robousy

Hi all,

Sorry to bring up the serious subject of hurricane katrina but something is really bugging me.

I am sure many of you rely on bbc news for good reporting of news events.
I sometimes check out the 'have your say' section and was reading the comments on the 'Hurricane Katrina: What next? ' part.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/4207856.stm


Almost ALL the comments were pretty nasty digs at the US, the president or some aspect of the relief effort. I felt so bad. Talk about kicking someone when they are down. We are supposed to be 'allies' and 'friends' but all I read was smug satisfaction.

The US has been so good to me and the people so kind. I know that if some disaster happened in the UK then the comments from the US would be supportive and sympathetic.

Why can't we just say 'we are sorry what happened, can we help in any way?'

I really am ashamed to be British sometimes.

Munchkin

There's a lot of Americans criticising thier government on the BBC News forum too.

I agree that co-ordinating aid to an area the size of the UK was going to take days, but I don't understand why those without the means to get out were told that they were 'on their own'.

A country as wealthy as America surely should have been able to find the means to evacuate those folk without their own transport.

Just my 2 cents

stappin

What I found shocking was reports that the british consular in Houston told the Brit Tourists that they might have to pay for their flights and hotels before they flew back to the UK.

Rompers

robousy

Don't pay any attention to the stupid comments on "have your say". The real British reaction is our offering the US whatever it asked for, and when it asked for food, sending 500,000 ration packs.

stappin

I feel real sympathy for those who were unable to evacuate because they are frail, sick or poor. But some of these tourists are starting to piss me off. The authorities issued a mandatory evacuation order. Anyone who can afford to holiday in the US can afford a plane ticket/car rental/train/bus/cab out of the city which they could then claim back on their holiday insurance anyway.

Instead they chose to stay and then expect the Consul to come and rescue them (as if he has a helicopter parked on the Consulate lawn for Goodness sakes) and then they complain because the tax payer isn't paying for their hotel bill/fight home.

doctor scrumpy

I am guessing some of the people commenting on Katrina are venting their spleen about bush & the Iraq situation. Most of the comments are from Americans anyway.

robousy

You are doing it now too. My mother always told me 'if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all.'

snorkmaiden

I wouldn't be too ashamed. Over the last few days our local news site has had a message board for evacuees. (Dallas, and we have a lot of evacuees) I have been sickened at the amount of racist crap that has been getting posted on there. Thankfully they remove it pretty quickly but I've seen loads.

It would seem there are a lot of Texans who don't want them here in Dallas, the comments have been appalling. They are saying things like they will lower the property prices. They will take all the jobs. Crime will go up, and all that kind of stuff. Don't let them stay very long as they shouldn't be allowed to feel they will be looked after forever.

There's also been a lot of religious crap, I saw one advertising a home for evacuees, as long as they were a follower of Christ, and one that said, "remember, the antichrist comes before the return of Christ."

After having read the ignorant racist crap on the local boards the last few days, they'd have to get really offensive in the UK for me to be ashamed of them.

robousy

You say the 'real'. I say that that is the 'official'. The actual real reaction is the one from the individuals and the most common reaction is harsh elitist criticism. The comments are filled with malign schadenfreude.

Also, with the UK government offering whatever it asked for is like saying 'call me if you need a hand' - it seems a bit empty. In the arena of international politics the UK should have put some kind of confirmed figure. If places like Qatar can offer 500M then the UK can do better than that.

robousy

Whats the website?

Lion in Winter

Yes, but this doesn't really advance anything, does it. Citizens of a democracy who practised this would essentially get the government they deserve. And they wouldn't have a democracy, would they?

Of people's comments on Katrina - there is a lot to say, both good and bad, and it's being said. Human behaviour here has ranged from the best to the worst. Seems normal to me.

Manc

why shouldn't they?

travel insurance is supposed to pick up the tab for events like these.

Taffyles

Most of the comments on there were from Americans

Celsius

Er. The bulk of comments on the BBC page appeared to be from those living in the US and most likely Americans themselves.

If you live in the US, you can't have failed to notice the amount of coverage of criticism of Bush and his government's handling of Hurricane Katrina either.

snorkmaiden

NBC5

As I said, the comments are generally removed fairly quickly but if you keep looking you're bound to come across one.

TheDallas Morning News has had some really racist comments on their message board.

They removed the worst ones but there is still an awful lot of crap being posted.

Tangram

I agree wholeheartedly. Taking the devils advocate stance you coud say, the poor people without flood insurance who have lost everything should have HAD flood insurance so don't expect any help brothers.

It is an appalling situation and my heart goes out to everyone in that region.