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Gary,
I agree with you 100% most of the victims in New Orleans are black,...but I have not seen alot of coverage on the other coastal areas. Has anyone gone down and checked on the Cajun villages in southern LA, and I read a few newspaper articles from MS that have people there wondering where their help is..black and white. Not saying it is or isn't the media's fault, but I just have not seen it. And I really do wonder about all those small towns south of New Orleans ...one has to guess they are probably wiped from the face of the earth? Patrick student SPL aircraft structural mech "Gary Drescher" wrote in message ... "Matt Whiting" wrote in message ... Gary Drescher wrote: "Matt Whiting" wrote in message ... Yes, that is what the liberal media would have you believe and that is why you mainly see black people on the roofs. It doesn't help the agenda nearly as much to show a balanced cross section of those in desparate straits. Huh? Are you actually not aware that the vast majority of people stranded in New Orleans are black? You think the journalists are just hiding the pictures of the white folks when they pan their cameras down the streets or around the stadium? Majority, yes, 100%, no. I've not seen a white or Hispanic person yet shown on a roof waiting. Are you actually not aware that the media shows what is controversial rather than what actually is? The news media craves dramatic imagery. Every available photograph of people stranded on the roofs of nearly submerged houses is dramatic enough to get wide circulation. Do you really suppose the media is suppressing the photos of white people on rooftops? More importantly, do you have a shred of *evidence* to support such a supposition? (For example, have you found such suppressed photos in the right-wing news outlets or blogs?) And can you explain why the images of the hurricane victims more generally (apart from the handful of available rooftop photos) do *not* exclude the minority of white victims, if there's a liberal conspiracy to show only the black ones? It's not enough that the victims of this natural disaster are being blamed by some. You've even figured out a way to blame the news media for *showing* the victims if the victims are disproportionately black. --Gary |
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Gary Drescher wrote:
"Matt Whiting" wrote in message ... Gary Drescher wrote: "Matt Whiting" wrote in message ... Yes, that is what the liberal media would have you believe and that is why you mainly see black people on the roofs. It doesn't help the agenda nearly as much to show a balanced cross section of those in desparate straits. Huh? Are you actually not aware that the vast majority of people stranded in New Orleans are black? You think the journalists are just hiding the pictures of the white folks when they pan their cameras down the streets or around the stadium? Majority, yes, 100%, no. I've not seen a white or Hispanic person yet shown on a roof waiting. Are you actually not aware that the media shows what is controversial rather than what actually is? The news media craves dramatic imagery. Every available photograph of people stranded on the roofs of nearly submerged houses is dramatic enough to get wide circulation. Do you really suppose the media is suppressing the photos of white people on rooftops? More importantly, do you have a shred of *evidence* to support such a supposition? (For example, have you found such suppressed photos in the right-wing news outlets or blogs?) And can you explain why the images of the hurricane victims more generally (apart from the handful of available rooftop photos) do *not* exclude the minority of white victims, if there's a liberal conspiracy to show only the black ones? It's not enough that the victims of this natural disaster are being blamed by some. You've even figured out a way to blame the news media for *showing* the victims if the victims are disproportionately black. --Gary Good points about media being a business. Yeah, I've seen plenty of coverage showing white vicitims sitting down whereever with lost looks on their faces, or attempting to give the reporter an interview and just breaking down. Interesting how pain knows no prejudice, ain't it? I watched an interesting news show this morning where the issue being debated was whether there is liberal bias in the media. In the midst of the debate, one person made a good point that it's important to make the distinction between what is just 'media' and what's 'journalism.' With the former, for example, it's cheaper to repeat the same stories/imagery over and over (in fact, it's actually no longer 'news' at that point). Marshall McLuhan was so right. Unfortunately, there's very little actual journalism out there. ============= FWIW: In an unrelated story, I received the following transportation-centric e-mail two days ago, making it somewhat out-of-date. It's very long (9 page word doc pasted below as ASCII test), but perhaps it might have some useful info for folks. There's some aviation info in there, so I guess it's marginally on-topic for the newsgroups. I think the sheer scope of the problem evidenced indicates we needed to be much more pro-active. Heck, when there's 'credible evidence' of a *possible* terrorist threat, the level is raised, security is more visible (at least here in the city on public transit, .gov buildings, etc.). Here was a case where (the infamous) they knew it was a cat 5, all the wonderful technology for predicting storm tracks was functioning, they knew the status of the levees for what? years?. Damage was clearly imminent. Yes it's easy to sit here in the comfort of my apartment and spew 20/20 hingsight through the CAT 5 cable, but hopefully one of the lessons learned