BP Booker
Banned
A feel good piece, mostly based on the international response to Hurricane Katrina:
Article published in The London Overseer Newspaper on November 9th, 2004
Capitalist and Socialist Worlds come together to aid struggling New Orleans
The American city of New Orleans, the largest of the State of Louisiana Soc. Republic, is one of Americas most peculiar and distinctive cities: It is the birthplace of Jazz and the Mardi Gras parade, its architecture, both old and new, rank high amongst American cities in uniqueness thanks to her French heritage, it is a cultural, political and financial centre of the region and the country at large; “The Manhattan of the South”
But in the past months the city’s residents have lived much hardship and tribulation: starring from August torrential rains have poured on the city and the surrounding areas in Texas and Mississippi, but having a more detrimental effect in New Orleans. The city, like most of Louisiana, lies below sea level and it is composed mostly of swamp, which makes her particularly vulnerable to flooding. The counter act this, and because Louisiana is located geographically in a hurricane red zone, the cities government has built several “levees”, or damns, to starve off potential flooding.
But the near constant rain in the month of August proved too much for the leaves, many of which were ranked as “inadequate” duo to age by the authorities, which were hoping to refurbish them before the 2005 Hurricane Season. The damns broke in around 45 different places On September 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, and flooded what were mostly residential districts: As of writing this article, more than half the city lies underwater or in ruin. The problem has only been exacerbated by the fact that a good portion of the city lies in reclaimed land, drained during the 1980s and 90s at the height of a population boom (Not unlike Hong Kong and Singapore)
The numbers are unclear, but the American government fears that up to 2000 people have died, and many more are missing. Hundreds of thousands have lost their homes or jobs, and the city at large is suffering from blackouts and water shortages. Even those not living on the city have felt the shock waves as trade and commerce from the metropolis has halted, the Port of New Orleans, which provides jobs for many people in the humbler towns along the Orleans District, has closed down dou to unsafe working conditions. There have also been negative environmental consequences. The American ecological organization Greenwave believes that along with several tons of rubbish from destroyed buildings, the Mississippi river, which cuts the city in half, has been contaminated by spilled chemicals from abandoned factories. The total cost in damages is expected to be more than a hundred billion dollars, although the American government has dismissed the material costs as “unimportant” in the face of the human tragedy
The government’s response to the events has initially severely criticized duo the imposition of “No Go Zone” surroundings the city, in an effort to prevent masses of people overwhelming the still dangerous city. Many were stopped near the city limits as they were either on their way to check on family and friends, or were part of volunteer organizations. Photos of pleading families and frustrated aid workers arguing, and sometimes begging, with soldiers caused outrage and controversy at the bottleneck caused by what was seen as an ineffective bureaucracy. The government has since streamlined the process and aid workers and supplies have had little trouble coming and going from the flooded city, even those from other Soc. States or even foreign nations. Which is the subject of our article:
“The response has been overwhelming, just overwhelming, and so positive, the people of New Orleans and America will be forever grateful” said Foreign Secretary Thom Durant, himself a Louisiana native, on a press Conference. Immediately after the catastrophe dozens of nations around the world pledged substantial sums of money, amongst them the nations of the Pan-American Conference. Several hundred volunteers from Mexico have arrived to help look for missing people, staff shelters and rebuild homes. “The Americans have always have our back” said Benito Lazcara, who came all the way from Chiapas state, which is on the other side of his country, “They always send their people when there is a hurricane in Yucatan or when there was the earthquake in Mexico City, we have to help each other, they won’t be alone”.
Other nations have also sent millions worth in aid, including food, medicine, clothing and other essentials. Japan has been of the most generous nations, in part because of the American aid it received after 1995 Kobe earthquake. Iran and Venezuela have sent, or are in the process of sending, up to million barrels in Oil. The USSR has also sent technical and mechanical equipment.
Such international generosity is not unheard of between Comintern nations, as stated before, America played a substantial role during the reconstruction effort in Mexico City and Kobe. But the response from the ideologically opposed FBU and her allies has been surprising. The Foreign Ministry, after gibing an emotional address to the people of New Orelans, declared that it was temporarily lifting the stringent economic restrictions between both nations, allowing for individual citizens and organizations to donate credit and money. Many student organizations, political parties and Trade Unions have amassed non-trivial amounts of money.
