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Sep. 2nd, 2005 12:51 pmThere is something very odd about the relief work that is being done for Katrina.
There is a lot of awesome stuff happening. All over the place, individuals and groups are doing amazing things to hepl. Ascension Parish in Louisiana is taking care of 100,000 refugees, even though they have no power yet themselves. Universities in Texas and Arkansas have added staff from the drowned universities to their rolls and are squeezing office space and classrom space out of every inch of campus they can so that education can continue. Bloggers are uniting to raise money for basics. And there is more - much more. Despite all this food and water and shelter are still absent for far too many people.
Food and water and shelter should have been there, even if long term solutions come slower. Deaths should be limited by Katrina - not added to by her aftermath.
This was a known disaster. Everyone saw it coming. A lot of people hoped it woudn't hit just now, but even they knew that someday, a hurricane was going to drown that southern coast.
No-one can do much to abate intensity (and I am going to leave policy debate about wetlands alone - that debate has happened and was lost and it is much better to spend energy helping the suffering region and its inhabitants than to play around with that particular blame-game at this moment - lives are more important than feeling vindicated in a policy debate). Hurricanes landfall where they will. That much is something you just prepare for as best you can, grit your teeth, and surivive.
When the hurricane moves towards Canada and the winds start abating, when the levees that are going have gone when the surge has come and gone and when the cities that are going to be flattened have been flattened, then is the time for quick and efficient action.
While the scale of the disaster here makes it difficult to save everyone I still think there is something wrong. We saw how good planning and action saved lives in the London bombs. We see it every time there is an earthquake in Japan. Both places have their aftermath possibilities sorted out in advance.
I suspect that, for whatever reason, the planning for Katrina's aftermath was mucked up. I suspect the numbers of dead are going to rise. And that many people's lives will depend on international aid and emergency efforts by groups like the Red Cross, who may not be preapred for specific disasters but are experienced at dealing when almost everything breaks down.
My publisher has exhorted the US to get its act together here:
http://www.triviumpublishing.com/editorial/ (BTW, it may be the only time that she has ever been seen swearing in public, so save that blog entry).
I am just feeling very sick here. I hope that the emergency people sort things out *quickly* and I hope we all come through with enough money to help for the bits that aren't sorted out. I want to get to the stage where I can argue the politicis of it all - but first the South has to get through Katrina's aftermath. People are dying, unnecessarily.
There is a lot of awesome stuff happening. All over the place, individuals and groups are doing amazing things to hepl. Ascension Parish in Louisiana is taking care of 100,000 refugees, even though they have no power yet themselves. Universities in Texas and Arkansas have added staff from the drowned universities to their rolls and are squeezing office space and classrom space out of every inch of campus they can so that education can continue. Bloggers are uniting to raise money for basics. And there is more - much more. Despite all this food and water and shelter are still absent for far too many people.
Food and water and shelter should have been there, even if long term solutions come slower. Deaths should be limited by Katrina - not added to by her aftermath.
This was a known disaster. Everyone saw it coming. A lot of people hoped it woudn't hit just now, but even they knew that someday, a hurricane was going to drown that southern coast.
No-one can do much to abate intensity (and I am going to leave policy debate about wetlands alone - that debate has happened and was lost and it is much better to spend energy helping the suffering region and its inhabitants than to play around with that particular blame-game at this moment - lives are more important than feeling vindicated in a policy debate). Hurricanes landfall where they will. That much is something you just prepare for as best you can, grit your teeth, and surivive.
When the hurricane moves towards Canada and the winds start abating, when the levees that are going have gone when the surge has come and gone and when the cities that are going to be flattened have been flattened, then is the time for quick and efficient action.
While the scale of the disaster here makes it difficult to save everyone I still think there is something wrong. We saw how good planning and action saved lives in the London bombs. We see it every time there is an earthquake in Japan. Both places have their aftermath possibilities sorted out in advance.
I suspect that, for whatever reason, the planning for Katrina's aftermath was mucked up. I suspect the numbers of dead are going to rise. And that many people's lives will depend on international aid and emergency efforts by groups like the Red Cross, who may not be preapred for specific disasters but are experienced at dealing when almost everything breaks down.
My publisher has exhorted the US to get its act together here:
http://www.triviumpublishing.com/editorial/ (BTW, it may be the only time that she has ever been seen swearing in public, so save that blog entry).
I am just feeling very sick here. I hope that the emergency people sort things out *quickly* and I hope we all come through with enough money to help for the bits that aren't sorted out. I want to get to the stage where I can argue the politicis of it all - but first the South has to get through Katrina's aftermath. People are dying, unnecessarily.