Spoiled America...

[MoreThanConquerors]

In New Orleans we have death, looting, fighting, gunshots, hunger, thirst, sickness, homelessness, newly made orphans and reports of rape.

And the only thing people around me talk about is that it costs them $60 to fill up their fully loaded SUV.

[Ready2beraptured]

Re: Spoiled America...

$60? That's cheap. It was costing my cousin 2 weeks ago $70. It's got to be close to $100 for him by now. But you're right, people still take things for granted.

[Andy]

Re: Spoiled America...

Fox News Ticker Tape:

"Boeing machinist vote to strike...Union members overwhelmingly reject a 3-yr contract proposal. ..."

Yes, SELFISH, SELF-CENTERED, MONEY-HUNGRY Americans...all they can think of is "Look out for NUMBER 1."

[MoreThanConquerors]

Re: Spoiled America...

check out this article... I highlighted the bold comments...

World stunned as US struggles with Katrina
Sep 02 10:08 AM US/Eastern


By Andrew Gray

LONDON (Reuters) - The world has watched amazed as the planet's only superpower struggles with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, with some saying the chaos has exposed flaws and deep divisions in American society.

World leaders and ordinary citizens have expressed sympathy with the people of the southern United States whose lives were devastated by the hurricane and the flooding that followed.

But many have also been shocked by the images of disorder beamed around the world -- looters roaming the debris-strewn streets and thousands of people gathered in New Orleans waiting for the authorities to provide food, water and other aid.

"Anarchy in the USA" declared Britain's best-selling newspaper The Sun.

"Apocalypse Now" headlined Germany's Handelsblatt daily.

The pictures of the catastrophe -- which has killed hundreds and possibly thousands -- have evoked memories of crises in the world's poorest nations such as last year's tsunami in Asia, which left more than 230,000 people dead or missing.

But some view the response to those disasters more favorably than the lawless aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

"I am absolutely disgusted. After the tsunami our people, even the ones who lost everything, wanted to help the others who were suffering," said Sajeewa Chinthaka, 36, as he watched a cricket match in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

"Not a single tourist caught in the tsunami was mugged. Now with all this happening in the U.S. we can easily see where the civilized part of the world's population is."

SINKING INTO ANARCHY

Many newspapers highlighted criticism of local and state authorities and of President Bush. Some compared the sputtering relief effort with the massive amounts of money and resources poured into the war in Iraq.

"A modern metropolis sinking in water and into anarchy -- it is a really cruel spectacle for a champion of security like Bush," France's left-leaning Liberation newspaper said.

"(Al Qaeda leader Osama) bin Laden, nice and dry in his hideaway, must be killing himself laughing."

A female employee at a multinational firm in South Korea said it may have been no accident the U.S. was hit.

"Maybe it was punishment for what it did to Iraq, which has a man-made disaster, not a natural disaster," said the woman, who did not want to be named as she has an American manager.

"A lot of the people I work with think this way. We spoke about it just the other day," she said.

Commentators noted the victims of the hurricane were overwhelmingly African Americans, too poor to flee the region as the hurricane loomed unlike some of their white neighbors.

New Orleans ranks fifth in the United States in terms of African American population and 67 percent of the city's residents are black.

"In one of the poorest states in the country, where black people earn half as much as white people, this has taken on a racial dimension," said a report in Britain's Guardian daily.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, in a veiled criticism of U.S. political thought, said the disaster showed the need for a strong state that could help poor people.

"You see in this example that even in the 21st century you need the state, a good functioning state, and I hope that for all these people, these poor people, that the Americans will do their best," he told reporters at a European Union meeting in Newport, Wales.

David Fordham, 33, a hospital anesthetist speaking at a London underground rail station, said he had spent time in America and was not surprised the country had struggled to cope.

"Maybe they just thought they could sit it out and everything would be okay," he said.

"It's unbelievable though -- the TV images -- and your heart goes out to them."

(With reporting by Reuters bureaux around the world)

[MoreThanConquerors]

Re: Spoiled America...

I am just overwhelmed...and I don't know why I am so shocked. I was thinking about some of this stuff last night and again this morning. I just don't remember stories of fighting and looting and raping when the tsunamai hit. Here Americas suffers a devestation, one that is minute in comparison to the tsunamai and all breaks loose.

