The Big Easy rocked, but didn't roll [Steyn Alert]

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 9/6/05 | Mark Steyn

[BenLurkin]

Mr. Gibson did NOT get caught up in a snark hunt.


(Unlike Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin)

[KateatRFM]

Every lawyer in the South will be lining up to represent him for free. Too bad the rest of the brothers were busy looting and raping to emulate his heroic actions.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

One of the true heros that GW should present a medal to. Initiative from NO was sadly lacking, it should be rewarded, not punished.

[niteowl77]

Ray Nagin, the Anti-Giuliani, a Mayor Culpa

That is so good.

[Owl558]

"I think Jabbor Gibson is a hero."

He really does deserves a medal for what he did.

[AmishDude]

For the ping list.

[AmishDude]

Yeah, but Steyn says it better than any of us. "Mayor Culpa!" LOL!

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

That man drips talent.

[ckilmer]

The Southern Louisiana Evacuation Plan specifically stated that people without private transportation were to be transported on public buses.

There were not just "200 buses". There were 200 buses in just one photo and Freepers studying the post-Katrina satellite images have counted over 400 buses altogether at other city parking.

At 70 people per bus that is 28,000 people per round trip that could have been taken out of the storm surge area in the 48 hours prior the Katrina striking.

After the storm hit, what makes you think that buses sent from outside of New Orleans could drive through the flooded mess any better than the 145 New Orleans city buses that were parked 1.2 miles away from the Superdome?

Was Scotty supposed to beam the outside buses to the Superdome and them beam them back out so that they would not have to drive through impassable roads?

The time to evacuate those 200,000 low-income people on public buses OUT OF THE STORM SURGE ZONE was BEFORE the Category 4 storm struck.

That was what the Southern Louisiana Evacuation Plan for New Orleans specifically called for.

The Democrat Governor and the Democrat Mayor did NOTHING to carry out that portion of the plan. They left 200,000 low-income resident abandoned and they now blame the Federal Government for not having Scotty beam down a massive logistics effort after a human disaster of their own making.

[dawn53]

and the authorities back in New Orleans may yet prosecute him. For rescuing people without a permit?

Classic Steyn...thanks for posting.

[July 4th]

Mayor Culpa - I love it!

[Torie]

Congressman Billy Tauzin once said of his state: "One half of Louisiana is under water and the other half is under indictment." Last week, four fifths of New Orleans was under water and the other four fifths should be under indictment - which is the kind of arithmetic the state's deeply entrenched kleptocrat political culture will have no trouble making add up.

God, I wished I had this much talent as a writer.

[Who dat?]

Welfare culture is bad not just because, as in Europe, it's bankrupting the state, but because it enfeebles the citizenry, it erodes self-reliance and resourcefulness.

Don’t worry – I remember Geraldo’s quote about the Vietnamese community in New Orleans. According to him they “were an island of tranquility in a sea of chaos” or somesuch.

LOL. It’s because they’re somewhat clannish, capable, distrust government, and are suspicious of the motivation of others that would “help” them. So they help themselves and each other. They’re intelligent, industrious, and will thrive (not survive – THRIVE) under conditions that will cause our fourth-generation welfare citizenry to wilt like pansies.

Vietnamese aren’t alone. Many, many other groups fit that description. Lots of Mexicans and other Latin Americans do – most Asians I’ve run across do – many northern/eastern Europeans do too, believe it or not (well, the ones I met were Polish and Romanian and appeared to be both somewhat fun-loving and slightly on the rough/tough side, even the females – well, especially the females).

Americans – particularly the “poor” ones have developed an attitude of expectation and entitlement that borders on obscene. No matter that they made absolutely NO preparations of any sort – “where’s my free ride and free food/water, clothes and medical care?” “I been standin’ here two days with my hand out and nobody gave me nuttin’ yet.” Good Lord, it could gag a maggot.

[Prime Choice]

The Big Easy rocked, but didn't roll

Its leadership rolled over. Everything left got stolen, raped, killed and/or waterlogged. End of story.

[Rocky]

Great read. Steyn puts his finger on one of the main problems - the dependence on government to solve all of a person's problems.

It appears to me that a lot of people think that life is supposed to be easy and fun, and if money doesn't drop into your hands from the sky, and you aren't having fun, it's someone else's fault.

[DumpsterDiver]

I guess the government will be hiring illegal aliens to clean up NO."

From your lips to Mexico's ears.

President Fox said his country shared the pain of the hurricane... he said the contributions of Mexican workers could be more important than ever. "The reconstruction of that city and of that region is going to require a lot of labor. And if there is anything Mexicans are good at, it is construction."

[ckilmer]

[God luvs America]

bump

[Colonel_Flagg]

The master at work.

There is no one better. People seem to like Ann Coulter because she's a red-meat columnist (who happens to have pretty nice legs) but nobody devastates the Left with more clarity, wit and style than Mark Steyn.

[Liberty Valance]

Mark Steyn bttt!!!!