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WSJ: The Battle of New Orleans - Even in America, civil order is more fragile than we think.
Wall Street Journal ^ | September 2, 2005 | Editorial

Posted on 09/02/2005 5:23:21 AM PDT by OESY

...Of all the bad news from New Orleans, the most disturbing has been the reports of spreading disorder, with looting, marauding gangs and even sniper fire at helicopters and rescue workers. Americans sometimes expect their government to do far too much....

One reason for the New Orleans breakdown is the size of the calamity, whose growing severity caught nearly everyone by surprise. Louisiana National Guard troops that were deployed initially for rescue and relief efforts weren't available for the more basic duties of public security. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is also geared to providing relief, not order, and only yesterday did the federal government begin to focus on the potential anarchy. Among our political leaders, only Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour seemed to appreciate the genuine risk of disorder, with his early warnings that looters would not be given the benefit of the doubt.

By the way, the allegation that enough National Guard troops aren't available because many are deployed in Iraq doesn't hold up under scrutiny. The Louisiana Guard has something like 3,500 men and women deployed in Iraq, but that leaves another 8,000 or so troops available for post-Katrina duty, and neighboring states undamaged by the hurricane have still others who could be called upon. All told, the Pentagon now estimates that 30,000 National Guard troops will be deployed along the Gulf coast, and another 3,000 regular Army soldiers to pursue the armed gangs on the loose. Our advice is: Do whatever it takes.

One frequent reaction...: New Orleans is typical of Third World countries, something that was thought could never happen in America. This happens to overlook a fair chunk of U.S. history... including riots and violence. But it is also a sign of complacency born of prosperity and the resilience of our legal and civic institutions....

(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Alabama; US: Louisiana; US: Mississippi
KEYWORDS: anarchy; barbour; hurricane; katrina; looters; neworleans
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To: over3Owithabrain

You've got that right; I'm here in Atlanta with you. It would be the same here or in any other major metropolitan city with a great deal of underclass in its environs. I suspect that the Atlanta city leadership would prove themselves to be equally incompetent.


21 posted on 09/02/2005 5:41:42 AM PDT by Juana la Loca
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To: OESY
Some people are not tolerating it. Not sure if this has been altered or not.......

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
22 posted on 09/02/2005 5:44:13 AM PDT by stm
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To: OESY
...Of all the bad news from New Orleans, the most disturbing has been the reports of spreading disorder, with looting, marauding gangs and even sniper fire at helicopters and rescue workers. Americans sometimes expect their government to do far too much....

And yet the gun control crowd would have you believe that if responsible, law-abiding citizens were disarmed, they could rely on local police and state authorities to protect them from the same type of thuggery and pillage that is now rampant throughout New Orleans. I think the lie has finally been put to this myth, especially since I just saw a report that a goodly portion of NO's police force has turned their badges and walked away from their jobs, probably to join the looters. Consequently, this whole sorry state of affairs has reinforced my determination to keep my own firearms close at hand and in good working order and my home ammo stocks full in the event of some other national disaster in the future that might impact close my area.

23 posted on 09/02/2005 5:44:22 AM PDT by Virginia Ridgerunner ("Si vis pacem para bellum")
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To: AEMILIUS PAULUS

The "element" has been brought up on a steady diet of thuggish rap videos, scorn for decency and law, and glorification of violence (including rape) and getting "stuff," such as BMW's and $200 sneakers, by any means possible, always with the implication that you are somehow owed this "stuff" by society. They're just putting into practice what they learned so well.


24 posted on 09/02/2005 5:45:49 AM PDT by livius
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To: SMARTY

People remember NYC post 911. NO is not NYC.

10 years from now more people will remember NYC than this hurricaine.

These people have been given pretty much all they have by the government. Now that the local arm of the infrastructure that supports them is gone, they have no idea what to do.

What happens when a kindergarten teacher leaves the room?


25 posted on 09/02/2005 5:47:10 AM PDT by Conservomax (There are no solutions, only trade-offs.)
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To: OESY

This is just another reason to own a (several) firearms. Civil order is more fragile than most think and when it fails, the unarmed will be subject to the tender mercies of the worst of us.

The wisdom of our Founding Fathers reveals itself again. The 2nd amendment is one of the strongest pillars of our liberty.


26 posted on 09/02/2005 5:48:37 AM PDT by ElTianti
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To: ElTianti

"This is just another reason to own a (several) firearms. Civil order is more fragile than most think and when it fails, the unarmed will be subject to the tender mercies of the worst of us."

