Reuters AlertNet – Canadians beat U.S. Army to New Orleans suburb — You have to wonder what would ever happen if there was an armed invasion of this country — like from Mexico. Oh, wait, that’s happening now!
BATON ROUGE, La., Sept 7 (Reuters) – A Canadian search-and-rescue team reached a flooded New Orleans suburb to help save trapped residents five days before the U.S. military, a Louisiana state senator said on Wednesday.
The Canadians beat both the Army and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. disaster response department, to St. Bernard Parish east of New Orleans, where flood waters are still 8 feet (2.4 metres) deep in places, Sen. Walter Boasso said.
“Fabulous, fabulous guys,” Boasso said. “They started rolling with us and got in boats to save people.”
“We’ve got Canadian flags flying everywhere.”
The stricken parish of 68,000 people was largely ignored by U.S. authorities who scrambled to get aid to New Orleans, a few miles (km) away. Boasso said residents of the outlying parishes had to mount their own rescue and relief efforts when Hurricane Katrina roared ashore on Aug. 29.
found by P. McEntee
Well, maybe they are from Quebec. They speak the same language, sort of, and that was where the Cajuns hailed from. Maybe this whole mess was a language and culture problem.
O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
-Proud to be Canadian
I thought that you were joking about the “invasion from Mexico”, when I realized that it was a cheap shot at immigration trends. But in reality, the Mexican Army crossed with 175 troops and 45 truckloads hurricane aid just yesterday. We are receiving dister aid from Mexico!
On a side note, Cuba was hit with a Cat 5 hurricane a year or two ago, they had to evacuate 1.25 million people, and their total number of deaths: zero. We need to be more open minded and learn from those that have effective programs, even if we hate them.
IMHO, the rich people that had houses on the beach should be on the very bottom of the list for aid. The poor that lost what little they had, in the inner cities, that left as ordered get first dibs at aid.
Apples and oranges, John. A SAR team is at most a few dozen people, right? The military would come in much larger numbers. They’d have to assemble, and then get there. Getting thousands of people together and moving them and all their equipment isn’t like ordering a pizza.
I’d love to see a comparison of the numbers plus what they brought with them.
This just mirrors the history of military groups which follow best practices: get the first troops on the ground asap with whatever they can carry. US Marines were in Indonesia within 32 hours of the Tsunami. They didn’t wait for Bush League twerps in Washington to OK their travel vouchers.
As often as twerps like Rumsfeld prate about mobile military and rapid response, we still end up with ponderous, impractical detachments run by people who think like General Motors — not General Smedley-Butler.
The Canadian military responds often to natural disasters around the world. They know better than to wait for “official” response from bureaucrats. We have plenty of folks with exactly the same skills — most often in the Maribe Corps. The dorks in DC keep ordering them to sit and wait for permission from Homeland Insincerity.
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the Canadians still think that the poor and sick are worth the effort saving.
when I realized that it was a cheap shot at immigration trends.
Immigration trends??
How about New Mexico and Arizona’s Govenor’s declaring a state of emergency on their borders:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,166241,00.html
And if its Fox News – you know its fair and balanced. 🙂
A tidbit:
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson declared a state of emergency in four counties along the U.S.-Mexico border last week because of what he called “a chaotic situation” involving illegal-alien smuggling, murder and drug shipments.
Not Quebec. They came from Vancouver. Chartered a 737 and they were there. 46 members of the Urban Search and Rescue team. Here is a news story link http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050907/BCRESCUE07/TPInternational
Not so incidentally, the whole effort by this group from Vancouver cost $500,000. They didn’t bat an eye over that. The city, provincial and federal governments in Canada will figure out how to raise the money. The important part was — getting to work at what they’re trained to do.
LOL @ the “So what fema and the U.S came in greater numbers comment.
Doesn’t matter when it takes you five days. You can mobilize and send troops in different groups (Wow)
ofcourse fema did have enough people to keep other first responders out.
Great job FEMA
#1 – Cajuns didn’t come fom Quebec. They came from Nova Scotia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cajun
And there are four ships and three Helicopters on their way down with relief supplies that left from Nova Scotia on Tuesday.
Hey, Canadians are QUICK! They had a head start, though, because they were paying ATTENTION.
hmmmmmmm…
Nice post “Francisco Gonzalez”. I guess you’re one of those Miami Cuban terrorists eh? Oh yes, I listen to Radio Habana Cuba every evening! I know about you people!
You people are just jealous that Castro has helped the common people of Cuba and all you rich folks lost all your power. That’s who all of the Miami Cubans are. You hate Castro because he took away your lifestyle and actually did something good for the people.
