New Orleans has reacted to this catastrophe much like New York did back in 1977 to the blackout, the Summer of Sam, and all the rest of what happened that year.

Is there not something that might explain why people react terribly in extreme situations in one time and place, and react heroically in another? It isn’t just monocultural vs multicultural. It definitely isn’t race. But it has a ton to do with personal cultural. With the personal attitudes towards life and the expectations of each person of themselves, their fellow citizens, and of the civic order itself.

We should not just accept that New Orleans is impoverished and crime ridden, and so in the face of catastrophe they are going to lash out at all that has been simmering for so long. Why exactly is New Orleans so impoverished and crime ridden? Why has it been known as a cesspit of corruption for so long? Race is not it. Being from the south is not it. Having so many French people there… well… no that’s not it either. But connectivity… to a a sense of civic ownership and a personal striver ethic. I would say that is it. That is what has been in such short supply in New Orleans for far too long, and what cannot just be airlifted in instantly after a disaster.

Strong leadership in a crisis doesn’t just come from random chance. It is representative of that personal determination to overcome that must be found in the general population as well.

When assesing reactions to extreme crisis, character not class or race, is appropriate.

and? so the yakuza took the opportunity to get some free publicity. Japan and NO are incomparable and only a total twit would attempt to make the comparison between a monocultural, affluent city to that of an impoverished, crime-ridden, multi-cultural one.

What We Believe

Race is an important aspect of individual and group identity. Of all the fault lines that divide society””?language, religion, class, ideology””?it is the most prominent and divisive. Race and racial conflict are at the heart of the most serious challenges the Western World faces in the 21st century.

The problems of race cannot be solved without adequate understanding. Attempts to gloss over the significance of race or even to deny its reality only make problems worse. Progress requires the study of all aspects of race, whether historical, cultural, or biological.

American Renaissance is a monthly magazine that has been published since 1991. It has been called “a literate, undeceived journal of race, immigration and the decline of civility.”Â? We consider it America’s premiere publication of racial-realist thought, and we invite all users of this page to subscribe.

The question is whether the agenda guides the publication itself, or are the authors willing to call their own beliefs into question. And if it is the former, are they fudging, distorting, ignoring or misreporting any information in order to support that agenda? By so strongly emphasizing race as a culprit (and it’s easy to see that that’s what’s going on in the article), are they not trying to make race an issue when class is probably a more appropriate explanation?

Shakuhachi, I see you’ve linked to and praised a blatantly racist description of events. Thanks for clearing that up so I don’t have to bother reading any of your comments in the future. For reference, I saw a very similar “Ëœanalysis’ of events on David Duke’s website.

And

For a start, here’s the last paragraph of that article:

To be sure, the story of Hurricane Katrina does have a moral for anyone not deliberately blind. The races are different. Blacks and whites are different. When blacks are left entirely to their own devices, Western Civilization””?any kind of civilization””?disappears. And in a crisis, civilization disappears overnight.

Check out the comments section to see a bunch of outright KKK-white supremacist rantings, or the rest of the whole damn site for that matter.

Certainly the article shows black people in a bad light, but are you suggesting that Taylor has been making things up? Unfortunately, the truth of the situation in New Orleans is bad enough, and there is no need to Taylor to make up anything to make black people in New Orleans look bad. Giving a factual narrative of events in New Orleans might seem racist and forbidden to you, but I would suggest that you take a look at your own objectivity on the matter. I would also suggest that suppressing information about racial strife denies us the opportunity to try to solve the problem. How can a solution be found if you are afraid to look at the problem in the face?

Taylor thinks the races are different. I happen to think so too. If the races were separated by evolution tens of thousands of years ago, and were endowed unique abilities that allowed them to thrive in their disparate environments, how could it be otherwise? In anycase, Taylors opinion is as good as yours, and I suspect much more well informed.