“The people of the city of New Orelans have suffered much in the last month, and they will need all the help they can get, no matter from how far away or comes or what type of government is giving it” said the Prime Minister today.
“Well of course I don’t like the American government, I don’t like communism and all that” said Victoria Williams, who is the head of her universities constative student’s organization “but people are people and we have a moral responsibility to lend a helping hand”. Miss Williams is organizing a charity race with her school’s socialists and liberal student councils.
India, Australia and South Africa have also pledged to send help. Even internationally isolated Rhodesia sent a few million pounds, although the American government rejected this last offer.
The most dramatic turn of events, however, did not occur across the Atlantic but just a few hundred miles over in the Caribbean. Cuba, a nation that does not recognize the UASR as the legitimate government of the country, and claims to be the sole government of the now defunct United States, is said to have sent a private diplomatic cable to America via its limited diplomatic channels, express their condolences. There was however no public declaration from its foreign department. Instead, thousands of people gathered to candle light vigil for the souls of those lost and afraid in New Orleans. It was not a government backed event, and it was almost canceled by the authorities, Pope Felix’s address to America is said to have changed (or at least worried about the Catholic population reaction) their minds at the last minute
A news report that has gone viral on the internet may be the emblematic symbol of this International unity brought upon by disaster. A young man, Ellis, is being interviewed by a PBS News anchor. “I don’t have nothing now” said Ellis with tears in his eyes and a photo of his missing mother “And it was really cold and dark and I was hungry in the shelter and a really nice man from Mexico, gave me this blanket, and now it’s less cold. And someone brought in a generator with Cyrillic written on it and now it’s less dark, and someone brought us some muffins with French writing on it and now I aint hungry. And I know someone out here is praying for me to find my mom and Im not scared anymore that Im not gonna find her and that were not gonna get better and were get up again, because the whole world is watching, and the whole world wants us to get better. So thank you thank you thank you! Thank you to the whole world!”
Article published in The London Overseer Newspaper on November 9th, 2004
Capitalist and Socialist Worlds come together to aid struggling New Orleans
The American city of New Orleans, the largest of the State of Louisiana Soc. Republic, is one of Americas most peculiar and distinctive cities: It is the birthplace of Jazz and the Mardi Gras parade, its architecture, both old and new, rank high amongst American cities in uniqueness thanks to her French heritage, it is a cultural, political and financial centre of the region and the country at large; “The Manhattan of the South”
But in the past months the city’s residents have lived much hardship and tribulation: starring from August torrential rains have poured on the city and the surrounding areas in Texas and Mississippi, but having a more detrimental effect in New Orleans. The city, like most of Louisiana, lies below sea level and it is composed mostly of swamp, which makes her particularly vulnerable to flooding. The counter act this, and because Louisiana is located geographically in a hurricane red zone, the cities government has built several “levees”, or damns, to starve off potential flooding.
