No pictures of the dead allowed

No, not Iraq. New Orleans. The U.S. government agency leading the rescue efforts after Hurricane Katrina said on Tuesday it does not want the news media to take photographs of the dead as they are recovered from the flooded New Orleans area.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, heavily criticized for its slow response to the devastation caused by the hurricane, rejected requests from journalists to accompany rescue boats as they went out to search for storm victims.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N06101601.htm

That's right. The lesson from Vietnam. Limit pictures, limit press. Keep those dead bodies off the nightly news or they'll drive Bush's numbers into single digits. These guys have brass balls, I'll give 'em that. Kill the free press just like they did it in Iraq.

But it may not be so easy this time.  This week the press suddenly sat up like a the undead in a cheap horror picture. And however long it was in coming and however unexpected,  the real reporting they did was truly welcome. Well, it's never too late according to Bushco and maybe they can still be drowned in the same bathtub with N.O. and big government. Or maybe this time they can't.

•  Too late.

  I've already seen tons of pictures of the dead.

  by RedDan on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:06:37 AM PDT

  •  yeah, but not 1000's of dead people.

    a couple of dead people is one thing. Thousands upon thousands is another.

    by DeanFan84 on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:16:38 AM PDT

    •  exactly

      That's exactly right, the visual of thousands of bodies being moved by the truckload would take the impact to a whole other level.
      

      by miholo on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 01:28:10 AM PDT

      •  I've been stunned that the press were let in

        The situation in NO seems to me like this: they setup check points/perimiter to keep people in NO (no one leaving by foot), while turing aide away. But journalists could get in. I'm surprised that the Feds didn't try harder to keep the press out. It doesn't make sense to let the press witness the Bush admin crimes of negligence.

        by bejammin075 on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 03:46:38 AM PDT

        •  Feds were woefully unprepared

          But also: pictures of dead bodies can be spun if you change the headline or caption.

          by hhex65 on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 03:52:08 AM PDT

          •  Ummmm...

            ...like: "Thousands of people committed mass suicide to protest criticism of our Glorious Leader."

            Or maybe "Huge Barbeque and Pool Party Goes Awry."

            I'm not completely clear on what you mean.

            by Mad Dog Rackham on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 07:27:01 AM PDT

            •  Other possibilities for captions:

              "These victims are among the thousands who chose to stay, despite early and frequent warnings from FEMA and NWS officials".

              "Victims' bodies being removed after valiantly but vainly defending their homes from armed thugs."

              "[fill in your own spin caption here]"

              by tom 47 on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 07:42:39 AM PDT

              •  How about:

                "These people are dead because of Gov. Blanco's and Mayor Nagin's incomnpetence!"  That's one spin they're using.  "Just can't trust Democrats, and Minority members at that!"

                by Bulldawg on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 07:52:05 AM PDT

                •  thank you all for the inoculations

                  but I know it's still gonna make me sick.

                  by hhex65 on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 08:01:35 AM PDT

                •  Doesn't Louisiana have something to say

                  about its dead?  Don't they have to identify as many as possible and publish the names?

                  by ybruti on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 08:45:38 AM PDT

                •  Or how about

                  "Looting Negroes get what they deserve"?
                  </sarcasm>

                  by Bob Quixote on Thu Sep 08, 2005 at 04:52:57 AM PDT

        •  if this administration somehow survives

          until the next national disaster, expect the press to have a harder time gaining any kind of access like they had in New Orleans and elsewhere..

          The stakes are too high to allow more criticism of the Imperials...

          by route66 on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 04:59:03 AM PDT

          •  The denial of press access,

            just like in Iraq, is what prompted me to write this LTE today:

            Since WWII, too many Americans have come to  believe that unlimited petroleum, unlimited shopping, and unlimited power and prestige on the world stage is their birthright. The attitude (which I saw over and over in the USAF) is that:
            ---
            1."We're the good guys. Always have been and always will be."
            

            2. "If you oppose us we'll shock and awe you into a lingering cloud of pink mist."
               
            3. "We don't need to do a thorough moral inventory and, when wrong, promptly admit it. For justification, see Rule 1."
               

            ---
            This is what M. Scott Peck observed in people "unwilling to bear the pain of personal responsibility."
            ---
            Military training is outdated. It focuses too much on dehumanizing people and institutionalizing some of the worst aspects of human nature. I  know because I spent 9 years in the military. The Bush administration has chose to respond to the disaster in New Orleans with a military operation rather than a rescue operation. Some  potential consequences include:
            ---
            1.The control of information for political gain, so that media outlets cannot broadcast the full extent of the devastation. Same as what's happening in Iraq.
            2.Rebuilding efforts are "privatized" to real estate firms and corporations loyal to the Bush administration so that high revenue structures like casinos, hotels, and condos can replace the neighborhoods where poor people used to live.
            3.New Orleans becomes the focal point of racial strife and civil unrest.
            4.People who don't support "hurricane relief" and Bush's other efforts to "spread freedom" are treated like "insurgents."
            ---
            "Freedom" does not mean the same thing to Bush 43 as it did to Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower. It's time for Americans to realize that.

            by nuttymango on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 09:29:57 AM PDT

        •  Heard one reporter say they were turned away

          two days in a row, but had native with them who knew the alternate routes. The day he was giving this info, their previous entry point had police/NG turning them away, but, again, the native took them in on top of a levee.

          That's when I realized it was not impossible to get in and out of NO, and that the Red Cross could have been inside with water and food.

          It's also when I realized FEMA was part of a control plan to keep citizens controlled, either those in the city or those of us needing information.

          This info cannot get lost--bcz BushCo will lie as long as the truth does not trample their lies.

          Also, I'm worried that as soon as the MSM aren't up to their knees in septic soup they will revert to being down on their knees licking BushCo's balls.

          Remember this: They don't stop; reality may bite them, but they don't give up. They lie--it's what they do to keep power. If truth keeps them in power, they use truth; if not, they lie. And lie. And lie.

          by jawbone on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 05:40:45 AM PDT

        •  the press was already there

          The press was already in New Orleans before the hurricane hit - I'm 5000 miles away in the UK and there has been almost non-stop eyewitness coverage from the BBC, ITN, Channel 4 and Sky news from within New Orleans, Gulfport, Biloxi, Houston, Baton Rouge and elsewhere; in addition, both the BBC and Sky have taken plenty of footage from ABC, Fox, CBS and NBC as well. They have had no compunction about showing dead bodies on the UK news, as it is part of their journalistic remit to do so.

