I see Dubya turned up Promptly for the crisis in the west (Loved the comment on the UK TV News (sly Dig) "And arriving promptly at the disaster area (IS) Mr Bush" Nice one!

And I understand It took him 2 weeks to get of his Backside to visit New Orleans ...more later...

quote:

Us President George Bush's swift response to the terrible Californian fires exposes how slow he was in responding to the New Orleans hurricane.

Now Hollywood stars and big names are in danger, the Republican leader is jumping up and down.

When a disaster was ruining the lives of poor people and middle Americans, the President couldn't be bothered.

Money clearly talks in US politics and the architect of the Iraq war has again outed himself as a shameless chancer

Daily Mirror UK

And everbody read this powerful article in Full I expect if the worst ever happens we'll get the 2nd class effort (Most of Us) Uk versions have always been this at best and nearly zero military support

Hardly typical of British news coverage of this,Bedstor, but that's tabloids for you

quote:

Originally posted by bedstor:
I expect if the worst ever happens we'll get the 2nd class effort (Most of Us) Uk versions have always been this at best and nearly zero military support

Bedstor, are you saying that if there was a disaster of this magnitude in the UK, you wouldn't get the help you require as promptly as they did in California?

dg
knowing our luck we'll get the WRVS or local Church group The UK despite its We're Prepared Bluster Couldn't organise anything in the medium to long term, at best a few days Officially

The UK Press/Media can't publish this sensitive information
In the real world They expect you to fend for yourself if you are fit and Able .
And no guesses who gets the credit!

Real life version of Nero fiddling while Rome Falls!? or I'm all right Jack!(followed by a 2 word retort)

Bedstor, this surprises me. I always thought Britain had a good reputation for emergency response.

What does WRVS stand for, btw? Is it like a modern version of Dad's Army?

( I loved that show. )

Well, if anything hit Wigan we'd probably think that was an improvement and leave it be, on a 'Come friendly bombs' principle.

quote:

Originally posted by dance girl:
Bedstor, this surprises me. I always thought Britain had a good reputation for emergency response.

What does WRVS stand for, btw? Is it like a modern version of Dad's Army?

( I loved that show. )

WRVS is the Women's Royal Voluntary Service. Bedstor only thinks his way because he lives near Wigan and may have heard rumours

Anywhere else and we are hot on emergency response.We've had a lot of experience, unfortunately most of it terrorist or wartime.And if it gets really tough, in spite of all that, we can get Dame Vera Lynn in to sing at us

quote:

Originally posted by FredPuli:
Well, if anything hit Wigan we'd probably think that was an improvement and leave it be, on a 'Come friendly bombs' principle.

Ouch!... On behalf of Bedstor!
I'm sure there are some very scenic parts of Wigan...somewhere.

quote:

Originally posted by dance girl:

Ouch!... On behalf of Bedstor!
I'm sure there are some very scenic parts of Wigan...somewhere.

Yes, but only visible once the place has been cleared of all buildings. ( And don't let them kid you about it being 'The Latin Quarter of Manchester' )

Photos of Wigan? Happy to oblige 12K plus here...Upholland and Hall Green are nearest to my location I live about a mile beyond

www.wiganworld.co.uk/photos/index.php
Seek out Haigh Hall and the Plantation Gates

Can we get back on the Topic Now?

quote:

Originally posted by bedstor:

Can we get back on the Topic Now?

I'm mystified by your gratuitous comment about what would or could happen in Britain, Bedstor.The Daily Mirror [link] makes no such claim.(The Daily Mirror is a mass market tabloid)

Which disaster or crisis in Britain have you ever read of which was not dealt with efficiently and expeditiously , so as to be anything like the (apparently) mismanaged case of Katrina? Obviously not the terrorist attacks on the underground. We've had flooding again recently but it was handled well enough. So what prompts your conjecture or supposition?

It's an obvious cheap jibe to say that a disaster in Californis is dealt with differently from one in the South because California is quite a wealthy place.It could just be that the government, both locally and nationally, learned the lesons of Katrina. The wealth of the State's population has nothing to do with that. The Daily Mirror piece reads like something from Dave Spart [Dave Spart is a comic creation,a fictional, extreme left idiot,somewhere to the left of Trotsky who 'writes' in the satirical magazine Private Eye.].

Fred As there have been no Major disasters Like in the US "Our "Last on being the Floods in South Yorkshire
There really was no Effort to Help the People affected bar sand-bagging a main electricity Substation which supplied a Militaty (I think?)installation
And reinforcing an Earth dam which was crumbling
And they rolled out the excuses If the level had rose 2 more inches we would have lost it
The only Positive thing somebody did was Providing Householders with New Static caravan while their homes are renovated .And of Course the Premium will be jacked up smartly for that area later (because of this incident) to balance their books
Question for everybody.. Where you live do you think you will be flooded or are you on low lying ground, Bottom of a hill and so on.

Bedstor, why did you ask to get back on topic in one post, then ask a question of everybody in another, a question that only tangentally relates to the topic of this thread?

Don't blame me. It was the other 2 Banging on about Wigan And going on about the "UK" effort
The original Idea was to generate debate on the US effort NOT the UK Unless somebodies missing an "S" Key ...Um even I'm starting to sound like a moderator !
PS Don't want a Moderator job I prefer to post heads-ups to Admin OK

And DG? Check your Alerts on this topic Thanks

There was a dry purpose to my comment about Wigan I was hinting at the idea that someone was saying that people in traditional working class or poorer areas were neglected, because their life was cheap, whereas those in richer areas were to be saved at all costs.That seemed rubbish to me. By that argument we'd not fuss over losing Wigan. Newmarket would fare better ( well, I say that : they'd save the racehorses at all costs because they are worth more than us ) . Antibes would definitely be safe because we wouldn't risk losing the yacht owners: that would be very bad for business

I have to say Bedstor, that was what I thought you were getiing at too; ie, the difference between the government help the north and south of England receives, in a time of crisis, and the idea of parts of the north of England, being less affluent than the south. Maybe it was the reference to 'class' in your title.
I did not perceive there was any difference. That's why your remarks surprised. me.

Nice site on Wigan btw, with some good pictures.

I don't think this is about tabloid journalism, or U.K versus California response to disaster. But I do think it is fair commentary on the obvious difference in how the affluent usually fare, versus the poorer minorities, etc. In the California vs Katrina disasters, one was a flood in which the wealthier neighborhoods were, like wealthier neighborhoods everywhere, not located in low lying flood plains. In the California fires, like in disasters everywhere, the affluent were better equipped, had access to insurance against their losses, and able to load up their SUV's and evacuate themselves - whereas the Katrina victims, more dependent on public transport, were relatively helpless. The Californians who suffered the loss of million dollar homes in the choicest and most vulnerable locations will certainly fare better than those in the more modestly priced and possibly under-insured ones. Schwartzenegger et al paid attention to the Katrina fiasco, and were not at the mercy of Dubya and friends, IMHO.