Outrage will come later, slightly subdued, as we learn of neglect and other failures that enhanced this tragedy. For now, I think the much of the American populus is focused on how to help. The scope of the disaster is still difficult to fathom, and finger pointing will not help the neediest.

Certainly all aspects of the situation are staggering. The scope of the disaster, the breakdown of civilized society, the sluggish response are all failures. In time, we will have opportunity to dwell on these, but now energy is better spent alievating distress, and rebuilding the Gulf Coast. Outrage is not what is needed. Empathy and assistance is the order of the day.

“Outrage” is too pale a term.

And there’s a mid-term election next year.

I’m hoping the situation isn’t quite as dire as it’s made out to be – otherwise it would mean the area (and those left behind) had been essentially written off as acceptable losses in order to facilitate the evacuation of the rest of the city – the ones that had the means to get themselves out of town.

Darwinian politics at its best…

What makes me feel sorry really is that there seems to be no warm solidarity beween the rest of USA and there fellows in the south. Otherwise one might have heard some stronger signals. For people of Europe it seems as if people living in New Orleans were not seen as equally “valuable” humans and fellows as e.g. Army Troops in the Gulf.

The problem is also, that a nation like the US has made clear in the last years under Bush that they do not want to cooperate with people from abroad (except perhaps china). This makes it not that easy for other nations to help now, because on the one side the US has to say “Sorry about our behaviour of the past, but now we need your help!” and the other countries have to say “Well, yeah nice you are sorry, no problem for us, we will help you if you let us help”.

In respect to communications the US is having many dissence between its own country and other countries of this planet, this makes it problematic for others to help. You won’t help someone who is recognized as an arrogant and unfriendly person at least it would not be easy even with god at your side.

Perhaps god has send a sign to several nations sending this kind of disaster.

No politics are clearly not irrelevant they are the hugest hurdle in the way! The politics of a nation should be what the majority of the nation agrees on (especially in respect to communication, humanity and freedom) and this special form of politics is called a democracy.

Sorry I cannot agree on your point that politics are irrelevant! If they are irrelevant in such an important situation then please tell me when is the time politics are relevant?

Also, I think that politics are largely irrelevant in the case of these types of disasters. Politics are nothing more than artificial constructs for imposing order on (and occasionally by and/or for) a population. When that goes out the window, as in the case of NOLA, the politics are irrelevant. It doesn’t matter if the White House was full of peaceniks or war-mongerers, since this event transcends any kind of partisan politics.