In fact, you guys hate Castro so much, that you actually make your own people suffer under sanctions. You people are sick!!!!! You’re the fascists, not Castro.
Regarding Castro… most of the world finds Cuba to be a beautiful island with warm, welcoming people. Only the US govt has paranoid issues with it. Sure, it’s not perfect.
Communism isn’t my ideal form of governance either. However, communism is not a disease. It is not evil. If corruption can be handled, it’s probably one of the better forms of government. Fidel runs it well.
Many Americans leave the US daily; some run screaming and some leave for opportunities elsewhere. Cuba is no different. Many Cubans leave because they have family in the US. Many leave because the feel they have been unjustly treated by the government.
For Cubans landing illegally in the US, it’s not all roses and honey. I’m sure if they could, a great number would choose to return to Cuba. Unfortunately, they are no longer welcome in their former country.
It’s a sad state when your people are dying because you can’t handle the crisis, but you slap away assistance from a country well versed in this type of disaster. What harm would have come from accepting help from Cuba? The Cuban government may have received some good press?
I have news for the American government. Their ignorance and hatred of the Cuban communist government is seen by the Cuban people as hatred of them. If the U.S would open its arms to Cuba, it would be a matter of years before communism was dropped in favour of a more democratic system.
When Castro dies, do you think the people of Cuba will rejoice and become friends with the United States? Don’t you think it more likely that they will remember the five decades that their powerful neighbour ignored and shunned them, blockaded their supplies and trade, and strengthened the Cuban resolve to hate the US back.
American “democratic superiority” is a lovely red-white-and-blue flag draped over the ugly racist inner workings of corrupt capitalist old-boys club.
As skynews in the U.K. has reported “Bush: The worst disaster to hit the U.S. in history.”
Francisco, they’re liberals. They’ll believe a communist, but not a Republican.
They do serve for great entertainment until Boston Legal starts airing new episodes, however.
Castro probably has saved millions of lives. His country served as a clear warning that kept the rest of South America away from Communism. That’s what allowed Pinochet to take over before Chile turned into another Cuba.
On the topic of Cuba emergency management system (that I seem to have started), please don’t think that I support Castro; he is just another dictator, surrounded by political cronies. He should be out… but so should Bush, since he is the mirror image of Castro.
If Cuba has good emergency management, it is because of the way that their society is structured. Everyone has a local leader, maybe to the block level, and everyone knows what to do and where to go in time of crisis. Ignore for a moment that the local leader is probably a spy for the government, and imagine him/her as a local block / neighborhood leader here in the USA. Someone that can provide basic guidance.
If there were a need to evacuate any city in the USA, what % of people would actualy know what to do? 1%? 2%? There is no assigned place to go, no organized location waiting, no structure to an evacuation – in other words, it’s everyone for himself. That’s the way it works in USA, and that is just plain STUPID.
I live in the SF Bay Area. When the earthquake comes, and masses of populaton need to be relocated, it would be nice to know that there is a bed waiting in a couple of places (Los Banos / Fresno / Reno?) and a couple of places where I can ‘report to’ for processing. And a place where I can go to provide help if I can do so.
But as always, here in America, we are literally “Fat, dumb and happy” and utterly surprised and mortified when things go wrong and we did nothing to prepare. We may call ourselves “Capitalists” and “Individualists”, but in reality when things go wrong, we expect the government to jump in to help us.
Emergency preparedness (at the level required in cases like Katrina) requires almost military like behavior by the common citizen. Organization and planning, knowledge and practice. We have none of them.
And when organizations like FEMA (which we ultimately count on for help) are gutted by granting political favors to someone’s friend, it just makes me want to “Storm the Bastille” and get the corrupted-royalty out of power.
Bush’s pronouncements during this crisis have often amounted to “no bread? Let them eat cake!” cluelesness. And republicans in general, when faced with the truth of the government that they chose, go into total denial, assuming the poses of the “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” monkeys… and further undermining the future of our country.
Edward
A well written piece. Thank you for saying it so much better than I could.
Anyone ever heard of the Posse Comitatus Act?
>>Regarding Castro… most of the world finds Cuba to be a beautiful island with warm, welcoming people.
High quality brothels seems to bring Hollywood denizens back all the time.