          Various British journalists were able to get into New Orleans after the levees broke and have expressed their dismay at the inability of the authorities to send in buses by Wednesday to get people out. The administration is simply not competent enough or authoritative enough to prevent the media from reporting. Every day we've seen footage in the UK of reporters out on boats scouring the flooded streets for stories/survivors and to try to give as accurate a picture as possible of the situation there. The same goes for areas outside of New Orleans.

          In addition to the UK and US ( and no doubt other ) broadcast media - there are local broadcast and print media on the ground as well. It ain't going to be possible to sanitise this - the defining images from last week are already in the public domain. And everyone knows that the death toll is going to be high.

          by londanium on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 06:39:16 AM PDT

        •  Journalists

          moved faster than the Feds.

          by geedubbee on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 08:10:41 AM PDT

        •  They are making up for lost itme however

          I've just completed a a Diary documenting at least three instances where photographers were refused access by armed troops, or attacked by cops who took their equipement or film.  I think the CYA portion of this diaster relief has just kicked off with a massive attempt at coverup

          by Magorn on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 09:10:36 AM PDT

        •  Why? Who was gonna stop 'em?

          Jesus, they got there two freakin' days before the first military units made it onto the ground.

          by steve davis on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 11:15:03 AM PDT

    •  Tsunami vs. Hurricane

      As I recall, the press was hardly restrained about showing dead bodies in the aftermath of the southeast Asia tsunami.  So, only when dead Americans are involved, suddenly the bodies are censored?

      by thornflower on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 08:21:29 AM PDT

    •  actually

      I don't think it will take pictures of 1000's of dead. People will come to associate the tragedy with maybe one or two pictures - like the torture photos from Iraq. NO stopping the outrage now.

      Read a story this morning in the NYT about a nursing home that was flooded leaving 32 dead. Am just appalled - imagine living all your life, becoming disabled and moving to a nursing home, and then dying like this in the end. It is too much. My dad died this summer - and he was quite disabled and living at home. If something like this had happened here - how could he have been evacuated?  With all of the medical supplies and equipment he would have needed?  It boggles the mind.

      God Help Us indeed.

      by mayandjay on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 09:03:13 AM PDT

    •  Get a copy of yesterday's Oprah show

      She showed trucks full of dead people, bodies lying on the street uncovered, dying people taken to the morgue to die alone because the medical personnel had no choice but to attend to those who might be saved.

      
       Here's yesterday's diary about that show.
      

      by Auntie Mame on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 09:10:29 AM PDT

  •  Where did you see them?

    by aitoaster on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:36:38 AM PDT

    •  They haven't recovered them yet

      They're still in the attics, and in the streets.  
      

      by Ghost of Frank Zappa on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 01:18:38 AM PDT

    •  Saw them on the Oprah broadcast

      yesterday.  She is supposed to be in Mississipi today...the doctor that was with her showed a dead one on a bridge uncovered.  He covered her up and said no one deserves to die like this.  The Oprah broadcast was much more powerful than anything I have seen on the news.

      by otis704 on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 05:04:12 AM PDT

      •  Oprah, you did good

        Oprah has redeemed herself in my eyes.  I wrote this letter to the Washington Post back in May, and it was published (though it no longer appears to be available online):

        To the Post Editor:

        In "Church of Oprah" (Op-ed, May 10) Eugene Robinson characterizes the Oprah movement as "empowerment" for women, but the snippets of the show I've seen strike me as the reverse.  The most desirable characteristics an Oprahite can have are the right cosmetics, the right weight, the right boyfriend/husband, etc.  Too rarely are substantive accomplishments by women featured on the show.  The Oprahites may bemoan the fact that women earn 73 cents for every dollar an equally qualified man makes, but the Oprah mindset is one thing that can help keep them there.

        I find it curious, too, that Oprah gets to wear the mantle of Everywoman.  Robinson says she shares a lot of their experiences, like: "Oprah gets fat, Oprah goes on a diet, Oprah loses the weight, Oprah gains it back, Oprah loses it again, maybe this time for good."  But he left out: "Oprah shells out tens of thousands of dollars for a personal trainer and personal chef."  It's easy to be "self-actualized" when you're a zillionaire, don't you think?
        

        Well, Oprah, you did good here.  More, please.

        by skralyx on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 07:55:55 AM PDT

    •  Vera

      It is so sad to think that the epitath of New Orleans was spraypainted on a white bedsheet held down by a few bricks on the sidewalk. http://www.canada.com/news/world/story.html?id=4ce0880d-ab1c-4ccc-a537-212898af8f4d

      Here Lies Vera

      God Help Us

      by JR on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 07:13:14 AM PDT

  •  Different perspective.....

    Too late.

    I've already seen tons of pictures of the dead.

    But you will soon see pictures of tons of the dead.  Unless the spineless media lets Turdblossom get his way again.

    by roxtar on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 02:36:55 AM PDT

  •  Also to consider...

    If the coroner isn't going to autopsy these bodies, they'll never be able to count who died from drowning and who died from dehydration/neglect from having to wait for aid....

    by rigger on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 03:00:02 AM PDT

    •  Central Morgue

      Last night NPR was discussing a centralized Morgue facility set up on an island in Jefferson Parish (I think).  There are teams pathologists to determine cause of death, id the bodies, clear any pathogens etc.  So cause of death is a concern, at least for the pro's.  

      by BTower on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 04:15:31 AM PDT

      •  The report I saw...

        ...said it was in St. Gabriel, near Baton Rouge.  Incidentally, a former leper colony.

        by Land of Enchantment on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 06:17:24 AM PDT

      •  Last night

        Last night NPR was discussing a centralized Morgue facility set up on an island in Jefferson Parish (I think).

        on Tavis Smiley's show he had a couple of survivors on. The man who survived the dome said that the dome is full of bodies "as far as the eye can see".
        Look, there are tens of thousands of people dead in NO alone. They will bury most of them in mass graves and we will never know the exact number. Every effort will be made to lowball the body count.  

        by colleen on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 07:40:02 AM PDT

        •  Thank God for

          Tavis.  That man don't take no shit.

          by Bulldawg on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 07:56:09 AM PDT

    •  Conveniently "missing" medical records--

      and dental records could faciliate a few "anonymous" deaths.

      by nape on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 01:32:05 PM PDT

      •  Whoops.

