Joan Fox of New Orleans writes:

Dear France,

Greetings from Louisiana! We are shopping for new owners, and we immediately thought of you! Our present rulers haven't been taking very good care of us and we are looking for a better deal. They are spending all our money in a place called Iraq (somewhere in the Middle East). We thought that perhaps you might want to revisit an old land deal you made long ago.If you've been reading the papers lately, you may have noticed that we have had a few problems with "water". No, we're not offering you a deal on a damaged water park. (Althouugh that's what it looks like from the air) Seriously, we need help, and fast.

Some things you might like here:

1. We named the state after your King Louis2. We named the city after your city, Orleans3. We have lots of French names on the streets4. We still have Napoleonic law (maybe you can explain it to us!)5. A lot of our citizens speak French (the accent will grow on you)6. We like French food and wineWhat we can offer you:1. a toehold (rather wet!) on the continent2. an incredible port3. Lots of oil and gas4. Lots of restaurants5. Jazz6. Mardi Gras (you won't believe what we do with this!)7. Some of the most beautifu houses in the world (very, very wet)

What we need from you is simple:

1. Wetland redevelopment2. New levees3. Lots of new houses (but we want them to look old like the ones we lost)4. We need schools and hospitals rebuilt5. If you insist, we wouldn't mind some more outdoor cafes like you folks are famous for.

Please think this over carefully. Our current owners are so busy in other countries, they might not even notice if you come down here and take a look around. We'll put you up in grand style in a place we call "The French Quarter" (yeah, really!) and you can have lunch at a place we built for your very own Napoleon, which we call (you guessed it!)Napoleons". You'll be right at home.Oh, just remember, we would like the levees and the wetlands taken care of ASAP, sometime just after lunch if not sooner.

Yours sincerely,A homeowner in New OlreansJoan Fox

Point taken....very well said :(

Perhaps if France had not defaulted on their loans to us from WWI, we would now have more money to spend to help rebuild this area.

You really believe that stuff? We've rebuilt
South Korea and have sent trillions of dollars in aid around the world since WW I. It is beyond me how the federal government (Congress not Bush) is turning a cold shoulder on an American city. As I type this people are still living in tents in South Louisiana and South Mississippi. Of course not everyone but some still are living like refugees. This is three months after the storm. I'm watching the death of a major American city. We need at least the promise of Dutch like cat. 5 levees to bring back major business and people. America has enjoyed our oil and gas for over 100 years. We have sent our sons and daughters to fight our wars. Some think they don't need South Louisiana so they will send as little help so we can protect ourselves as possible. The government will not build the levees back except to their pre Katrina state. They will also not let us keep more of oil and gas revenue so we can do it ourselves. Right now I feel like we are a colony of a cruel master. France doesn't sound half bad. :@@:

I realize that the US sends much aid overseas and doesn't always help its own.

But the "Cruel master" remark seems extreme. It sounds as if the writer is either a serf or a slave.

France still owes us billions from both wars last century, as do other European countries. This money has not been repaid and never will be. That is wrong. Individuals well as nations should pay their debts.

It sounds as if the writer is either a serf or a slave.

Wage slavery is pretty big here in the States. It's the new form of feudalism, corporate stockholders being the lords, executives being the knights, and the workers and citizens being the serfs.

It takes an awful amount of effort to avoid wage slavery.

Originally posted by rendova
I realize that the US sends much aid overseas and doesn't always help its own.

But the "Cruel master" remark seems extreme. It sounds as if the writer is either a serf or a slave.

France still owes us billions from both wars last century, as do other European countries. This money has not been repaid and never will be. That is wrong. Individuals well as nations should pay their debts.

Right now we're pretty close to owing China even more money than France owes us. I just hope that we pay our debts as we expect them to. :(

Hey rcajun, where do you come from? My hometown is little old Lafayette, though it isn't so little anymore.

Originally posted by rendova
I realize that the US sends much aid overseas and doesn't always help its own.

But the "Cruel master" remark seems extreme. It sounds as if the writer is either a serf or a slave.

France still owes us billions from both wars last century, as do other European countries. This money has not been repaid and never will be. That is wrong. Individuals well as nations should pay their debts.

