New Orleans Refugees Treated Like Criminals

Guardsmen made able-bodied people clasp their hands behind their backs while they patted them down, feeling the seams and hems of clothing, then ran metal detectors over them. The backpacks, suitcases and plastic grocery bags that held their belongings were searched.

MSNBC

Every man, woman, old lady and infant fleeing to the Superdome is being patted down and checked for weapons. That is why they have been on line for hours.

It is bad enough that Mayor Nagin acted like the Mayor in Jaws and withheld an evacuation order that ended up trapping thousands of tourists in the city, tourists that he wanted to appease.

Imagine being told you have a few hours to gather belongings, enough for up to five days, and make your way to a stadium with your kids, grandma and significant other.

I hope that the Mayor and the leadership of New Orleans are called to account for this outrage.

Good News from New Orleans

Fox reporter Shepard Smith to New Orleans resident: "Why are you still here, I'm just curious?"

Man on the Street: "It's none of your f_ _king business."

Now I'm happy. Fox News got cursed out. Video is here. Thanks to Crooks and Liars for the footage.

Too Little, Too Late in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast












Evacuation back log at the New Orleans Superdome
Mario Tama/Getty Images

I flunked meteorology in college, but I am fascinated by weather phenomenon nonetheless. I have been glued to the tube all weekend watching the progress of hurricane Katrina.

Apparently I am on the same wave length with Jim Cantore, a Weather Channel meteorologist. Cantore expressed concern that evacuation in Mississippi was moving so slowly.

On Friday I was alarmed when tropical storm Katrina became a hurricane. I was even more alarmed when Floridians, who should be experienced in these matters, were blase because it was just a Category 1 storm.

Newsflash. There are no minor hurricanes. Tropical storms kill people, itty bitty Category 1 hurricanes kill too. Katrina killed 7 in Florida.

To get to my point quickly, I think it is going to prove catastrophic that the city of New Orleans didn't issue an evacuation order until today. The storm track all weekend pointed to a Gulf Coast land fall. If the Mayor was squeamish about evacuating before today he should have warned his city yesterday that there might be an evacuation order issued today.
The announcement didn't take place until 11 a.m. central time today. This time lag is unconscionable. I hope it doesn't prove tragic as well.

As the photo above shows, there are thousands of New Orleans residents who were unable to leave town. Most of them are poor people lugging bedding, pampers and non-perishable food only to find a human traffic jam when they arrive at the Superdome to access shelter. I can only imagine taking my septugenarian parents, neither of whom walks very well, into a crowd of humanity where they have to stand for hours.

I live in New York and I knew that New Orleans lies beneath sea level. What have they been doing? How could they have been so unprepared?

Those who have cars are stuck in traffic jams along the coast. What happens when they run out of gas? There is already no gasoline to be had. At what point should motorists look for an elevated building if they can't find elevated ground?

I hope that they are doing a better job of answering these questions in Louisiana and Mississippi. After all the post 9/11 talk about disaster planning I expected better from public officials.

Iraq: A Test for War

America's addiction to war has just received another fix. The Bush administration and its cohorts don't care if this war is won or lost.
Deepak Chopra

Chopra has harsh words, but not just for the Bushmen. He has a broader criticism of the antiwar movement that he feels does not work hard enough to end militarism altogether.

Mfume Unafraid of Anti-War Stance

"It's time to get out."
Kweisi Mfume

At least one Democrat is ignoring the DLC's nonsensical advice. Former Congressman and NAACP President Kweisi Mfume is a candidate for retiring Maryland Senator Paul Sarbanes' seat. Mfume is calling for the U.S. to leave Iraq.

It is imperative for Democrats around the country to do what they know to be right ethically and right politically. Democrats will be toast in Congressional and national elections if they parrot the pro-war stance.

War Against Iran and War Against the American People

The United States mission in Iraq is doomed. But the outcome will be very dangerous to the world, its economy, and to American citizens, as well. That’s because the War Party in charge in Washington will not accept defeat, and will, instead, escalate, in an attempt to erase its initial failures. When they do, they will vastly accelerate the process of their own demise.
Black Commentator

Can Black Commentator and Pat Buchanan both be right? In a radio commentary last month Black Commentator exposed the Bushmen plot to attack Iran. Buchanan's magazine, American Conservative, also reports that Cheney is the point man in plotting a "tactical" nuclear strike on Iran should there be another 9/11 type attack. Do they know something the rest of us do not?