        Make that "facilitate."

        by nape on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 01:43:55 PM PDT

  •  Taking a page from the Chinese...

    ...after Tienanmen Squre. I was in Tienanmen Square just after the massacre (at the time I was a journalist based in Hong Kong), and me and several other journalist friends scattered throughout the city still believe the body count was closer to 10,000.

    By kicking journalists out of the city, exposing film, removing all foreigners, developing some message points and lying their collective asses off, the Chinese government was able to hold the official death count -- still reported by MSM around the world -- to less than 500.

    Makes you proud, doesn't it?

    I keep thinking that soon we're going to have our own "defy the tanks" moment in this nation.

    by Melody Townsel on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 03:10:27 AM PDT

    •  Need to have that moment all over the country

      We need to have that "defy the tanks" moment nationwide, right now.

      I received an email from Michael Moore this morning,  giving info on the Vets for Peace/Camp Casey effort that's launching in Covington to set up an aid station for survivors.  We need to set up similar camps towards the west of Lake Pontchatrain (near Plaquemine and Metairie) and on the southeast of the lake (south of Slidell, not certain of a good location) -- piss on FEMA and the Dept of Fish and Game and the Red Cross.

      Can't even imagine what this country would look like had this been a "real emergency" like a terrorist attack on a city of a million residents...defy the tanks we must if we are ever going to prove our own mettle if gods-forbid we are attacked.  Let alone another Cat 4/5 hurricane.

      by Rayne on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 07:14:59 AM PDT

    •  like now?

      let's demand press coverage of the dead.

      by stagemom on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 07:16:35 AM PDT

      •  Sept. 24th

        Hopefully that will be more "defy the tanks" and less "Kent State."

        by mrblifil on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 07:52:07 AM PDT

        •  i wish it was a million human

          march on sept 11 contrasting the repug carinival.  wait, maybe that would be the ticket!  show up with your mardi gras beads and stilts to show solidarity for NO.
          protests today in the bay area/nbc

          by stagemom on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 08:03:37 AM PDT

          •  I'll go with the already organized event

            Though I am sure hoping, from my safe ivory tower, of course, that there will be a significant number of people intent on crashing that little get together. Can someone arrange to get displaced persons from La. in on the action?

            by mrblifil on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 08:07:35 AM PDT

  •  you'll find their methods horrific, but familiar

    it's not too late. their little gop pecker's may be shriveled now, but trust me, they just got caught in a cold breeze. in a diary today, i outlined information about how they are dealing with photographers who think that freedom of the press means freedom to choose what to document in a bush reality.
    
    they've set precedence, and the truth is a commodity that will become as scarce as viagra in a DC pharmacy.
    
    

    a photojournalist and a reporter were confronted at gunpoint and slammed against a wall by police . . .

    
    it is a primer for anyone that is or wants to be a journalist while a gop regime has a stranglehold on our liberty.
    
    

    by Back in the Cave on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 03:20:54 AM PDT

    •  how long before we start hearing news reports of

      Journalists being shot in MS and LA, just like Iraq?

      Of course in Iraq it was the "terrorists" shooting the reporters.

      In NO it will be the snipers.

      by shumard on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 05:23:52 AM PDT

      •  Not long

        apparently.

        by shumard on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 11:12:29 AM PDT

    •  journalists and photogs wise up

      time to avoid the "authorities" just like many survivors had to do during those twilight zone days.  This gov't is not here to help anyone but themselves.

      by drofx on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 07:42:23 AM PDT

    •  Old hat

      What do you think went on during the great Civil Rights marches? You think reporters from the north and their photographers were shown red carpets. There were plenty of broken cameras and bloodied collars before the day was won.

      There may be isolated incidents such as you described, but with the miniaturization of cameras, it is absolute madness to think that damaging photographic evidence will not emerge.

      by mrblifil on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 08:10:05 AM PDT

    •  I've already seen the movie--

      The Godfather.  Sonny Corleone smashes the camera.  Universally, criminals don't want anyone collecting evidence.

      by nape on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 01:55:24 PM PDT

  •  only 10,000 left in the city?

    do people understand the enormity of that statement? a city of almost one million people, and only 10,000 are remaining? upwards of 500,000 evacuees? are you kidding me?

    by heterodoxy on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 06:47:44 AM PDT

  •  Dim Son's Most Significant Accomplishment

    Now dead men do tell tales.

    And the tales they tell are all about him.
    

    "L'enfer, c'est le GOP!" - JJB, from an idea by oratorio

    by JJB on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 07:00:10 AM PDT

  •  From yesterday...

    saw this on Corbis current events (i.e. news/editorial) photo archives last night.

    This is the real face of modern Republicanism and their starve the beast, shrink the government to a size you can drown it in a bathtub world-view.

    

    A dog consumes the remains of a man near a breach in a levee in New Orleans, Louisiana.

    Image: © Allen Fredrickson/Reuters/Corbis

    Photographer:    Allen Fredrickson
    
    Date Photographed:    September 6, 2005
    
    Location Information: NEW ORLEANS, LA, United States
    
    

    I don't know what I can say... what can we do to make people realize what the cost of Republicanism really is?

    This is what kinds of things they don't want you, your family, your friends, your neighbors, the country, the world... to see. The cost of their way of "doing business".

    Mitch Gore

    Wanna win in '08...?

    Put your money where your mouth is.

    by Lestatdelc on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 11:01:41 AM PDT

•  They talk tough on terrorism

  they say bring it on, they attack Democrats at will, and they scare the nation into voting for them.

  But a grieving mother and the mere idea of a photograph both send them hiding under their beds. What courageous, noble men and women we have leading our country.

  by AnnArborBlue on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:07:10 AM PDT

  •  Everyone, PLEASE RECOMMEND..

    It is very important that this on the list of recommended diaries tomorrow morning.

