How come a tsunami can hit a third world county and people do not kill eachother, they come together and unite.  They do not loot the local business and rape people.  So why is it that New Orleans gets hit by a hurricane and their levee system fails, floods the city and everyone in the town, including the police, loot, kill, hurt others and do NOT come together as a community until it is too late?
120298
Social and cultural differences.  In third world countires there is a larger sense of community ovver the way people in the US react.  In the US there is a "crab mentality" and the cliche of "keeping up with the Jones's".\n\nPeople in poor nations tend to stick closer together and be more dependendt on each other so when a disasters strieks you can see it.  In New Orleans the US lifestyle of independence comes out.
582792
Thank you very much for asking this question as it allows us to see the true natiure of the Christian believer. Look at these cold-hearted answers:\n\n"Most sat on their ass when they should have gotten out of there": here we have a person who has presumably never lived anywhere near a natural catastrophe blindly passing judgement on those who tragically lost their lives. The implication here is that nobody was caught or stranded and that, in a sense, they had it coming. This is human compassion.\n\n"God didn't send the hurricane; Satan did": here we have the classic argument: that which is good is the work of God, that which is bad is the work of the Devil. God, who the Bible repeatedly states can control the world however he wants, chose this time to sit back and allow the Devil to do his thing. Even more amazing, those who did survive were saved by God. Those who didn't, for reasons I guess we cannot know, thus weren't.\n\n"Not all of the people are dead, so obviously He helped them": again, here we have a God arbitrarily picking-and-choosing. One wonders if he just threw darts at a dartboard to decide who should perish, leaving their loved ones to mourn, and who should be saved. One might be reminded at this time that innocent babies were among the dead.\n\n"God gave them brains and feet to run with": again, apparently those who died were not using their God-given brains. I dearly truly hope that none of the people who have answered here are met with a natural catastrophe. I, for my part, would never dare to blame their demise on their own lack of thinking...\n\n"He was with those people but maybe they did something wrong": arrogance! Do you know anything of the minds of those people who died? How many of them had been good citizens, maybe even good Christians? How many of them were innocent babies with no way to protect themselves?\n\n"If one prays, God can easily divert or stop the hurricane": natural disasters are caused because people don't pray. or, alternately, God could have stopped the hurricane, but just decided not to because not enough people were praying... Divine justice and mercy...\n\n"Do you also blame the police for not stopping every crime?": well, or course not, for we can recognise that the police are fallible and not all-powerful. The analogy does not fit at all because the God that many of those people believed in is all-powerful... but sometimes chooses not to use that power.\n\n"God never strikes a place without warning its people first": this wins hands-down for most arrogant and crude response yet. The number of people who die tragically in natural disasters is all but incalculable. The suggestion here is that God is repeating his Sodom-and-Gomorrah trick countless times a year and people are just too deaf to hear. Additionally, the people who died in New Orleans were the ones who "embraced witchcraft and celebrated lewdness" - or perhaps this person believes that _all_ people in New Orleans were/are lewd witches. The tragedy of this lack of compassion is that it implies, somehow, that the writer's good luck never to have been hit by a natural disaster somehow makes him more righteous than other people.\n\nNote that all of the above is from a 'Christian' point of view... It's enough to make you cry.
443280
I also remember that a Dem mayor and a Dem governor had no time to help the citizens of New Orleans. They also had no policemen available to protect these citizens or to supply them with food or water.\nHowever the same Dem mayor and Dem governor had plenty of time and policemen to go out and confiscate the guns owned by law abiding citizens.\nAnd of course plenty of time to blame Bush for causing the Hurricane. Go figure.
673169
I lived in L.A. for twenty years - and I'd rather be in an earthquake.  Most of them don't do much damage, they're over quickly enough and aftershocks are rarely bigger than the original quake.  For the most part, people know what to do when the Earth starts to move, and there often aren't any fatalities or even injuries.\n\nYou might be able to get away from a hurricane because you have warning, but overall the damage is much more severe and all encompassing than an earthquake, and because you've left, you don't always know what's going on with your home.\n\nI'd take my chances with an earthquake, thanks.
477448
I must admit this has puzzled me greatly over the years. Seems we give and give when countries suffer natural or man-made disasters only to have them turn around and spit in our face. Doesn't seem right.  That's why I choose to only donate to the local rescue mission. It helps men and women who have made wrong choices in their lives get back on their feet. I don't mean to be insensitive to the terrible tragedies that befall the rest of the world, but maybe we should concentrate on helping in our own backyard more often.
