Hurricane Katrina dossier posted by Richard Seymour

This is a post collecting all material from Lenin's Tomb on Hurricane Katrina, its foreground and aftermath. It is list chronologically, in descending order.

The Politics of the Weather
On the privatisation of the emergency management services to IEM (for a cool $500,000) and the failure of mayor Ray Nagin to make adequate preparations for poor residents of New Orleans.

Spot the Difference
On the racist coverage of the 'looting'.

The Politics of Weather Redux
Follow-up on the catastrophic neglect of New Orleans' residents.

The Politics of Weather 3: the shyness of experts
IEM attempts to cover up its role in the failure of hurricane preparations, and is exposed with the help of some screen grabs.

Natural disasters and free market fundamentalism
More on IEM's past and present failures, as well as a brief on James Lee Witt Associates - a partner in the IEM grab of emergency management.

God punches America for Gaza's Sake
Zionist nutter says God is punishing America for the Gaza withdrawal.

Letter from Louisiana
An on the ground report from Marxist literary theorist Carl Friedman.

Katrina, Katif and Katyusha: are they by any chance related?
Mainstream Zionist rag blames America once again.

With this much blood in the water, what else would you expect to start circling?
Mercenaries are sent into New Orleans, while Corporate America takes care of its own.

Pride Restored
IEM decides to restore its pride and admit its involvement in the hurricane emergency planning.

'The Only Reason They Haven't Looted Wal Mart is Because That is Where the Police Sleep
The US government is more interested in protecting property than in protecting lives.

Everything has gone according to plan
Against the lionisation of Mayor Ray Nagin: an examination of his history and his role in this disaster lays a substantial finger of blame on him.

Recipe for Lawlessness, Cajun-style
On the racist reporting of crime in New Orleans after the cataclysm.

American Splendor
US neoconservative fantasises about post-apocalyptic revenge on the lefties, peaceniks and traitors.

Duck & Cover, The National Guard is in the House
More on the mercenaries currently on the loose in New Orleans.

Reality Invades US Newsrooms
Perfumed, lacquered news anchors are mugged by the reality of the horror in New Orleans.

Floating Corpses 'Least of Public Health Worries'
US government's ill-informed health concerns for New Orleans.

It's all in the delivery
The medium becomes the message: the US media reaction to New Orleans starts to become the story itself, to the considerable expense of the facts on the ground.

Praise the Lord; Pass the Ammo
Guns and tear gas are in demand as New Orleans residents are viciously slandered as murderers, rapists etc.

Who did police shoot dead in New Orleans?
Some reports say they shot only the bad guys who were trying to kill army contractors. Others say they shot the contractors.

These authorities always have their guns at the ready and they look like they're enjoying intimidating people.
It's all sticks and no carrot in New Orleans, as martial law and curfews are accompanied by roadblocks and the city is turned into a "little Somalia".

New Orleans: built on exploitation, destroyed by policy
Some useful links on the ongoing catastrophe.

Why was New Orleans turned into a war zone?
On martial law in New Orleans and an admission from General Blum.

New Orleans to be rebuilt without underclass.
The 'power elite' in New Orleans doesn't want the poor back in the city.

Myths of Civilisational Collapse.
The myths that helped cover up US government crime.

You don't risk what you can't afford to lose.
The government worked hard to protect... commodities.

God cleaned up public housing.
So says a Congressman from Baton Rouge.

All the world is a market.
Bush's allies are quick to sieze on the reconstruction cash for New Orleans.

More aid withheld by US government.
San Antonia reporter Carlos Guerra finds that the US government has been blocking aid.

Israeli Ex-Chief Rabbi: God punishes blacks.
For having no God.

Abolishing the poor.
How poverty is ethnicised so that "welfarised blacks" may be scapegoated.

Fema director 'resigns'.
Fall guy quits to take the heat off his paymasters.

The punchline.
DVDs produced by the New Orleans government to explain to the poor that they would receive no help in the event of a hurricane... weren't delivered.

They should dangle in their own noose.
Nursing home owners arrest for criminal negligence by criminally negligent government.

Prez Promises Rez.
Bush sends in entreprenoooers to 'rebuild' New Orleans.

New Orleans: nothing to see here.
Confirmation that the media claims of mass rape and murder in New Orleans were lies to distract from the massive government crime.

No shit.
LA Times speculates that racism may have been "a factor" in the misreporting. D'you think?

New Orleans police brutality.
Post-Katrina, the old racist state violence continues.

Zizek on Katrina.
The Slovene psychoanalyst in one of his better pieces about racism and state violence in New Orleans.

Katrina: the crime that keeps paying off.
State cancels property rights (for the poor); terrifying testimonies from survivors about racism and brutality from police: "we were stopped by police, made to get out and told, ‘Lie down on the ground, you black monkey bitch.’"

How lies justified murder.
Police lies about a fatal shooting incident that was used to justify the blocking of aid to New Orleans unravel.

How shall the masters of the universe deal with us?
With the confidence of a master race, the US government cancels the rights of poor people to their own property.

A full and independent inquiry.
US government promises a full and independent inquiry. Dog bites man.

Katrina: Harsh self-criticism.
The government 'admits' to some mishaps.

Katrina Whitewash: a shameful cover-up.
Official report on Katrina omits, distorts and covers vulnerable ass.

Martial law, forced labour and some other niceties of American life.
The post-Katrina political set-up is laid out bare.

On the anniversary of Katrina: why Hezbollah does what Bush wouldn't.
Hezbollah can rebuild Lebanon after Israeli attack, but Bush still hasn't rebuilt New Orleans. Guess why?