Resident Scholars of the A.P.I.
Those left behind - Fallujah and New Orleans
They were ordered to leave but didn't. They chose to stay so they got what they deserved for not listening. They were warned. It's their own fault that they burned to death; it's their own fault that they drowned.
It is ironic that two such completely different cities, so far apart on the globe, have been forced by the Government of the United States to become "sister cities" of misery and death.
Pentagon spokesmen have claimed that the civilians of Fallujah were warned to leave before being attacked by US Marines and implied that those who remained behind were either "insurgents" or "insurgent sympathizers". How was it possible to know that each of those thousands of civilians were insurgents or sympathizers? Are the children of an insurgent considered insurgents, too? Is that how the US military justifies their "collateral damage deaths"? The citizens of Fallujah are Sunnis who have not accepted the American occupation, and maybe the military attack on these citizens had something to do with payback for the deaths of four Blackwater mercenaries (alias "civilian contractors").
The military claims that 40,000 citizens of Fallujah did not evacuate to avoid the impending American Armageddon. This country, currently eager to legislate "choice" of any kind out of it's system of legal rights, demonstrated in Fallujah for all the world to see, it's ethnocentric ignorance, and it's raging indifference to human suffering. Did the military command really think the women and children in Iraq, a paternalistic society, were able to "choose" to leave Fallujah if the man of the house said no? Many of those who stayed behind did not have the freedom to choose to leave and as a result suffered horrible, unimaginably painful deaths. White Phosphorous burns through the layers of tissue until there is nothing left to burn. Their deaths were slow.
How many others did not have the economic freedom to leave Fallujah, a means of transportation, money, or a place to flee to? It has also been reported that some of Fallujah's citizens were shot to death by US forces as they tried to leave the city.
Let's take a time machine jump ahead from Operation Phantom Fury in Fallujah in November of 2004 to New Orleans on August 29th, 2005. Hurricane Katrina was heading toward "The Big Easy". The people were warned to leave but beyond that they were left to fend for themselves. A racist America, indifferent to poverty, left thousands of citizens in harms way. Many had no money for gas, many didn't even have cars! Many others had nowhere to go and lacked the funds necessary to pay for a hotel. Many were poor, sick, disabled, elderly, or extremely young. It didn't matter, they were all left behind.
Those who did survive were further abandoned by their government. They went days without water, food, and medical care. Once again, the American government excused itself by blaming the people for the harm that came to them. There seems to be a pattern to this behavior.
The suffering is not yet over for Gulf Storm victims as 53,000 families face eviction from their temporary homes right after Thanksgiving. Merry Christmas from the Bush Administration!
Another ironic twist.........Had our tax dollars not been wasted on the illegal and unncessary war against Iraq and it's teriffically expensive missions like Phantom Fury, perhaps there would be enough money to help the victims of all of the recent hurricanes and tornados then, now, and in the future. Americans are not only being left behind by the Bush Administration's dreams of Empire, they are savaged by it's arrogance, and total incompetence at governing.
Fallujah and New Olean's, fire and water, sister cities in suffering.
........Kitchen Window Woman...............
It is ironic that two such completely different cities, so far apart on the globe, have been forced by the Government of the United States to become "sister cities" of misery and death.
Pentagon spokesmen have claimed that the civilians of Fallujah were warned to leave before being attacked by US Marines and implied that those who remained behind were either "insurgents" or "insurgent sympathizers". How was it possible to know that each of those thousands of civilians were insurgents or sympathizers? Are the children of an insurgent considered insurgents, too? Is that how the US military justifies their "collateral damage deaths"? The citizens of Fallujah are Sunnis who have not accepted the American occupation, and maybe the military attack on these citizens had something to do with payback for the deaths of four Blackwater mercenaries (alias "civilian contractors").
The military claims that 40,000 citizens of Fallujah did not evacuate to avoid the impending American Armageddon. This country, currently eager to legislate "choice" of any kind out of it's system of legal rights, demonstrated in Fallujah for all the world to see, it's ethnocentric ignorance, and it's raging indifference to human suffering. Did the military command really think the women and children in Iraq, a paternalistic society, were able to "choose" to leave Fallujah if the man of the house said no? Many of those who stayed behind did not have the freedom to choose to leave and as a result suffered horrible, unimaginably painful deaths. White Phosphorous burns through the layers of tissue until there is nothing left to burn. Their deaths were slow.