383525
AS A VICTIM OF FEMA AND THE RED CROSS AS WELL AS KATRINA THE BEST THING THATS HAPPENED IS THE PRIVATE VOLUNTEER GROUPS!  HERE ON THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST THEY ARE DOING MIRACLES!  WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO!  BUT WITHOUT JUST THE DONATED HELP WE WOULD BE DEAD!\n\nFORGET ANY FORMAL HELP!  THE GOVERNMENT HELP IS REBUILDING THE ROADS AND BRIDGES AND INTRASTRUCTURE!  BUT PERSONAL HOMES ARE FROM VOLUNTEER HELP ALONE!\n\nON THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST RIGHT NOW THERE IS A YAHOO GROUP COORDINATING ALL THE DISTRIBUTION OF SUPPLIES, IT IS LISTED BELOW!\n\nTHEY NEED ANY HELP YOU CAN FURNISH CONTACT THEM!\n\n\nAPS\n\nKatrinaVolunteersHancockCounty@yahoogroups.com
164452
I agree with you, and I live in New Orleans. The chickens have finally come home to roost. Politicians have pushed their luck too far. Instead of doing the job right, they cut corners in the 1950's-the 1960's when the levees were built in order to fatten their own wallets, and now everyone who lives here is going to suffer for it.There will never be anyone prosecuted for this reprehensible act, because all those responsible are probably all dead by now.
301684
To be quite frank, I have no clue about half of the things. But let me contribute my tad bit of knowlage.\n\nMy family orginally came from New Orleans, but that was about 15 years ago. But nonetheless, we still have distant family members down there. When Katrina hit, some of them went up north to live with us (temporaroly). Every now and then we would get a call from some kind of insureance, and you wouldn't be on the phone with them for longer then 10 minuts. \nThey left to go back home (...January?), and I've only heard from then once, whitch was to tell us they arrived saftly. So I guess that means, everything is going fine.
524064
Well, it deteriorates because all order is lost and everyone starts killing each other. That question is so broad. Maybe, you can narrow it and it might be easier to answer.
42378
cyanne2ak: I'm glad to hear that destroying a city is a laughing matter to you\n\nThis city must be rebuilt\n\nAnd to clarify, New Orleans was not below sea level when it was first built in the 18th century - subsidence over the centuries caused most areas to sink below sea level.
132968
First, let me say that if you lived on the other side of the canal, you are NOT from New Orleans, you are in fact a Metairian from Jefferson Parish.\n\nSecond, the politics are so bad b/c of the political framework that has developed primarily since Huey P. Long which supports patronage and a welfare state.  These two components have been in place and supported by the electorate for so long, no one knows how to think differently.  This is obvious by the #2 vote winner in last week's mayoral election.\n\nTrue change cannot come overnight and will be very painful for those who most gain from the existing system.  This includes the politicians, their buddies in the businesses which are required to keep government going, the poor who depend on the state to help them by giving out money and equivalents, the list goes on . . .\n\nYou can fix it by doing two things: First, move into Orleans Parish.  If Orleans Parish does not succeed, your precious sheltered life in Metairie will quickly follow.  Second, get involved on city politics. You don't have to run for office,  but be informed and participate where you can.\n\nThe greater New Orleans area will recover but everyone has to make some sacrifice and also participate in the rebuilding of the arguably greatest city in the country.\n\nFollow Up: Point well taken!  I believe that the interconnectedness of the area still has its centerpoint in the economic health of Orleans Parish.  More power to you if you support Orleans with your actions, as you mentioned.  But,  your vote only counts if you live in the parish.  If you want to fix the politics, you must live in the parish so you can vote there.  Thanks for being someone who is committed to the rebuilding of the city, even if you won't live in it.
81100
I was in New Orleans the day before Hurricane Katrina hit. When we were evacuating the city we passed by very poor neighborhoods. Most of the people living in those neighborhoods were African American. They were sitting on the porches waving to us. I asked my boyfriend why they weren't leaving and he said they didn't have enough money for gas, food, hotel etc.. I don't think its the entire black race that feels this way about it. Just those in New Orleans who did not have enough money to evacuate.
