Are theories allowed? I think I may have had a lightbulb moment

[blonndee]

thanks to another DUer. But I know DU frowns on "conspiracy" and some get pissed by LIHOP/MIHOP stuff.

[sexybomber]

1. Go for it.

I've been seeing LIHOP / MIHOP stuff here ever since the storm hit. You wouldn't be the first to suggest it.

[Pam-Moby]

2. Lets here it!

[in_cog_ni_to]

3. My eyes are open. Lets have it!

:hi:

[blonndee]

4. Okay. I'm not the best at this, but here goes:

Thanks to "eminent domain" SC decision, private property really doesn't mean a damned thing anymore.

There's been a lot of talk about how Bushco might rebuild NO as a resort-type town and how it's so valuable as a port city and with oil refineries and stuff.

Is it possible that the scanty rumors about the levee being broken on purpose could be true? Or even if it was an accident, when Nagin called for help to repair the levee, help was promised and never came. Was that part of either the MIHOP plan or part of the LIHOP "opportunity?" And,

Could the deafening silence and lack of action to evacuate people be due in part or whole to SOMEBODY checking legal options, making sure everything became uninhabitable (remember the suspicious chemical plant fires?), and then, when help finally DID arrive, bussing the survivors to faraway places where the community is broken apart, making it even more difficult for them to return?

Remember, Halliburton got the cleanup contract BEFORE rescue came. So they WERE doing business deals in the meantime.

I'm not very eloquent when it comes to this type of thing, but hopefully this is clear enough to raise questions that might have answers to connect the dots. I realize other people have been speculating on lots of this stuff, but I think this might be the scratch outline, if you will, of what MAY have happened.

On edit: Also remember how quickly Bush moved to nominate Roberts for CJ.

[Carolab]

5. This is absolutely correct.

It's all about privatization and about implementing martial law so the Feds can seize the property and do "whatever" with it.

They want this area for private development.

They LIHOP, at the very least.

[lostinacause]

7. What LIHOP?

Regardless, if the federal government seized people’s property for private development they would alienate a great deal of their conservative base. It might be a good move for the city or state to do it in areas that are completely submerged. If things are to be reconstructed it would be a good time to change traffic planning and other infrastructure in certain areas.

[blonndee]

9. Right, the areas that are completely submerged are the poorest.

Edited to add: I don't think they would alienate ANY of their base. After all, they've been telling us how ruined it is. Remember Chimpy, "a new and better NO?" And his bitch momma reiterated that today.

[gumby]

18. Bush's "base" is the Overclass.

The "conservative base" is just as irrelevant to the Overclass as Michael Moore.

And anyhow, the "religious base" is busy preachin' that those who "have" are entitled to rule through any means necessary. Amen.

[kansasblue]

6. Nebraska is grabbing land under a flimsy 'blighted' law

I could see the same here. You just get a government agency to declare the area blighted and then the government and buy up the land.

You may be on to something. Would you consider the flooded portion of NO prime real estate?

[blonndee]

8. *I* wouldn't, but I'm not a multi-billionaire like some of

the people who really run the country...

Other DUers have been saying, Big Oil, Big Oil...I'm sure other neocons will grab their pieces of the pie too.

[gumby]

19. What????

What determines "blighted" in Nebraska? "Noxious Weeds?"

What are they doing?

[Jackpine Radical]

10. A thought and a technical point.

First, the thought: I guess we will see how the eminent domain thing plays out. If they grab the property, it will be prima-facie evidence for your idea. Too late to do much good for NO property owners, though.

Second, the technicality: I believe Halliburton (via KBR) only has the contract to clean up the military installations, not the civilian areas. And it was a contract that was awarded some time ago.

[blonndee]

12. Ok, thanks for the info on that. I'll check on that tomorrow. nt

[dweller]

13. i believe it was ABC news tonite

that were talking to some of the survivors, near the levee break that claimed to have heard an explosion before the levee gave. Nagin said nothing to it. Then there was a mention of a barge that might have had something to do with the break (i think that was implied). That was all the mention.

the folks interviewed believed it was to save the French Quarter...

that's all i remember from it.
dp

[Usrename]

14. after Betsy in '65 there were stories going around about

everone carrying a stick of dynamite in the trunk, just in case. But what's also interesting is the demographics. It's a win-win.

[tx_dem41]

15. How would it have saved the Quarter??? n/t

[Nikki Stone 1]

17. An explosion before the levees broke?

Any link on this?

[dweller]

25. just the evening news

i was suprised to hear it. Interview was with families that said their house had split in two, and mother's house washed away. Showed houses floating about. Then the mention of explosion, they were explaining to the newsguy what they heard, and reaction to it.

wish i had taped it now. ABC evening news, Labor day.

dp

[dweller]

27. here's one link

http://www.nola.com/newslogs/tporleans/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_tporleans/archives/2005_09.html#077196


dp

[spooked911]

28. wow-- I had speculated that the canal wall (part of the levee) was blown

on purpose. This would seem to fit with that idea. There were also some strange things with water levels around NOLA, I'll post more later.

One question-- how do we even know that it WASN'T terrorists that blew the levee in order to create this mess?

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. Randhi Rhodes actually voiced this

the other day

[MadeinOhio]

22. That sounds very interesting....

Could be that Halliburton had it sabatoged to install a no-bid contract for the oil refineries.....

Makes ExxonMobil look good. +

[NYC]

23. What mind can conceive, man can achieve.

Yes, what you said is possible.

[slaveplanet]

24. pay no attention

to that man behind the curtain!

[blonndee]

11. So is this it? The more I think about it the more I think that this

is what happened...

If it is, I really think I have lost all hope.

[goclark]

16. I think it is MI/LIHOP but that is just me

I do believe they will take over NO and that Trent Lott will have water front property.


I do believe that this will run all of the Black people out of NO, there property will be taken.

I believe they are putting people on Concetration buses and breaking up families ON PURPOSE!

[spooked911]

26. I think you're right and it is VERY depressing

and it's even worse than you might think. I think they can make hurricanes go where they want.

[OneBlueSky]

20. coming soon . . . "Big Easy World" . . .

marvelous casinos, luxury hi-rises, a Disney park for the kiddies, and a Starbucks on every corner . . . compensation to property owners? . . . about five cents on the dollar (pre-disaster valuations) . . .

[Alexodin]

29. Insured for hurricane not flood

MSNBC just reported that many home owners are being informed that this was a "flood" and not a hurricane as far as their insurance policies are concerened. They may have had insurance against hurricane damage but they couldn't buy flood insurance for obvious reasons. The insurance companies are fortunate it wasn't a hurricane, man they are lucky.

[dweller]

30. that's a fine line

if the hurricane caused the flood, or the levee break and then flood.

dp

[philb]

31. thats the way insurers regularly get out of paying in Florida

Lots from last years hurrincanes in Florida have never gotten paid, or help, and likely won't.

Insurers apparently define "hurricane damage" as wind damage

The "flood damage" apparently had nothing to do with the hurricane's winds. It was caused by a big rain storm.