How many others did not have the economic freedom to leave Fallujah, a means of transportation, money, or a place to flee to? It has also been reported that some of Fallujah's citizens were shot to death by US forces as they tried to leave the city.
Let's take a time machine jump ahead from Operation Phantom Fury in Fallujah in November of 2004 to New Orleans on August 29th, 2005. Hurricane Katrina was heading toward "The Big Easy". The people were warned to leave but beyond that they were left to fend for themselves. A racist America, indifferent to poverty, left thousands of citizens in harms way. Many had no money for gas, many didn't even have cars! Many others had nowhere to go and lacked the funds necessary to pay for a hotel. Many were poor, sick, disabled, elderly, or extremely young. It didn't matter, they were all left behind.
Those who did survive were further abandoned by their government. They went days without water, food, and medical care. Once again, the American government excused itself by blaming the people for the harm that came to them. There seems to be a pattern to this behavior.
The suffering is not yet over for Gulf Storm victims as 53,000 families face eviction from their temporary homes right after Thanksgiving. Merry Christmas from the Bush Administration!
Another ironic twist.........Had our tax dollars not been wasted on the illegal and unncessary war against Iraq and it's teriffically expensive missions like Phantom Fury, perhaps there would be enough money to help the victims of all of the recent hurricanes and tornados then, now, and in the future. Americans are not only being left behind by the Bush Administration's dreams of Empire, they are savaged by it's arrogance, and total incompetence at governing.
Fallujah and New Olean's, fire and water, sister cities in suffering.
........Kitchen Window Woman...............
posted by Kitchen Window Woman at 12:00 PM
4 Comments:
But Crooked Lip is profiting handsomely from both disasters, which was sort of the point all along in Iraq.
These guys know how to profit from misery-they have turned it into a fine art.
Just so you know...Here in Houston, those people from New Orleans will not have to leave until March 1st. I still think that most of those people in temporary housing should be able to find something of their own.
There are many who are very appreciative for the help they are getting BUT there are others who are trying to get as much money as possible. My husband made a key for a lady last Saturday who was talking to a friend, on her cell phone, about trying to "double dip" the government for money.
We learned many lessons from Hurrican Katrina and from Rita.. We were in the path of Rita and we took precautions to get out of danger. We took two ladies, who needed transportation, with us. We cannot rely on the Government for everything, we need to do things for ourselves and help others along the way.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving...
JOLLYROGER...Lots of money is being made or should I say "pocketed" by Cheney's favorite corporations. Corporate welfare....the rich taking money meant to help people.
And then there are the tremendous profits made from America's top industries...the manufacture of weaponry and all things to do with war. We export war all over the world. Weapons are one of the only products that carry the "made in America" label. They got to use many of our worst weapons in Fallujah and then they bill us taxpayers!
LUCY STERN...I'm glad to hear that they will not face the streets until March. I think that publicity shamed this compassionate move into existance. I just hope that there are real jobs that pay a living wage available for Katrina's victims. Many were taken to cities where apartments rent for 1,000.00$ per month and that's the low rent! There are so many HUGE layoffs going on at this time. More jobs for China!
We had to evacuate also, during the Oct. 2003 fires.
We had a few double dippers here after the Cedar Fire. They were not in need. When I was handing out relief supplies there was one well off family who kept showing up and taking whatever they could get their hands on. Their house, like ours did not burn.They did not volunteer to help others. And the wealthiest man in the area (a realator) demanded that he be given the free electircal pole, line, and installation that had been set aside for those on fixed income or who did not have insurance. He also demanded that he should be first on the list to receive the free power hook up (done by volunteers).
Double Dipping is often misused as sort of an urban myth against those who are poor. Yes, some do dip as your husband overheard but it is rare. I was a welfare mom years ago and was accused of that by someone who was sure I was abusing their tax dollars! I could barely put food on the table,(we often went hungry at the end of the month) and pay for rent, utilities, and child care with a combination of income from a minimum wage job and welfare. When you are poor you are begrudged anything and everything that might improve your life lives...even food.
There are no bigger "Dippers" then America's corporations like Enron, Halliburton, Kellog, Root and Brown and others who have bought and paid for politicians and gotton themselves some obscene taxbreaks. Bush's Pals in the top 1% of this country are BIG DIPPERS.
As far as I'm concerned a country that does not take care of it's own people is a failure. The only reason to have a government is to make live more livable for the people!
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