This Slate guy thinks he's so reasonable, but he reeks of racial condescension, has no understanding of the value of "place" and offers no logistics for how New Orleans residents will be absorbed into other communities or what we should do with the hunk of real estate if it's not rebuilt.

This is the sort of so-called reasoned demeanor the country's been moving toward the past few years. I think it's just dicks rationalizing their dickness.

Article: http://www.slate.com/?id=2125810&nav=tap1/

I found this line pretty f-d up..."and it's a black place,"..


What's that mean...they have no street lights...

More like out-and-out racism.

I've never heard the term "TOXIC TANG" used to described flood waters before. I guess it's got one of those double meanings. Hmmmm.

pretty hard hitting, but not racist. he presents many facts.

i don't agree with not rebuilding though. that's ridiculous.

Yeah, it's technically dumb to rebuild New Orleans from a safety/cost vantage point. From a cultural one though, the city needs to be rebuilt. It's far more important in its slice of American identity than just a "bowl fulla darky" as this esteemed essayist implies.

And what about all the other Gulf Coast communities? Should everyone just move to Houston and Atlanta from the whole region?
Yeah, that'll work, sure.

I think if everyone stands around in a circle singing "Jesus Gonna Build Me A Home" real loud everything will work out.

"bowl fulla darky"

I just shot a raisin from this morning Raisin Bran out my nose.

Thanks for posting that. While I agree with you regarding the tone of his article, some points are ultimate issues that will have to be figured. For example, many of the homes destroyed were uninsured. Those people will either rebuild(with little no means, and under a heavier/expensive bldg. code), move on, or expect some federal housing in NOLA or elsewhere. I would not think it to be wise for the Fed Govt to rebuild projects in an unsafe area. So those with total loss, i doubt will be able to relocate.

As far as logistics for other communities absorbing the evacuees, South Florida had a similar situation during the Mariel boatlifts, and subsequent refugees in the 80's. These were Cuban refugees relocated to NY, NJ, LA, DC, Chi, etc. all to ease the pressure on South Florida's local govt. Not speaking English would make this absorption all the more difficult to assimilate. It seemed to work out well.

I think other cities could find the means to absorb the evacuees, in fact, it may be a boon over time. It was for South Florida.

Again, this writer guy comes off as justifying Hastert's comments at a point that is just way too early to assess. And his little addendum apology to the artists was just crass snot nosed prepubescence, which summed up the tone of the article for me.

Let's try another tack.

Historian discusses New Orleans's situation and her site.

Here's another point of view...

http://tiadaily.com/php-bin/news/showAr ... hp?id=1026

Oh - and it's pieces by the likes of Msr J- Shafer that make LooGAR's "Black Atlantis" lines funny.

People actually think like that?

Yes. They do.

And if Shafer could somehow facilitate a transfer of SoLA sovereignty to their comrades-at-arms in Haiti, he would.

What a bitch.

Cities don't just appear willy-nilly. New Orleans is in a very advantageous location, and Thomas Jefferson took the whole chunk of land because of it.

Even though writers like this dude make me ill, I've been unimpressed with the public leadership abilities of Lousiana's governor and that of New Orlean's mayor and chief of police.

The mayor and chief seem like mall security guards and the governor like a school board treasurer or something.

Maybe behind the scenes they're more effective.