To the Editor, The Washington Post
Dear Editor
Almost thirty years ago, in the aftermath of the Guatemala earthquake that
killed over 22,000 people, Professor Nick Ambraseys of Imperial College
London suggested that "Today's act of God, will be regarded as tomorrow's
act of criminal negligence". He was referring to all the unnatural aspects
of the disaster that contributed to the scale of deaths and damage. His
words now ring true in relation to the chaos and acute suffering following
Katrina. Therefore, when the US Congress initiates some form of
Congressional Commission to investigate this tragedy, to decide on who was
responsible for the 'unnatural' aspects of Katrina as well as to report on
any essential policy changes, they will have an extensive agenda before
them. It could include the following questions:
1.. Why were the levees built and maintained without regard to the impact
of a storm surge of this scale, and specifically, why was the 2004 model
that predicted 10-15 feet of water in New Orleans, as a result of hurricane
flooding, ignored?
2.. Why was the pre-event evacuation of the region so incomplete, without
attention being given to citizens of the city without means of
transportation?
3.. Why was the Louisiana Superdome opened to provide 'safety' to between
10- 20,000 persons without even minimal provision being made for such basic
needs as sanitation, food, shelter, water, medical needs and human security?
4.. Why in the current search and rescue operation is minimal reliance
being given for the use of rescue boats to supplement helicopter rescue
operations?
5.. Why are the extensive resources of the Office of Foreign Disaster
Assistance (OFDA) not being used?
6.. Why did it take six days before international assistance was
requested? And finally,
7.. Why did any disaster plans that might have been available for fully
predictable severe hurricane winds accompanied by fully predictable severe
flooding fail so miserably?
While working in forty five disaster situations within developing countries
in over thirty five years, I have never seen anything approaching this level
of governmental failure in any country, however poor and undeveloped. While
Mercy demands any action to reduce further human suffering, Justice demands
that responsibility for failures be assigned and policies be reviewed to
avoid further "acts of criminal negligence"
Yours sincerely
Professor Ian Davis
Resilience Centre
Cranfield University,
UK
Home address:
97 Kingston Road
Oxford
OX2 6RL
UK
Home Tel: 44 (0) 1865 556473
----- Original Message -----
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, September 02, 2005 2:29 AM
Subject: Re: Poverty, looters, the real looters
> Ben, this is America. The mayor is first in charge, followed by the
> governor. Go read a political science book. Where is the mayor? Hopefully
> looking for a new job. .
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ben Wisner <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sep 1, 2005 4:50 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Poverty, looters, the real looters
>
> Terry Cannon makes an excellent point about the Bush, Homeland Security
> Inc., et al. diversion of resources.
>
> A statistical detail you all might find useful in teaching and agit prop:
> The most recent census in New Orleans found 112,000 households without
> their own cars. After hurricane Ivan last year, authorities did a table
> top planning exercise for a hypothetical "worst case" hurricane" they
> named "Pam." They assumed a storm surge that topped the levees. As of
> Katrina's land fall, however, in the follow up to that exercise, it seems
> no one had figured out what to do with these 112,000 households without
> transportation (low income, elderly, and disabled).
>
> The conditions in the Superdome are truly horrific and violate
> international standards for shelter provision (see
> www.sphereproject.org ). Shifting people to another sports arena
> (Astrodome in Houston) is surreal. It is certainly not a solution to the
> shelter problem. Keeping people in such a facility for more than a few
> days is unconscionable. One official in New Orleans has told a reporter
> that he thinks the city should declare independence and request
> international aid. Indeed, it looks like the UN High Commissioner for
> Refugees and the World Food Program, not to mention MSF would do a much
> better job a organizing shelter.
>
> Meanwhile Bush is only appealing for donations to the America Red Cross,
> actually giving their phone number in his televised press conference.
> Smaller, local organizations such as the Louisiana Interfaith Council need
> support. They are capable not only of response but campaigning on the
> social justice and human rights issues that underlie the vulnerability of
> those 112,000 low income households (and others) in the first place.
>
> Ben Wisner
> [log in to unmask]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Terry Cannon <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sep 1, 2005 5:27 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Hurricane Katrina
>
> Dear All,
> Lots of interesting material and ideas flowing from you, very useful. I am
> just off to watch newsnight and record the footage for teaching, so this
> is
> a quicky.
>
> Two short points: the significance of poverty as a factor in preventing
> many people from evacuating themselves and the position within this group
> especially of the elderly and disabled.
>
> Secondly, the demonising of looters that is going on. The main looter in
> this is Bush and his supporters, who diverted the money for flood
> prevention to homeland security and Iraq. This is a crucial propaganda
> point to keep making. there is chapter and verse today in a very good
> article in the Guardian today (by john vidal) on the diversion of funds
> from flood preparedness, and on warnings given a year ago that without
> further defences there would be a disaster.
>
> Today TV correspondent in Biloxi was clearly shocked at the lack of any
> relief giong on. There are reports of army trucks driving by hungry people
> and ignoring them. He said it was worse than African disasters he has
> covered.
>
> Re the looters, I am sure many are not necessarily pleasant people, but
> what we are observing is a class struggle, of the dispossessed seizing on
> a
> pathetic opportunity to claim something in the midst of the mayhem. One
> man
> seen by a reporter had just taken many packs of cigarettes from a gas
> station, and had a broad smile all over his face. Just how ground down he
> must be to be thrilled at 50 dollars worth of cigarettes in a situation
> when he was poor before, but now has no food or home...
>
> Best wishes
>
> Terry
>
>
> At 15:29 01/09/2005, you wrote:
>>Dear colleagues,
>>
>>Maureen Fordham and I would like to capture some of the rich discussion
>>surrounding hurricane Katrina that is taking place on list servs. As you
>>may know, since 2001 RADIX has been a public electronic resource for
>>discussion of contextual, deep background, and also neglected
>
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