is that they should have actually been perparing for this well in advance of it hitting land, moving shtuff closer (read: near enough but not in harm's way), setting it all up. I'm far from one to claim to have the answers and maybe I'm missing something (won't be the first time , but shouldn't this be handled in many of the same ways that military tactical is handled, deploying before you attack? You're in (or near) the theatre, ready. /soapbox Regards, Jon Here's the content: ======================== CUT HERE ======================== U. S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HURRICANE KATRINA - SITUATION REPORT THIRTEEN 11:00 AM, Friday, September 2, 2005 Evacuation and relief are now the principal objectives of the USG response, but they are being hampered by difficulties in establishing civil order and security in the afflicted locales, especially the City of New Orleans DAMAGE ASSESSMENT: Levee Damage: Work continues to repair the damaged levee breaches. Official Reported Fatalities (no change): Note: The States have not reported any changes for several days. - Louisiana: 3 - Mississippi: 17 - Alabama: 2 - Florida: 11 - Texas: 1 Shelters: 343 shelters are open and staffed. - AL: 32 3,345 - AR: 15 244 - FL: 8 481 - LA: 136 60,197 - MS: 101 13,207 - TN: 1 0 - TX: 50 5,378 Total: 343 82,852 people are in shelters. Power Outages: 2,091,833 million customers are still without power. State-by-state outages are provided below: - Louisiana: 780,735: down 45,413 - Mississippi: 774,244: down 116,181 - Alabama: 235,213: down 12,057 - Florida: 15,490: No reported change. - Georgia: 12,500: No reported change Communications: Damaged communication facilities continue to be a major challenge throughout the States of Louisiana and Mississippi. Civil Disorder: Wide-spread looting and violence against evacuating citizens continue to take place. Security of relief worker is becoming a major concern of the on site authorities. TRANSPORTATION SECTOR IMPACTS: The following reports describe key issues and challenges for the Transportation Infrastructure. Aviation: Airports: - Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) Limited VFR Day Operations to both Runways 01/19 and 10/28. This airport is being used for the evacuation of New Orleans and emergency re-supply of the area. - Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport (GPT) is open for limited Day VFR emergency relief aircraft and is capable of handling C-5A and B747 aircraft. - Stennis Intl. Airport (HAS), Biloxi, MS is open for uncontrolled Day VFR emergency relief aircraft only. Power, fuel, and other services are questionable: there are no navigational aids. - Lakefront (NEW) airport, New Orleans is underwater. Navigation Aid Status New Orleans International (MSY) Rwy 01 ILS operational Rwy 19 Localizer only Rwy 28/10 Localizer only Rwy 28 Glideslope OTS Biloxi No NAVAIDS available USAF is deploying a temporary tower that is expected to be operational within 48 hours Gulfport No NAVAIDS available The Air Force Special Tactics team is en route and is not expected to arrive until later today. The Gulfport temporary tower is still expected to be operational by 09/03/05 Communications One landline between MSY and Houston Center is operational. Three radios are available at the MSY TRACON. Maritime: MARAD's Central Region Office has relocated from New Orleans to Port Arthur Texas until conditions make it appropriate to move back to New Orleans. The temporary address for MARAD's Central Region is: 110 U.S. Federal Building, 2875 Jimmy Johnson Blvd., Suite 107, Highway 69, Port Arthur Texas 77640\Phone: 409.727.4565 fax 409.727.4528 POC Mr. Dee Varshney (cell 409.284.4769). MARAD is aiding in transport of petroleum - Oil refineries are not able to distribute their products (gasoline, jet fuel, etc.) effectively because of difficulties with the pipeline system. Consequently, the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, the enforcement agency for the Coastwise Laws (requiring U.S. vessels in domestic trade) have formed a partnership. If MARAD determines that there are no U.S. vessels available for a specific project, Customs will not fine those that use foreign ships after a search has been conducted through MARAD. The President announced that he is directing Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff to suspend the coastwise laws for oil and gasoline. MARAD is awaiting the specifics on this announcement from CBP, the enforcement agency. In response to overwhelming media interest about the effects of Hurricane Katrina on seaports in the Gulf Coast region of the United States, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) has created a "Hurricane Katrina Port Updates" web site page where they will be posting information with regard to the status of the affected ports as well as background information and resources for media and the public. This resource can be found at: http://www.aapa-ports.org/pressroom/katrina_updates.htm Port Status: Three USN minesweepers to start search for sunken vessels on 03 September. - Louisiana: Closed. - Gulfport MS - Closed - Pascagoula MS - Closed - Mobile AL - Open to vessels with a draft of 12 ft or less. Expect Mobile Harbor to open on 04 September. - Pensacola FL - Open to vessels with a draft of 12 ft or less. NOAA on scene conducting surveys. One chemical and one Navy tanker expected to enter port on 3 September. - Panama City FL - Closed - South Louisiana - Closed - St. Bernard - Closed - Plaquemines - Closed - Greater Baton Rouge - Closed - Morgan City - Closed - Gulf Port - Closed - Intra-coastal Waterway - Open from Mobile ship channel east to Apalachicola, FL. The Mobile Ship Channel west to Pass Christian, MS remains closed. - Mississippi River - Open to tug and barge traffic up to Natchez, MS. Lower