    Don't let BushCo. sweep these deaths under the table.

    by DeanFan84 on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:18:02 AM PDT

    •  this story, definitely . . .

      and along the same lines, another diary in need of not disappearing, about what the authorities will do to those journalists that discount their order. please recommend, folks.
      
      the truth is out there . . . only if we can see it. these vampires know that perception is nine tenths of reality.

      by Back in the Cave on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 03:46:01 AM PDT

  •  Bush's controllers are afraid

    to show the caskets of dead soldiers to the American public, since doing this would further erode support for Bush's war. They know that the phony reasons Bush used to lie the country into war will never outweigh the irrefutable harsh results of his war.

    Similarly Bush's handlers are afraid of showing the dead bodies in New Orleans, as it will reveal the hateful criminal negligence Bush has shown towards the people he was sworn to protect, by hiring the most incompetent lackeys to run two of our most important organizations - Homeland Security and FEMA.

    This administration survives on lies, photos of the dead they created are kryptonite to this adminstration.

    by assyrian64 on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 01:13:07 AM PDT

    •  There's another reason

      BushCo doesn't want to see caskets from Iraq or the bodies of the dead in N.O.  And it's not just to hide the images from the public.

      They are afraid to see those images themselves.  It would force them to face the consequences of their actions.  It's called living up to your responsibilities.  This administration never takes responsibility for anything.  So dealing with dead people is not an option.  To do so would show depth of character and an honorable nature.  And also an ability to feel regret.  Those are human emotions.  Calling these people human is an insult to the human race.  

      by trinityX127 on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 03:13:33 AM PDT

      •  I'd like to hope that you're right...

        ...but I honestly believe that many in this administration just don't give a shit.

        I think you could stack the bodies in front of the Rose Garden and Bush and Rove would accuse you of being an anti-American grudge-holder who hates America, burns the flag and lives in the past.

        by Melody Townsel on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 03:15:59 AM PDT

        •  After

          they got the cops to clear the area so they could spend a couple of hours "being close" to the dead, "empathising" with them, sniffing, touching, jerkin off.

          That kind of thing.

          by Deep Dark on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 05:42:01 AM PDT

        •  And

          Call them Fodder. Because that is all they are to them, just like the soldiers in Iraq. They don't care about the dead, just what it is doing to his poll numbers.

          by melthewriter on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 05:50:21 AM PDT

      •  they aren't human

        they don't give a damn. please don't kid yourself. the bushies are brownshirts for whitelandia- their souls were negotiated long ago.

        by heterodoxy on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 06:50:44 AM PDT

•  I saw many tonight

  I hope they continue to try to censor, a bigger shitstorm will fall on them.

  by Blakbelt on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:13:45 AM PDT

  •  Exactly

    This isn't a foreign country, this is our country.  These guys aren't soldiers, they are civilians searching and recovering, digging and bagging.

    They act as if they are still Masters of Reality, and we must hold this line:  this is our country now, and you can't just stride in here and take it like we are Iraq or Afghanistan.

    HOPEFULLY they cannot silence this.  HOPEFULLY, as our Forefathers planned, the enlightened self-interests admixed with genuine horror, concern, empathy, and humanity toward our own American citizens as sxhibited by Oprah and Geraldo ("this is like Willowbrook!"  omg...) will triumph over self-serving, cynical, and cowardly acts of a handful of powerful men.

    The only thing that will defeat us is the craven greed of a few.  That and our own cowardice.

    Don't let it happen here; don't let it happen now.  Keep their feet in the fire, folks.  The MSM as well as our elected officials!

    God, when I think of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, the Iraq mess and now this complete screw-up, I have seen more fucking horror than I ever thought I'd see in my lifetime, not to mention less than a decade.  And it's all at the behest of handful of evil, sick, twisted minds.

    They may prevent a few photos, but they shall not hold back the tide of human rage.

    May God be my witness.

    by Bluesee on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 01:26:56 AM PDT

    •  re:Yep

      They act as if they are still Masters of Reality

      That's right.  And while they seem to have gotten the knack of posing the Poseur in Chief so that he seems to have a halo of light around his head, or of building specially cantilevered stages so that his seems to be the fifth head on Mount Rushmore, they aren't going to be able to control the images here.

      Imagine what will happen if/when on-site reporters start announcing on their nightly newscasts that they are being kept away at gunpoint from locations where dead bodies are located.

      Imagine the response if/when the government announces that DNA tests are "too expensive" to be conducted on the bodies.  Boy, there are some great built-in follow-up questions there:
      

      • How many unidentified bodies are we talking about?  1000?  10,000? 20,000?
        
      • Why is it too expensive?  Didn't we perform such tests on thousands of bodies after 9/11?  
        
      • Are these victims less important because many are poor and black?

      You know, they can spin criticism of the mess in Iraq as unAmerican, as not supporting our troops.  A lot of Americans agree with them and believe that criticizing their warmonger President means hating our armed forces or being peaceniks.  But it's going to be pretty difficult to spin criticism of the government's handling of Katrina as unAmerican.  

      Face it: We're on the right side of a vitally important issue, and for once we'll have about 80% of Americans on our side.

      by deminva on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 07:15:29 AM PDT

      •  "Are these victims less important

        because many are poor and black?"  Because they are poor, yes.  Even more so if they are poor AND black.

        by Bulldawg on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 08:44:26 AM PDT

      •  post-tsunami Thailand victim identification

        I think that they will find it extraordinarily difficult to do that. Take the example of Thailand which is attempting to identify thousands of tsunami victims, both native and foreign - is it really conceivable that the US will say that, with all its resources, it cannot do what Thailand, a relatively poor developing country, is actually doing at present?

        Basic politics suggests that this would not be acceptable - simply another piece of evidence that the US is sinking towards third world status?

        by londanium on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 09:29:26 AM PDT

•  Pictures make them accountable.

  Can't have that.

  by Mike S on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:13:54 AM PDT

  •  Pictures make us...

    ..remember.

    I'll never forget two images: the dead woman floating under the bridge, and the dog eating a dead man.  

    Death happens.  It is usually gruesome.  Rarely in our modern history has it been so damned unnecessary.

    by socratic on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:18:11 AM PDT

    •  Remember

      Yes they do.

      by hyperbolic pants explosion on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 03:18:22 AM PDT

  •  Make them ACCOUNTABLE. RECOMMEND.

    The cover-up has begun. Arrest every remaining citizen. Bulldoze everything. No Reporters allowed.

    We must speak up and be heard.

    by DeanFan84 on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:20:00 AM PDT

    •  It Just Occurred to Me...