164413
Tsunamis and hurricanes are some of the most devastating and ruinous natural diasters known to man, necxt to earthquakes.\nWe saw how strongly tsunamis can effect developing countries when the 2004 tsunami hit. not only did it kill many people, it also destroyed homes and left people hungry and shivering all over that area. Hurricanes also have a huge effect on such countries- there was a hurricane a few years ago that destroyed a small part of India, including a bridge that fell and took some lifes with it.\nAs for developed countries, tsunamis have a lttle less effect on them- the US has monitors all along it's shores to warn it against tsunamis, thus making the number of injured/ killed people during tsunamis drop. As for hurricanes, we all heard about Katrina, and how it destroyed a large part of the southern USA, including New Orleans.\nThese disasters also have a very big impact on a countries political, social and economics. After a natural diaster strikes, the political part of a country is sometimes shattered, because everyone blames the president or prime minister for not warning people in time. Also, the government has to drop everything and start helping people in the country, and also find a way to stop future disasters. as for an impact ona countrie's social standards, we saw how the US came to the help of the people who were injured or left homeless after the tsunami, and this helps a country find out who are its friends, and who's not.  As for economic, the repairs for the country  cost a fortune, so that not all countries can afford to fix everything. also, after katrina hit, the oil prices soared up, something that affects countries all over the world.\nIn conclusion, we see that these natural disasters are still very hard to control, even for a very developed country like the Usa, and the results are always devastating.
179336
People need to be aware that everything we throw on the ground goes to the sewer that goes to the ocean.  I live near where the sewers empty into the ocean and its gross;  after it rains there is so much trash.  I thought people who littered were pigs before I saw that,  your neighbors children are being badly brought up.
228768
There is no assurance that New Orleans will be hit by another hurricane, just as there is no assurance they won't be.  While I'm not a psychic, from previous years and studies of hurricanes, it's very unlikely that another hurricane will hit them this year and even more unlikely that a large hurricane will hit.\n\nMany younger adults, mostly people in their twenties, are taking advantage of the large amount of homes available for sale.  While the homes need much repair, a recent college graduate who was looking at a small house in another large city can afford to buy a big house in New Orleans and then renovate it for the same price.  While home insurance is expensive in the city, the price of the home, repair, and insurance still doesn't meet what you'd pay somewhere like California.\n\nThere's also the fact that many people don't have a choice to live somewhere else.  While many people have moved out of the city, most of the people that were displaced by the storm are extremely poor.  They didn't own their homes, many didn't have insurance, and Fema has drastically cut the amount of aid they are giving to people.  However, many of the cities they have been living with are also cutting off aid and so they are forced to return to their broken homes, the only thing they own, and attempt to rebuild (they certainly can't sell their homes in the state in which they are in). \n\nFinally, New Orleans is still a major shipping and oil port and people are needed to work the jobs to get things on and off ships.  My mother's oil company has actually offered large amounts of money and incentives to get people from her KY office to move down there and work.  Hope this helps explain things.
292022
My brother lives in Houston, too, and has been complaining about alot of the relocated people from New Orleans not trying to improve their situations on their own by accepting job offers or offers to assist in job placement.  He is not someone who is heartless, either, and he was one of the first people along with his fraternity who gathered food, clothing, and diapers in the immediate aftermath of Katrina.  He tells me of stories of people just panhandling and creating undue ruckus around his community.\nBut, let's be fair.  Some of these people have little or no education and have lived in constant poverty for much of their lives, so there is no quick fix solution for something that has persisted unnoticed by the non-impoverished for so long.  Our country is so interested in fixing every other countries problems, but they neglect to fully realize that our country has needed fixing of the major kind for decades.  Our country is more interested in economic growth than the plight of its own struggling, starving, homeless, jobless, and working poor.  I have a Master's degree, was a teacher, No Child Left Behind came along, and guess what, teachers got displaced, students got lumped together, and even more children are being left behind by a system that sees dollars instead of the human condition.
279016
Perhaps the reason you’re having such a hard time getting an answer is because there is no logic to the looting.  One reason might be because the Palestinians feel the agreement is temporary and eventually Israel will take the area back.  Another is that Palestinians might see the greenhouses an Israeli institution.\n\nMore than likely the looting was due to uncontrolled mobs just like occurs after a team wins the Super Bowl or a national championship.  It happened when the Bull’s won in 1992 and that same year in Los Angeles. The police prepared for same types of riots and looting in Boston in 2004 when the Red Sox won the World Series, but it didn’t happen.\n\nDuring Texas/OU weekend here in Dallas, there are hundreds of police lining the streets prepared to stop any riots and looting.\n\nThe big problem in Palestine was there wasn’t enough security to control the unruly mobs. \n\nUnruly jubilant mobs often riot and loot, here and in other countries like in the European soccer riots.  The reasoning behind this is because people, caught up in the moment, lose control of themselves.  Similar to a shark feeding frenzy, one person does something, then another and before everything is over, masses of people are doing things they wouldn’t normally do.  There is no good logic to it, it just happens.\n\nBelow is a link to a story explaining why riots and looting take place, but I still don’t see the logic to destroying something which is so important to their independence.\n\nSorry I couldn't do better.