The Media Destroyed New Orleans

Question

Everything coming out now the incompetence, lack of planning, lack of organization, poverty, failing levies (and the idiotic idea of building a city in a swamp in the first place) all of it was well within the media's reach all along. None of it was secret.

The media claims its free speech rights and its access to publicly-owned airwaves all in the name of allowing it to honor its duty to inform the people of important matters.
But instead, the media ignores its responsibility and misuses its freedoms to cover celebrity pregnancies, inside-the-beltway fornication and arguments over whether boys can hump each other like they can hump girls.
Instead of covering the real stories that have real impact like the problems brewing in D.C. and in N.O. the media covers complete and utter ***.
Had the people known, the people would have acted. But the people didn't know because the media distracted them with other things. CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC those are the guys who let this happen.

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Everything coming out now the incompetence, lack of planning, lack of organization, poverty, failing levies (and the idiotic idea ... media distracted them with other things. CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC those are the guys who let this happen.[/nq]
Well, they sure didn't help much, having been cowed and tamed by Right wing buy-outs and hate-jocks infesting the airwaves. It's taken the horrors of Katrina and its aftermath to jar these plastic-haired puffballs into finally beginning to locate their ***** (and analogous sources of female courage) again.
Frankly, if you want the real news you can always find it in the print media, by which I do not mean just the local papers. Remember the very detailed analysis and forecast of precisely the current N.O. disaster that appeared in National Geographic a year or so ago (and that story was picked up in other journals just ignored by the nightly blabs on TV). Even radio offers sources of real info (for the most part), via NPR and PRI stations.
So the larger part of the problem is not the "media" at all, but the childish, willful nature of huge numbers of American viewers who are more than content to swallow the reassuring lies and celebrity *** offered by Faux News and others of that ilk. In this case, we really do get what we deserve. You want real news? It's there, but you have to get up off the couch and locate it, and most of us are too fat in the ****, and in the head, apparently. We* some sort of majority of us, at any rate are the guys who *elected the guys who let it happen and who chose to glide along in blissful ignorance rather than face up to reality.
As "we" continue to do even now.
SMC
"Our Founding Fathers were adults matured by the Age of Enlightenment, but the democracy they designed can't be sustained by the spoiled, scared, greedy child-people who have succeeded them in our time."

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Everything coming out now the incompetence, lack of planning, lack of organization, poverty, failing levies (and the idiotic idea ... media distracted them with other things. CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC those are the guys who let this happen.[/nq]
Pardon me for saying it but - baloney. There's only so much space that anybody can give newspaper, magazine, or TV, to a story that, fundamentally, hasn't happened yet.
It is a basic truism of all news reporting that "near misses" aren't news unless they happen after a plane crash. Then they get reported. News is about things that happen. Stories about things that might happen, or almost happened but didn't - or that could happen but haven't happened those are feature stories, to the extent that they get any coverage at all.
Of the three big potential disasters that were highlighted by FEMA, one was the hurricane hitting N.O., the second was a major earthquake in L.A., the third was (I think) a dirty bomb terrorist attack on a major U.S. city.
How much news has been devoted to the other two? What exactly is it that the "media" is going to do between now and whenever to "prevent" the consequences of a major earthquake in L.A.?
And if you say they should have objected to the crony-izing of FEMA and the rest of Washington if anyone in the media had raised that objection prior to N.O., what would the response have been? We've had hundreds of disasters and FEMA's responded appropriately. See? It's working fine. After the fact, you can look back and see the cracks, see the failures, see the disaster looming.
Before the Challenger disaster, which was caused by burn-through on one of the solid-fuel boosters igniting the main fuel tank they'd had the identical thing happen burn-through on one of the solid-fuel boosters, on an earlier mission. It was just pure chance that the burn-through happened on a part of the booster that wasn't in contact with the main fuel tank.
You remember the "media" reporting that? The big stink that followed? How NASA had to shut down all of its missions and fix the problem?

