No doubt. The damage to their local economy may never be repaired at this rate. If I was a local vendor I would be so infuriated at their inaction I would relocate my business, along with the jobs it would provide to a city where I felt the local authorities would at the very least do their job.
To hell with rebuilding any going business concerns in NO. The mayor, IMHO, was catering to the "looter constituency" by waiting so long.
It is reprehensible that they weren't shooting looters on site for robbing banks, appliance stores and other non-perishable items not essential to their immediate survival. If they had started off that way immediately, and made it was widely known as possible, they could have reduced this tragedy instead of enhancing it with their incompetence.
Being judgemental? Hell yes! If I was a business owner, say I sold toys, and these looters have stripped my store of everything, why would I even consider restarting there? I know if it happens again this will be modus operandi, perhaps even for temporary blackouts. I would never trust serving the citizens again, even if the looters are just a small portion of the population. They ruined my livelihood.
Even if it was possible to recoup a small part of the massive financial loss, I would never make the effort to be part of such a community again.
They say these people lashed out because they are poverty stricken and repressed. Seems to me they have an active hand in repressing themselves. How exactly do we described what they've just done to the people who have worked so hard to build this former community through their hard work? The very people who created jobs for their economy. They people who made NO a destination instead of just another slime covered ghetto? Let them rebuild NO on their own.
I agree - I can see ignoring the people with bottles of water, who were obviously not the problem - but why did the police just wait while people broke into jewelry and electronics stores, and finally were even able to arm themselves by stealing weapons? Anybody in their right mind would have known that such a breakdown in order would just grow.
Somehow, I don't think this would have happened in New York. New Yorkers are much more aggressive in defending themselves, even with their limited access to guns, and much more aggressive in vigilante justice. Plus nobody would be able to walk around in front of NYPD flaunting stolen TVs and weapons. Even with an idiot like Bloomberg in charge...
So while the true fault is that of the looters, I just don't know what the folks in charge of the city were thinking in letting them get away with this.
Agree.
This is no different than the fall of Baghdad. Our army thought it was OK to allow looting to show the people that "the USA are good guys". All that did was create a lotting/chaos mentaility that has bever been repaired.
Why didn't we learn anything from the fall of Baghdad?
I will not give a dime to charity. Most of these people have lived off my tax dollars through welfare their whole life. Now, they are looting jewelry stores and gun shops. I ma convinced many statyed behind just so they could loot. No donations from me!
I made some sarcastic comments yesterday about the international community's lack of response compared to our freebie cash grants after their disastes (like the tsunami). I now take that back. I HOPE the international community does not send help or money. These people deserve neither.
Bulldoze New Orleans. It is not worth saving since it obviously houses nothing but thieves and murderers. I just heard that a brother shot a sister over a bag of ice.