      ...that they can arrest anyone in NO, for any reason or for no reason.  They don't even need to trump up charges, they can just detain people at will, run them into the paddy wagon, and then deny them access to legal recourse indefinitely.  No one would even notice, just assume they died in the flood.

      Anyone of them or any number of them could get disappeared.

      ...

      by Bluesee on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 01:30:22 AM PDT

      •  technically

        martial law has not been declared but since when has RoveCo cared about legality when there was a control issue at stake?

        the idea of just "disappearing" people is stunning but now that you have suggested it I wouldn't put anything past them.  Scotty and other sockpuppets keep saying there is martial law.  they create the reality they want.

        by TrueBlueMajority on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 04:37:21 AM PDT

        •  The no-photos order makes NOLA look

          more and more like a mass killing zone.

          Contain and kill, kill and contain.  Our own people.  This is not your father's Republican administration.

          by rhubarb on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 05:21:36 AM PDT

          •  I am surprised

            that you could be surprised by the potential for "disappearing" people in New Orleans given Guantanamo and Abu Gharib.  

            Do you honestly think these fucks care for anything except the corporate bottom-line and their own priveliged status?

            There is an American city underwater and Bush is still looking to get Roberts into the Supreme Court and push Norquist's agenda to turn the USA into a neo-feudal conglomerate.

            by ian1973uk on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 05:47:45 AM PDT

    •  Control the Information.

      Information is Power that we have snatched (from the gangsters in our White House) here on the blogs.  

      When I know something before everyone else I ask myself why don't they just read? The majority are ignorantly (and cowardly) following the mainstream out of fear of divergence.

      (When I read "a failure of imagination" it makes me want to puke. Kill the arts and where are you going to get people with imagination? Hello? A FAILURE OF CONNECTING THE DOTS: Childsplay: which Amurka doesn't fund.)

      My idea: Take one human and introduce them to DKos or any blog, really. If they aren't computer savvy, show them how to log on at the library. Impress on them that they will have INFORMATION FIRST. That's like a drug. Just ONE person. And tell them to pass it on to ONE MORE.

      There are many skeletons in the closet.

      The truth will out.

      by Little Red Hen on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 08:29:34 AM PDT

  •  Ike's 1st act at death camps: photograph

    As the allies liberated one death cap after another in WWII, Ike, Supreme Allied Commander, ordered the entire thing filmed and photographed to document it for history.  Bush's first act is to hide his crimes from history.

    by NorCalJim on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 06:56:51 AM PDT

•  As noted above...

  ...there are plenty of pics of the dead in N.O. -- I get to sort through them on the AP wire almost every night...

  by Newton Snookers on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:19:00 AM PDT

•  Bush Supporters Need To Be Held Accountable

  Bush wants to hide the flag-drapped coffins of American soldiers who died in his Iraq War

  

  Bush wants to hide the torture of Iraqis

  

  Bush wants to hide the misery, hunger, thirst, suicide, neglect, disease and DEATH in New Orleans

  

  Bush will never own-up to the evil he is capable of...it's up to US to hold a mirror into the FACE of EVERY Republican. Because they hold responsibility for the person they elected. They ARE George W. Bush

  by Ranting Roland on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:19:49 AM PDT

  •  You've got yourself the makings...

    of one helluva damning diary, here.

    by Maryscott OConnor on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 07:31:10 AM PDT

  •  come on, they're just being helpful!

    They want everyone to save film for the REAL images of this horrible disaster:

    Our Dear Preznit comforting the afflicted, hugging the surviviors, leading the rescue workers...his sleeves rolled up, blessing us with his Jesus-like presence.

    (Extreme, enraged snark.  I'm going to send more money to the Katrina victims today, then reward myself by going out and beating the snot out of a Republican.)

    by chumley on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 07:57:40 AM PDT

    •  I'm reminded of Dragonslayer.

      Wherein the aged King is brought up in his palanquin to the body of the dead dragon to stick his sword in the carcass. Then the few people assembled shout "Hail, King __, the dragon killer."

      Sort of the medeival precursor to the BushRove spin machine.

      by homogenius on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 08:50:57 AM PDT

•  Tell that to Oprah

  While I don't usually find Oprah to be very palatable, a diary earlier today said to watch, and I did, for a few minutes at least.

  It ended up being too much for me, and I stopped, but much of what was so overwhelming was that they did show the dead bodies (blurring faces, etc.).  I can only imagine what Oprah's regular, and devout, viewers reactions were like.

  by drduck on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:20:29 AM PDT

  •  Help stop the cover-up.... please...

    I will be here all night if necessary. It is very important that this diary make the recommended list.

    by DeanFan84 on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:21:53 AM PDT

  •  The local radio morning show hosts

    who are generally pretty politically clueless, love Oprah, and they spent fifteen or twenty minutes talking about the Oprah show yesterday, and they were outraged that this was allowed to happen in America.  Yesterday morning they were calmer about NO, but Oprah really shook them up and woke them up, at least a little bit...

    by jules too on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 07:31:56 AM PDT

•  Fight it

  We must fight this intrusion. A free press means a free press. And for God's sake, no embeds this time. Let's hear from real journalists.

  by JuliaAnn on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:22:06 AM PDT

  •  Yes, we fight it here. The dead will be seen.

    The government fucked up, and thousands die. Now they want to sweep them under the rug. We can't let that happen.

    Don't underestimate the visibility of a front page/recommended diary.

    by DeanFan84 on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:26:16 AM PDT

  •  Anyone, anywhere near there

    just take the pictures, take them at every turn, constantly.... cameras are cheap - the photos can be leaked - Bush cannot stop this...

    by Molee on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 05:25:35 AM PDT

  •  " ...whatever the cost may be,

    we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender..."

    Sir Winston Churchill

    by Bulldawg on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 09:03:52 AM PDT

•  I think we're being far too easy on FEMA

  We need to call them out for the fucking terrorists that they are. They killed thousands of Americans. They may be responsible for more deaths from how they handled this hurricane then were killed on 9/11/01. If I was ever in a major disaster, and FEMA showed up, I'd tell them that everything was fine, and that there was a major disaster somewhere  else.

  by jfern on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:26:08 AM PDT

  •  Help call them out. Real people died.

    join the cause, and click the Recommend button.