Mississippi River below Greenville has been surveyed by commercial vessels. However severe aids to navigation outages have been reported. Coast Guard and NOAA conducting surveys at the entrance to the river. - Red River - Open to Alexandria. - Ouachita/Black River - Open to Shreveport. Damage Reports and Navigation Hazards - Harvey lock non-functional due to a piling stuck in the lock. - Inner Harbor Navigational Canal Lock - Lock is not operational due to flooding. Highways: - Damage assessments continue. Infrastructure damage is becoming clearer. - FHWA Acting Administrator and staff are participating in Army Corps of Engineers ESF-3 conference calls to help shape assessment plans and long term recovery efforts. - FHWA is assisting FEMA with route planning and road restriction waiver State point of contact information. - FHWA Evacuation Liaison Team (ELT) continues to support response and recovery efforts by facilitating communications between the states and providing highway situational awareness. - FHWA Division Office personnel are assisting state counterparts with damage assessments. FHWA offices throughout the country are poised to provide additional support. - FHWA is working with FTA to expedite the movement of generators to the pipeline companies in Alabama. - FHWA Office of Freight Management developed a Hurricane Katrina Recovery section on the FHWA homepage (www.fhwa.dot.gov). This section links to the FHWA Oversize and Overweight Load Permit Information page. The documents pertaining to State policies for expediting the movement of goods and equipment to the Gulf region are available to the public at this site. - All FHWA personnel in the affected area are accounted for. There were no deaths or injuries. Louisiana - Situation in New Orleans is that I-10 from the west and I-55 from the north are open only to emergency response traffic. It is possible to drive on I-10 towards the city far as the I-10/I-610 split. However, there is generally no way to get on or off I-10 due to the high water. - The Lake Ponchartrain Causeway is being used by light emergency response vehicles. The bridge is damaged. Both spans are being used to create one free lane in each direction. Divers are in process of inspecting the bridge. - The Causeway is load bearing rated at HS-20, the interstate load bearing weight, indicating it can be used for emergency response if no damage is found. - The New Orleans airport is accessible via I-10 and Airport Boulevard. It is not accessible via US-61. - I-55 is open from the Mississippi line to I-10 and I-12. - I-59 is open from the LA line to Slidell and the I-10/I-12 intersection. - In preparation for upcoming damage assessments, the FHWA Louisiana Division Office met with top State officials to explain the highway Emergency Relief Fund Program. That meeting was followed by a training session conducted for 10 combined FHWA/State DOTD damage assessment teams. - Following training two teams were deployed to the field. Three more teams will be deployed tomorrow, and another team will be deployed within the next two days. The remaining four teams will be deployed as areas become accessible. - Work continues on repairs to the US-11 Bridge on the north side of Lake Ponchartrain. When completed, this bridge will provide the only access to New Orleans from the east. There is no estimate as to when this work will be completed. - I-12 is open from Baton Rouge to the I-10 intersection in Slidell for emergency response vehicles only. - The State is conducting contracting activities in preparation of awarding a contract to repair the I-10 "Twin Span" that connects New Orleans to Slidell. Mississippi - The FHWA Mississippi Division Administrator toured the Gulf Coast yesterday. - He confirmed that the Bay St. Louis-Gulfport and Biloxi-Oceans Springs Bridges on US-90 are gone. The coast is scoured from the gulf to 1000 to 1500 feet beyond the shoreline. - He also clarified the status of I-10. Damage to the eastbound span of the Pascagoula Bride that was cause by a barge breaking loose from its mooring is what precludes the opening of all 4 lanes of I-10. There is a 300 foot span that must be taken out of that bridge and replaced. Mississippi officials are working to allow work to begin on that span next week. It is estimated that it will take three weeks to complete that repair. Once repairs are complete, the I-10 can be opened from the Alabama to Louisiana state lines provided there is no damage to other bridges. Divers are in process of inspecting those bridges. - Crossovers are being constructed at each end of the bridge. That will allow all lanes to be used in each direction until reaching the bridge where the lanes will neck down to one lane each way. This will remain in place until the bridge is repaired. - US-49: 2 lanes open, Jackson to Hattiesburg. This section is also open to the public. Hattiesburg to Gulfport is 1 lane for emergency response vehicles only. - I-55, open to the public state line to state line. - I-59 is open to the state line for emergency response vehicles. - US-61 is open line to line. - I-20 is open to the public, line to line. - I-110 in Biloxi has been opened from I-10 to US-90 for emergency response vehicles only. - US-98 is open to the public from state line to Columbia and for emergency response only to the Alabama line. - US-84 is open to the public from the western state line to Prentiss and from there to the Alabama line for emergency response only. - US-45 is open to the public. - FHWA personnel are participating in Emergency Relief training sessions as preparation for accompanying State damage assessment teams on assessment missions. Alabama - Both lanes of the I-10 of the Wallace Tunnel are now open in each direction. Traffic had been limited to one lane each way since