Former secretary of state Powell critical of US response to Katrina

[NightOwwl]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell had tough words for federal, state and local authorities on their response to Hurricane Katrina in a television interview to air Friday. "I think there have been a lot of failures at a lot of levels --- local, state and federal," Powell said in an interview with the ABC News program "20/20," to air late Friday. "There was more than enough warning over time about the dangers to New Orleans. Not enough was done. I don't think advantage was taken of the time that was available to us, and I just don't know why," he said.

Powell was asked if the slipshod government response to the disaster was due to racism, since the overwhelming majority of the victims are poor African-Americans. "I don't think its racism, I think its economic," Powell said. "When you look at those who werent able to get out, it should have been a blinding flash of the obvious to everybody that when you order a mandatory evacuation, you cant expect everybody to evacuate on their own.

"These are people who dont have credit cards; only one in ten families at that economic level in New Orleans have a car. So it wasn't a racial thing --- but poverty disproportionately affects African-Americans in this country. And it happened because they were poor," he said.

ABC interviewed Powell via telephone Thursday morning for his reaction to the government response to Katrina after the former top US diplomat visited shelters in Dallas, Texas. The bulk of ABC's sit-down interview with Powell, his first major interview since leaving government in January 2005, was on Iraq and the US-led war on terror.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/usweatherpowell;_ylt=AmsSU72Q57cHx7pOblY3.Ois0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--


***Sorry if this is a dupe. Search feature disabled***

[Lochloosa]

1. Go Fuck yourself Powell

[skooooo]

2. ...lol

Colin cares, he really does!

[NightOwwl]

3. Tell us how you really feel Lochloosa.

:7

[politick]

5. well

racism and economics are so closely linked that it does become blurry there. It's more a matter, I think, of The Other. If it was all "poor white trash," would the response have been much different? I don't know; but I doubt it. It's just doubly bad to be poor and black.

To clarify: I agree that it's inherantly racist, because our national racism here is so ingrained and institutional. But the real divide, IMHO, is class and economics. While I despise Powell on many levels, I don't think he's strictly wrong here.

[UpInArms]

10. my one fervent wish, was that RayGun would be reincarnated as

as poor, old, black woman.

[politick]

11. who

is RayGun? (sorry...)

[Don Claybrook]

12. Ronald Reagan

Renamed RayGun because of his SDI pipe dream, also known as "Star Wars", in which space-based lasers were supposed to shoot down enemy nuke missiles.

[politick]

14. ahhh.....

i knew that. sorry...

[UpInArms]

15. you know - that piece of shit that the neo-cons want to put

a monument in every county, on some piece of currency or coin, on Mount Rushmore, etc.

RayGun - the one who play in the Gipper movies - Death Valley Days - Bonzo goes to Washington.

[Prodemsouth]

18. Yeah but underneath it all he would know he was Reagan. That

is a more fitting punishment. He is Reagan of 1980 full mental facilities and all in the body of a poor black woman.

[UpInArms]

19. yes, I like that visual

knowledge of "who" one thinks one to be, yet to find themselves somehow disadvantaged for what:

being old
being poor
being black
being female

[Prodemsouth]

20. Babs Bush too- just immediate transfer, Reagan comes back to

life but has to walk around as old poor black woman just like Babs Bush, Reagan also get AIDS from a blood transfusion. George W Bush has to become a unemployed gay black drag queen whose bar "she" was employed at is destroyed in New Orleans. All know who they really are but are forced to live their lives in these bodies.

[krkaufman]

26. No, he's not strictly wrong. In fact, he underscored the core problem....

... when he said, "...poverty disproportionately affects African-Americans in this country."

There is a degree of racism in the fact that we have allowed endemic poverty to persist in the black community, especially at such a disproportionate rate relative to other demographics. And there was a degree of racism, arguably, in the lack of urgency in getting aid to the dehydrating and starving multitudes at the Superdome and Convention Center.