    We Will Be Heard.

    by DeanFan84 on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:27:32 AM PDT

  •  hey now.... now is not the time for blame!!

    but if you are gonna blame somebody....  blame the local and state government!  

    by ejpoeta on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 02:39:21 AM PDT

•  Hey, can't the "embed" some reporters?

  This is exactly what I was predicting.  They really need to keep this stuff out of sight, out of mind.  Especially when it comes to 20,000 body bags and mass cremations.

  by playon on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:29:05 AM PDT

  •  Democracy must be transparent

    Whereas democracy requires an informed electorate, and a picture says a thousand words, EVERYONE reading this MUST INSIST to their legislative representatives that reporters be given unlimited access to all aspects of search, rescue, and gathering of the dead.  As a corollary expressing the power of images, the pictures at this link juxtapose what Bush was doing on the first days of the NOLA floods compared to the tragic drama unfolding for the victims in the Gulf Region. http://hughesforamerica.typepad.com/hughes_for_america/2005/08/august_2930_200.html

    Lastly, this from the CBS Katrina blog Tuesday night at 10:19 p.m.
    WASHINGTON (AP) Internal documents show the government's disaster chief waited roughly five hours after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast before asking Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff to dispatch a thousand agency employees to the region. And the documents show they were given two days to arrive.

    In a memo to Chertoff, Michael Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said that among duties of these employees was to "convey a positive image" about the government's response for victims.
    

    by Dennis Demo on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 01:58:25 AM PDT

    •  absolutely

      Whereas democracy requires an informed electorate, and a picture says a thousand words, EVERYONE reading this MUST INSIST to their legislative representatives that reporters be given unlimited access to all aspects of search, rescue, and gathering of the dead.
      Absolutely.  I agree.

      But there is no right to take pictures of my dead family members and post them online, print them in Time, or win an award from them.

      Respect for the dead.

      by danheskett on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 05:10:09 AM PDT

      •  Total bullshit

        That right is called the First Amendment. These aren't private, ordinary deaths; they're news--news that the federal government killed mass numbers of its own citizens through neglect, or worse.

        by Smallbottle on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 05:49:18 AM PDT

        •  no

          That right is called the First Amendment. These aren't private, ordinary deaths; they're news--news that the federal government killed mass numbers of its own citizens through neglect, or worse.
          My brothers death is not news; it's a death.  I'd rather not have that on the cover of Times, thanks.

          by danheskett on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 08:09:32 AM PDT

          •  Your preferences are of no interest

            The death of a crime victim is always news.

            by Smallbottle on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 10:34:32 AM PDT

            •  huh

              The death of a crime victim is always news.
              Sorry, but no.

              Nice try.  Try again.  It's first, not always true.  Second, it's still wrong.  And third, also, you are just wrong.

              by danheskett on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 10:44:00 AM PDT

          •  My brother's murder--

            by criminal negligence is news.  If the perpetrator wants to cover up the crime, I don't want him getting away with it. It takes a village. I want everyone to know about the crime, everyone enraged enough to make sure justice is served.

            by nape on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 01:24:06 PM PDT

            •  yes

              yes, yes.  But that does require showing his corpse on TV.

              by danheskett on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 01:31:02 PM PDT

              •  Emmett Till

                and his family answered that question for me.

                by nape on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 02:00:58 PM PDT

        •  It's more than news

          We must bear witness.

          To hide them is to dishonor them.  We abandoned them in life, we cannot abandon them in death.

          Yes, blur the facial features to give them what small dignity we can after all of this.  

          But this is my shame, too.  I live in this nation of plenty.  The one that has resources without distribution.  As a nation we are selfish and consumptive and this sin belongs to all of us to greater or lesser degree.

          And we must bear witness.

          by sj on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 02:19:03 PM PDT

      •  respect for the dead

        demands that the pictures are taken and shown. This meme about respecting the dead by not sharing photos is a Rove meme. Since the inception of photojournalism professionals have been photographing the dead to tell their stories. WWI, WWII-in high school we watched movies taken by the military of the concentration camps so horrors like this wouldn't happen again. To not show the horror of NO is to sweep the dead under the carpet and that is the most disrespectful thing we could allow.

        by coconutjones on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 06:18:19 AM PDT

        •  no, it's not

          This meme about respecting the dead by not sharing photos is a Rove meme
          No, it's not.  I am asking that the death of my brother not be put on the cover of Time, or on the Internet, or on a billboard on a 30-second political spot.  

          I'd rather not have my family used as props in a propaganda war.

          by danheskett on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 08:11:20 AM PDT

          •  Sympathies

            I am sorry about your brother.  I'm assuming you lost him in Iraq or in Katrina.  Both tragic.

            I know you're in pain, but I don't think anyone is suggesting waging a propaganda war.  That connotes untruth or hyperbole.  What people are advocating is that people be told the truth.  And the truth about Katrina and the truth about Iraq cannot be told without bringing the human consequences to light.  That is so important.

            There are ways to do this without dishonoring or debasing or profaning the dead.  What would your brother have wanted, if he could still tell you? (Not assuming -- genuinely curious).

            by The Termite on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 09:36:17 AM PDT

            •  answer

              connotes untruth or hyperbole.  What people are advocating is that people be told the truth
              No.  What people are advocating is letting the photos of the dead to be used to sell a political agenda; even if the "right" or "correct" agenda is sold, it's wrong!

              There are ways to do this without dishonoring or debasing or profaning the dead.  What would your brother have wanted, if he could still tell you? (Not assuming -- genuinely curious).
              When my adopted brother died his will specifically asked that there by no photos taken of his service, funeral, or anything unless required by law.

              by danheskett on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 10:06:46 AM PDT

              •  That should be respected (n/t)

                by The Termite on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 10:15:46 AM PDT

                •  well

                  according to everyone here though his photo should be able to plastered all over Time, on political ads, on websites, all over dkos and anywhere they want, because as always, politics trump everything, all the time.

                  It is to be expected from Republicans, but from Democrats and liberals and progressives?

                  by danheskett on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 10:20:10 AM PDT

          •  Brother...

