Say what one will about the movie, Spielberg captured (in a fictitious sci-fi movie scenario) the anguish and terror that is currently going on in the South thanks to Katrina.

When he made it, I think he was definitely using 9/11 as a template, but in light of current events I’d have to say that ANY disaster is the template for the mass hysteria portayed in that film.

Spielberg’s movie is very close to the original H.G. Wells story, while the ensuing chaos resembles the reaction to Orson Welles’ infamous 1930s radio broadcast.

On a conspiratorial note: isn’t it a fact that once upon a time the U.S. Gov’t experimented with using hurricanes and tornadoes as military weapons? And isn’t it true that the U.S. military supposedly suspended such research? And hasn’t it been rumored that the research went “underground” and continued unofficially, much like MK-ULTRA and Project Monarch?

If that wild rumor is even remotely true, wouldn’t that give the recent Tsunami disaster and former Presidents Bush and Clinton’s fundraising efforts a more sinister tone?

I hope no one feels that I am disrespecting what is going on in NO right now by bringing up these questions. I know that if I were down there, suffering among the rest, I’d be thinking along the lines of “Why does God hate us?” or “Why didn’t Bush do anything to help us?”

A good editor would’ve noticed the discrepancy and, out of fear of generating the very controversy we now find ourselves in, would have changed the captions in advance.

Since when do photographers have final say over what captions their photos end up with anyway? You think a photographer for SPIN or MAXIM comes up with those inane captions beneath their pics of rock stars?

Hey, I love playing the Devil’s Advocate just as much as anyone else, but there really is no defense for this.

http://derekrose.com/wp/

you’ll see that the black man was labeled a looter because he was, well, looting (that is, breaking into a store and stealing something) while the white couple were labeled finders because they found random goods floating by.

The post, by the way, is labeled ‘idiotsphere,’ which seems quite apt given the rush to judgment by so many bloggers. Please do your homework next time.

I would have thought that this was the point:
“In other words, what these photos would have you believe is that, all other things being equal, black people “loot” and white people “find”. Cute!”

I think that is not the intention of the photographs the photographers or even the publications they appear in, and I think posts on blogs like this can mislead the public into thinking so. Thats what I think is wrong here. I think that the idea that this is “a real thing in people’s minds” stems from the fact that media including blogs give misinformation about such topics because it is so tantalizing.

I never claimed you were an investigative journalist Tim, I was just playing with your old title and the fact you like to see all sides to a story. I also wasnt trying to beat a dead horse or anything so Im sorry to have not given it a rest again, nothing personal just trying to let you know where this nobody is coming from. Sorry to all…

The point I’m making is that the phenomenon whether it’s real, a hoax, or a misunderstanding is a real thing in people’s minds. Rumors have as much power as real events to shape conversation.

I’m not an investigative journalist and I never once ever remotely claimed to be. In fact, I don’t care all that much for facts as I do for the Truth of what makes people tick. This story does that whether there was or wasn’t any looting or finding. So yes, my point still stands, but maybe it’s not the point you wanted me to make.

If you want to discuss racial and social inequalities in this country you dont need to pass out more blame people have done plenty of that. Sorry Tim I think that in this case you jumped the gun, as your point does not stand irregardless in this case. I’d hate to feel the the investigator inf you is gone just because it left your blog’s title.

according to this story in Salon, AP photographer who took the “looting” picture actually saw looting.

“He saw the person go into the shop and take the goods,” AP spokesman Jack Stokes told Salon, “and that’s why he wrote ‘looting’ in the caption.”

Case closed on that at least. Again, this sort of detail doesn’t change what’s so captivating about this whole thing. The thing that’s engaging is what the cultural artifacts reveal about culture, and the reactions they trigger in people.

In any event, I think it’s stupid to try and chastise people for reacting to this. The whole point of journalism and communication is to elicit a response. It doesn’t always go in the direction you want it, but the whole point is that people are discussing and exercising their minds.

but i will say…

1. i wouldnt have left initially. i would have stayed and tried to ride it out.

2. i would have “found” myself some food.

3. i would be strapped.

now on the news they are saying FEMA stopped the boat rescues because a boat got shot at……. they have boats and volunteers sitting around doing nothing because its “too dangerous”

its also “too dangerous” to evacuate people…..

what the fuck?

seriously. what the fuck?

you would think its “too dangerous” to send national guardsmen to iraq…..

fuck.

so the fuck what. the point remains.

if whats going down in new orleans isnt the dark underbelly of instittionalized racism, then i dont know what is…….

at this point, i wouldnt be suprised if its revealed Katrina is actually a gangbanger looting black woman……

so now theyve stopped evacuations cause somebody took potshots at a helicopter…

fucking 100,000 people who have lost everything…. i seriosly hope this doesnt trn into riots…

the way they are treating folks in New Orleans is ridiculous…… thats where the fcking conspiracy is…. all these fuckers pretending like institutionalized racism isnt a reality… and then the blatent racist coverage…. makes me sick…..

FUCK THIS PROPERTY BULLSHIT. fuck it…. loot everything… take it all & then burn it all down……

R.I.P. New Orleans

one
human?

As I’ve seen this pop up on many blogs it would be nice if it was clarified for the general public who may not know about aggregated news feeds and how they work.

Bad company

tim, that shit is fucked up. did you see the picture in there of these rabid looking sick fucks at the NY stock exchange. they’ve had a couple of great days…