ladylisa

I don't really know what point Robousy is making here either, most of the comments on the website are written by Americans and the few UK responses that I saw weren't anything to be ashamed of. No one is saying that if this happened in the UK everything would be sorted in a jiffy, however as human beings we do have a right to demand that the government react immediately to end the suffering of the people caught up in the nightmare that was Hurricane Katrina. That means sending ENOUGH personnel to cover a massive relief effort, not leave a few poor police officers and hospital staff to battle alone. Think if it were your family you would be going bonkers trying to get them out of there safe and so yes as human beings we do have the right to demand this happen, the man at the top is always accountable and he was put there by his people to serve them. And that is all they ask!

Dimsie

Looking back on that message board just now, I can't find the posts which I saw a day or two ago. Perhaps they've been removed by moderators.

LeedsGirl

Then you should be ashamed to live in the USA too because when the Tsunami hit the message boards for that were ten times worse then anything on the BBC Board. There's always a few bad apples but as for being ashamed to be British, well that's your problem.

Wintersong

I don't see any comments of this ilk there. The OP was upset and ashamed to be British because of the comments criticising the relief efforts in the US. The comments are completely correct - it's a shambles. I'm just confused as to whether the OP thinks that Brits don't have the right to say these things or whether they shouldn't be said at all, because there's a crisis and people are dying so it's disrespectful or whatever.

doctor scrumpy

WOnder if the OP is another bridge dwelling goat eater.

robousy

lol.

In a way yes I am saying its ok for Americans to critisise their government and not for Brits to. Of course we could sit here and argue about freedom of speech - but thats not the point I'm making. Its just common, decent tact.

No-one likes to here a foreigner criticise their home country. They may be valid criticisms but I do not think it is a foreigner's place to do so. Its just courtesy.

There will be plenty of Americans moaning about the way things were handled - as Brits lets just all say we are all sorry to hear about the bad news and we hope we can help. If we don't we risk sounding smug, elitist and maybe superior.

You wouldn't criticise another parents method of raising their children. Its not your place. This is similar.

robousy

Exactly!

The tone was very uncaring.
There is a nice German word that summarises the responses - Schadenfreude.

robousy

I think so too. I just looked back and didn't a lot.

robousy

How about commenting on the corrected post instead of moaning.

robousy

That on a forum read by the international community the decent thing to do would be to be sympathetic - not to bit*h and moan. There is a time for everything, and in the direct aftermath moaning and criticising was not needed. A lot of the comments sounded SMUG.

robousy

Something like that.

Its not that we don't have the RIGHT. Of course we do.
I just don't feel it to be morally decent. Its like turning up to a funeral of a racing car driver who just died in a race and saying to his family, 'well, serves him right for driving at 180mph.' Everybody bloody knows it, you just don't have to spell it out - especially at the funeral.

snowbunny

Yes, I've had some friends who have grieved me by saying that the Americans (en masse, including the victims of the storm) don't deserve help because their own government cocked up the response. I somehow doubt the victims of the storm supported Bush before the hurricane and I certainly don't think they support him now, yet they are to be thrown to the wolves because these young Brits (NOT on the BBC site) hate "America and Americans." In large part because they don't like Bush and the American government.

To me that's adding insult to injury.... these people then are being betrayed *twice* -- once by their own government, and then again by people who won't give to the relief effort, or criticise British government relief, by saying that the American government is *****ed. Well, duh, if it worked perhaps we would not so desperately need aid from any quarter we can receive it from!

Wintersong

In that case, I see your point. I've said a number of times that the horrible mess needs to be sorted out, the people need to be removed from the area and made safe before we start criticising the relief efforts.

cutina

I second that, i don't care who is responsible for the slow response etc... there are still people both in in NO and evacuated outside, who need help. I don't care where it comes from, and until it gets sorted out I don't think politicians should be wasting there time arguing about it when they could be putting their effort into helping. These discussions should not be about their future political careers, but the people who are still there and need help. I think this is what frustrates a lot of people.

And regarding the SMUG comment, can you really be sure that it was what those people where intending when they wrote? I know that I have had many misunderstandings with friends due to the impersonal nature of emails, and i think this would fall into the same category. I am hoping that those people felt strongly enough to post on the BBC website because something about the tragedy touched them inside, and their response was anger at how this could happen. Maybe i'm an optimist?

robousy

I see your point. Emails are extremely impersonal and statements and comments can easily be interpreted the wrong way. There was a lot of 'serves you right' tone to them though.

Incidently I had a quick look at your profile and saw that you are a scientist - what is it you research? I ask as I am working on my PhD in Texas in physics at the moment.