            [snip] I'd rather not have my family used as props in a propaganda war. [snip]

            IIRC, faces were blurred on Oprah's show, in order to preserve the dignity of the deceased. It is imperative that America see what this cabal have caused to happen. These deaths were of 1000's of Americans, who committed no crime, were not terrorists, who did nothing wrong. Their only 'crime'? Being poor and (largely) Democrat in a country run by a reprehensible Republican dictator.  This cannot be swept under the rug. We cannot allow it to pass unnoted. It is not propaganda to publicize Bush's failings. It is necessary for the survival of this country as a whole, and as individuals. If we don't, then everyone who died or is displaced becomes nothing more than fodder for the Slime Machine. BushCo may not care about our brothers and sisters, but we do care, very much. And we want to help wherever we can.

            Our hearts and prayers are with you in this incredibly horrible time. Your brother will be remembered, by all of us. He lost his life needlessly, and it shouldn't have happened. And while this does not make it any easier to bear, all Americans with an ounce of humanity grieve with you over his loss.

            I hope that your family has the resources needed to cope with your loss. If you (or others in your family) ever need to talk, please let me know. Email me for my phone number, you can use it 24/7. Please know that none of what I said is useless prattle. I really do mean that you can call at any time.

            In the meantime, we will continue praying, hoping that you and your family find comfort in this time of mourning.

            {{hugs}} to all who need/want them...

            by rev denise michel on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 10:01:36 AM PDT

            •  what?

              He lost his life needlessly, and it shouldn't have happened.
              How dare you?  You can't say that.  You just made that up out of whole cloth.

              What you suggest is political propaganda; it's information design to accomplish a political end.  It's wrong.

              You can do 100% of everything you want without ghoulish photos of peoples real human relatives.

              by danheskett on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 10:09:10 AM PDT

              •  Dan...

                ...again, I am not privy to the circumstances behind your brother's death but I am inferring he died in Iraq.  If this is the case, as I think others have assumed here, then you will have a very difficult time finding people on this site who believe that your brother died for a noble cause.

                And I'm sorry, but that is not political propaganda.  It is my soul-deep truth and it is shared by many.

                I worry that you are misdirecting your anger at the wrong people, namely the people who are trying to stop the death of more men like your brother in the interest of jingoism, vengeance, and profiteering.

                I agree with you that your brother's photos should not be shown, as was his request.  The rest of your argument I am having trouble following.  Forgive me please if I am callous.

                by The Termite on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 10:21:20 AM PDT

                •  actaully

                  I worry that you are misdirecting your anger at the wrong people, namely the people who are trying to stop the death of more men like your brother in the interest of jingoism, vengeance, and profiteering.
                  I am not angry.  I find it intensely foolish that everyone has jumped to all kinds of conclusions and made all kinds of ideas on the topic known.

                  Political propaganda doesn't mean something isn't the "soul-deep truth".  Propaganda doesn't have to be false.  Sorry if you think it does.  

                  I object to using images of a person who is no longer living - uncovered, unshielded, unfiltered - to make a political point.  

                  Is it effective, raw, emotional?  Yes.  Is it appropriate?  NO.

                  And that's the bottom line.  Does this serve Bushs designs?  Yes.  Does it make Rove happy?  Yes.  Does any of that matter?  NO.

                  Doing what is right is generally not politically helpful.  This is a case where doing what is right is politically painful but morally called for.  Using the death and suffering of innocent victims of disaster and Bush's policies is politically useful, but wrong.  

                  How would YOU feel if it was your child on TV - dead, bloated, half-naked and exposed for the world to see?  

                  Have some respect.  You can make your point without being ghoulish.  
                  

                  by danheskett on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 01:36:03 PM PDT

              •  Apology...

                Dan,

                I apologize. I thought your brother died in Katrina. I didn't know he died in Iraq. I am very sorry to have offended you, and I did not intend to minimize your loss. You have my most heartfelt apologies.

                by rev denise michel on Thu Sep 08, 2005 at 08:25:10 AM PDT

                •  look.

                  accepted but not needed.  i have no idea where the information is coming from, but a lot of conclusions have been lept to.

                  I am saying that it's wrong to use ghoulish photos to pimp any political agenda, regardless of how right or wrong or soul-deep it is.  

                  A bad end never justifies a good means, no matter how trivial the bad or how massive the good.

                  Exploiting the dead through photos causes unnecessary evil to the families; to viewers, and to society, and it produces precious little good.  It's just not worth it.

                  Could you change a few minds, sure.  Is it worth it?  Not in my opinion.

                  by danheskett on Fri Sep 09, 2005 at 07:52:38 AM PDT

                  •  Exploitation...

                    [snip] Exploiting the dead through photos causes unnecessary evil to the families; to viewers, and to society, and it produces precious little good.  It's just not worth it. [snip]

                    You make a very good point, and I agree. But in today's world, people won't (and don't) believe words alone. They demand pictorial proof (why, I do not know). I am not advocating showing the dead in situ. I do think that showing the body bags (all closed) would make a powerful statement without further traumatizing the survivors.

                    We have to find some way to make this president/administration take responsibility for such massive mismanagement, for needlessly causing 1000's of deaths, all because they were on vaca and playing politics. Those were real people who died, not just characters on a stage, who'd get up and be fine when the director yelled 'cut!'

                    I am just hoping the full scope of this doesn't get buried and allow the misadministration to take yet another walk. Accountability is a must, or the dead have died in vain, and a great city was destroyed, and nothing will ever be the same again. No, accountability can't make everythig like it was before. But it can help those who survived get closure and give them some help as they start over and rebuild shattered lives.

                    That is mainly what I am hoping, at least.

                    by rev denise michel on Fri Sep 09, 2005 at 10:27:14 AM PDT

                    •  response

                      We have to find some way to make this president/administration take responsibility for such massive mismanagement, for needlessly causing 1000's of deaths, all because they were on vaca and playing politics. Those were real people who died, not just characters on a stage, who'd get up and be fine when the director yelled 'cut!'
                      Realistically, there is no way to "force" them to take responsibility.  What would that entail?  Bush getting on TV and crying about it and apologizing?  Not going to happen.

                      Accountability is a must, or the dead have died in vain, and a great city was destroyed, and nothing will ever be the same again. No, accountability can't make everythig like it was before. But it can help those who survived get closure and give them some help as they start over and rebuild shattered lives.
                      Squeaking some marginal good from a terrible even does mean those who died did die vain.