[SemperEadem]

40. If this occured in Appalachia, I believe the response

would have been the same. If it happened on an Indigenous American reservation, the response would have been the same.

The government used this disaster to cull the poor in the Gulf states--it was faster than starving them to death through reduced welfare payments.

The poor in this country are viewed as leeches on the exchequer of the government--no matter what their skin color is. It just so happened that this disaster occurred in a predominately poor black area---but you can rest assured that there are quite a few poor whites in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama who are in the very same predicament as the poor blacks--and they were abandoned by their own race, too, because they were poor.

This has exposed the glaring class/caste ideology that this country is so desperate to cover up and ignore.

[EC]

4. This is what really pisses me off

about the RW, So it wasn't a racial thing --- but poverty disproportionately affects African-Americans in this country. And it happened because they were poor," he said.


They know very well their policies are aimed at institutional racism...

[ignatius 2]

6. Hey Powell,you ought to know about failures, remember whoring

for the Iraq war, using your credibility at the UN meeting because the other jackoffs in the administration had none?

"Not enough was done...I don't know why."

My God,man, there was shopping to finish for Condi,guitars to pick for the king and Rummy had to watch a baseball game.

Priorities,you know.

[Evergreen Emerald]

7. He and McCain had opportunity to show courage

In the face of the neo-con agenda. And they both failed. They shilled for the admin. and sold their souls in the process. There is nothing either of them can say that will make up for their part in the destruction of America.

[TomInTib]

8. Did you all read this all the way through? It was quite legit, and

astonishingly honest. I really think that this is more about the politics of poverty and wealth than it is about race. I was actually impressed by the frankness of his response.

[Robb]

22. I did

And I agree. Although I also echo other sentiments here, that Powell rather botched what I like to call his right to do other than just shut the fuck up. ;)

[goclark]

49. He is a COLD and MEAN man

I was trying to prepare myself to hear him act compassionate, but NO.

My mouth was open and would not close.
At every corner, he was very detached.
If you read his eyes, you saw the arrogance.


As an African American, I was not proud at his response.

He should have given a much stronger opinion about the injustice to his people.

Maybe because he is from the Islands, he forgets that he is "really just BLACK to White America."

[Lochloosa]

31. No I did not read any of it...and why

because I sat in rapt attention during his speech at the UN. I have heard enough!

[Massacure]

59. Situations change.

If you did not read it, your not in a position to respond.

[sandnsea]

46. Well what in the hell ARE the politics of wealth???

Is it an accident that white people in this country are STILL the wealthiest?

How does that keep happening? It's a mystery I tell ya...

:banghead:

:argh:

[TheCowsCameHome]

9. And who would pay attention to him anyway? He's sold his soul

to the whores at the top of the Republican party.

Adios, Colin. No one listens to you anymore.

[AlCzervik]

13. So i guess Dim-son won't be making him "Hurricane Czar"

[Carni]

16. Damn -- does Colin actually have a tiny conscience?

My My how could this be? Way too little too late general-

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mitchum]

21. This act is getting very old, Colin

you sold out any potential moral authority a long time ago

[daleo]

23. Powell did to Iraq what nature did to New Orleans.

He had no compunctions about killing tens of thousands of innocents to further his career. At least nature is a mindless force. He has no such excuse. Maybe heartless, but not mindless.

[MaryBear]

25. Let's be real, here!

Life is complicated. No one is right all the time. The bigger the frog in the pond, the more her bumps and wrinkles show. Powell is a big frog -- and at least he's putting the light of truth on this issue right now.

Poverty is the problem, in addition to race, but people couldn't get out because they were poor. And Bushco did nothing because they could do nothing for him.

[krkaufman]

27. Ah, but there's the rub....

Your comment...

"Bushco did nothing because they could do nothing for him."

... implies that BushCo is indifferent to the poor because they dont' vote for him -- an erroneous position since many poor people do, in fact, vote for him.

