Chaos
Posted on August 31st, 2005 by catalyst into the Uncategorized categoryI was going to write a post about the New Orleans TV coverage and jokingly ask, “Do any white people live in New Orleans?” And then I read this link:
Email attributed to NOLA rescue worker; economics of disaster
My friend Ned Sublette passes along an email attributed to a rescue worker in New Orleans.
Ned says:
The poorest 20% (you can argue with the number — 10%? 18%? no one knows) of the city was left behind to drown. This was the plan. Forget the sanctimonious bullshit about the bullheaded people who wouldn’t leave. The evacuation plan was strictly laissez-faire. It depended on privately owned vehicles, and on having ready cash to fund an evacuation. The planners knew full well that the poor, who in new orleans are overwhelmingly black, wouldn’t be able to get out.
The resources — meaning, the political will — weren’t there to get them out.
White per capita income in Orleans parish, 2000 census: $31,971. Black per capita: $11,332. Median *household* income in B.W. Cooper (Calliope) Housing Projects, 2000: $13,263.
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August 31st, 2005 at 8:57 am
yes, as the evacuation began days ago i wondered how many poor would be staying behind…the lines to get into the superdome were mostly people of color…i don’t know about a purposeful attempt to abandon poor, black people, but obviously those with money did not take action to help those without money, political or otherwise.
This reminds me of the Titanic disaster - most of the people who died from that disaster were third class passengers.
I just browsed through Ecclesiastes last week and in chapter 7 (or was it 8??) there was the phrase, “Money brings protection”.
Ain’t it so?
August 31st, 2005 at 10:20 am
Isn’t it racist to think that black people can’t get out of the way of a hurricane without help? Every black person I have ever met knows some way to get to the next state over if that is what they want to do. Are you speaking about some other type of black person that I have not come across yet?
August 31st, 2005 at 10:36 am
How brave of you to comment anonymously.
Yes I agree, it is racist to think that black people can’t get out of the way of a hurricane without help.
Thankfully, that’s not what I’m saying.
The issue is that poor oeople were left behind in New Orleans. And black people comprise most of the poor in that city.
August 31st, 2005 at 10:55 am
I’d say the race aspect is more likely a coincidence than intentional on the part of the authorities. The bottom line is most people saw the disaster coming and looked after their own skins. Forget anybody else who was too poor or didn’t have the means to get out of the city (or let them camp out in a leaky stadium). It’s funny how generous and giving some people are when there’s a photo op at some charity ball compared to how they act when some crisis comes along. Must be that whole actions speak louder than words thing.
I’d also like to adapt the verse Pam touched on to the modern day. Money brings protection, justice in the courts, designer clothes, and a Humvee.
August 31st, 2005 at 1:21 pm
and seven plasma screen tv’s
August 31st, 2005 at 9:05 pm
here’s that verse with a bit more context…
Eccl 7:12
For wisdom is protection just as money is protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors.
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