Your attempt to link Taylor with former KKK member David Duke is a pathetic attempt at guilt by association. In fact, you have nothing to link them both together except that Dukes site had a ’similar analysis’ (we have no idea how similar – maybe they were both just expressing outrage at the mayhem and murder in New Orleans). Guess what – Duke and I both happen to agree that murder is wrong. Does that make me a KKK member because our opinions on this matter are identical? No.

Getting hit by a hurricane is a lot of bad luck for the folk of New Orleans. But that does not explain the subsequent atrocious bad behavior of some blacks in New Orleans. Does not explain the racism (violent, deadly racism, the kind that blacks have not been exposed to in many, many years) that blacks showed towards whites. While you may be able to dismiss the suffering of the people of New Orleans (especially the whites foolish enough to stay/unable to leave), I say to you that were you in New Orleans you would just be another cracker waiting to be victimized. Funny how critical you can be from the world famous safety of Japan, and why you chose that country over Nigeria or another African country that are world famous for New Orleans style destruction (until put down by brute force). Kobe was hit with an absolutely massive quake that caused more damage than the hurricane in New Orleans did. Yet the Japanese were perfectly civilized and helped eachother out. Even the criminal Yakuza lent a hand, distributing food for free.

Finally, Taylors opinion is a valid one in the spectrum of opinion. You may not like his opinion, but if you think it is flawed, then I strongly challenge you to show that he is wrong. Calling people ‘racist’ is just a way to stifle opinion when you have no reasonable rebuttle.

Yes, the comments to Taylor’s piece tend to be shallow. And it is easy to pull out a phrase & dismiss Taylor as racist. But as for the body of the piece itself, why not look at actual events he reports as having taken place. Did they happen? Or not? As the US media considers so many subjects taboo … while for other subjects, Bush-bashing, hate-the-rich, poor-poor-pitiful me … it’s always more of the same, I personally find it healthy to get different perspectives.

Even the game Curzon posted, has to inject evil KKKers for balance. Balance? If everytime, there were a reference to KKK or the evils of Western White Man, it were balanced by reporting on an evil, black racist organization or the whys & wherefores of 3rd World do-nothings … but that’s not happening. Though this site: Coming Anarchy does a good job of naming the players.

Hey, and thanks for the heads up on David Duke. I thought he had passed on out to the ether. Lotta great laughs over at:

http://www.davidduke.com/

To be sure, the story of Hurricane Katrina does have a moral for anyone not deliberately blind. The races are different. Blacks and whites are different. When blacks are left entirely to their own devices, Western Civilization””?any kind of civilization””?disappears. And in a crisis, civilization disappears overnight.

Check out the comments section to see a bunch of outright KKK-white supremacist rantings, or the rest of the whole damn site for that matter.

For reference, I saw a very similar ‘analysis’ of events on David Duke’s website.

But of the two, The Times-Picayune’s take is much to be preferred. Since the T-P (?!) has called for the resignation of every single FEMA official …

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=46140

… and is a Democratic Party house organ, when they print something critical of the Demo’s voting base, as they do above … listen up.

Also note: this was a National Guardsman from another state speaking and giving the horror tour, not N.O.P.D. Still, this kind of writing by Brian Thevenot is no way to get ahead at the Picayune.

As for The Guardian’s ” no witnesses, survivors or survivors’ relatives have come forward …” Here is a WAFB (Baton Rouge TV – CBS) interview with Charmaine Neville who was onsite and very much involved. She speaks of rapes, murders, and firing at helicopters … even though she is an apologist for all such. Remarkable stuff. The cynic in me notes that Ms. Neville makes it clear she will be of no help in prosecuting any of the rapist-killers.

Scroll down for the “Charmaine Neville” link. This link works better than going straight to WAFB’s page, for some reason.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/

If you are not familiar with Charmaine Neville, she is Charles Neville of the Neville Brother’s daughter. I recall Pres. Bush saying when asked of his favorite musicians … “Van Morrison and the Nevilles” …

http://www.epluri.com/TSA/Vocal&SpecialattractFolder/CharmaineNevilleBio.html

Perhaps what went on inside the Convention Center will someday be reported. But almost certainly, never completely.