Don't get me wrong. I love my country. I am just saddened.

Makes me wonder what was going on in Rome the night it burned.

[Ready2beraptured]

Re: Spoiled America...

This article is priceless. It portrays what the world is seeing on the tv and how they are viewing Americans in a time of distress. They see animals, hoodlums, anarchy, and a lack of organization of the government. So, it seems that the overall feeling may be that, "America is not so great afterall." Yet another precedent to help shape the near future.

[RealDutch]

Re: Spoiled America...

Like i posted already, the general feeling is deep sympaty, but an amazing surprise too, that such a nation didn't take precaution measures knowing that this particulair city is so vulnarable too such an event.

Beside that, knowing the damage done to the natural ecosystem (mississipi delta destroying, artificial impacts on the natural stream without counter measures) it's even more amazing and concluded as, let me use an understatement, not very wise behaviour and 'you could wait for it to happen'

look at this thread for more info. http://wedg.millenniumweekend.org/fo...9612#post19612

A part from her statement involving the importancy of the wetlands :

'As a member of the Senate Energy Committee, Landrieu has been an effective and tireless advocate for saving Louisiana’s vanishing coastline and wetlands, demanding Louisiana’s fair share of offshore oil and gas proceeds to stop the erosion and investing in Louisiana’s future.

source : http://landrieu.senate.gov/about/bio.cfm

[Guest]

Re: Spoiled America...

This is a very sad commentary on America. Why does everyone lump the entire country together as being selfish, self center and only concerned for number one? I refuse to believe this is true. I do not look at the bad news about other countries and assume everyone in that particular country is that way. I know many people that are God fearing Bible believing, hard working Americans that would give you the shirt off their backs. Most of us avearge Americans don't drive SUV's. We drive the best priced fuel effient cars we can find. We work to pay for the care of our families needs and help whoever comes along that may need it. I see in my own home area, the mayor and public officials trying to put together some type of relief effort. The schools here have been collecting water and peanutbutter to help out since 2 days after. We just need the people with the know how to get things rolling. Please don't look at America as a selfish, look out for number one country. We are not all like that no more than you are!

[Guest]

Re: Spoiled America...

Yes, we are spoiled. Yes, we do take these blessings for granted.
We are also becoming a house divided.

Remember the word says, 'nation shall rise up against nation'.
As we witness this happening before our very eyes in our own country.....and after such a terrible disaster, we must remember He said these are the beginnings of sorrows.
This is truly a sorrowful time.
Even so, come Lord Jesus

[Glorify Him]

Re: Abiding Love

You are absolutely right! It is very easy to paint everyone with the same brush. Overall, this is a nation of decent and generous people who are quick to help others in need. Obviously there are evil people everywhere and situations like this just magnify how evil and lost they are.

[sojourner52]

Re: Spoiled America...

I think it's easy to sit back and judge when we are not in the place of those who had to make decisions, and now are having to cope with this tragedy. words are flying left and right, accusations from people who dont know anything except what they see on the news. that's not the whole picture.
I just came from my part time job - I produce 3 daily talk shows for a black gospel radio station. It makes me sick and it makes me angry but then I try to put it in perspective. the talk show hosts, and most of their callers, are doing nothing but throwing stones and stirring up hatred and feelings of mistrust - claiming things like "if this had happened in a city that was mostly white, they wouldnt have treated the people this way." there have been accusations that the govt intentionally put them in the superdome knowing that it would be a deathtrap. accusations that they intentionally left people behind, knowing they had no way to get out, that it was a way to get rid of the city's poverty problem!
these are preposterous, ignorant statements, they only hurt, they dont help.
but I hear similar statements all around - maybe not racially motivated, but still second guessing the people who are dealing with this.
Let's come together and ask ourselves, what can we do to help?
I have seen reports of some of the measures the local govt took to get people out before the storm hit - city buses were sent to neighborhoods, even private vehicles were commandeered to try to get the people out. some didnt want to leave, whether it was because they feared looters, or that they wouldnt be able to get back in after the storm had passed, I dont know what their reasons were. there may have been some that were missed, but it looks like the city made a valiant effort considering they had limited time to prepare and the enormity of the task. Neighbors should have been looking out for neighbors - in retrospect, a lot of things could have been done differently.
If we knew then what we know now, I'm sure a lot of things would have been done differently.
but it's time to stop pointing fingers and throwing stones - we live in glass houses ourselves.
yes, we are self-centered, that's human nature. we can rise above it and think of our fellow human beings, but we are still flesh, still have weaknesses.
All of us, not just "them."

