Thursday, September 21, 2006

Larry Epke, LEpke@thecha.org

It’s difficult to know how to respond to the many personal stories about New Orleans that fill Challenger #23. I find myself filled with a whole range of the Kubler-Ross stages of response to tragedy: Anger, Depression, Acceptance. (I never felt Denial; I’ll leave that for the Bush Administration, since it was their only response.)

To Dennis Dolbear’s “Survivor” my reaction was Shock and Awe. It’s like a bad Made-for-TV movie, but Real. I do hope you’ll be able to update us on Dennis’ post-Katrina recovery – naturally all of your readers will want to know. (And I don’t want this missive to neglect to give my “requiescat in pace” to John Guidry’s mother, Anne Winston’s grandmother and Cindy Snowden.)

New Orleans won’t be the same, of course – it can’t be after what has happened. Entrenched powers now seem to be willing to leave the poorest people to fend for themselves, while corporations gain reconstruction funds. Some parts of the city will rise, but the poorest part of an already poor city may stagnate for decades before any improvement – benign neglect in action.

Even as I write this (late March 2006) the Bush Administration is claiming the 11,000 unused trailers in Arkansas are the result of bureaucracy, but won’t admit that they’ve been running that bureaucracy for the past five years, and it’s overlords are the people Boy George insists are doing “a great job.” Their ideology is that government can’t do anything, and they intend to prove it! Public monies, as they see it, exist to be given to donor corporations that may or may not do the job they’ve been contracted to do. It is a true kleptocracy – government of thieves.

I don’t blame the hurricane on the Administration, and I don’t blame the destruction of the levees on the Administration – but when given a chance to act to help thousands of Americans in need, the Administration found themselves too busy with other things. They could do nothing because they don’t believe in expertise. If you think only YOU have the answers, then those who don’t agree can’t be right. They routinely disparage other views, and then fail miserably – all the time insisting that things are going fine!

For those with an interest in views of NOLa after the horrors, I’d recommend the blogs posted at http://afterthelevees.tpmcafe.com/

There was indeed more in Issue 23 – I was interested in Alexis Gilliland’s article on Iraq. He’s convinced Bush will pull out when the generals tell him to, but I’m dubious. He’s not shown much connection to reality in the past five years, and there’s always a sycophant on hand to assure him he’s right (which assurance he doesn’t need anyway). He may destroy the Army to save his skin. (Right now in Doonesbury, the Army is getting the new slogan, “Remember the November Elections!” Seems about right.)

Re: Don Markstein’s reference to: “…semi-literate Yankees.” In Ohio, my Maine family are “Yankees.” In Louisiana, Ohioans are “Yankees.” In England, Don would be a “Yankee.” The meaning of the term varies by the speaker’s location. (Of course, my family, Don and I all far surpass the “semi-literate” state.)

You lived in the Easy for many years – and have been much missed since you left. Be no more a stranger!

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