HOWEVER, poor BLACKS do NOT vote for him. The particular cause/effect you specified is more determined by skin color than economic class.

[MaryBear]

29. It was not cause/effect necessarily.

I agree with Laura Bush in that he probably does care for "the people." As did Marie Antoinette, not knowing there was neither bread nor cake for the poor, however, he pays attention where it serves him. He did not realize the cost of not recognizing this particular situation for what it is. Many poor do vote for him; however they don't have much else to contribute, and that's what he needs now -- the else of money. However, in this case the humanitarian fallout is large enough that someone like Colin Powell is going after him/them. I believe the argument is sound. Most likely a parallel, sound argument might be made for your point. I just disagree with its significance in this case.

[krkaufman]

30. Oh, I wasn't making a case that he didn't act because he didn't care

I was just arguing w/ the statement that he didn't act because "they couldn't do anything for him."

I *do* agree w/ your basic point, in that he would only have acted had he (his handlers, really) seen an obvious political benefit in acting. Lacking the immediacy of politically whoring themselves, their response was guided by their base level of competency and caring; that is, approaching nil.

[SemperEadem]

41. No

implies that BushCo is indifferent to the poor because they dont' vote for him -- an erroneous position since many poor people do, in fact, vote for him

No, because most of the poor blacks in NOLA are Democrats and vote Democrat. Poor whites probably voted for * in larger numbers than poor blacks on average. I would say that blacks with some means voted for * mainly because of the gay marriage ban issue. The poor blacks knew from the jump that they weren't invited to any party thrown by * and his ilk.

[barbaraann]

28. Good cop/bad cop

Colin Powell is just another evil Republican who will do and say anything he is ordered to no matter how many people suffer.

I think the GOP has certain people who are supposed to look like they offer an alternative within the party in case the leaders fail on important issues.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

32. Right! We should never forget that re-pukes are far more adroit & shrewd

than anything the democratic “leadership” has shown in the past six years. Re-pukes are masters of damage control throught manipulation of MSM and their ace in the hole, talk radio (maintains the idiot's base).

[barbaraann]

39. I think Hagel's a backup, too.

n/t

[DamnYank]

33. BBC: Powell criticizes storm response (criticism "heartbreaking" to * )

Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell has added his voice to criticism of the hurricane rescue effort. Mr Powell said he could not understand why more preparations had not been made, in an interview to be broadcast on US television on Friday.

A new opinion poll by the Pew Research Center suggests two-thirds of Americans think President George Bush could have done more in the disaster aftermath.

US Under-Secretary of State Karen Hughes backed the president's response.

She said allegations that he was not doing all he could to help were heartbreaking to him.

'Blinding obvious'

American political figures in both the Republican and Democrat parties have criticised the slow response to the disaster.

The BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says Mr Powell's views will be listened to with particular interest - as a highly respected figure and a prominent black American.

Mr Powell told ABC there had been "a lot of failures at a lot of levels - local, state and federal".

"There was more than enough warning over time about the dangers to New Orleans. Not enough was done," he said.

The Pew Research Center poll indicated that two-thirds of the African-Americans questioned believed the government reaction would have been faster if most of those affected had been white.


But Mr Powell said so many African-Americans were left unprotected because they were poor, rather than because they were black.

It "should have been a blinding flash of the obvious... that when you order a mandatory evacuation, you can't expect everybody to evacuate on their own", he said.

Mr Powell's interview comes amid a growing partisan rift over the form of an inquiry into the government response.

Democratic leaders said they would refuse to appoint members to a committee that Republican leaders plan to create.

Republicans said they would aim to go ahead, despite the threatened boycott. One accused the Democrats of seeking to score political points in the aftermath of the disaster.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/americas/4229238.stm

[atommom]

34. Heartbreaking? How can you break something that isn't there?

[speedoo]

35. Well, thanks a lot you traitor.

You are responsible for this mess even though you resigned.

