Finally it is being discussed. The US has a particular way that the National Guard gets used. They care more in that country about seperation of powers. STATES control state national guard, comes from their history.

Go back to Little Rock.

From the National Park Service's Little Rock Central High School
National Historical Site:

"On September 4, 1957, Governor Orval Faubus defied the court, calling
in the Arkansas National Guard to prevent nine African American
students--"The Little Rock Nine"--from entering the building.

"Ten days later in a meeting with President Eisenhower, Faubus agreed
to use the National Guard to protect the African American teenagers, but
on returning to Little Rock, he dismissed the troops, leaving the
African American students exposed to an angry white mob. Within hours, the
jeering, brick-throwing mob had beaten several reporters and smashed
many of the school's windows and doors. By noon, local police were forced
to evacuate the nine students.

"When Faubus did not restore order, President Eisenhower dispatched
101st Airborne Division paratroopers to Little Rock and put the Arkansas
National Guard under federal command. By 3 a.m., soldiers surrounded the
school, bayonets fixed."

It takes an extroidinary circumstance for the federal government to "nationalize" the national guard. A big hurricane generally isnt one of those, nor is incompetence on the part of the governor.

I am not trying to protect GWB here, since federal troops could have been deployed anytime, but within the confines of the US constitution the guard, the normal first responders, were under the control of Governor Blanco. In fact, the guard still is, just as the New Orleans police is under the "control" of Mayor Nagin.

What can we say? We know who's fault this is. We know that the responsibility begins with each person to look after themselves as much as possible, and for those we elect to do the job we elect them for. But a third of New Orleans was either on the take (welfare, etc.) or non productive. Their governments, state and local, were on the take and corrupt. Crime thrived. There is ample proof of all of this. Granted, if the governor had accepted Bush's offer many more people would have been saved. But the underlying problem would still exist. That problem is that most people look to someone else for what they need to survive and live comfortably. We have all gotten too soft and dependent. We are each responsible for the control we have placed in the hands of others.

This disaster teaches us once again, aside from what it says about the oil-based economy and oil-based currency, that we are each responsible for our own welfare. But we cannot exist in a vacuum. We must find a way to live in a society that is not based totally on oil and central control, which is really corporate control. The world is run by powerful families and large multi-national corporations that are interested in control and power. From that control and power flows wealth and more control and power for them. These forces are responsible for the world as it is today BECAUSE THEY BUILT IT. And we continue to let them control us by buying their products and electing their socialist governments whose sole purpose it is to implement their plan and control us.

It's right that Bush is not responsible for what happened to the people of New Orleans following the hurricane. But the problem is much deeper than that. And Bush has no control over it.

That said, the homeland security planers better get their act together and fast. They have enemies, big, big enemies. And now is a perfect time for the terrorists to attack. What position would the US be in if someone blew up a few refineries down the foothills, or the pipeline running down from Alberta? In the meantime people need to make plans for what we can each do to protect ourselves and exist going forward, when something like this happens to us. And it need not be a disaster like a hurricane or earthquake. The disaster befalling all of us right now is energy. What will we all do when a gallon of gasoline costs us $14 and the cost of food doubles, then triples? What will happen when the US GNP falls and the value of their currency falls? This whole scenario impacts each of us directly, no matter where we live. What is happening in New Orleans now is a picture of what much of North American could be like in 5, 10 year, perhaps sooner. How many of us are ready to look after ourselves and our families in an emergency? Are you?

What if terrorists took out the Royal Family in Saudi Arabia and cut off the oil? America is exceptionally vulnerable right now. And so are we. We each need to prepare because things aren't going to get any better.

Seen the coverage on CNN? Nothing but attempts to blame BUSH... 24 hours/day... These people are amazing with their persistanace...

Yes - - blame must be assigned but forget CNN and Bush. Everyone in Ontario who enjoys our Canadian values knows the blame lies squarely on the shoulders of that scary conservative bastard right here in Canada.

Well, they will blame Harper by proxy....lack of investment in infrastructure leads to this. And BOO you know Stephen Harper wants to cut spending.

I see the ads now...elect a Stephen Harper government and you will get a flood like New Orleans

Here's the link to the New Orleans Hurricane Emergency Plan. It's on-line.

Too bad the mayor of New Orleans didn't know, or care, how to implement it.

http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx?portal=46&tabid=26

You are dead on. A flaky Governor should shoulder most of the blame for not realizing she was in over her head and that federal management of this crisis was necessary from the outset. People died unnecessarily in the aftermath of Katrina. As a footnote to my comments I ask this simple question: Why was a city ever built below sea level in the first place and why should it be rebuilt there as I expect it will? Further, if you dared to live below sea level in hurricane ally, why would you not have a life jacket hanging on the wall and a dingy under your bed?