Monday. - The US-90 Causeway eastbound was expected to open late Friday. The ramp bridge from the U.S. 90 Causeway eastbound onto Interstate 10 eastbound will remain closed for an extended period because five concrete spans must be replaced. These 50-foot spans were destroyed by storm surge. There is no timeline or cost estimate, but officials will work as quickly as possible to achieve this repair. - The fiber optic cables to the I-10 traffic information signs sustained major damage. Extensive repairs are necessary. This traffic information system will be out of service for an extended period until repairs are made. Transit: Transit agencies in the hurricane damaged area continue to experience fuel shortages and requests for assistance in obtaining fuel for their fleets. Further, FTA personnel continue to support Phmsa in the latter's efforts to assist and monitor progress in bringing pipelines back on-line. Mississippi Efforts to contact the various MS Transit agencies have been futile. The FTA Regional office will continue attempts throughout today to contact the Coast Transit, Hattiesburg and Jackson Transit agencies, as well as the rural providers. This effort will be coordinated with the MSDOT in order to obtain an assessment. Rail: FRA is working with FEMA, AMTRAK and the Freight railroads to utilize an AMTRAK passenger train to assist in evacuating New Orleans. The AMTRAK train is crewed and fueled on standby in Baton Rouge, LA. The open issue is FEMA's decision as to the final destination for the passengers and security for the loading of the train at the Avondale terminal on the west side of the Huey Long Bridge. The train can transport Approx 600 PAX per trip to Lafayette, LA where they will be met by AMTRAK contracted motor coaches to the final destination. The tracks have been inspected and are cleared for passenger and freight train operations. Short line situation in Hurricane Damaged Area - New Orleans Gulf Coast - still unable to reach property to evaluate condition 1 employee unaccounted for. - New Orleans Public Belt - dry and operational from the Huey P. Long bridge to the east side of Gov. Dix dock - Old Augusta RR - unable to establish contact at this time - Ouachita RR - unable to establish contact at this time - Pearl River RR - unable to establish contact at this time - Port Bienville RR - unable to establish contact at this time - Terminal Railway Alabama State Docks - unable to establish contact at this time - Timber Rock RR - unable to establish contact at this time - Acadiana RR - unable to establish contact at this time - Alabama & Gulf Coast - unable to establish contact at this time - Arkansas, Louisiana, & Mississippi - unable to establish contact at this time - Columbus & Greenville RR - operational - Delta Southern - unable to establish contact at this time - Gloster Southern - unable to establish contact at this time - Louisiana & Delta - still unable to evaluate condition - Louisiana & North West RR - operational - M&B RR - unable to establish contact at this time - Meridian Southern - 50 miles of line blocked by over 1000 trees, clearing gangs have run out of gasoline for vehicles, chain saws, and Hi- rails to continue clearing two employees unaccounted for - Mississippi Export - unable to establish contact at this time Source: ASLRRA Executive Director Pipelines: Crude Oil Pipelines The (Louisiana Offshore Oil Port) LOOP suffered minimal damage at a booster station and the storage terminal. Power has been restored to LOOP. As of September 1, 2005, five ships were waiting to be unloaded. LOOP/LoCap (an interconnecting pipeline) is not yet delivering to the St. James Terminal (a crude oil distribution hub). There is no power at Galliano (pumping station) due to generator failure. Power is expected to be restored today. Capline, a major crude oil pipeline that transport crude oil from the gulf to the Midwest, restarted operations at 75 % capacity on August 31, 2005. Capline started up with 4 million barrels storage in Sugarland and 0.5 million barrels storage in Arcadian. Also, some offshore production has been coming into St. James Terminal. This should give LOOP/LoCap time to restore operation before Capline runs dry. Refined Product Pipelines (gasoline, aviation fuel, diesel fuel, etc.) Colonial and Plantation petroleum product pipelines, which provide the majority of gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel to the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast states, had been shutdown due to loss of power at key pump stations in LA and MS. Both pipelines resumed operation on August 31, 2005 at reduced capacity. Early this morning power was restored to the Collins Terminal (a key distribution and pumping station). Colonial is now operating at approximately 75% capacity on line 1 (gasoline) and 60% capacity on line 2 (refined products). Colonial has emergency generators en-route to restore power at key pumping stations. As of 0800 this morning 23 of 29 trucks carrying generators, transformers and other equipment to power up pump stations have arrived and the equipment is being installed. Once the generators are installed Colonial expects to be operating at 85% capacity. Plantation has reported that power has been restored to their Collins Terminal. Pumps are running, but at a reduced capacity because of an over voltage problem. This occurred because this large high voltage transmission line is feeding only the Plantation at this time; there are no cities, subdivisions, or industrial customers currently being supplied by this line. Plantation is installing over-voltage protection to protect the pump station motors. As a result plantation is only able pump at 30% capacity (up from 25% yesterday) at the current time. Other major product pipelines in the region are not experiencing