No. Because it didn't happen. If it had happened, there wouldn't have been a Challenger disaster.
When voices cry in the wilderness and those in authority say that everything is under control and point to the fact that nothing terrible has happened as evidence of that they may be dead wrong, but from a journalistic perspective what you end up with is a "non-story."
X, crying in the wilderness, says that earthquake preparations in L.A. are woefully inadequate. Those In Authority say that they're more than adequate and go on to say why.
In the end, the only arbiter is going to be the earthquake. That not the state, not the crying voices, not the media, not the spin doctors, but Reality that will decide whether the preparations were adequate.
In the meantime, if you expect to see much coverage about earthquake preparations, good, bad or indifferent, outside of the Discovery Channel, you're going to have a long wait.
NMS

Usenet · Answer

You forgot the impact on Houston. Just received this. This is from a guy here in Houston that went to volunteer his time to help
the hurricane victims. It is pretty sad and disappointing to think people
could be so ungrateful.
SO I VOLUNTEERED..
I thought I might inform the few friends I have on my recent traumatic experience. I am going to tell it straight, blunt, raw, and I don't give a
****. Long read, I know but please do read!!!
I went to volunteer on Saturday at the George R. Brown Convention Center
(downtown) for two reasons.
A: I wanted to help people to get a warm fuzzy.
B: Curiosity.
I've been watching the news lately and have seen scenes that have made me
want to vomit. And no it wasn't dead bodies, the city under water, or the
sludge everywhere. It was PEOPLE'S BEHAVIOR. The people on T.V. (99% being
Black) where DEMANDING help. They were not asking nicely but demanding as if
society owed these people something. Well the honest truth is WE DON'T. Help
should be asked for in a kind manner and then appreciated. This is not what
the press (FOX in particular) was showing, what I was seeing was a group of
people who are yelling, demanding, looting, killing, raping, and SHOOTING
back at the demanded help!! So I'm thinking this can't possibly be true
can it?? So I decide to submit to the DEMAND for help out of SHOCK. I

couldn't believe this to be true of the majority of the people who are the
weakest of society. So I went to volunteer and help folks out and see the
truth. So I will tell the following story and you decide:

I arrived at the Astrodome only to find out that there are too many volunteers and that volunteers were needed at the George R. Brown Convention
Center. As I was walking up to the Convention Center I noticed a line of
cars that wrapped around blocks filled with donations. These where ordinary
Houstonians coming with truckloads and trunks full of water, diapers, clothes, blankets, food, all types of good stuff. And lots of it was NEW. I
felt that warm fuzzy while helping unload these vehicles of these wonderful
human beings. I then went inside the building and noticed approximately

100,000 sq. ft. of clothes, shoes, jackets, toys and all types of goodies
all organized and ready for the people in need. I signed up, received a name
badge and was on my merry way excited to be useful.

I toured the place to get familiar with my surrounding; the entire place is
probably around 2 million sq. ft. I noticed rows as far as the eye can see
of mattresses, not cots, BLOW UP MATTRESSES!!! All of which had nice pillows
and plenty of blankets. 2 to 3 bottles of water lay on every bed. These full
size to queen size beds by the way where comfortable, I laid in one to see
for myself. I went to look at the medical area. I couldn't believe what my
eyes were seeing!!! A makeshift hospital created in 24 hours!!! It was unbelievable, they even had a pharmacy. I also noticed that they created
showers, which would also have hot water. I went upstairs to the third floor
to find a HUGE cafeteria created in under 24 hours! Rows of tables, chairs
and food everywhere - enough to feed an army! I'm not talking about ****
food either. They had jason's deli food, apples, oranges, coke, diet coke,
lemonade, orange juice, cookies, all types of chips and sandwiches. All the
beverages by the way was put on ice and chilled!! In a matter of about 24
hours or less an entire mini-city was erected by volunteers for the poor
evacuees. This was not your rundown **** shelter, it was *** HEAVEN.

