[z3n]

Once again Powell fails to stand up for Republicans and promulgates the same mantra as Jesse Jackson: it's not the lack of personal responsibility, it's not the communities' values that rendered it unable to come together in crisis, but economics that determined the outcome. No, there is a HUGE difference between the message that Powell is trying to deliver and the ones of Jackson and Sharpton. Powell is clearly (and rightly) stating that it is a statistical fact (and unfortunate one) that blacks are affected more by Katrina because more blacks are in poverty. He is in fact saying that there is no conspiracy against African Americans, which is the implication (or worse, blanket statement) that many black leaders are making. Powell does not have to tow the republican line just to make you happy. It's not ALWAYS about politics.

[rave123]

I agree. His statement is also probably much like the presidents. I think he was correct in his assessment. Poverty and dependence killed those people not their race. Since they were so dependent on the system they expected help from the system in a time of crisis. The mayor and governor knew how poor the people were and did not try to help them in the last 48-72 hours of their life.

[ExitPurgamentum]

Powell is clearly (and rightly) stating that it is a statistical fact (and unfortunate one) that blacks are affected more by Katrina because more blacks are in poverty.

Forgive me, my friend, but you are totally misusing statistics: blacks were affected by Katrina because the population of New Orleans is primarily black.

And, by the way, that population declined by 25% ever the last 25 years.

Beyond statistics, I may suggest to you that they were particularly adversely affected by the low standards to which that community ascribes: high tolerance to crime and corruption (the second is as much shared by the whites). When the Mississippi flooded Midwest a few years ago, nobody was looting, and nobody was shooting at helicopters --- which very much delayed the rescue. Practically nobody among black leaders points that out: certainly not Jesse Jackson and, apparently, not Collin Powell.

Someone, hopefully black so that no charges of racism are raised, must point that out: the hardships and loss of life were greater because the community tolerates crime in its midst --- even at the level of animal-like behavior, whereby a 7-year-old girl --- a BLACK girl --- is raped at teh Astrodom. Poverty, you say? In most other communities the perp would be beaten to a pulp.

Powell does not have to tow the republican line just to make you happy. It's not ALWAYS about politics.

I completely agree with you. And, incidentally, if he merely towed the Republican line, I would respect him less -- as well as any other politician. I hoped, however, that he would rise above Marxism: it is essentially a Marxist idea that people' values are determined by their economic status.

What poverty are we talking about? Did you see dozens, if not hundreds, of buses that were available but unused? Why were they not used by BLACK leadership of NO? What did these people lack to get out? Nothing.

WHat they did lack was leadership, which they themselves elected. And, we all elect leaders according to our own values. New Orleans got the leadership it wanted.

[litehaus]

"that blacks are affected more by Katrina because more blacks are in poverty."

DAMN!!! I NEVER hear that crap re a tornado in Kansas or Missouri--Oklahoma......Wada we do, move blacks up there for equal opportunity?....Will these axxhxxxx ever get real?