any problems. TEPPCO is moving products from Texas into the Northeast and Centennial is moving products from Texas into Illinois. Truck/Generators in Support of Colonial Pipeline - 19 trucks have reached their final destinations. - 10 are still en route to their final destinations - Overnight, several truck operators "checked in" and one requested an escort, but there were no glitches. All are on schedule - An estimated time of arrival for the remaining vehicles range from 0700- 1500 hrs (CDT) Natural Gas Pipelines No natural gas transmission pipelines companies have reported service disruptions. Press Release: Colonial Pipeline this morning announced that it continues safely to add capacity to both its Main Lines 1 and 2 and is at approximately 66% of normal transportation volumes. Additional restoration of electric power service has allowed Colonial to continue its planned capacity increase. Colonial crews continue to install and connect the distributed generation equipment that will allow Colonial to add additional capacity to both the gasoline and distillate lines. Current plans would allow Colonial to be at approximately 85% capacity by late this weekend. "On behalf of all Colonial employees, I want to thank the electric utility workers, law enforcement, and emergency response organizations across our system that have been supportive and cooperative as we restored Colonial to partial service," said Lemmon. "We do understand the importance of the products we transport to the American people and feel responsible to protect people and the environment as we deliver needed petroleum products." Colonial Pipeline, headquartered in Alpharetta, Ga., delivers a daily average of 100 million gallons of gasoline, home heating oil, aviation fuel and other refined petroleum products to communities and businesses throughout South and the Eastern United States. Colonial consists of more than 5,500 miles of pipeline, originating at Houston, Texas, and terminating at the New York harbor. DOT Response: DOT continues to actively staff Regional and State operations centers, as well as Joint Field Offices with over 66 emergency transportation personnel. Additionally, DOT is operating the National Emergency Transportation Center (ETC) in Atlanta, GA. The Headquarters DOT Crisis Management Center is operating 24/7 until the response and rescue phase of this operation is complete. Emergency Support Function 1 - Transportation: DOT has provided over 1336 trucks to move 2790 truckloads of goods thus far. Through midnight September first, DOT had processed 17.11 million MREs and 81,600 disaster meals, 18.4 million liters of water, 20,960 tarps, 10,400 rolls of plastic sheeting, 5.0 million pounds of ice, 460 mobile homes, 10 53' reefer trucks, 42 trailers of tent kits, 1 power unit for a disaster portable mortuary unit, 1 trailer of wash kits, 369 generators, 605 buses, 5 helicopters, 20 containers of pre-positioned disaster supplies, 4 Landstar personnel, 135,000 blankets, 13,500 cots, 200 tables, 450 chairs, 2 Gators, 1 ATV, 13 trucks of medical supplies, 2 trailers with cylinders of oxygen, 19 forklifts, 1 24' truck with lift-gate to transport 1 network wire cage, 260 travel trailers, 1 truckload of veterinary supplies, and thirteen 100-person and nine 50-person Joint Field Office kits. In addition, movement of the following was requested: - 1,463 mobile homes - 16 power units for 50 personal JFO kits - 5 FAST systems - 2 NDMS vehicles - 1 trailer of body bags - 29,232 rolls of plastic sheeting - 80,000 disaster meals - 500 busses - 50 mobile tankers - 3 Drash tents - 7.44 million pounds of ice - 1 truckload of partitions and tables - 1,404,000 liters of water - 1,072,512 MREs DOT is engaged in organizing a major air evacuation from New Orleans International Airport to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX. Coordination is being conducted with military and commercial airlines, federal law enforcement, TSA, FAMS, and FEMA. In coordination with appropriate authorities, local transportation arrangements at both ends of the airlift are being arranged. Military flights will begin at 0800 CDT, with commercial flights beginning at 12:00 hours CDT. Both military and commercial flights will continue until the evacuation is complete. DOT has continued to work with AMTRAK on their provision of two trains proposed to operate between downtown New Orleans and Lafayette as an additional evacuation asset. As with the airlift operation, ground transport at both ends is being arranged. DOT is assisting with timely permitting for transport of the 460 mobile homes that will originate from the East Coast. DOT is coordinating with various states for weekend and holiday restriction waivers. DOT continues to provide information on road condition/status to DOD USTRANSCOM. DOT has instituted a process of regular reporting on the flow status of buses engaged in the bus evacuation of New Orleans. DOT receives hourly reports on this effort, and multiple authorities are controlling dispersal of vehicles. ======================== CUT HERE ======================== |
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Gary Drescher wrote:
