NBC "Dateline" 7 PM tonight "Hurricane Katrina: The First Five Days," rips the handling of the

[kittykitty]

the crisis at the Superdome. I saw Brian Williams on Charlie Rose earlier this week and he was livid in recalling the situation. He had some choice words for "those in charge".


"Hurricane Katrina: The First Five Days," a "Dateline" special airs at 7 p.m. Sunday on NBC. NBC News anchorman Brian Williams did outstanding work in helping focus national attention on New Orleans five years ago.

[Rhiannon12866]

1. I remember seeing him on The Daily Show after it happened

He was right there at the time and extremely upset about what he had witnessed. :(

[Warpy]

2. All the media, even Pox News, did their jobs then

and I was astonished by the coverage it got. I haven't seen anything covered that well or with that much barely suppressed outrage since Vietnam.

It's good that it's being repeated now. Not only is it the 5 year anniversary, it's a good reminder of why small government only works for the rich and why the rest of us need to keep Republicans out of office.

[Rhiannon12866]

3. That's an excellent point.

People need to be reminded and this is the perfect time, with all the insanity that's obscuring the important issues just now... :(

[XOKCowboy]

18. Some still say they brought it on themselves...

Thanks to the indoctrination from Fox News. That always sickened me. I've been down there dozens of times and always loved the warmth of the people there.

[Mimosa]

4. Thanks for mentioning this.

I might watch. But it's traumatising for me.

[kittykitty]

5. Brian was inside for the hurricane and watched as the roof blew off. n/t

[prolesunited]

6. Watching now

Really heart-breaking to see all of the smiling faces before the storm. Sure, there was some trepidation, but the mood seemed rather upbeat. They had no idea about what was to come.

[JanetLovesObama]

7. I wonder if they'll show us

the cops shooting and killing the innocent people there. Made me sick.

[ThatsMyBarack]

9. Cry for help....

The get a fucking POLICE STATE!!! :mad:

[flvegan]

8. It has thus far been very good.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

11. Agreed (40 minutes in). My only complaint is agout Williams's reporting on violence.

and danger. He said NBC pulled out to Metairie because CNN did. He reports being frightened by seeing a youth with a handgun. But how many SHOTS did he witness or hear?

This is important, because the Bush Admin's cover story is that deployment of ARMED FORCE had to precede delivery of water and food.

That showed the folly of putting FEMA under the new Dept of Homeland Security. "Security" had to take precedence over emergency assistance to human beings, unlike the order of priorities for FEMA in all previous administrations.

[ThatsMyBarack]

10. Brian tells it like it WAS!

I wonder if Obama is watching. What would he say?

[ThatsMyBarack]

12. "Heckuva job!"

Fuck Dumbya & Brownie!! :mad:

[AnArmyVeteran]

20. Bush keeps looking stupider & stupider as time goes by.

Ten years ago I thought Bush was dumber than dirt. But with each time I have the misfortune of seeing him or his picture it disgusts me even more. And I sit in bewilderment at how someone who is as much of a dolt as Bush is could ever become president. It's like I'm being transported to the Bizarro World where up is down and black is white. Bush and his corporate owners virtually destroyed this country and we all need to remind others of just how horrible things are because of Bush & republican rule.

'Heckuva Job' my ass. I'm glad Brian Williams showed that clip a few times in his film tonight.

[Ineeda]

13. Watching and remembering...

and waffling between tears, rage and nausea.

[malaise]

14. Hard to watch even though we own a copy of Spike Lee's

When the Levees broke. I'm in tears again - Bush et al should have been tried for treason over NOLA.

[kittykitty]

15. New Spike Lee film on NOLA, 2 parts on HBO 8/30 & 8/31

Now Mr. Lee is back on HBO with another four-hour documentary about the aftermath of Katrina, “If God Is Willing and da Creek Don’t Rise,” playing in two parts on Monday and Tuesday nights.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/arts/television/23creek.html

[Scruffy1]

16. Check out "The Big Easy to the Big Empty"-Greg Palast

[EFerrari]

23. That is a great piece of reporting and Greg got arrested by Homeland Security

for his pains.

[XOKCowboy]

17. Just on here in Denver. Absolutely devastating..

I remember that night so well. Followed it right here on DU.

[AnArmyVeteran]

19. I just watched it and Brian did a great job in extremely tough circumstances.

[Suich]

21. This is really hard to watch.

:cry:

[Mimosa]

22. It was.

Who, I watched it, but it brought back lots of pain. :(

[Steely_Dan]

24. How Soon We Forget....

I had forgotten how bad it was. It was so hard to watch tonight. I had tears in my eyes. Hard to believe how these people were treated. Simple things like food and water...What happened?

-P

[Mimosa]

25. I wish I could forget

Steely Dan, in part the reason why there was no effective government response was because so many National Guard troops and equipment was deployed in Iraq at that time.

I have posted here before about how my friends and I noticed reinforcement work on the 17th Street canal/levee cease when the War in Iraq started. And frequently while driving on Airline Highways during the years between 2002 and 2005, we'd notice trains carrying many freight cars loaded with Hummers and other military equipment.

The wars in the Middle East were what the Bush administration cared about.

[indepat]

26. I will always wonder if my being so livid upon seeing those images was a factor in my stroke

on September 3, 2005 for which all the medical professionals to this day have been unable to offer a clue as to why I had had that stroke. :shrug:

[PatriotPaul]

27. As a tourist inside the Superdome this show was incredible.

By far, I found last night's program the best I had ever seen on Katrina. I was moved to tears as was my partner. I happened to have been a San Diegan trapped in the Superdome during Katrina and William's portrayal of the conditions was right on. Anyone not moved by this broadcast is seriously lacking some compassion.

Paul Harris
Author, "Diary From the Dome, Reflections on Fear and Privilege During Katrina"

P.S. For those who keep perpetuating the myths, approximately 85-90% of NOLA citizens DID evacuate, much higher than many other evacuations. Also most don't know that the Airport, Amtrak, and Greyhound were all shut down a day BEFORE the mandatory evacuation.

[uppityperson]

28. kick to mark to check your book out later.

Fear and Privilege indeed.