If that isn't scary enough, there are ominous hints that the Bushmen will declare martial law in the U.S., if there is another terror attack. Have you ever heard of CONPLAN?

But the new plans provide for what several senior officers acknowledged is the likelihood that the military will have to take charge in some situations, especially when dealing with mass-casualty attacks that could quickly overwhelm civilian resources.

How convenient. I guess we will all be enemy combatants.

"Blow Them All Away in the Name of the Lord"
Jerry Falwell (quicktime)

Before we beat up on Muslims we have to condemn these crazy Christian religious extremists. Thanks to Crooks and Liars for the video.

Why the Dems Will Keep Losing

"Credit the Democrats for not trying to pour more gasoline on the fire, even if they're not particularly unified in their message," said Michael McCurry, a former Clinton White House press secretary. "Democrats could jump all over them and try to pin Bush down on it, but I'm not sure it would do anything but make things worse. The smartest thing for Democrats to do is be supportive."
Mike McCurry (registration required)

Let's see if I understand correctly. Bush's poll numbers are worse than Nixon's were during Watergate, but the opposition should not oppose on the issue that has killed his approval ratings. Did I read correctly?

The Democrats are so pathetic that they don't even know how to by cynical. If they were cynical, something political parties usually know how to be without any prompting, they would just blame Bush. That's all. We voted yes because we believed the President. We weren't the ones who said Saddam had mobile WMD facilities. We didn't say anything about mushroom clouds. We went along with you, you figure it out.

That is it. That is all. Blame Republicans for the debacle and call for troops to leave. No harm. No foul. Piece of cake. In fact a cake walk, as the neocons would say.

Believe it or not there is good news here. We know that the people who run the Democratic party will find a way to lose in 2006 Congressional races and in the 2008 presidential race. That means we are liberated. We should do whatever the hell we want. The lesser of two evils argument can be a sound one, but only if both evils have a chance to win. If one evil is once again headed to Loserville, it can and should be abandoned.

Every cloud does have a silver lining.

Preacher Advocates Murder

"You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him [Hugo Chavez], I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson said. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... and I don't think any oil shipments will stop."
Rev. Pat Robertson

I realized long ago that Pat Robertson was no Christian. I'm not surprised that he has publicly called for the killing of Venezulean President Hugo Chavez. Robertson also advocated that the U.S. State Department should be blown up, with a nuclear weapon no less. He is a very dangerous man, a fascist. He is one of many like minded creatures who were empowered by the theft of the presidency in 2000.

It is time for Christians to forthrightly denounce him and his ilk, instead of beating up on Muslims and making them take the heat for the actions of some of their coreligionists. It is time for Christians to denounce Christian terror.

George Loses It

In fact, George W. Bush’s mood swings have become so drastic that White House emails often contain “weather reports” to warn of the President’s demeanor. “Calm seas” means Bush is calm while “tornado alert” is a warning that he is pissed at the world.
Capital Hill Blue

Bush has his annual physical every August but he didn't last year. Was he afraid that we would find out he was taking anti-depressants? He didn't have to worry. As usual the corporate media covered for him.

Bomb Carrier Can Keep Flying Planes

U.S. Department of Homeland Security documents obtained by The Norman Transcript newspaper indicate federal agents who searched Dreyling's residence found gunpowder, carbon dioxide cartridges and wires as well as a computer with a video of detonation of a device similar to the one transported into the airport.
USA Today

A guy who tried to board a plane with a bomb is learning to be a pilot. His name is Charles Dreyling. He is the red blooded, white, all-American, Oklahoman who thought he could get through airport security while carrying a bomb.

Dreyling is now out of jail, thanks to his landlord, former Oklahoma City mayor Kirk Humphreys. Humphreys posted $10,000 bail for Dreyling. I guess he wants to make sure the rent gets paid. If anyone ought to remember that white Americans blow up buildings it ought to be an Oklahoman.

But wait, there is more. Dreyling has a commercial pilot license and can resume his studies at the University of Oklahoma. What is his major? Why it is aviation management of course.

The Transportation Security Agency is recommending that the FAA revoke Dreyling's license. Duh. While Brazilian electricians are being shot to death in cold blood by London cops, white people caught with bombs have licenses to fly planes.

Jean Charles de Menezes, Killed by a Piss

". . . a leaked investigation report revealed they had identified Mr. de Menezes as a would-be bomber without looking at his face because their intelligence officer was busy urinating. . ."