"Matt Whiting" wrote in message ... Gary Drescher wrote: "Matt Whiting" wrote in message ... Yes, that is what the liberal media would have you believe and that is why you mainly see black people on the roofs. It doesn't help the agenda nearly as much to show a balanced cross section of those in desparate straits. Huh? Are you actually not aware that the vast majority of people stranded in New Orleans are black? You think the journalists are just hiding the pictures of the white folks when they pan their cameras down the streets or around the stadium? Majority, yes, 100%, no. I've not seen a white or Hispanic person yet shown on a roof waiting. Are you actually not aware that the media shows what is controversial rather than what actually is? The news media craves dramatic imagery. Every available photograph of people stranded on the roofs of nearly submerged houses is dramatic enough to get wide circulation. Do you really suppose the media is suppressing the photos of white people on rooftops? It wouldn't surprise me at all. How many stories or photos have you seen from Iraq that show anything postive there? Virtually none. Do you believe that the only things happening in Iraq are car bombs? You would if you watched only the national media in the USA. I see no reason to suspect anything different vis-a-vis the coverage of the Katrina disaster. More importantly, do you have a shred of *evidence* to support such a supposition? (For example, have you found such suppressed photos in the right-wing news outlets or blogs?) And can you explain why the images of the hurricane victims more generally (apart from the handful of available rooftop photos) do *not* exclude the minority of white victims, if there's a liberal conspiracy to show only the black ones? The evidence is a long history of bias. There have also been severals studies of this, but I don't have any at my finger tips. It's not enough that the victims of this natural disaster are being blamed by some. You've even figured out a way to blame the news media for *showing* the victims if the victims are disproportionately black. I've not blamed the victims of this disaster. I do blame the local and state governments primarily and definitely believe the media coverage has been pathetic, but the latter is no surprise as this has been the case for at least 20 years and I seldom watch the national media any longer other than Fox. Fox at least tries to give the appearance of balance, which is more than ABC, NBC, CBS or, especially, CNN even attempt. After seeing things like the fabricated exploding Chevrolet truck gas tanks, I have 0% confidence in what I see on any of these networks. Matt |
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"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
... Gary Drescher wrote: The news media craves dramatic imagery. Every available photograph of people stranded on the roofs of nearly submerged houses is dramatic enough to get wide circulation. Do you really suppose the media is suppressing the photos of white people on rooftops? It wouldn't surprise me at all. How many stories or photos have you seen from Iraq that show anything postive there? Virtually none. Do you believe that the only things happening in Iraq are car bombs? You would if you watched only the national media in the USA. I see no reason to suspect anything different vis-a-vis the coverage of the Katrina disaster. In other words, you asserted as fact that the news media have selectively ignored photo opportunities involving white victims on rooftops, when in reality you have no evidence that any such practice occurred. Rather, you made that imaginary factual assertion simply because such behavior by the media would fit your extremely biased model of news media bias; therefore, you assume that it must have actually occurred. (And that assumption, in turn, reinforces your presumption of media bias, which in turn will lead you to allege other such practices without actual evidence. You're stuck in a feedback loop caused by your willingness to believe and assert things without specific evidence, just because the assertions fit your worldview. Your methodology guarantees that you will see what you *expect* to see, whether it's there or not.) In reality, passing up the opportunity to show sensational photos would be contrary to all known practices of the corporate news media, and also contrary to their actual practices now with regard to the hurricane victims *not* on rooftops. (Also, the percentage of blacks shown in the handful of rooftop photos is about the same as the percentage of blacks shown in the handful of TV-looting photos. Would you care to explain how the latter could be motivated by "liberal bias"?) As for national coverage of Iraq, I don't know what newspapers you read, but all the mainstream national publications *I'm* aware of prominently cover every alleged achievement trumpeted by the US government (from "Mission Accomplished" onward), while systematically underplaying the horrific devastation that our counterinsurgency campaign has inflicted on Iraqis. This pro-US-government bias contrasts sharply with the more balanced coverage seen in much of the foreign press. If you watched only the national media in the USA, you'd think most Iraqi civilian casualties were inflicted by the anti-occupation forces. For detailed documentation of the 25,000 Iraqi civilians whose killings have been specifically reported so far--as with any ongoing disaster, likely just a fraction of the actual total--see http://reports.iraqbodycount.org/a_d..._2003-2005.pdf and the associated online database. Then tell me if you've come across this information on Fox News. --Gary |
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"Matt Whiting" wrote: Do you really suppose the media is suppressing the photos of white people on rooftops? It wouldn't surprise me at all. That's downright paranoid. Get a grip, Matt. CNN/Fox/NBC would *love* some white folks on a rooftop. Most of their audience is white, and people love to watch stories about people like themselves; it's money in the bank for tv news. -- Dan C172RG at BFM |
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"Matt Whiting" wrote
