Iowa vs. New Orleans

[SW85]

Anyone else notice that residents of the areas of Iowa that have been getting flooded for something like two weeks now are noticeably not rioting, looting, raping, killing, squandering FEMA money, or complaining that the President is trying to kill them or that a government conspiracy is responsible for the collapse of their levees?

Instead they just clench their teeth and try to save as much of their homes as they can. There's a lesson in there about the entitlement mentality of the inner city (and the kind of behaviors it encourages), versus the countryside's unblinking self-reliance and perserverance in the face of adversity.

 

[Andy]

The people who live in rural areas believe in themselves and trust in God for their future. They may ask for help, but ultimately the know that they must pick up for themselves and those around them and move forward. In short, they are adults.


The people of the inner city believe they are helpless to the world. That they can't move forward because Big(whatever) is holding them down, so it pointless to even try. They believe they can't make it no matter what effort they put in, because the police are racists, the jobs are owned by evil white men, and only the government can save them. That situation they are in, and the problems they have, and the surroundings of their life, have no connection to the choices they make. In short... they are babies.

 

[Federal Farmer]

I could address this, from the standpoint of someone who lived down there most of his younger life, but I can't seem to put it into words that don't sound downright racist, and that's not what it is at all, so I guess I'll just have to think about it some more.

 

[Pandora]

The people who live in rural areas believe in themselves and trust in God for their future. They may ask for help, but ultimately the know that they must pick up for themselves and those around them and move forward. In short, they are adults.


The people of the inner city believe they are helpless to the world. That they can't move forward because Big(whatever) is holding them down, so it pointless to even try. They believe they can't make it no matter what effort they put in, because the police are racists, the jobs are owned by evil white men, and only the government can save them. That situation they are in, and the problems they have, and the surroundings of their life, have no connection to the choices they make. In short... they are babies.

Well Said!@

 

[pocketfullofshells]

Anyone else notice that residents of the areas of Iowa that have been getting flooded for something like two weeks now are noticeably not rioting, looting, raping, killing, squandering FEMA money, or complaining that the President is trying to kill them or that a government conspiracy is responsible for the collapse of their levees?

Instead they just clench their teeth and try to save as much of their homes as they can. There's a lesson in there about the entitlement mentality of the inner city (and the kind of behaviors it encourages), versus the countryside's unblinking self-reliance and perserverance in the face of adversity.

you ever been to Iowa? Where the hell would you Riot? burn down the next Corn Feild? Also you notice , the Feds actuly where there helping right way? Did you notice the much better reaction time? Did you notice it happened slow and over time not one crushing destruction of the City? Did you notice how Iowa and New Orleans are no even close to the same in any way outside of water?

 

[pocketfullofshells]

The people who live in rural areas believe in themselves and trust in God for their future. They may ask for help, but ultimately the know that they must pick up for themselves and those around them and move forward. In short, they are adults.


The people of the inner city believe they are helpless to the world. That they can't move forward because Big(whatever) is holding them down, so it pointless to even try. They believe they can't make it no matter what effort they put in, because the police are racists, the jobs are owned by evil white men, and only the government can save them. That situation they are in, and the problems they have, and the surroundings of their life, have no connection to the choices they make. In short... they are babies.

really? Funny because I recall it the Fed down there helping them, not god. . But wait no , Maybe god was Punishing them for being wicked or some bull.
You know that 2 Billion in federal Emergancy funds may have helped a bit as well. Or that 90% of the state is filled with nothing.

 

[SW85]

you ever been to Iowa? Where the hell would you Riot? burn down the next Corn Feild? Also you notice , the Feds actuly where there helping right way? Did you notice the much better reaction time? Did you notice it happened slow and over time not one crushing destruction of the City? Did you notice how Iowa and New Orleans are no even close to the same in any way outside of water?

So the absence of a nice strip mall and a few hundred FEMA bureaucrats are the only things standing between Iowans and blood in the streets, huh?

 

[Wiffle]

You might consider population density. According to Wikipedia, Iowa has a population density of 52.4 people/sq. mi. New Orleans as of 2000 had 2,684.3 people/sq. mi.

