The Instapundit has a long post up about how the numbers for the dead in New Orleans now appear to be inflated. Personally, I think it is a touch early to be crowing about only x number dead, as we have no idea what the death toll is going to be, and even in a best case scenario it will be in the hundreds, which still counts as a tragedy in my book.
However, after I thought about it for a second I realized what the conspiracy theorists are going to say:
“That is why the military and the police are kicking everyone out and they don’t want the media taking pictures. SO THEY CAN HIDE THE BODIES!”
And you know someone will say it.
SomeCallMeTim
And you know someone will say it.
Possibly. I’m more sure that someone on the Right will attribute this view to Democrats as a whole. In fact, it may have already started.
KC
Less bodies = good news. That’s the bottom line for me.
Defense Guy
Being insane should not be a left right issue. This will most assuredly be claimed by some (the hiding that is), as it was after Andrew as well.
Should we consider your comment a pre-emptive strike Tim? Should I now be forced to say something defense about the right or negative about the left?
Vladi G
So the Mayor says that the death toll could be around 10,000, and there are reports that 25,000 body bags have been ordered. But according to Instamoron, apparently it’s the media’s fault for actually reporting on those things, and doing so is a “major media embarrassment”? He makes a lot more sense when he just posts links followed by the standard “heh, indeed” then when he actually tries to make a point.
Hopefully the death toll will end up being much lower than expected, but can someone explain how reporting on what officials were expecting is some sort of “major media embarrassment”?
I’m curious as to how are they going to report things like the people that committed suicide? Or if the reports are true of doctors euthanising their terminal patients, are those attributable to Katrina? They’re certainly hurricane and flood related deaths, but will they be added to the official death toll?
Kevin
The bodies are going to be ground up in the pumping turbines. They have these screws that turn really fact to pump the water. This bodies will be ground up and flushed into Lake P.
Doug
The predicted WTC fatalities were much, much higher than the acutal numbers. I think that’s just the nature of these huge disasters. And, I don’t seem to recall early estimates of 30,000 dead in the WTC attacks being characterized as a media embarassment.
But yeah, any time the government acts like it’s trying to hide something, conspiracy theorists have a field day.
Jack Lindahl
If you know someone is going to say it, then why go ahead and initiate the policy?
Could it be because you know the heat is going to be easier withstand than the images that will result if you don’t limit access?
Davebo
I’ve gotta agree with Vladi.
Reynolds should probably stick to the good old “concerning if true” links.
Retief
I thought the aligators and snakes ate all the bodies.
rayabacus
I agree with Vladi. There is plenty to pillory the media for. Reporting what Nagin (and others) said is not one of them.
And it is way too early to speculate on deaths, just by the # of bodies recovered when they haven’t even got the city dry yet. I think it will be months until all of the missing persons reports are reconciled. That said, any number smaller than those predicted is good news.
SeesThroughIt
Probably. And then that person should be ridiculed mercilessly.
TallDave
Ha, I can top that:
“THE JOOOOOOOOOOOS ARE HIDING THE BODIES TO PROTECT THE ZIONIST ENTITY PUPPET BUSHITLER!!”
Al Jazeera Productions film at 11.
mutterings
Well, I admit I thought it. Then had a discussion with myself about being ridiculously suspicious of this administration. Then I realized I was rightfully suspicious of this administration but they weren’t doing real well right now at getting away with the big lie – so I was back to caling myself ridiculous. I have way too much time on my hands…
Alligators do seem to be eating well, someone had a picture posted of a bloody mouthed ‘gator in a room somewhere. Although I don’t know how they are managing to live in that water, can’t be any better for the wildlife than it is for people.
Any dead is too many – less than 10,000 is something to be grateful for, not crow about.
Zifnab
It’s alot easier to say, “You poor dumb black people should have left NO while you had the chance” than “You poor dumb black pile of corpses should have left NO while you had the chance”.
No pictures means no guilt.
linda
also recall that in the first few days when reporters were on the scene prior to the landing of the tricked out robocops, everyone was remarking on seeing bodies everywhere.
sorry, but this administration has proven themselves time and again to be a craven deceitful lot; quiet disposal of bodies is not beneath them. why the threats against reporters who are there to do a job? threats that continued despite cnn’s favorable court ruling. it’ll be thru a combination of suppression of information and just the fact that many bodies won’t be recoverable. that muck is deep and i suspect alot of those neighborhoods will just be condemned as too toxic. and, puh-leeze, the bullshit about ‘dignity’ — don’t even go there.
Veeshir
That last comment scares me.
slide
I think the mayor pulled that 10,000 number out of the hurricane simulations that were run. Huricane Pame I think it was and the number of dead in those simulations of a levee breech were 10,000. And I agree with those that already asked, how can you blame the media for reporting what officals have said. Its not as if the media was making the estimates up, just reporting.
And I always love it how John Cole makes up ridiculous assinine quotes of what he imagines the left to say and then smugly comments, “And you know someone will say it”. Yeah, I imagine so, with 300 million people in this country, I’m sure someone would say that. Your point?
slide
Linda said:
and she’s right:
.
linda
told ya:
“The official death toll in Mississippi is 150. The last official count in Hancock County, of which Bay St. Louis is part, stood at just 36, but that could be ludicrously deceptive. One law enforcement officer estimated it is more likely to be between 600 and 800. The residents are “in for a shock,” he said. The reason the number is so low is that the state only counts bodies that have been recovered and positively identified.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/05/AR2005090501401_pf.html
Alexandra
Next thing you know, conspiracy theorists will be saying there were no WMDs!
BillS
With this administration’s track record for manipulating the media, I don’t doubt that, at the very least, public perception will be radically manipulated to lessen the fallout for Bush.
Banning pics of anonymous returning coffins from Iraq was a triumph of unjustified secrecy over the public’s right to know. And, of course, one of Bush’s first decisions was to deny historians and other Americans access to Presidential papers— possibly for perpetuity if the firner-President in question so desires.
Yeah, Cole’s post reeks of a pre-emptive strike to mis-characterize concern over the
BushRove Administration’s trademark disregard for freedom of speech.Vlad
“And you know someone will say it.”
For the record, this is EXACTLY why I said we needed photos of every stage of the process, including the removal of bodies. It makes things much tougher for people inclined toward a Holocaust Denier stance.
Mongo
Somewhat off-topic, but it makes you wonder about what might have happened if the Cold War turned hot and the nukes started raining down. Looking at the turmoil Katrina generated with hundred’s of deaths, what would a “limited” nuclear exchange have done?
Steve S
This is interesting…
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4467791
President Bush used an ad in the 2004 campaign, which at one point showed the flag draped body of a victim of WTC being carried out of the rubble.
So much for the argument that we’re keeping reporters out for the sanctity of the dead.
The dead are Republican campaign props.
goonie bird
They throw the people out of the city of NEW ORLEANS so it will be safer for the looters to ply their illegal buisness
carpeicthus
Do Democrats cause cancer?
Someone will say it.
Shygetz
Does John Cole have so much time on his hands, he has to invent quotes by leftists to pillory?
You know someone will say it.