I've not blamed the victims of this disaster. I do blame the local and state governments Many of the victims are to blame. Doesn't it give you pause when you learn the extent to which the people left there are behaving in a way *opposite* to what you would do or expect others to do? Using a natural disaster as an opportunity to plunder and rape and attack those that are trying to help is *exactly* what you should expect from people who have socially evolved over decades to live off the efforts of others. It isn't politically correct to say this but most of the people carting off alcohol and TV sets instead of essential supplies have lived as wards of the welfare state, and quite happily so, for their entire lives. http://www.intellectualactivist.com/...le.php?id=1026 moo |
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Dan Luke wrote:
"Matt Whiting" wrote: Do you really suppose the media is suppressing the photos of white people on rooftops? It wouldn't surprise me at all. That's downright paranoid. Get a grip, Matt. CNN/Fox/NBC would *love* some white folks on a rooftop. Most of their audience is white, and people love to watch stories about people like themselves; it's money in the bank for tv news. To get some indication of the truth of this issue, one needs to start with answers to the following questions (in my opinion): 1) What is the ratio of white to non whote in the parish you are discussing? 2) What is the ratio of poor white to poor non-white in the same areas? 3) Is it reasonable to expect that the number of whites vs non-whites shown on TV should reflect those ratios? -- Saville Replicas of 15th-19th century nautical navigational instruments: http://home.comcast.net/~saville/backstaffhome.html Restoration of my 82 year old Herreshoff S-Boat sailboat: http://home.comcast.net/~saville/SBOATrestore.htm Steambending FAQ with photos: http://home.comcast.net/~saville/Steambend.htm |
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Dan Luke wrote:
"Matt Whiting" wrote: Do you really suppose the media is suppressing the photos of white people on rooftops? It wouldn't surprise me at all. That's downright paranoid. Get a grip, Matt. CNN/Fox/NBC would *love* some white folks on a rooftop. Most of their audience is white, and people love to watch stories about people like themselves; it's money in the bank for tv news. Actually I think you are wrong. What the media want is the biggest viewership. They'll do anything to get that. Fomenting a notion of racism is a great way to get an audience. -- Saville Replicas of 15th-19th century nautical navigational instruments: http://home.comcast.net/~saville/backstaffhome.html Restoration of my 82 year old Herreshoff S-Boat sailboat: http://home.comcast.net/~saville/SBOATrestore.htm Steambending FAQ with photos: http://home.comcast.net/~saville/Steambend.htm |
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Happy Dog wrote:
"Matt Whiting" wrote I've not blamed the victims of this disaster. I do blame the local and state governments Many of the victims are to blame. Doesn't it give you pause when you learn the extent to which the people left there are behaving in a way *opposite* to what you would do or expect others to do? Using a natural disaster as an opportunity to plunder and rape and attack those that are trying to help is *exactly* what you should expect from people who have socially evolved over decades to live off the efforts of others. It isn't politically correct to say this but most of the people carting off alcohol and TV sets instead of essential supplies have lived as wards of the welfare state, and quite happily so, for their entire lives. From this mornings newspaper... (Read the parts about 20% saying they would stay in their homes during any storm.) Warning ignored Eerily accurate, 2004 exercise predicted fate of New Orleans Sunday, September 04, 2005 Alan Judd COX NEWS SERVICE Hurricane Pam was the big one. With 120-mph winds and 20 inches of rain, it breached New Orleans’ aged levees, flooded half a million buildings and stranded thousands of residents in a ruined city below sea level. Unlike Hurricane Katrina, though, Pam wasn’t real. It was a computer-generated exercise in July 2004 that provided the latest confirmation of what researchers, disaster planners and engineers have contended for decades: New Orleans needed a better response plan for a catastrophic hurricane. Years of conferences, computer models, animated simulations and disaster drills had made it clear what could happen if a major storm struck southeastern Louisiana. Still, when Katrina hit last week, disaster authorities were, by all appearances, horribly illprepared. Officials couldn’t get tens of thousands of residents to leave vulnerable coastal regions before the storm, despite mandatory evacuation orders. In New Orleans, many people were sent to a shelter of last resort, the Superdome. Conditions there quickly became untenable: no food, no water, no electricity, no medical care, no working restrooms. With hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people dead, and with relief slow in coming, the city descended into what the New Orleans newspaper, the Times-Picayune, called ‘‘mayhem and madness." Such chaos, hurricane experts said, was both predictable and preventable. ‘‘We pretty much knew this would happen somewhere along the line," said Gregory W. Stone, director of the Coastal Studies Institute at Louisiana State University. He is among the scientists who have issued dire warnings for years. ‘‘A lot of that has not been taken seriously" by the federal government, Stone said. ‘‘That’s a regrettable thing to say." Rep. Bennie G. Thompson of Mississippi, the ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, concurred. The government has shown ‘‘not much of a commitment to this issue," Thompson said. Congress will investigate whether the suffering caused by Katrina could have been avoided, or at least mitigated, he said. ‘‘Why aren’t we prepared for that kind of occurrence?" When the University of New Orleans