The Last Road Out of New Orleans
Crooks and Liars has already done the work for me, by linking to all the outrage. Celine Dione on Larry King is probably the only time I've ever wanted to listen to her. Say it, woman!
So I saw Mayor Ray Nagin on 20/20. (You can hear his original radio tirade here.) I want to paraphrase his story.
He says that there was, indeed, one road out of New Orleans that the convention center evacuees could have escaped from. In fact, in the confusion, the civic authorities told the evacuees that they could take their chances on foot, on this one last road out of New Orleans.
And when the column of people decided to take their chances on foot, they were blocked by men with guns and dogs, who had taken position on a bridge. They were under orders to hold the bridge, to protect the rich neighborhoods on the other side from looters. They sent the evacuees back to the convention center.
Property is more valuable than human life.
Are you suprised that Americans would value property over life? You shouln't be. We've been treating people like that all over the world since our industrial revolution. That's why people hate us.
Those of you that mangaged to keep your dreamy American Smuggness and Superiority after September 11th... are you awake yet? or are you still in the matrix?
1 comment:
private property was our main justification for seizing indigenous land. in defining the landscape, early colonial writers/explorers described it either as 'uninhabited' and 'empty' or, basically, 'up for grabs' since the native populations hadn't the same sense of 'ownership' that we did. they had no sense of private property, we did, and we took it because the land was being 'wasted.'
ours is a pragmatic, merchant culture. it is hard-nosed, calloused and inhumane. i'm amazed we don't collapse from collective cultural guilt.
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