Posted on 08/23/2006 10:13:59 PM PDT by spkpls4
For an outsider, Lee was able to at least partially grasp the uniqueness of New Orleans. However, his documentary was ultimately a very flawed piece of work.
While Lee focused on the tragedy and the poor federal response, he neglected to mention all of the billions that have been allocated by Congress, and for months idling in the State Government treasury. Lee pointed plenty of fingers at the Army Corps of Engineers, but he totally neglected the responsibility of the Orleans Parish Levee Board for maintenance of the levees. While Lee blasted President Bush throughout the documentary, he exonerated the man who exemplified poor leadership, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. Is it because Nagin is an African-American or is it because he is a Democrat? Lee overlooked almost all Republican office holders in his documentary. He could have interviewed LA State Senator Walter Boasso (R-Arabi), who used his own boat to rescue stranded people in his beloved St. Bernard Parish in the hours after Katrina or U.S. Congressman Bobby Jindal (R-Kenner) who has been a tireless advocate for increased oil and gas royalties for Louisiana. Instead, Lee focused on Democratic elected officials and angry activists.
(Excerpt) Read more at ringsidepolitics.com ...
Spike still batting a 1000.
He never did get anything "right"..
Semper Fi
No one in their right mind gives a rat's ass what Spike Lee thinks.
Spike Lee is a racist little punk. I knew before reading the article he wouldn't blame ray nagin for anything.
Our nation did the wrong thing creating the professional welfare class and sticking them all in gov't housing that sits below sea level surrounded by water. Not to mention the fact that it looked like a 3rd world neighborhood before the hurricane hit.
Sounds like Spike is trying to outdo Michael Moore. I am sure it will get rave reviews from most news outlets.
Booker T. Washington (1856 – 1915).............
There is another class of coloured people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs -- partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do do not want to lose their jobs.
I am afraid that there is a certain class of race-problem solvers who don't want the patient to get well, because as long as the disease holds out they have not only an easy means of making a living, but also an easy medium through which to make themselves prominent before the public.
My experience is that people who call themselves "The Intellectuals" understand theories, but they do not understand things. I have long been convinced that, if these men could have gone into the South and taken up and become interested in some practical work which would have brought them in touch with people and things, the whole world would have looked very different to them. Bad as conditions might have seemed at first, when they saw that actual progress was being made, they would have taken a more hopeful view of the situation.
I agree.
He has had an oppertunity but "spikes out".
He is talented but his "takes" on getting one to think are a bit "fill in the blank".
Which in my lil ole opinion makes him a huge failure.
Another Michael Moore - ability to lie sophisticatedly on film, (well, maybe, since anyone who can think should spot the lies), while somehow finding every way possible to blame everything imaginable on...you guessed it...G.W.
The leftist, democrud, propaganda machine is still in gear.
Well, to give the devil his due, "Summer of Sam" was a somewhat decent movie.
If you had bothered to watch the documentary, you would've seen that the people featured were TAX PAYING, WORKING, HOMEOWNERS. One was a World War II vet who spent his last 10 bucks in the 40's to buy a house. Spent 30 years paying it off. paid his insurance premium for 50 years. When Katrina hit, the insurance company weasled out of paying. These are the kinds of stories told in this documentary.
Contrary to what many here believe, people the majority of 9th ward residents (both black and white) aare working tax paying citizens. Of course there are many knuckleheads out there (and Spike DOES NOT shy away from showing the ignorant criminal element in New Orleans). Now we all pay taxes so that the government can function in the case of a disaster right? Well the government (on ALL levels) failed the HARd WORKING people of new Orleans.
The documentary did NOT make Ray Nagin look good. The black victims interviewed had no kind words for Ray Nagin or Blanco. The most praised figure in the documentary was the ARmy general who came in and got things in shape (I forget his name).
Furthermore the Army Corps of engineers admitted that they messed up with the levee design. That design flaw led to the flooding. Lee showed the Levees in the Netherlands which were superior in every way.
Watch the documentary. It is thorough and interesting. it tells of the rich history of New Orleans, the previous floods and hurricanes, things like that. I didn't know that the levees in the ninth ward were blown up on purpose in 1927 and 1965 to save the more affluent parts of New Orleans. And in '27 the ninth ward was populated by POOR WHITES.
He could start by actually making a good movie... but that might be too much to ask.
Goebbels would approve.
ping
"If you had bothered to watch the documentary, you would've seen that the people featured were TAX PAYING, WORKING, HOMEOWNERS. One was a World War II vet who spent his last 10 bucks in the 40's to buy a house. Spent 30 years paying it off. paid his insurance premium for 50 years. When Katrina hit, the insurance company weasled out of paying. These are the kinds of stories told in this documentary."
--- my responses
--- you are right, I did not watch the film.... I have several friends who live(d) in New Orleans and I have visited several times. It does not make me an expert but I certainly made some observations.
--- The city was a wreck (not because of the people you mention) but because of the people I mentioned. Large portions of New Orleans resembled a third world country. The government was inept and corrupt and that is their words, not mine.
--- New Orleans is probably the worst example of urban planning in American history. I feel bad for the guy on his insurance but flood insurance is a seperate premium for a reason. They had been very lucky IMO with regards to hurricanes. We all saw people like this after the storm was over and we felt horrible. I did not ask myself where the government was though.... I wanted to know where their families and friends were!!!
"Now we all pay taxes so that the government can function in the case of a disaster right? Well the government (on ALL levels) failed the HARd WORKING people of new Orleans."
--- you are right... they failed New Orleans by allowing a city to be built below sea level on sinking sand surrounded by water in a hurricane zone. They further failed the citizens of that city by allowing crime to take over the city from almost every corner to the mayor's office. The facts speak for themselves... you were in more danger outside the tourists parts of New Orleans than you would be in a Humvee in downtown Baghdad.
--- I know there were lots of good people there but most of them wisely left before the storm hit. Why should everyone rely on Uncle Sam? I live in a wildfire zone in the northwest and I have to pay extra insurance to live on a treed lot.... why should people in a hurricane zone be exempt from this? If my house burns your tax dollars will not pay for it so why should my tax dollars pay to rebuild yours in a hurricane zone?
"The documentary did NOT make Ray Nagin look good."
--- Good! It should'nt have but I believe he got reelected did'nt he?
"Furthermore the Army Corps of engineers admitted that they messed up with the levee design. That design flaw led to the flooding. Lee showed the Levees in the Netherlands which were superior in every way."
--- It's hard to make an effective tank out of legos. The Army Corps of Engineers are not politicians and that is who allocates money for the levees. Where were the Louisiana politicians who were sent to D.C.? Is it true that some of the money for levees was diverted to other endeavors? Is it not also true that some of the engineers over the years had strongly recommended no development in the lowest areas? I am positive that most reports on the levees had mentioned that they could withstand a category 3 but after that all bets were off.
--- Katrina was a horrible storm and a big mess but the fact remains that the city should never have been developed the way it was UNTIL the levee system was properly addressed. Despite the levees is it not true that other environmental engineering was causing the city to sink?
--- New Orleans port facilities and the areas above sea level should be rebuilt. The free government housing that existed there should NEVER be rebuilt. New Orleans might become a nice place once again if that is done.
THE LEVEES WERE NOT BLOWN UP IN '65!!!!!MYTH!!
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