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Katrina's Destructive Aftermath - by Stephen Lendman
August 29, 2005, a day of infamy remembered less for the storm, catastrophic floods and destruction, and more as a metaphor for disaster capitalism, exploiting security threats, "terror" attacks, economic meltdowns, and "natural" disasters like Katrina.
It turned this aging senior into a writer and radio host, furious over federal, state and local authorities using it to reward business at the expense of New Orleans' poor Blacks. Five years later, their lives remain in disarray through no fault of their own.
Levies protecting their neighborhoods were left weak, vulnerable to fail as they did, then Congressman Richard Baker (R. LA) saying, "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it but God did," with considerable willful negligence help.
Malik Rahim, (New Orleans) Common Ground Relief (CGR) co-founder said:
"They wanted them poor niggers out of there and they ain't had no intention to allow it to be reopened to no poor niggers, you know? And that's just the bottom line."
Blank is beautiful. Ethnic cleansing was long-planned, the scheme, of course, to erase poor neighborhoods, replacing them with upscale condos and other high-profit projects on choice city land, New Orleans developer Joseph Canizaro saying, "we (now) have a clean (slate) to start (over and take advantage of) big opportunities."
A year later, an affected resident spoke for many saying:
"They('re) just messing all over us. Putting me out of our own house. We (try going) back and when we get there they got the police there putting us out....they ain't letting nobody in....but where (am I) going to go - me and my kids?"
Rahim calls New Orleans two cities, one "for the white and rich, (the other) for the poor and Blacks. (The former) recovered. They had a Jazz Fest....a Mardi Gras....But for those who haven't recovered, there's nothing." Most haven't been allowed back. Their neighborhoods were stolen for development, Katrina a chance to wage class warfare against them, no match for predators turning tragedy into profit.
It's a familiar pattern nationwide and in war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan, commerce following the flag abroad and exploiting natural disasters at home, complicit politicians easing "free market" solutions for the privileged.
Though no match against dark, entrenched forces, Rahim's Common Ground Relief fought back. Founded right after Katrina in the Lower 9th Ward, it's a volunteer not-for-profit organization running numerous projects, including new home construction, free medical and legal help, education for school children, community gardening, a women's shelter, job training, wetlands restoration, food security and environmental science.
By mobilizing people to work together against long odds, it provides hope through "short term relief for victims (and) long term support in rebuilding" destroyed communities. In the Lower 9th alone, 14,000 people and 4,800 homes were affected, most residents with longstanding neighborhood roots, enjoying "the highest percentage of African American home ownership of any city" in America. Losing them meant "the disappearance of (their) major asset, economic livelihood and, as a result, their future."
Bill Quigley is a longtime activist/Law Professor, Center for Constitutional Rights Legal Director, and former Loyola University, New Orleans Director of the Law Clinic and Gillis Long Poverty Law Center.
Three years post-Katrina, his aftermath assessment was disturbing but unsurprising, including:
-- renters getting no financial aid;
