Comments on: Preliminary Findings

By: Garvey

Garvey — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 04:23:42 +0000

Billy–you forgot that Churchill is a plagiarist (and fabulist).

By: toeknee

toeknee — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 20:02:23 +0000

Why are we still blaming the multitude that remained for not having the “sense” to evacuate? It was quite clear during the storm’s immediate aftermath that they clearly had no means to do so because they were poor.

By: Editor B

Editor B — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:36:07 +0000

Moishe, thanks for clarifying. You’ve obviously dug deeper than I have.

And I do appreciate all these critical perspectives, even though I don’t agree with all of them. Thank you.

By: Moishe

Moishe — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 15:47:09 +0000

Editor B: You are right, the terms “ethnic cleansing” and “genocide” do not appear in the press release. I got those terms from the letter the “tribunal” sent to George Bush, et al. Those are not terms I just made up. At any rate, I think the above comments did a fine job of deconstructing this “tribunal” to show it for what it really is: a bunch of hooey that distracts from the real issues at hand and will accomplish nothing of substance save for giving a bunch of people false hope. And that’s the last thing people who have lost everything need.

By: rcs

rcs — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 14:32:28 +0000

Three people have objected here to the equation of “gentrification” as a “crime against humanity.”

Well, precisely speaking, I merely raised the question. Given their portrayal of the discussion:

covering government neglect and negligence in 15 areas, ranging from police brutality to environmental racism, from misappropriation of relief to gentrification

..they do seem to be painting with an extremely broad brush. Provocative? Yes. Useful? Not really.

And in my (admittedly limited) experience, gentrification is usually a product of market forces.

By: M.A.D.

M.A.D. — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:25:08 +0000

Well, B, your true colors have finally shown through. Since you seem to want to blame everyone for the Katrina Disaster EXCEPT Katrina, then I have to ask, ney, I demand to know why you are defending the storm that caused so much damage and death?!?!??! Yer sneaky, very sneaky, but I’ve got you figgered out.

By: Billy

Billy — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 06:22:28 +0000

I think that it is worth mentioning that the panel of esteemed jurists included Ward Churchill, who delegitimizes, in my mind, the value of the findings because he is so clearly dishonest and any forum that would seek to have him as a member is clearly motivated toward only the most shrill, confrontational outcome. Among Churchill’s many accomplishments is describing the WTC workers on 9/11 - who died miserable, undeserved deaths - as “little Eichmanns”. He is also the author of “Pacifism as Pathology,” clearly a text of great value to the terrorized citizens of our city. People like Churchill make rational debate impossible, delegitimize the political left, and have little wisdom to offer our city. With folks like him (and Charles Elloie, a judge found unfit to serve even in our fair city), it is impossible to begin to address the merits of the claims made by the tribunal as the members of the forum from which they arise was so clearly biased and incompetent. I say this agreeing with at least some of the generalities offered in the press release. As far as I am concerned, the Tribunal is yet another wasted opportunity for the people of the city.

By: Frank Schiavo

Frank Schiavo — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:34:53 +0000

BTW, according to statistics at The Earth Institute website– http://www.katrinalist.columbia.edu/stats.php the death statistics from the storm suggest that the largest single minority [isn't that an odd way of putting it] of people killed as a result of Katrina were people 65 and older. No one at the conference/trial is speaking about this, however. Maybe what we are looking at should be how we should treat the aged in this community/country.

Of course that doesn’t get the shocking headline grabbing press of charges of government sanctioned genocide [i.e. blowing up levees] or the stares of horror that go with the campfire stories of gangs of ethnic cleansers roaming the streets under police protection/sanction [as was suggested on the International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita website] killing young men of color in our streets [but no one caught this on camera]. Heck, at least 35 seniors were left to drown in their own beds in St. Benard Parish and the only people that seemed to have been outraged about that were a few families and the nut-case state AG who is only upset beacuse he is near their age & wants to get elected again…

So for this tribunal I just have to say, in the immortal words of one of the true speakers of wisdom in our age–”don’t believe da Hype!”

By: Editor B

Editor B — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:23:44 +0000

Thanks for the comments, people. Some good food for thought. But I’m a little disturbed that some of the comments seem to bear little connection to the actual document at hand.

Three people have objected here to the equation of “gentrification” as a “crime against humanity.” The press release doesn’t actually say that, y’all. It says the jurists heard testimony about a range of subjects and that gentrification was one of those subjects.

The notion that they’re making a comparison to the holocaust is also suspect. Moishe mentions “ethnic cleansing” and “genocide” but those terms do not appear in the press release. I suspect these associations derive from the fact that the phrase “crimes against humanity” conjures images of Eichmann in Jerusalem. But in fact, “crimes against humanity” is a much broader term. It doesn’t refer to genocide only. The key thing is it has to be a widespread systematic practice.

By: nolalou

nolalou — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 02:31:25 +0000

p.s. if gentrification is a crime against humanity, then I, several members of my family, 95% of my friends, and - going out on a limb here - most readers of this blog will soon be spending long spells in the pokey.