BLACKWATER, KATRINA, CHERTOFF AND THE NON-HUGE EMERGENCY

Two quick things about Katrina that I wanted to blog about, both come to you via my listening to the Democracy Now podcast--check it out at DemocracyNow.org.

1) [http://thepete.com/uploads/chertoffdn20050908.mp3|This 300k mp3] begins with the host of DN, Amy Goodman, who sets up a somewhat disturbing, but ultimately not surprising clip which features the head of the DHS essentially admitting that Katrina wasn't a huge emergency.

2) Ever heard of Blackwater USA? They're what the capitalist media call "contractors" who were hired by the USG to go to Iraq and help with security--but really they're mercenaries with military rank (within Blackwater, anyway) that carry guns but drive armored SUVs and get paid a buttload more than our GIs. Anyway, so, why do you think these paid mercenaries have been seen wandering New Orleans?

Seems odd to hire mercenaries to help with relief efforts when we already have a National Guard for that function--especially when these guys get paid so much and are effectively trained soldiers, not relief workers.

Read more about Blackwater having men on the ground in New Orleans by checking out [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/12/1426242|this article] at DemocracyNow.org, [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GI15Ak01.html|this article] at [http://www.atimes.com|AsiaTimes] or check out [http://www.blackwaterusa.com/press/katrina2.asp|the press release] at Blackwater's own website.