If you would actually see the people living in tents or a family of six living in a trailer designed for three then you might understand the cruel master remark. Please don't take what I have said as remark against the American people. Americans as always have been extremely generous in donating money and time. It is government in particular Congress that has let us down. Also our local government can not be left out in their stupidity. Blanco and Nagin are morons. Being a colony is like being a slave. Right now we all feel like slaves down here. We are helpless to fix our problems on our own and the master isn't going to do it for us so we are up the bayou without a paddle.

Originally posted by Napsterbater
Hey rcajun, where do you come from? My hometown is little old Lafayette, though it isn't so little anymore.

I love Lafayette. I'm a proud UL alumni. I'm from Cameron Parish which I'm sure you know was destroyed by Rita. I believe only the court house down there has power. I would move back to Lafayette in a heart beat. I haven't been to Lafayette since the storms. How has it affected the city? Did the city city experience a population boom?

Forgive me for sounding ignorant.
I thought the government was helping somewhat...truth to tell, not much has been reported in the papers about this anymore, at least, herabouts...it's been nothing but that damn Tookie Williams.
how bad ARE things?

I live in Salt Lake City, Utah, and I haven't talked with my relatives there in months, but last I heard, all my grandfather's brother's family is staying with them in Lafayette. Lafayette wasn't hard hit at all, from what I heard. You should consider moving there, though I imagine housing will be a little hard to find.

Originally posted by rcajun90
If you would actually see the people living in tents or a family of six living in a trailer designed for three then you might understand the cruel master remark. Please don't take what I have said as remark against the American people. Americans as always have been extremely generous in donating money and time. It is government in particular Congress that has let us down. Also our local government can not be left out in their stupidity. Blanco and Nagin are morons. Being a colony is like being a slave. Right now we all feel like slaves down here. We are helpless to fix our problems on our own and the master isn't going to do it for us so we are up the bayou without a paddle.


Even Santa's having a problem with this :(

Kids in Katrina zone have hard questions for Santa



CHICAGO (Reuters) - John Vollenweider -- aka Santa Claus -- is used to kids asking him for stuffed animals or remote control cars, but after Hurricane Katrina ripped apart New Orleans, the questions got much tougher.


"How will Santa find me? I'm not in my house any more," one child said.

"There's no fireplace in the trailer where we live. How will you get in?" another asked.

"Can Santa make sure no more hurricanes get here?"

Vollenweider, who has played Santa for about 10 years and currently works at Lakeside Shopping Center in Metairie, Louisiana, answers as best he can.

"I tell them, 'Santa is magic. He'll find you wherever you are. He won't forget you,"' Vollenweider said, taking a break from listening to children's Christmas wishes on Monday.

To children who asked him to prevent future hurricanes, he said: "Santa will do his best, but some things even Santa can't control."

Lakeside Shopping Center, on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain, was damaged when Katrina ravaged New Orleans in late August, but it reopened to huge crowds on October 28.

While Santas in other parts of the country marveled over sometimes extravagant requests -- like kids as young as 6 asking for laptop computers -- those in the hurricane zone were struck by the children's poignant appeals: a house for their parents, or all their old toys back.

"Santa has been very good and explains that he may not be able to get them all back," said Anne Mialaret, marketing director for The Esplanade mall in Kenner, Louisiana, about 15 miles from downtown New Orleans.

That shopping center was also badly damaged when Hurricane Katrina ripped off sections of the roof. It reopened on October 28 -- except for Federated Department Stores Inc.'s Macy's store, which suffered such severe damage that it probably won't reopen until next year.

Mills Corp., which operates Esplanade along with many other malls across the country, said the top Santa requests in the hurricane-ravaged region included beds and pillows. Elsewhere in the United States, the wishes were more along the lines of Barbie dolls or trips to Disney World.

Both Lakeside and Esplanade reported brisk customer traffic when they reopened, as people searched for some degree of normalcy after Katrina's devastation.