I think it's very important to consider the political infrastructure. The US, as a democracy, is run within explicit levels of control. The State is under the control of the Governor of the State - not the President. The City is under the control of the Mayor - not the President.

The Mayor should have had a long term plan of evactuation in case of severe hurricanes; he did not. The Governor should have overseen such a plan, its development, trials, and readiness. She did not.
She was asked by the feds to evacuate the city; she did not. She was asked to call out the National Guard; she did not.

The blame rests, first, with the individuals who rely on others to support, house, feed and supply them; and second - with the local and state governments.

My suggestion - they need, after this, a commission to investigate and lay blame where it should be blamed - the mayor and the governor.
And the welfare socialism of the State.

A small point in response to Larry Birbeck's comment that " federal management of this crisis was necessary from the outset". Not necessarily.

What was needed was *competent* management. And leadership. And those need not have come from the federal government - they could have come from within the State's government (and indeed may have been available) but the people with those capabilities were not called upon.

(In fact, leadership need not come from government at all. Witness the teenager who commandeered an abandoned school bus, loaded about 70 people aboard, and drove it to Texas. That's initiative and leadership.)

Yes, the Governor should have realized she was over her head, and delegated command to those within her administration who had the necessary skills. They may well have said, "Sorry, it's beyond me, let's call in the feds". But then at least a decision would have been made. Better that than four or five days of indecision and crying on national TV.

Here's a nice poster for the re-election of the Mayor of New Orleans.

http://newspundit.net/mayornagin.html

ET. I agree.
But do you really think another commission will place the blame where it belongs? Problem with commissions is that they are a political entity.

I think John C makes an excellent point when he suggests the world is being run by powerful elites (and this not a reference to any so-called Zionist conspiracy just in case someone out there is eager to draw a link). There is ample research that has been done on the subject (in Canada start with John Porter's "Vertical Mosaic").

If you were to examine corporate structure in Canada and the U.S. I hypothesize that a good number of directors sit with each other on the boards of more than one company and/or chartered banks. It only stands to reason that they would legitimately want to protect what they have and this translates into political donations. In Canada the Libs get most of the loot simply, I think, because they have been in power longest, are more likely to get re-elected and, as Gomery has demonstrated, hey have considerable expertise in "financial matters". I also suspect that part of the elite also seeks to cover all bases by donating, in albeit smaller amounts, to the CPC.

Building further on what John said, in many ways you can't lay all the blame on the politicians for the state of the country. Democracy requires a certain amount of participation by the citizenry and, in my opinion, more than turning out on election day is needed. As long as we continue to abdicate our responsibility to act as a check on authority is it no wonder that this very same group begins to believe they can get away with what they do or, worse yet, believe that they have the natural right to act this way.

It's all very well for us to rant about those on the left or the right, depending where you have taken aim, but maybe it is time for a little collective navel-gazing. A predominant theme on this blog is that we have to be individually responsible. We are all individually, and collectively responsible for what is happening here, and in New Orleans.

Several times in past comments I have said the refineries are our achillies heel.

There are recently two new ones finally underway. However twelve existing ones have been damaged. Suppose I should look into how badly and how long before they come back on line.

There is really no shortage of crude. The bottleneck is the refinery. Out of every disaster some good will eventually come.

Recently, a multi-millions project, [Hydro Quebec involved], developing the lightweight energy cell [Avestor battery] on which most new cars could run, has been cancelled.

The Avestor LMP battery will continue to be manufactured and used widely in communications.

Somehow, Avestor scientists decided the LMP was not suited to pushing cars around. Have they hit upon something better?

There is complex mystery to this story. Plans to build a manufacturing plant in France were suddenly stopped and the police were called in. [another libros scam?] A file was given to the Surete du Quebec.

Avestor also has the ideal engine. It is the TM4, and that IS a success.

Refinery building is vastly expensive. If the Avestor LMP battery is not going to propel cars, then it's *Whew!*, build the refinery.

If Avestor has lucked onto something lighter, better and cheaper, then it's *Whew!*, sure glad we cancelled building that refinery.

The 4 page story is worth printing off on your printer. Google- Montreal Gazette. Click on - Sat Sept 3/05. The Head is *Hydro-Quebec's battery goes dead* or just put part of the headline in search. 73s TG

Geez, I love blogs. What an exellent exchange of information. Keep in mind that scientists the world over are working on ideas to solve many of the problems we now see. Not only is it us who can exchange ideas and links but the black, individual scientists are also exchanging ideas and solving problems. And when they find solutions, guess what, they publish them on the Internet where all of us can read them. The Internet is the best friend the common person ever had. And blogs like Kate's are an important part of it. Kate puts out a post. We all toss it around and often it goes somewhere important. Corrupt governments and multi-national corporations can do absolutely nothing about this vastly important exchange of ideas

The free exchange of ideas is the biggest enemy of multi-national corporations and those who's aim it is to gain control, because control is power, and power is money. If you want to see who these people are just follow the money. It's all on the Internet.

