Diverse and Contradictory: The New American Theme Park

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

The New American Theme Park - New Orleans

Washington diary: Sex, Fema and Katrina

An interesting article on the events of Fat Tuesday - actual, media, and governmental - from a British point of view.

I believe quite strongly that going ahead with the Mardi Gras celebration was the right thing to do.

What I really wonder at this point, is whether New Orleans has been so beat up for so long, that it's become part of our national identity - at least for the short term:

"As we spoke, a tour bus crammed with open-mouthed white faces drove by. Surveying the damage is one of the most popular tourist attractions today - $35 (£20) per person for a two-hour trip through hell."

This is the part to me that is unbelievable. That we can leave a city like this in the bucket labeled "Yesterday's News".

If all that happened by holding Mardi Gras this year was that the international media was once again attracted to the disaster and debacle that is the "recovery", then it was worth it.

My biggest fear is that we'll be looking at the same pictures next year, and the year after that. That the destruction will truly become a theme park ride - one that is, unfortunately, all too American.

Peace.

I Believe:

That personal privacy is the most fundamental human right.

That having power does not mean you should use it.

That compassion is a value, not a political position.

That respect for life has no room in it for hate.

That every human being should own a weapon and be trained how to use it safely.

That no one should be punished for trying to feed their family.

That the land you take care of is yours and you have the right and responsibility to defend it to the death.

That pacifists should be well armed.

That those who don’t want to work should not be legally protected from those who do.

That deficit spending is not fiscally conservative.

That any budget that requires additional funding is not balanced.

That personal responsibility is part of basic human nature, and losing it requires deliberate training.

That no person, organization, department, office, or role is above the law.

That a law with exceptions is not legitimate.

That anyone who speaks in my name should check with me first.

That it is the height of arrogance to start a sentence with, 'The American People want [believe] [are]…'.

That stupidity is the only human handicap.

That organizations should not be anthropomorphized.

That a good conspiracy theory can provide hours of entertainment.

That declaring war on an adjective shouldn’t invoke the War Powers Act.

That anyone who takes some of my liberty in order to protect it is not working in my best interests.

That the good of society starts with the good of the individual.

That no one person has the right to decide what the greater good is, unless they are the only one who has to sacrifice for it.

That someone who has “paid their debt to society” should be welcomed back.

That a business culture that does not value its people isn’t a culture.

That looking for responsibility is not the same as looking for blame.

That an apology goes a long way towards fixing the problem.

That giving people what they need is not necessarily the same as giving them what they want.

That anyone who wants to hold a political office is automatically unqualified.

That bargaining away one value for another is not a bargain.

That your personal integrity is the one commodity that no one can take from you.

That declaring your opponent “evil” doesn’t make it so.

That silence is not necessarily assent, but it’s often functional assent.

Additions, Changes, and Clarifications are Welcomed.

Communication

Diverse and Contradictory

Individualists United

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

The New American Theme Park - New Orleans

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