Indeed, retailers across the region -- at least those that were able to repair their stores -- have reported strong demand as New Orleans rebuilds.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's biggest retailer, has listed the U.S. South among its top sales regions in recent weeks. Vice Chairman John Menzer visited Wal-Mart's New Orleans-area stores last week and said customers were focusing first on replacing their wardrobes, and then on toys.

"People certainly are starting with apparel, but toys are very strong as many people lost everything," he said in a recent interview. "They're starting back with the basics, with their favorite toys." :(

Originally posted by Napsterbater
Wage slavery is pretty big here in the States. It's the new form of feudalism, corporate stockholders being the lords, executives being the knights, and the workers and citizens being the serfs.

It takes an awful amount of effort to avoid wage slavery.

Every economic system, every society in history, has been based upon some form of "enslavement". Be it communism, capitalism, or something in between, you work in order to recieve a paycheck with which to buy things to survive or even thrive in some cases. You sell yourself, your time, effort, skills, knowledge, or ideas in order to get money so you can see food on that plate later that evening. In a communist system, people work and give to the government, who in turn disperses the money to the masses in accordance of need. In a capitalist system, people work and keep the money themselves, they get what they want in terms of handling their income, but are crafted by the advertising consumerism and restrictions in the workplace based around them placed by those with more power in the hierarchy. Both systems are more similar than one might imagine, but based upon human behavior--only the latter can truly work to a decent degree.
Even those that have religion bow their heads with reverence to the almighty dollar, the omniscient god of the tangible realm. It is money that drives our development and sustains a semi-organized and semi-fair civilization. We've fallen into the hole and cannot get out, no turning back now...this system has taken ahold of us and will never cease.
We are forever slaves to that green piece of paper, in some form or fashion our greed makes us whores to it. You say "wage slavery" is in the US...look around, it's everywhere.

Gordon Gekko: Greed is good.
Oliver Stone's Wall Street, 1987

It is a statement like that one that assures us of our prison.

I do not share with you the sentiment that there is no escaping slavery, I think it becomes easier with every succeeding generation. People are always looking for ways to save more, spend less, get out of debt, and the like. We build on each successive generation of economic knowledge. I consider myself almost free of slavery. I think it eventually boils down to a mindset. Creativity deflects the effects of serfdom.

Look at my life for an example. My debt is small, sub-10K. I do not go to school, so I am free to pursue creative ideas like music, though I am not basing my life around making money from my works. No, I work a small, part-time job to pay the bills and little else. I consider my job a pleasure to go to and learn from. I eat well, the efforts of myself to learn how to cook in my own way make food a pleasure to deal with instead of an expense, like many Americans look at it. I walk to work, and do not need to drive to make money. I do not have expensive or ostentatious tastes. Most of my amusement comes from either working, playing, or interacting with others like I do here. I do not work to live or live to work.

I maintain that it is certainly possible to make oneself largely independant of any need to make a ton of money to survive. It just requires creativity and a willingness to self-examine.

Originally posted by rendova
Forgive me for sounding ignorant.
I thought the government was helping somewhat...truth to tell, not much has been reported in the papers about this anymore, at least, herabouts...it's been nothing but that damn Tookie Williams.
how bad ARE things?

Government is going to rebuild the levees to only pre Katrina levels which have locals
pretty mad. Congress will not let us keep more of our oil and gas to fix the levee problem ourselves which is radicalizing many locals.

Where I live in St. Tammany ( 40 minutes north of New Orleans on Lake Ponchartrain, things are pretty good. Most businesses are open but they have strange hours due to a labor shortage. If you need a low wage job like McDonald's and you have a place to live there are help wanted signs all over. This area use to be small town America but we have gained around 80,000 new residents due to Katrina. This has resulted in FEMA trailer cities and terrible traffic. Pretty small stuff compared to Orleans.

In Orleans, they have people living in tents because there is a FEMA trailer shortage. Much of the debris has not been touched. Moldy homes remain everywhere that need to be torn down.
Packs of now wild dogs room areas of the city. However the city is coming back to life. My wife works in the French Quarter for the state. Some of the famous resturants are open or will do so soon.

The thing is those levees. Without better ones the city will die. Also it would be nice to get trailers out to those poor souls in tents before Christmas.