surveyed the city’s residents about their personal hurricane evacuation plans last year, it found that many people had none. More than one in five of those surveyed said they would stay at home, even during a major storm. Researchers estimated that at least 100,000 New Orleans residents had no means to evacuate: no car, not enough money for airfare or a bus ticket, no friends or family to help them leave town. ‘‘They knew they were going to have a large number of people who weren’t going to be able to get out on their own," said Jay Baker, a geography professor who studies hurricanes at Florida State University. But authorities apparently never put plans in place to evacuate them before a storm. Instead, a day before Katrina hit, the city opened its massive stadium, the Superdome, as a shelter of last resort — nothing more, Baker said, than ‘‘a place for people to have a better chance to survive than if they stayed in their homes." It quickly became obvious that the Superdome was far from an ideal shelter. ‘‘Putting 20,000 to 30,000 people into a facility that will surely lose power and therefore lose air conditioning and lights, not to mention begin to get flooded, is not something that’s very appropriate," LSU’s Stone said. ‘‘These people are trapped like rats." No one, he said, seemed to consider how quickly conditions at the stadium would deteriorate. Even as evacuations got under way, reports from the Superdome and another nearby shelter depicted virtual anarchy: fighting, filth and bodies of the dead left untended. ‘‘We need to be able to streamline how we move from the occurrence of the disaster to relief," said Thompson, the Mississippi congressman. ‘‘We probably could have moved more people in faster. That probably means more military people." Hurricane experts say shelters should have been opened outside New Orleans, both for the storm and the duration of the recovery. Officials say New Orleans could be uninhabitable for six months. After the Hurricane Pam exercise, authorities said the New Orleans area would need shelters for just 100 days after a catastrophic storm. Once the drill was complete, the Federal Emergency Management Agency hired a consulting firm to develop recommendations. Well into the second hurricane season since the drill, no final report from the firm has been publicly released. On ABC-TV Thursday, President Bush acknowledged the ‘‘frustration" of New Orleans residents, but said, ‘‘I don’t think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees." In fact, such a failure has been forecast for years. Since 2000, the Army Corps of Engineers has been studying the idea of reinforcing the levees to withstand a Category 5 storm, the strongest on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. The 300 miles of existing levees, at 17 feet, were designed to protect New Orleans — parts of which are as much as 10 feet below sea level — from no more than a Category 3 hurricane. ‘‘We certainly understood the potential impact of a Category 4 or 5 hurricane," Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, the corps’ chief of engineers, told reporters Thursday in a telephone briefing. Last spring, the Army engineers’ New Orleans office complained that budget cuts proposed by the Bush administration and approved by Congress ‘‘will prevent the corps from addressing these pressing needs." Thompson said the corps’ arguments contain ‘‘significant merit." ‘‘What concerns me is the fact that for the last several budgets, the president has pretty much zeroed out a lot of the corps’ work," Thompson said. ‘‘We (in Congress) always had to go back in and try to help. I have not seen flood control as a real priority in this president’s budgets." The levee construction is one of two massive public-works projects that hurricane experts say could have protected New Orleans from Katrina. Since 1990, Louisiana’s congressional delegation has sought funding — a total of $14 billion — to restore the state’s coastal marshes and barrier islands. Scientists say the marshes and islands act as a first line of defense for New Orleans and the region’s other populated areas by absorbing much of a storm’s force. Built to prevent incessant flooding, the New Orleans levees also interrupted the natural flow of water to the marshes south of the city. Before the levees were built, that flow carried sediment that could restore the wetlands, which are under constant barrage from waves and wind. According to LSU’s Hurricane Center, which has studied the matter extensively, more than 1 million acres of wetlands have disappeared since 1930. LSU scientists estimate that the area is losing 28,000 acres a year — the equivalent of a football field every half-hour. ‘‘At the start of every new hurricane season on June 1," Stone said, ‘‘Louisiana has become more vulnerable to storm surge inundation and surge damage than it was the previous hurricane season." Yet, 15 years after the restoration began, Congress has appropriated just $540 million of the $14 billion needed to complete the project. ‘‘This is a regrettable demonstration of ignoring the magnitude of the problem," Stone said. ‘‘That could well have retarded some of the water finding its way" into the city. ‘‘What’s been missing is a sense of urgency," said Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-La., a longtime proponent of coastal restoration. After Katrina, he said, ‘‘hopefully, it will help us convince people who weren’t convinced before." Some scientists, along with public officials, have questioned whether the project’s benefits would be worth its cost. Stone, referring to some of the worst casualty estimates, put it in starker terms: ‘‘How do you weigh the economic value against four or five or six thousand deaths?" |
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