Why do the same people who want to rebuild Iraq, not want to help New Orleans?

Question

2.400.000.000.000 and counting (probably more now) <- cost of "democratizing" Iraq and Afghanistan (which by the way is not working)

82.000.000.000 <- Damage caused by hurricane Katrina

In other words, the cost of rebuilding Iraq and Afghanistan so far is about 29 hurricane Katrinas. Why is it then that the same people who are so opposed to spending money (did New Orleans even get a fraction of the 82B$ damage caused?) on their own countrymen, are so willing to spend trillions rebuilding other countries? Judging from their attitude I take it that's it not a humanitarian motive?

Answer 1

There&#039;s oil in Iraq, not in New Orleans.

Answer 2

Some of those people perceive that the victims in New Orleans could have avoided the problems that came upon them simply by leaving until the danger passed, while the people of Iraq needed someone to rescue them from a murderous bully.  

Answer 3

they are helping with the both places you have to stop com pairing and be happy with what is being done there is only so much and be live me with the death count they have there and its sad did you want that also of coarse not so be happy and pray for them also they are in great need of us and you are also so let us help and be Happy y take care.

Answer 4

Actually there&#039;s a buttload of oil in and around New Orleans. After Houston and Anchorage, New Orleans is the oil capital of the US. We import 4% of our oil from Iraq; 40% of our oil comes from the Gulf of Mexico.

For the record, I think we should rebuild both places. I&#039;m not sure who these &quot;people&quot; are that you&#039;re talking about - unless you&#039;re referring to people on the Internet, most of whom I suspect don&#039;t even vote.

Oh, and btw, Iraq is turning out to be a success.

Answer 5

America has glorified war to the point where war spending trumps everything, I mean, we spend more than the rest of the world combined on war and there are still millions of people who think we aren&#039;t spending enough? Why and how certain nations become so obsessed with war above all else isn&#039;t understood, but the USA is not the first nation to squander its wealth (and future)  on foreign military adventures.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/wh...

Answer 6

No clue - I don&#039;t think we should do either.

Let&#039;s face facts

1) New Orleans is built in a depression that is shaped like a bowl - bowls fill up and don&#039;t drain

2) Iraq has natural resources (aka - oil) so let them rebuild themselves

Personally I think the people of New Orleans should move to higher ground near the area &amp; fill in the bowl - but that isn&#039;t for me to decide. But I should be able to decide on how my money is spent.

Answer 7

Misplaced good intentions. People in the government do not see a one time event like Katrina in the same way as the political ongoing military conflict in the Middle East. Katrina has no political gain component. Democracy is not being furthered in the US Gulf Coast area, but in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, we are pushing a democratic government. Dubya failed the citizens devastated by Katrina. I just remember the quote when Dubya met with the director of FEMA, &quot;You&#039;re doing a heck of a job, Brownie!&quot; when it was obvious by that time to any casual observer that FEMA was failing miserably. FEMA underestimated the magnitude of the storm. Bottom line, the government would rather spend money on an ongoing military conflict to change a political system toward a democratic government than assist local citizens at home. More money from individuals was donated to charities like the Red Cross and faith based organizations than the government put into recovery from Katrina. So, people ARE helping their own by contributing to local charity; it is the government who is not helping as much. You are wrong to say people do not want to rebuild after Katrina, when most of the aid to rebuild IS from private people like you and me donating $5 here and $10 there, some canned goods, clothing and the like which FEMA never got around to doing very well.

Answer 8

thank god someody has a brain!!!!! i hought i was the only thing aware of this!!!!!!!! but im sorry i wish i could answer ur question....i wish there was an answer!!!!

Answer 9

I wish I could give you more than 1 star for this one.  I agree 200%

Answer 10

The gov&#039;t is selfish, they are looking at what will benefit them. There is no oil or gold in New Orleans so they dont bother. Look at all the turmoil in Darfur and many third world countries. Nobody cares, there isn&#039;t anything in it for them...not even to help a fellow living breathing human beings.

Answer 11

I don&#039;t understand it both places were shooting at the rescuers.

Answer 12

Way more money for the corporations in a war than in domestic humanitarian work. It is curious to me why so many ordinary people enlist in the corporate cause and support their puppets. Too many Americans are ignorant.

Answer 13

Because we saw first hand how inefficient our own system was.Millions of dollars all wasted to graft,insurance companies who would not pay off,outright fraud by New Orleans citizens themselves.Wasteful spending that did nothing to help long term,now 3 years later it may happen again.Yes their are evacuations this time but the levies are still not built,or even improved,just more of the same.People were living in tents on a news cast 1 month ago,claiming they had no where to go.I disagree with that.And I would bet Iraq is no different if you could actually see it,we only get to see what they want us to see just enough to make you think there is real improvement there.There isn&#039;t in New Orleans why should I believe the same government is doing it in Iraq? I do have symphony for the peoples of both areas,but like everything else that will do nothing to fix the problem.America is not a bottomless pit when it comes to money,50 years from now we will be still paying.When is it enough?

Answer 14

I think it&#039;s because some people are blind to the fact that not all countries want or need democracy.  Just look at Sweden, they don&#039;t need or want democracy - yes, I really do love Sweden but there are reasons for it.

But hey, with Gustav coming and all the other hurricanes that will continue to hit the area (since we won&#039;t stop contributing to global warming and can&#039;t stop the damage we already did) soon we can spend the whole 2,400,000,000 on New Orleans and other disaster areas in the US.

Answer 15

Leave me out. I don&#039;t want to pay to rebuild either one. I have insurance on my house. If it goes away, the tax payers will not build me a new one. My insurance company will.

Answer 16

Excellent question and excellent point. Charity begins at home and it is past time we need to take care of our own first. Iraq would be dead last on my list.

Answer 17

there&#039;s at least a chance some good will come out of iraq. new orleans is needing another flush, it didn&#039;t all go down with the first..........