                      I agree with the sentiment, but no good no matter how good is justified by an evil means.

                      by danheskett on Fri Sep 09, 2005 at 10:47:17 AM PDT

                      •  Reply to Dan...

                        I was thinking of accountability in terms of standing trial for, at the very least, mass murder, or genocide (for which a case can easily be made). And I think that all of them, from Bush down, including the Red Cross, should stand trial. The Red Cross knew that no one could prevent them from going in (so did FEMA, the WH, and DHS), yet they stood on the sidelines and allowed 1000's of people to die, and they did nothing about it. To me, that is depraved indifference, which is one of the things that make the case for mass murder or genocide.

                        And you are right, no good, no matter how good, can justify using bad or evil means to achieve it.

                        JM5CW...

                        by rev denise michel on Sat Sep 10, 2005 at 04:23:18 PM PDT

                        •  the question is duty

                          With regards to manslaughter or mass murder:

                          It's not an easy case in any sense.

                          The question is about duty, and who has a duty to rescue the poor of NOLA.

                          The fact is that the Red Cross, for example, has no duty to rescue anyone.  They are a relief organization.  On top of that, they an extra-governmental agency.  

                          As far as the government goes, well, the government is immune to criminal prosecution.  Anything done or not done as offical business is not, by definition, criminal.  

                          Individuals who acted outside of their governmental duties or policies have a limited criminal liability, but in reality, they are inviolate.

                          The only recourse is impeachment, that isn't going to happen.

                          by danheskett on Mon Sep 12, 2005 at 05:54:29 AM PDT

  •  remember though, that there will be no citizens

    left in new orleans at least.  they are going to forcibly remove anyone who refuses to leave.  the only people that are gonna be there to witness anything will be under the umbrella of the government.

    by ejpoeta on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 02:40:57 AM PDT

•  I have those poor dead souls

  branded into my mind, along with the rest of the people in American and the rest of the world. Nothing Bush can do from now on will get rid of them. They are a scar will will all live with forever. It's not just the dead. It is the poor, forgotten people by our society that were trudging through the filthy water, the parents and children on roof tops with hand made signs, the Superdome crowd, the hospitals where doctors couldn't save people, the forgotten grandmothers at the convention center. The sick and elderly. The animals dying in the streets. We should all bow our heads in shame that the poor shadow souls that we have been hiding for years, have finally been exposed. A forgotten society that Politicans have cast away to fend for them selves. I will die with those images in my head. What we witness was history, a once in a Century event. It is the Dust bowl, SF Earthquake, The Civil War, the Galvastion Hurricane in 1900 where 8000 people died. Perhaps we can list a handful of events in our history that Katrina will live with. This disaster has hit a nerve, a raw nerve, it has exposed American for what it has become, not what it promotes itself to be. And beyond anything else it is the final chaper of George Bush and his legecy.  His administration started with a disaster, and ended with one that exposed him to us and the world as The Worst President in the History of the United States. How many more Katrina's must we have before this fool realizes that he is in over his head and that it is time for him to admit failure and put American in the Hands of someone that will respect her with dignity and grace.

  by Chamonix on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:33:44 AM PDT

  •  Everyone must see the bloated bodies of

    Dead Americans. Don't let them cover up their criminal failings.

    by DeanFan84 on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:35:27 AM PDT

    •  Disagree

      Seeing what you describe ("bloated bodies") is not necessary.  After all, they are the dead and they too (as well as their families) deserve at least in death the dignity that clearly was not given to them at the end of their lives.

      However, one can take photographs that respect the dead and show the magnitude of this situation and the number of dead (which appear to be more than the number of residents in many American cities, God help us.).

      by shanikka on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 04:59:27 AM PDT

      •  Permission To Use My Bloated Corpse

        If I am ever the victim of a disaster and a photograph of my bloated corpse will help the national dialog, I hereby grant permission for all to use said photograph.
        
        "Respect the families," indeed. This is about the failure of government to respect those families.

        by rabel on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 06:01:02 AM PDT

  •  Once in a Century

    I hope to god you are right.  But with the planet's climate going haywire from global warming all bets are off.

    by playon on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 01:40:56 AM PDT

•  Maureen Dowd in today's NYTimes

  says this time is different.

  http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/07/opinion/07dowd.html?hp

  The water that breached the New Orleans levees and left a million people homeless and jobless has also breached the White House defenses. Reality has come flooding in. Since 9/11, the Bush administration has been remarkably successful at blowing off "the reality-based community," as it derisively calls the press.

  But now, when W., Mr. Cheney, Laura, Rummy, Gen. Richard Myers, Michael Chertoff and the rest of the gang tell us everything's under control, our cities are safe, stay the course - who believes them?

  This time we can actually see the bodies.

  As the water recedes, more and more decaying bodies will testify to the callous and stumblebum administration response to Katrina's rout of 90,000 square miles of the South.
  -----
  But clearly Rove knows that and will do everything he can to prevent that stream of images from entering the collective consciousness. The reason's? Morale, protecting the privacy of the families, all the horseshit he used to hide the Iraq dead.
  We need those images to understand the truth. It's because we live in an age fueled by images. Deprive us of them and we forget.

  by moon in the house of moe on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:36:09 AM PDT

  •  Moon in The House... Please Re-Title...

    Rove Says: No Pictures of the Dead Allowed. The Cover-Up Begins!

    by DeanFan84 on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:39:28 AM PDT

    •  I disagree...Rove is mentioned nowhere

      in the article..it is FEMA that is saying it..and when I say FEMA I mean BUSH and when I say Bush I mean ROVE. The truth is if I was missing a loved one from Bush's Katrina Disaster I wouldn't want to see them for the first time on the cover of the Paper or on a magizine. It really has to be played right. We do have to respect the dead and their families.

      by Chamonix on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:45:47 AM PDT

    •  thanks for the suggestion

      I changed to FEMA: No pictures of the dead allowed.

      For some reason the change appears in the big list but not on the recommend list. Oh well.

      by moon in the house of moe on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:46:27 AM PDT

      •  No worries,... Very important diary....

        They are stupid. Because this helps to link the needless Iraq casualties to the needlies NOLA casualties.

        People are finally waking up!

        by DeanFan84 on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:48:34 AM PDT

    •  I guess he caught Oprah today (n/t)

      by Ted Hitler on Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 12:48:06 AM PDT

  •  I think Maureen is right

    It's