New Orleans in Reality

Greg Palast examines what happened the last time the ruling class allowed a preventable disaster in New Orleans. His account is of Huey Long and how he started this nation in a direction that saw great gains for working class people. Gains that have been slowly eroded over the past thirty years, most notably under the Cheney/Bush plutocracy. The historical parallels are undeniable, but more importantly it is a call to action based on an example of what can be. Bush Strafes New Orleans: Where is our Huey Long?

While Bush prevaricates, Venezuela offers help to US poor Venezuela was the first to offer aid for New Orleans, both financial and otherwise. Furthermore, a CITGO refinery in Lake Charles, Louisiana was opened as a shelter for those in need. Far from the monster the U.S. State Department tries to make him, democratically elected Hugo Chavez not only made the aid offer, he points out that a system concerned only with profit allowed for the terrible aftermath that we have seen. The U.S. government callously brushed aside aid offers, partly out of trying to keep their false picture of Chavez and the Bolivarians alive, and partly out of the reality that those suffering aren't Bush's base.