But the near constant rain in the month of August proved too much for the leaves, many of which were ranked as “inadequate” duo to age by the authorities, which were hoping to refurbish them before the 2005 Hurricane Season. The damns broke in around 45 different places On September 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, and flooded what were mostly residential districts: As of writing this article, more than half the city lies underwater or in ruin. The problem has only been exacerbated by the fact that a good portion of the city lies in reclaimed land, drained during the 1980s and 90s at the height of a population boom (Not unlike Hong Kong and Singapore)
The numbers are unclear, but the American government fears that up to 2000 people have died, and many more are missing. Hundreds of thousands have lost their homes or jobs, and the city at large is suffering from blackouts and water shortages. Even those not living on the city have felt the shock waves as trade and commerce from the metropolis has halted, the Port of New Orleans, which provides jobs for many people in the humbler towns along the Orleans District, has closed down dou to unsafe working conditions. There have also been negative environmental consequences. The American ecological organization Greenwave believes that along with several tons of rubbish from destroyed buildings, the Mississippi river, which cuts the city in half, has been contaminated by spilled chemicals from abandoned factories. The total cost in damages is expected to be more than a hundred billion dollars, although the American government has dismissed the material costs as “unimportant” in the face of the human tragedy
The government’s response to the events has initially severely criticized duo the imposition of “No Go Zone” surroundings the city, in an effort to prevent masses of people overwhelming the still dangerous city. Many were stopped near the city limits as they were either on their way to check on family and friends, or were part of volunteer organizations. Photos of pleading families and frustrated aid workers arguing, and sometimes begging, with soldiers caused outrage and controversy at the bottleneck caused by what was seen as an ineffective bureaucracy. The government has since streamlined the process and aid workers and supplies have had little trouble coming and going from the flooded city, even those from other Soc. States or even foreign nations. Which is the subject of our article:
“The response has been overwhelming, just overwhelming, and so positive, the people of New Orleans and America will be forever grateful” said Foreign Secretary Thom Durant, himself a Louisiana native, on a press Conference. Immediately after the catastrophe dozens of nations around the world pledged substantial sums of money, amongst them the nations of the Pan-American Conference. Several hundred volunteers from Mexico have arrived to help look for missing people, staff shelters and rebuild homes. “The Americans have always have our back” said Benito Lazcara, who came all the way from Chiapas state, which is on the other side of his country, “They always send their people when there is a hurricane in Yucatan or when there was the earthquake in Mexico City, we have to help each other, they won’t be alone”.
Other nations have also sent millions worth in aid, including food, medicine, clothing and other essentials. Japan has been of the most generous nations, in part because of the American aid it received after 1995 Kobe earthquake. Iran and Venezuela have sent, or are in the process of sending, up to million barrels in Oil. The USSR has also sent technical and mechanical equipment.
Such international generosity is not unheard of between Comintern nations, as stated before, America played a substantial role during the reconstruction effort in Mexico City and Kobe. But the response from the ideologically opposed FBU and her allies has been surprising. The Foreign Ministry, after gibing an emotional address to the people of New Orelans, declared that it was temporarily lifting the stringent economic restrictions between both nations, allowing for individual citizens and organizations to donate credit and money. Many student organizations, political parties and Trade Unions have amassed non-trivial amounts of money.
“The people of the city of New Orelans have suffered much in the last month, and they will need all the help they can get, no matter from how far away or comes or what type of government is giving it” said the Prime Minister today.
“Well of course I don’t like the American government, I don’t like communism and all that” said Victoria Williams, who is the head of her universities constative student’s organization “but people are people and we have a moral responsibility to lend a helping hand”. Miss Williams is organizing a charity race with her school’s socialists and liberal student councils.
India, Australia and South Africa have also pledged to send help. Even internationally isolated Rhodesia sent a few million pounds, although the American government rejected this last offer.
The most dramatic turn of events, however, did not occur across the Atlantic but just a few hundred miles over in the Caribbean. Cuba, a nation that does not recognize the UASR as the legitimate government of the country, and claims to be the sole government of the now defunct United States, is said to have sent a private diplomatic cable to America via its limited diplomatic channels, express their condolences. There was however no public declaration from its foreign department. Instead, thousands of people gathered to candle light vigil for the souls of those lost and afraid in New Orleans. It was not a government backed event, and it was almost canceled by the authorities, Pope Felix’s address to America is said to have changed (or at least worried about the Catholic population reaction) their minds at the last minute
A news report that has gone viral on the internet may be the emblematic symbol of this International unity brought upon by disaster. A young man, Ellis, is being interviewed by a PBS News anchor. “I don’t have nothing now” said Ellis with tears in his eyes and a photo of his missing mother “And it was really cold and dark and I was hungry in the shelter and a really nice man from Mexico, gave me this blanket, and now it’s less cold. And someone brought in a generator with Cyrillic written on it and now it’s less dark, and someone brought us some muffins with French writing on it and now I aint hungry. And I know someone out here is praying for me to find my mom and Im not scared anymore that Im not gonna find her and that were not gonna get better and were get up again, because the whole world is watching, and the whole world wants us to get better. So thank you thank you thank you! Thank you to the whole world!”