Originally posted by Napsterbater
I live in Salt Lake City, Utah, and I haven't talked with my relatives there in months, but last I heard, all my grandfather's brother's family is staying with them in Lafayette. Lafayette wasn't hard hit at all, from what I heard. You should consider moving there, though I imagine housing will be a little hard to find.

Housing is a problem in Baton Rouge, Lafayette and here in St. Tammany. Thankfully Lafayette didn't have hardly any
damage. I passed through there when I was heading to Cameron Parish to checkout the damage from Rita. I would love to move back to Lafayette but I was one of the lucky ones in that I still have my job and my house. Also my kids schools are up and running so there really isn't a need to move. Also I would get out voted on a move to Lafayette. ;)

Originally posted by Napsterbater
I do not share with you the sentiment that there is no escaping slavery

Such a notion as slavery could be considered a "harsh label" for such a system, but in this instance that doesn't necessarily have to be construed as having a negative connotation.

I think it becomes easier with every succeeding generation. People are always looking for ways to save more, spend less, get out of debt, and the like. We build on each successive generation of economic knowledge.

That may work for a portion of "white america", but not so for the remainder of the world. This saving, spending, debt, loans, and inherited wealth still does not coorelate to being free of money.

I consider myself almost free of slavery.

Why? You must pay rent, utilities, taxes, food etc...you will still have to work for that money to sustain a living in modern society.

I think it eventually boils down to a mindset. Creativity deflects the effects of serfdom.

Just like your take on "dieting", you think this is a problem of the "mindset" when in reality, this is a tangible situation. With diet, no matter what your mindset if you eat and fail to exercise the body will not use the converted energy from sustenance and so it is stored as "fat" regardless of your view on the world. Mood can play into it, but would not keep a man who eats 6 cheeseburgers for a snack from gaining weight.
In the system we live under, money is required to pay for goods and services, we pay bills and taxes to get those things, and pay out the rest for other affectations or save it for later use or use by later generations of offspring. It is hard to imagine a system otherwise, and this one keeps things orderly and fair to an extent, but that does not detract from the fact that you are born into this world, and so must conform with the basics of civilization in order to maintain your life.

Look at my life for an example. My debt is small, sub-10K. I do not go to school, so I am free to pursue creative ideas like music, though I am not basing my life around making money from my works. No, I work a small, part-time job to pay the bills and little else. I consider my job a pleasure to go to and learn from. I eat well, the efforts of myself to learn how to cook in my own way make food a pleasure to deal with instead of an expense, like many Americans look at it. I walk to work, and do not need to drive to make money. I do not have expensive or ostentatious tastes. Most of my amusement comes from either working, playing, or interacting with others like I do here. I do not work to live or live to work.

As you get older, or life changes come, you may want to find more methods of gathering income to save up a little bit for things down the road...but right now, you've an admirable lifestyle that brings you happiness, i wish you the best with it and hope you rub off on others with such idyllic living. :)

I maintain that it is certainly possible to make oneself largely independant of any need to make a ton of money to survive. It just requires creativity and a willingness to self-examine.

And perhaps an evaluation of ones wants and desires. The drive to have things, make money, etc is present in a great many of materialistic individuals flagrant in modern America. This may be a result of the mass consumerism and other elements of our society, but that definitely seems to be an issue causing a great deal of wasted lives and unhappiness, even health problems, from it.

With diet, no matter what your mindset if you eat and fail to exercise the body will not use the converted energy from sustenance and so it is stored as "fat" regardless of your view on the world.

You still have failed to argue this to me convincingly.

In the system we live under, money is required to pay for goods and services, we pay bills and taxes to get those things, and pay out the rest for other affectations or save it for later use or use by later generations of offspring.

We can lessen the burden to an almost incredible extent, by taking measures that would seem extreme by many people. It is possible to live in a house free of charge, by generating your own electricity, and using simple, expediant methods like investing to provide passive income to pay your property taxes and food bills. It gets easier and easier with every passing year to drop almost completely out of the economy. We can probably never eliminate it, but it is possible to choose how heavily we are in the system. That is freedom, not slavery.