So that was the layout: great food, comfy beds, clean showers, free medical
help, by the way there was a library, and a theatre room I forgot to mention. Great stuff right??
Well here is what happened on my journey:
I started by handing out COLD water bottles to evacuees as they got off the
bus. Many would take them and only 20% or less said thank you. Lots of them
would shake their heads and ask for sodas! So this went on for about 20-30
minutes until I was sick of being an unappreciated servant. I figured certainly these folks would appreciate some food!!! So I went upstairs to
serve these beloved evacuees some GOOD food that I wish I could have at the
moment!
***The following statements are graphic, truthful, and discuss UNRATIONAL
behavior***
Evacuees come slowly to receive this mountain of food that is worth serving
to a king! I tell them that we have 2 types of great deli sandwiches to

choose from - ham and turkey. Many look at the food in disgust and DEMAND
burgers, pizza, and even McDonalds!! Jason's deli is better than McDonalds!! Only 1 out of ten people who took something would say "thank
you" the rest took items as if it was their *** given right to be served
without a shred of appreciation!!! They would ask for Beer and liquor. They
complained that we didn't have good enough food. They refused food and laughed at us. They treated us volunteers as if we where SLAVES. No not all
of them of course,but 70% did!! 20% where appreciative, 10% took the
food without any comment and the other 70% had some disgusting comment to
say. Some had the nerve to laugh at us. And when I snapped back at them for
being mean, they would curse at me!!! Needless to say I was in utter shock.
They would eat their food and leave their mess on the table; some would pick
up their stuff many would leave it for the volunteers to pick up. I left
that real quick to go down and help set up some more beds. I saw many young
ladies carrying mattresses and I helped for a while. Then I realized something, there were hundreds of able bodied young men who could help!! I
asked a group of young evacuees in their teens and early twenties to help. I
got cursed at for asking them to help!!! One said, We just lost our **ing
homes and you want us to work!! The next said, Ya Cracker, you got a home we
don't. I looked at them in disbelief. Here are women walking by carrying
THEIR **ING BEDS and they can't lift a finger and help themselves!!

WHY THE ** SHOULD I HELP PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO HELP THEMESELVES!!
I waved them off and turned away and was laughed at and more "white boy

jokes" were made at me. I felt no need to waste my breath on a bunch of

pitiful losers. I went to a nearby restroom where I noticed a man shaving. I
used the restroom, washed my hands and saw this man throw his razor towards
the trash can...he missed; he walked out leaving his disgusting razor on the
floor for some other "cracker" to pick up. Even the little kids where demanding. I saw only ONE white family and only TWO Hispanic families. The
rest where blacks - sorry 20% to 30% decent blacks and 70% LOSERS!!

I would call them , but the actual definition of a is one who is
ignorant, these people were not ignorant they where ARROGANT . The majority of which are thugs and lifetime lazy *** welfare recipients. We are
inviting the lowest of the low to Houston. And like idiots we are serving
the people who will soon steal our cars, rape, murder, and destroy our city
while stealing from our pockets on a daily basis through the welfare checks
they take. We will fund our own destruction.
By "US" I don't mean a specific race, I mean the people who work hard, work
smart, have values and morals. Only people who want to help themselves should be helped, the others should be allowed to destroy themselves. I do
not want to work hard, give the government close to half the money I earn so
they can in turn give it to a bunch of losers.
I don't believe in being poor for life. My family immigrated here, we came
here poor, and now thank ***, and due to HARD WORK we are doing fine. If
immigrants, who come here, don't know the language can work and become successful... WHY THE ** CAN'T THE MAJORITY OF THE HOMEGROWN DO IT!!! If
we continue to reward these losers then we will soon destroy our great country. I just witnessed selfish, arrogant, unappreciative behavior by the
very people who need help the most. Now these same people who cursed me,
refused my cities generosity, who refuse to help themselves are DEMANDING
handouts on their own terms!! They prance around as if they are owed
something, and when they do receive a handout, they say it's not good enough! Well you know what - these types of people can go to **** for all I
care!
"Monk"

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]You forgot the impact on Houston. Just received this. This is from a guy here in Houston that went to ... people something. Well the honest truth is WEDON'T. Help should be asked for in a kind manner and then appreciated.[/nq]
Why, the nerve of those rude, ungrateful black people who went and lost their homes, belongings and family and are forcing the rest of us to interrupt our Sunday brunches!
Your friend is an ***, BTW. Tell him for me that if he thinks the refugees have it so posh, he should give up his home to them and move into a shelter.
jaybee

The Media Destroyed New Orleans

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