Because you led us into Iraq, and that's where the NG from AL, MS and LA are.

Just more evidence of your failed career.

[Frederik]

36. blinding flash of the obvious

Indeed. So Colin, do you realize now that you've been hanging out with the wrong crowd? If so, are you willing to tell Fitzgerald everything you know about these criminals? If not, feel free to go Cheney yourself.

[peacefreak]

37. What does * have on Powell?

After being burned so baldly by the administration at the U.N., why does he let himself be used as an apologist one more time??? Colin, show some real dignity.

[mitchum]

38. His son's rising fortunes

Blood is thicker than the blood of others

[MaryBear]

42. Clinton got Powell's son the job,

initially, not Bush.

[mitchum]

53. And I'm no fan of the ever accomodating Clinton (either of them)

[MaryBear]

55. We disagree on that point, mitchum.

[mitchum]

56. Okay, that's fine. But what is Bill Clinton's liberal legacy after...

his 8 years in office?
I have wracked my brain trying to think of one.

[MaryBear]

57. Have you read his book?

Any thoughts on what you read?

[mitchum]

58. "Oh, he may have had the "best of intentions", but I don't see any...

evidence of a legacy of liberal policy.
Where is Clinton's New Deal?
Where is his Great Society?
Welfare Reform???!!! NAFTA???!!! Media Consolidation???!!!
Here is the problem that i have with the Clintons and the "Third Way"
Liberalism arose as a necessary corrective to the ravages of capitalism and economic oppression. The moderate philosophy of the DLC politicians weakens the corrective. Why would anyone treat a venomous snakebite with a diluted antidote?

Despite his obvious high intelligence, Clinton seems to confuse his "good heart" with actual progressive accomplishments. Bill Clinton likes himself(and presumably me) a great deal. I can not, in good conscience, feel the same for him.

[MaryBear]

60. So you read it through?

I think he makes a good case for accomplishments, with or without a name for it. The times were different. He was countering a well orchestrated movement to dismantle the Great Society and New Deal. And in my opinion he did a good job of it. I'd vote for him again. If he'd had a third term, a legacy would be obvious, and we'd not likely be in the mess we find outselves.

[MaryBear]

43. Is this a repost of the original thread post?

[kestrel91316]

44. So it's the CRITICISM that's "heartbreaking"?? Not the deaths???

Newsflash to Bush: It isn't about you! It's about your victims.

[cyr330]

45. He can go fuck himself

That "Uncle Tom" can just eat shit. He's already gotten plenty of people killed with his lies about WMD. Listening to him pontificate about the hurricane just makes me sick. He should just shut the fuck up; has he no shame?

[llmart]

47. What you said....

Harry Belafonte was 100% correct about this poor excuse for a human being. He did his "massuh's" bidding rather than take a principled stand and he is equally responsible for the deaths in Iraq.

[NNN0LHI]

48. Why wasn't Powell critical of Bush for all the blacks Jeb didn't let vote?

Seems to me I can remember video of Bush and Powell wearing a ten gallon hat meeting together down at Bush's "ranch" long before the votes were even "counted" in 2000. Is this the same guy?

Don

[goclark]

50. He was so busy being happy about Bush coming to his house for dinner

He was too DUMB to realize that Bush and Pickles came to dinner to
make sure he kept his mouth shut.


And he jumped right in line, the company line.

[BronxBoy]

51. Well I'll be Damed.......

A Black Conservative speaks...........

Where were you 2 weeks ago???? Let me guess, still working on your powerpoint presentation.

I hate these people

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

52. a token response from a "token"

I used to think that Colin Powell was a great man, until he became part of GW Bush's regime.

He sold himself.

Further, his son is a sell out too, in his position with the FEC.

[Algorem]

54. he sees that big broom coming,trying to avoid the dustbin of history

dust mite Powell