Type "Hydro-Quebec's battery goes dead" into Google and you go straight to the story.

PS: I'm helping my son build an extension onto his house. A BIG extension. Sigh. But everytime I take a break and check a few blogs I find something important. What a gift this Internet is.

You're absolutely right, John. Unfortunately, I think legislation is already in the works to extend more control over cyberspace, too. Kate? Heard anything?

Mad Mike

The Chinese government strictly controls access to the internet in that country.

Didn't I read somewhere that the Chinese government had acquired a stake in the Canadian petrochemical industry????

I don't think they have yet. The Chiese Comunist Party bought out an Alberta company that operated in the Middle East I believe. Can't remember where. But they had no holdings in Canada I don't think.

Mad Mike says: "I think legislation is already in the works to extend more control over cyberspace, too."

I believe we broached this a little on a previous thread; forget which one. The Libmob is apparently looking into ways to perhaps control what we can and can't say and do on the internet. After all, we ARE saying bad but true stuff about Paulie and his gang of fancy suits.

They're probably trying to figure out ways of shutting us up and getting away with it. If they try, I believe they'll be asking for a civil war of some sort. They'd be best advised to leave it alone.

John C...I believe you are right. I think the interest they bought was in some oil patch in the far east somewhere. I would expect the feds would have moved to stop such a move.

Now had the purchaser been a Tamil investment group......

JH Pennington. "I would expect the feds would have moved to stop such a move."

Don't count on it. It looks to me like Ottawa is doing everything they can to deal with the Chinese Communist Party. I think that may well be a future battle shaping up between Alberta and Ottawa actually. I'm sure Cheney has let everyone in Alberta know he'll match or beat any offer of investment in the Oil Sands Alberta gets from China.

JHPennington, You are mostly correct there. The Chinese are at the same time allowing wide freedoms of economic exchange on the net. Numbers now on line are massive.

You know they do everything to grow their economy. I saw somwhere recently where millions on the net in China hook up a VidCam and do suggestive posing.
Fun loving. Kind of harmless, I guess.

The China Government wants to cool this somewhat, while keeping economic exchange at 100%. Delemma.. eh?

John C, Your understanding about Ottawa / China cooperation seems to agree with what I have been reading. Makes me nervous.

Stephen Mc, Paulie and his gang do have an effective shut down method for sites they don't like.

They used it on some Halifax based young guys who were exposing Libranos faults on their E-news paper. A public outcry embarrassed PM stealthies to back off. Remindes me. Must check and see how they are doing.

Andrew Coyne was diminished in the same way. If you are forced to stop comments on your site, people lose interest and stop visiting. Diminishes readership. Libranos win. Reminds me, gotta check Coyne too.

When was the last time you dropped in on Andrew Coyne since he stopped comments? 73s TG

AndrewCoyne still not permitting comments

Posts only of May30, June 2nd, no July, Aug17, Aug25th. Not what it used to be... eh?

When Coyne roasts Jean - She fries! Ouch!

No wonder Librano hoods loaded his comments with libel and poison. Not fair, but it did
make the site less read, so the won the skirmish for now. 73s TG

I haven't read Coyne's blog in a couple months. Used to check in every day or so. Comments are the joy of blogs. They give a venue for people to let off steam, exchange ideas and get news from the 'front' of wherever news is made that day. Without comments a blog is nothing more than an online column.

Online news generally is more current than a newspaper could ever be. Even radio and TV have to 'send' their reporters and cameras to the scene of a breaking news story. Bloggers live there. And they're online with the real, personal side of the news because it's happening to them. Can't get more current than that.

How true! Say, much better news re: *The Dominion* - * Canada's Grassroots Newspaper *

Looks like they came through legal threats from the PM's office without damage.

The Dominion looks much better now than it did back in April/May /05 when under Libranos attack.

To avoid getting Dominion Insurance in Google, be sure to hit *Canada site* when you enter *The Dominion*. 73s TG

Talisman Energy of Calgary sold out their stake in Sudan, to the Chinese, after a series of lawsuits and harrassment by a bunch of human rights activists(idiots). As far as I know the lawsuits are still going on in international courts based in NYC.
Talisman had spent a lot of time and money helping to rebuild towns and villages in Sudan, water and sanitation, but this has been totally ignored by the idiots.
The Chinese oil company has purchased a minority share-48%- in one of the smaller companies working in the tar sands.