Exactly! A few guns, and one hell of a lot of ammo!


27 posted on 09/02/2005 5:50:30 AM PDT by RavenATB (Patton was right...)
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To: ElTianti

"This is just another reason to own a (several) firearms. Civil order is more fragile than most think and when it fails, the unarmed will be subject to the tender mercies of the worst of us."

Exactly! A few guns, and one hell of a lot of ammo!


28 posted on 09/02/2005 5:50:33 AM PDT by RavenATB (Patton was right...)
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To: OESY; All
Hurricane shopping list:

1. Food
2. Water
3. Generator
4. Fuel
5. AMMO
29 posted on 09/02/2005 5:51:29 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE!)
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To: Juana la Loca
I suspect that the Atlanta city leadership would prove themselves to be equally incompetent.

They already did - remember the courthouse shootings recently? The APD ran around like headless chickens, the leadership slept at the wheel, and a murderer ran amok all day until a civilian in the 'burbs turned him in. Affirmative action government doesn't work.
30 posted on 09/02/2005 5:51:30 AM PDT by over3Owithabrain
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To: OESY; All
Hurricane shopping list:

1. Food
2. Water
3. Generator
4. Fuel
5. AMMO
31 posted on 09/02/2005 5:52:02 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE!)
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To: over3Owithabrain

The MSM will not report the truth.

Democrats provide issues not solutions.


32 posted on 09/02/2005 5:53:02 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE!)
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To: SunnySide
All citizens caught shooting at relief helpers or raping or battering other disaster survivors need to be immediately rounded up and put in "PRISON CAMPS".

Maybe imprisoned for battery, but otherwise I disagree. Three hots and a cot for shooting and rape? Nope. They should be summarily shot.

You need harsh deterrents to rein this in. It is time to quit pandering to the most violent of the criminal element.

33 posted on 09/02/2005 5:55:05 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.)
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To: SunnySide
"All citizens caught shooting at relief helpers or raping or battering other disaster survivors need to be immediately rounded up and put in "PRISON CAMPS"."

I can't agree. They need to be SHOT ON SIGHT, not "put in PRISON CAMPS". The ones that go into the prison camps are the looters.

34 posted on 09/02/2005 5:57:11 AM PDT by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel)
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner
I just saw a report that a goodly portion of NO's police force has turned their badges and walked away from their jobs,

Where was this report. It explains a lot, doesn't it.

35 posted on 09/02/2005 5:57:22 AM PDT by chiller (DONE: Gore, taxes, terrorism,Kerry, Old Media. TO DO: Judges, Tort, IRS, Soc.Sec.,borders..)
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To: livius
The "element" has been brought up on a steady diet of thuggish rap videos, scorn for decency and law, and glorification of violence (including rape)

When that earthquake - followed by snow blizzards - destroyed the city of Bam in Iran, there was a lot of initial chaos and even some looting.

But the Iranians put a stop to that very fast, and there was a huge effort by volunteers and rescuers. The survivors were quickly taken elsewhere, and there were no women raped on the streets or anything like that. Not at all.

36 posted on 09/02/2005 5:57:55 AM PDT by BlackVeil
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To: OESY
I have a buddy who grew up in NO. We were at lunch a couple of days ago and we saw the crowds starting to gather around the Superdome. He predicted exactly what would happen.

I was watching Houston TV this AM and a black gentleman that was just transported from the Superdome in NO to Houston said something like "I can't believe how our people acted. I'm so disappointed. We need men to stand up and act like men! But they didn't!"

37 posted on 09/02/2005 5:58:06 AM PDT by isthisnickcool (If fire fighters fight fire and crime fighters fight crime what do freedom fighters fight?)
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To: over3Owithabrain

Many who stayed were HOPING for exactly this type of situation. It is a criminal's paradise; little law enforcement and no armed citizens to stop them.


38 posted on 09/02/2005 5:58:10 AM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (G-d is not a Republican. But Satan is definitely a Democrat.)
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To: stopem

Yes but Prison Camps Where? What city and state?

my vote is for
Maricopa County, Arizona
with Sheriff Joe Arpaio in charge


39 posted on 09/02/2005 5:58:27 AM PDT by Phrostie
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To: ElTianti
Some lessons learned.

40 posted on 09/02/2005 5:58:47 AM PDT by usastandsunited
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