Way to Go Keith

I guess the painkillers wipe out your memory along with your ethics. Rush Limbaugh, today's worst person in the world!

Keith Olbermann

Way to Go Arianna

"So Cindy might have used the "f-word" when talking about the administration that sent her son to die in Iraq. Big fucking deal."
Arianna Huffington

Even Cindy Sheehan Can't Help the Dems

It really is amazing. Cindy Sheehan has galvanized dissatisfaction with Bush, but Hillary Clinton won't take advantage and mention her name. Bush's poll numbers are tanking because of Iraq but Dem leaders (Clinton, Biden, Kerry, Reid, et al) are too chicken and too stupid to act like an opposition. They also never lose their desire to be a part of the permanent government.

I'm truly sick and tired of being told that we must follow them or lose. The choice is a phony one. We are already losing and we are losing because of them. Ari Berman explains how the insanity of the Democratic establishment stays firmly in place.

de Menezes Murder

"Leaked documents, believed to be from the IPCC inquiry suggest Mr de Menezes was sitting calmly in the Tube carriage, surrounded by surveillance officers, moments before police stormed in and fired eight bullets into him.

According to the documents, an officer grabbed Mr de Menezes, pinned his arms down, and pushed him back on a seat before he was shot."

Scotland Yard tried to squelch an investigation into the shooting of de Menezes the very day that they killed him. Thank God for whomever leaked these documents. We are now getting the real story from London. Read about it here.

Cindy Sheehan Gets Smeared

"He died for oil. He died to make your friends richer. He died to expand American imperialism in the Middle East. We're not freer here, thanks to your PATRIOT Act. Iraq is not free. You get America out of Iraq and Israel out of Palestine and you'll stop the terrorism."
Cindy Sheehan

Even a blue eyed white woman can't get a fair hearing if she criticizes Israel. Oh well. Cindy is dog meat now. Supporters of Israel have publicly stated that Iraq should be occupied for Israel's benefit, but if the rest of us quote them we are villified. So long Cindy.

De Menezes Killed in Cold Blood

He wasn't wearing a heavy jacket. He used his card to get into the station. He didn't vault the barrier. And now police say there are no CCTV pictures to reveal the truth.
The Guardian

As I predicted a few weeks back, everything we were told about the police killing of Jean Charles de Menezes was a lie. If he had been wearing a bulky jacket, they would have showed it to us. If he had jumped the turnstile, they would have the video and we would have seen it a million times.

So much for the argument that racial profiling is a good thing. Then again, the ones who advocate it are never the ones who are profiled.

War Mongering Media

The German people knew that the German government managed the news. They could take it or leave it. But the U.S. corporate media is pervasive, it is everywhere, with hundreds of channels of propaganda, virtually all of them repeating the same government lies, while claiming to be independent of the government. The corporate media are engaged in a monstrous scam. They are the megaphones of war, just as guilty as the warmongers in Washington. If there are ever war crimes trials in the future, the corporate media should also be under the harshest indictment.
Black Commentator, Radio BC


I hadn't intended to post until my mini-vacation ended on Tuesday, but Glen Ford, my friend and mentor at Black Commentator, has provided us with a searing and brilliant radio commentary that must be made known to as many people as possible.

That’s a standard tactic of the U.S. news media, which is really not about news, at all. Just smiling faces with quips and jokes, making fun of the rest of the world on television, and snide, self-satisfied state propagandists holding down newspaper jobs, sneering at anyone who is not hooked up in the power grid.

If the role of journalists is to make power accountable, then there is virtually no journalism going on in the United States. That is, no journalism that reaches the masses of the people. Americans are left deaf, blind and dumb to the world around them. This would be sad, if it only affected the population of the United States. But the U.S. is the sole remaining super-power, and the disappearance of journalism means that the criminals in power in Washington can convince the public that up is down, day is night, and hot is cold.

Television and the newspapers will not challenge them, and as a consequence, the Bush men are free to wage war against whoever they choose, under any pretense they can conjure up. They can lie at will. Citizens who point out the lies are ignored, or made to look insane, or worse.

Read or listen to Glen's commentary and then pass it on to as many people as possible.

Another 9/11?

As I embark on a long weekend trip, I leave you with these sobering words.

A whopping 84 % of respondents approved the President’s job handling immediately post 9/11/2001, with only 11 % disapproving. If the President’s job handling approval ratings have to go back up to that level, a similar event must take place.
Anwar Hussain

Hopefully nothing will happen before I return to New York on Tuesday.