Also consider the scale of the disaster. The devastation after Katrina was much worse.

Also consider that in historical instances of police strikes, no matter where they occur, rioting and looting break out.

Human nature is generally the same given the same conditions. There's no need to leap to racist assumptions about inherent differences between two population groups.

 

[Popeye]

Bush and FEMA were slow to react during the Katrina disaster, of that there can be no dispute. New Orleans was, at the time of the hurricane, almost 70% black. Gee, I wonder if that had anything to do with the Bush Administration's apparent total disregard for the city? You think?

Bush not only wasn't worrying about Katrina and staying on top of the situation like a real leader but he, on the very day Katrina hit, was busy partying with our newest irresponsible GOP candidate for president.. John McCain.

 

[poptart]

Sorry, but I think Andy got it. Not all of New Orleans residents are still in FEMA housing, at least till now. There were many people there who had insurance and the where withall to pull themselves up by there boot straps. It was mostly sec 8 types from the 9th ward. They were the one's who waited for gov rescue. There the one's still in the FEMA trailers.
They have lived on the governments dole all there life, and have no other way of looking at things. And there are plenty of poor blacks in La And Miss, that are now back in new homes. But they had the knowledge that THEY had to rebuild there lives, and did.

I just saw where FEMA was closing the final trailer park for Katrina victims. They were all up in arms, where are they going to go, what are they now to do. You had 3 years to get your life in order, and you did nothing but collect FEMA checks. Guess some people are hopeless.

 

[pocketfullofshells]

So the absence of a nice strip mall and a few hundred FEMA bureaucrats are the only things standing between Iowans and blood in the streets, huh?

If you cant see the difference from a major City , and a scattering of small towns and farmland, then I don't know what to tell you.

1,577 people Died in Katrina, and you think some flooding in Iowa Compares. Sad

 

[pocketfullofshells]

Sorry, but I think Andy got it. Not all of New Orleans residents are still in FEMA housing, at least till now. There were many people there who had insurance and the where withall to pull themselves up by there boot straps. It was mostly sec 8 types from the 9th ward. They were the one's who waited for gov rescue. There the one's still in the FEMA trailers.
They have lived on the governments dole all there life, and have no other way of looking at things. And there are plenty of poor blacks in La And Miss, that are now back in new homes. But they had the knowledge that THEY had to rebuild there lives, and did.

I just saw where FEMA was closing the final trailer park for Katrina victims. They were all up in arms, where are they going to go, what are they now to do. You had 3 years to get your life in order, and you did nothing but collect FEMA checks. Guess some people are hopeless.

And the people of Iowa will go back to there homes....becuse unlike after Katrina they are still there, and in the next few months will be repaired or Rebuild. In New Orleans there are still huge parts that look just like they did before, with no repairs nothing done yet.

 

[pocketfullofshells]

Bush and FEMA were slow to react during the Katrina disaster, of that there can be no dispute. New Orleans was, at the time of the hurricane, almost 70% black. Gee, I wonder if that had anything to do with the Bush Administration's apparent total disregard for the city? You think?

Bush not only wasn't worrying about Katrina and staying on top of the situation like a real leader but he, on the very day Katrina hit, was busy partying with our newest irresponsible GOP candidate for president.. John McCain.

Pulling the Race Card on Bush realy does not help anyone , if anything just hurts our side. I Firmly belive that Bush would have sucked and failed just as bad if it was White People, its just his nature to Screw up.

And McCain? he is the Rep for AZ, and had no reason to have to run to New Orleans or anything. Lame attempt to try to tie McCain to a Bush Screw up that he had nothing to do with.

 

[BigRob]

A thing that gets overlooked about Katrina is that all states and cities are required to have a 72 hour plan to deal with disasters of this scale, since the federal government simply cannot do anything quickly.

Blame Bush all you want, but the local government is what really failed in Katrina. Further, no one knew that the levees were going to break, I remember that night Katrina hit Tom Brokaw standing in the French Quater saying we "missed the bullet".