Wow “Che!”, one look at my name and suddenly I’m a “Cuban terrorist”? Because I ask that people question information from a country where the government controls the press, I’m a terrorist? I’m pretty sure the real “Che” did not have Castro’s Cuba in mind at the start of the revolution. My father knew Che personally and describes him as a decent man that truly believed in his cause and truly cared for the Cuban people. Castro, however, was looking for whatever “cause” would bring him to power. My father also knew Castro and describes him as a narscisistic, power hungry, incredibly selfish man. More recently, I heard Castro speak on Mexican telvision, and my general impression was that he’s currently not working with a full deck. To describe Cuba’s government as anything other than a dictatorship is folly. To describe Cuba’s government as Communist is an insult to Marx’s vision. If it sounds like I take all of this a little personally, I do. My father started life as a peasant in Cuba, practically homeless. He managed to go to nursing school at age 16, put himself through law school, and started a small law practice, all prior to Castro’s revolution. (Don’t get me wrong, Batista was corrupt too). My father only fled Cuba in fear of his life because he didn’t believe in Castro’s politics (imagine having a price on YOUR head for questioning the government). Upon his arrival to the US, he worked as a dish washer until he was able to re-certify as a nurse, and he eventually attended medical school. Little by little he found creative (and expensive) means of bringing over any of his family that wanted to leave. In particular my aunt and uncle were also nurses working in Cuba under Castro’s rule. According to their first-hand accounts, Cuba’s own people suffered from substandard medical care while Castro offered medical services to various countries in South America. Castro was such a “humanitarian” that he sold out his own people for political gain in the form of propaganda that promotes Cuba’s “superior” health care system. I travel to South American often for work, and many people do regard Castro as a hero for standing up to the “yankees” and for his humanitarian efforts. Few, however, know the real story. There also seems to be a resurgence in communist ideals, but it’s mostly from those with little knowledge of even recent history. I believe people are entitled to their own beliefs and opinions, but it saddens me when they are formed from limited knowledge. History shows that dictatorships eventually fail, tyrants fall, and Communism simply does not work in practice as described in Marx’s writings. “Che!” you are entitled to your opinion (though I think you’re a chicken shit for not using your real name), but I am also entitled to mine, preferably without being labeled a terrorist. And just to stay on topic, I don’t believe Castro offered his assistance during our current national tragedy because he cares about helping Americans. Rest assured that he is out for political gain. I am not so stubborn, however, that I don’t recognize that there may be lessons for us to learn regarding emergency preparedness. BUT, let’s not be so ignorant as to claim that this tragedy would be much different depending on whether we have a donkey or an elephant in power. Our weaknesses are bipartisan, American weaknesses, but Edward’s post does present some solid ideas (despite the partisan badgering 🙂
Actually the Cajun’s are not decendants from Quebec, but from Acadia – which is now part of New Brunswick. Acadians were persecuted by the English and expulsed to France and to Louisianna – Acadian = Cajun.
Actually, Cajuns (abbreviated from Acadians) were from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, but particularly the Annapolis Valley (Port Royal) in the land of Evangeline. They were expelled from the region by the British some 200 years ago. By the way, we’re glad to help.
Sorry people if I step in.
I’m from Italy and the situation in New Orleans left me wordless.
Possibly because our “FEMA” which is called Protezione Civile is widely famed to be one of the world’s most efficient I am brought to say that the reaction of the US FEMA and generally the rescue effort was to me completely unefficient and in some aspects comic (tragic is more appropriate).
In Italy we have often huge floods especially in the north.
Well…the first thing that the rescuers do is to fly helicopters over the striken area…and launch thousands of inflatable boats.
In this way the population has immediately a means of transport to move around and to ferry the injured towards hospitals or medical aid compounds that become very rapidly set up.
I saw NO inflatables in any of the thousand hour of tv coverage that was cast through international media!
People were blocked on rooftops and were oviously in need of fresh water and food, which could be sought for with a simple inflatable boat.
Secondarily there is an ancient proverbium in latin that says “In catastrofies what is of a few becomes of the many”.
This is inevitable, so the US government should have preemptively done an agreement with major supermarkets and similar in the area to open all doors and let the stricken take food, water and medicines (then the government would have paid).
Protecting supermarkets with armed personnel was a very stupid thing and triggered the infamous firefighting of the following days.
What is the sense of shooting the flood stricken civilians that search for food, I mean isn’t this something clearly predictable and understandable?
Another thing that struck me was the long lasting blackout.
In europe all the distributing infrastructure is in steel poles and traliches or buried.
So once the damage to power stations and switching stations is repaired power comes back a most in 12-24 hours.
I love the US very much (I lived 6 years in Connecticut) and I was very sorry to see the situation.
It turnes out that the mighty US is nothing more than a country of wooden houses, weak infrastructures and unreasonable pople ready to shoot like at the OK Corral…with a layer of marketing on top. 😐