More on Katrina
According to a White House economic adviser, the economic impact of Katrina is likely to be limited, thankfully. Massive outbreaks of disease likewise are considered unlikely.
But right now, the human toll and the sense of loss is staggering. The lawless looters, preying upon a victimized city, should be ashamed. And if one of them -- just one of them -- were shot by authorities, and then that was reported by the media that's been so quick to provide details of the lawlessness, perhaps some of this shameless behavior would cease.
As dispiriting as the lawbreaking is, don't forget about the many individual tales of generosity and friendship in ways great and small.
But right now, the human toll and the sense of loss is staggering. The lawless looters, preying upon a victimized city, should be ashamed. And if one of them -- just one of them -- were shot by authorities, and then that was reported by the media that's been so quick to provide details of the lawlessness, perhaps some of this shameless behavior would cease.
As dispiriting as the lawbreaking is, don't forget about the many individual tales of generosity and friendship in ways great and small.
posted by LadybugUSA at 10:06 AM
4 Comments:
Carol -
This so-called "advisor" is completely disconnected from reality. The economic impact of Katrina will hit our national economy hard. Hundreds of thousands of people are now homeless and jobless. Hundreds of thousands of businesses destroyed. There is more to our economy than just "oil and gas" and "construction".
Before you start pointing fingers at desperate folks left with nothing looting stores, the looting of taxpayer funds from KBR/Halliburton, Enron, Global Crossing, et al. is more aggregious and shameful.
The pictures of "desperate folks" (which law enforcement calls "looters") I saw had armloads of clothes and Nike shoes. All were fully clothed. How do we know they all "lost everything?"
Since corporate heads (a la Enron, Global Crossing) caught "looting" are now being prosecuted and imprisoned, the looters should receive the same treatment. KBR/Halliburton repaid overcharges and was heavily fined.
I don't recall Carol flacking for KBR/Halliburton, Enron or Global Crossing. It seems to be others condoning lawbreaking, not this blog.
Disease is still a growing problem. Your sources should take off their rose colored glasses.
The federal government declared a public health emergency for the Gulf Coast region, promising 40 medical centers with up to 10,000 beds and thousands of doctors and nurses for the hurricane-ravaged area.
...Mosquito-borne diseases may start to emerge within days. West Nile virus and dengue fever are both potential risks following a situation like the one in coastal Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050901/ap_on_re_us/katrina_health_emergency
and how are we as a society going to deal with the post traumatic disorders that will surely surface down the road.
Mental health is important to treat, too.
From gas stations to grocery stores, farms to factories, the force of Hurricane Katrina is rippling through the economy, confronting consumers and businesses with higher prices and logistical dilemmas, even thousands of miles from the Gulf Coast.
Unlike most natural disasters, Katrina is that rare economic event -- sweeping and devastating enough to damage commerce well beyond its region, affecting the price, supply and markets for goods critical to business and counted on in daily life.
The problems start with energy and they are potentially enormous. The virtual shutdown of a region that is a nexus for oil production, refining and importation poses the most serious economic risks. It is already punishing consumers at the gasoline pump, and causing long-term worries for businesses including financially shaky airlines, trucking companies and steel producers.
But the cost of Katrina may soon be felt in myriad other ways.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/050901/katrina_economy_hk3.html?.v=2
Post a Comment
<< Home