[Andy]

True...but...

I agree that many Americans are NOT self-centered/selfish.

However, is it debatable that this IS the overwhelming attitude we're seeing more and more every day?

[MoreThanConquerors]

Re: Spoiled America...

Yes...I agree that we all need to come together and join forces and have canned good drives and hold hands and sing God Bless America.

But it does not distract from the picture of America as a spoiled nation who grieves more over gas prices than the poor, hungry and distraught. Even the church is for the most part spoiled....

I am torn in two. Part of me loves this nation and the freedom it represents...the other half of me weeps over the Godlessness, the depraved minds of men and the "look out for number one" mentality that has become ingrained in this nation. And do not be fooled....its prevalent. Just go into any corporate workplace and look for the "me me me" attitude. Go into an inner city and see the violence and turn on the television to see the sexual depravity.

You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God....Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Everything is NOT peaches and cream. Its up to the church to repent for our nation.

[N1095A]

Re: Spoiled America...

I think it's easy to sit back and judge when we are not in the place of those who had to make decisions, and now are having to cope with this tragedy. words are flying left and right, accusations from people who dont know anything except what they see on the news. that's not the whole picture.
I just came from my part time job - I produce 3 daily talk shows for a black gospel radio station. It makes me sick and it makes me angry but then I try to put it in perspective. the talk show hosts, and most of their callers, are doing nothing but throwing stones and stirring up hatred and feelings of mistrust - claiming things like "if this had happened in a city that was mostly white, they wouldnt have treated the people this way." there have been accusations that the govt intentionally put them in the superdome knowing that it would be a deathtrap. accusations that they intentionally left people behind, knowing they had no way to get out, that it was a way to get rid of the city's poverty problem!
these are preposterous, ignorant statements, they only hurt, they dont help.
but I hear similar statements all around - maybe not racially motivated, but still second guessing the people who are dealing with this.
Let's come together and ask ourselves, what can we do to help?
I have seen reports of some of the measures the local govt took to get people out before the storm hit - city buses were sent to neighborhoods, even private vehicles were commandeered to try to get the people out. some didnt want to leave, whether it was because they feared looters, or that they wouldnt be able to get back in after the storm had passed, I dont know what their reasons were. there may have been some that were missed, but it looks like the city made a valiant effort considering they had limited time to prepare and the enormity of the task. Neighbors should have been looking out for neighbors - in retrospect, a lot of things could have been done differently.
If we knew then what we know now, I'm sure a lot of things would have been done differently.
but it's time to stop pointing fingers and throwing stones - we live in glass houses ourselves.
yes, we are self-centered, that's human nature. we can rise above it and think of our fellow human beings, but we are still flesh, still have weaknesses.
All of us, not just "them."

Yes there is now much unnecessary error on both side. This is what I was alluding to in the post I just made "There but for the Grace of God go I...". The bickering that is now turning into the "Republican vs. Democrat" thing is already happening on the web. A house divided cannot stand. We'd better stand together or we are done for, a lot sooner than later.

Unfortunatley, with me looking for a new job, there's very little I can do. I feel sorry for those people who thought they had survived the storm, only to be trapped by the flood. And just two days ago there were only like 20 helicopters trying to evacuate people. There should have been 200.

[Neggy]

Re: Spoiled America...

I am not sure I completely agree with this quote by Mr Andrew Gray in his article:

"Not a single tourist caught in the tsunami was mugged. Now with all this happening in the U.S. we can easily see where the civilized part of the world's population is."

I recall reading and seeing stories of children being kidnapped and missing, rapes, and increased tensions between Christians and Muslims after the tsunami.