safe. But why the F*** are people shooting at the people trying to bring aid in to here! They are shooting at helocopters, that are trying to drop aid parcels.

I think we will probably find that the news reporter - was he american - was using the wrong word!

Genocide As in Oxford English Dictionary.'Extermination of Race/Nation Etc' Bush is not doing that.Neglect ,Incompetence, Yes . Hal.

Some comments from around the world. 'I am absolutely disgusted. After the tsunami our people, even the ones who lost everything, wanted to help the others who were suffering,' Sajeewa Chinthaka, Sri Lanka. 'Not a single tourist caught in the tsunami was mugged. Now with all this happening in the U.S. we can easily see where the civilised part of the world's population is.' David Fordham, London, said he had spent time in America and was not surprised the country had struggled to cope. 'Maybe they just thought they could sit it out and everything would be okay,' he said. 'It's unbelievable though -- the TV images -- and your heart goes out to them.' British students caught up in the horror of Hurricane Katrina have spoken of their four days of 'hell' at the New Orleans Superdome shelter. They described how their place of refuge descended into a scene of terror as people ran amok with knives and guns, used crack cocaine and hurled racial abuse. Jamie Trout, an economics student from Sunderland who had been coaching football to disabled children as part of the Camp America scheme, 'It was like something out of Lord of the Flies - one minute everything is calm and civil, the next it descends into chaos.'