The Cellar - View Single Post

glatt · 08-31-2005, 04:20 PM

Yes. You can clearly blame the leaders. They didn't have a plan. But there is an even bigger issue here.

You could go to sleep each night in a bed underneath a 500 pound anvil, tied to an old hemp rope, suspended from the ceiling. You hire someone to watch the anvil and inspect the rope, and you assume that it's safe. You sleep there each night, and wake up in the morning without a smashed skull. After 30 years of doing this, you just take it on faith that the old hemp rope will hold, and the anvil won't fall. Then one night it falls, and your kids blame the guy who was supposed to be inspecting the rope? Why were you sleeping under a dangling anvil?

New Orleans was below the level of the ocean. It was surround by water on almost all sides. It was going to flood. It was just a question of time.

The real question is why do we as a society allow people to build houses in such a stupid place? Sure, New Orleans used to be higher and it sank, but once it was below sea level, it was time to stop investing in that particular real estate.

I understand that it's home to a lot of people, and that they will want to go home and rebuild. I honestly can't blame them. But why should we enable them to do that by sending them our money?

New Orleans WILL flood again. It WILL. Why on earth would we help anyone build on that land again? The same goes for all beachfront property in hurricane country. There is risk everywhere, but some places are so obviously risky, they should not be insured by anyone. Including the government.

08-31-2005, 04:20 PM	#3
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Yes. You can clearly blame the leaders. They didn't have a plan. But there is an even bigger issue here. You could go to sleep each night in a bed underneath a 500 pound anvil, tied to an old hemp rope, suspended from the ceiling. You hire someone to watch the anvil and inspect the rope, and you assume that it's safe. You sleep there each night, and wake up in the morning without a smashed skull. After 30 years of doing this, you just take it on faith that the old hemp rope will hold, and the anvil won't fall. Then one night it falls, and your kids blame the guy who was supposed to be inspecting the rope? Why were you sleeping under a dangling anvil? New Orleans was below the level of the ocean. It was surround by water on almost all sides. It was going to flood. It was just a question of time. The real question is why do we as a society allow people to build houses in such a stupid place? Sure, New Orleans used to be higher and it sank, but once it was below sea level, it was time to stop investing in that particular real estate. I understand that it's home to a lot of people, and that they will want to go home and rebuild. I honestly can't blame them. But why should we enable them to do that by sending them our money? New Orleans WILL flood again. It WILL. Why on earth would we help anyone build on that land again? The same goes for all beachfront property in hurricane country. There is risk everywhere, but some places are so obviously risky, they should not be insured by anyone. Including the government. Last edited by glatt; 08-31-2005 at 04:25 PM.