Human disasters

I am nor­mally quite calm about nat­ural dis­asters. They are inev­it­able and life is lost and it is a tragedy, but this is the world we live in and nature is a cruel mistress.

State-coördinated and human-instig­ated dis­asters are another thing. They infuri­ate me with a deep sense of out­rage and injustice. When the State com­pounds the suf­fer­ing caused by a nat­ural dis­aster rather than alle­vi­at­ing it, I am left shak­ing with fury.

The reports coming out of New Orleans, through vari­ous chan­nels includ­ing New Orleans Indy­media, of delib­er­ate under­min­ing of rescue efforts, of lack of plan­ning, lack of any real attempt to co-ordin­ate an offi­cial evac­u­ation of the poor while there was still time, people trapped in hos­pit­als with no elec­tri­city and no water, refugee camps where no one is attempt­ing to create a system or allow people to be picked up by those who know them – these make me sick. Even the Mayor of New Orleans is express­ing amazement that the US Fed­eral gov­ern­ment has the funds and strength to invade Iraq but not rescue people in New Orleans. And let’s not even begin to talk about the privat­isa­tion of emer­gency sys­tems. Would this have happened with a pop­u­la­tion that wasn’t 70% black?

I don’t have a prob­lem with moving New Orleans, if that’s what they decide to do. From what I hear, the French quarter is dry and reas­on­ably undam­aged. If they move the part of the city that was too close to the water some­place else, then maybe the French Quarter will become some small town, still with its jazz and bohemian ways. And the big city will be a few kilo­metres away, safer, out of danger.

To me, this is yet another example of the State as insens­it­ive bur­eau­cratic power where com­munity-driven organ­isa­tion would have had a heart and likely a better chance of suc­cess. Michael Moore’s take on where George W was during all this says most of it for me. But I am far away, and my fury is use­less. Wish­ing all in New Orleans safety and peace, as soon as possible.