BURN BABY BURN – The California Celebrity Fires by Greg Palast

[EV_Ares]

The ‘Boo ain’t no N.O.
Plus: George Bush, Flame Retard
By Greg Palast

What color is your disaster? It makes a difference. A life and death difference.

Dig:

Population of San Diego fire evacuation zone: 500,000
Population of the New Orleans flood evacuation zone: 500,000

White folk as a % of evacuees, San Diego: 66%
Black folk as % of evacuees, New Orleans: 67%

Size counts, too. Size of your wallet, that is:

Evacuees in San Diego, in poverty: 9%
Evacuees in New Orleans, in poverty: 27%

The numbers would be even uglier, though more revealing, if I included evacuees of the celebrity fire in Malibu.

The President didn’t do a photo-strafing of the scene from 1700 feet this time. Instead, we have the photo op of George, feet on the ground, hanging with Arnold the Action Man. (However, I’m informed that the President was a bit disappointed that he didn’t get to wear one of those neat fireman hats like Rudi G got at Ground Zero.)

In 2005, while the bodies were still being fished out of flooded homes in New Orleans, Republican Congressman Richard Baker praised The Lord for his mercy. “We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn’t do it, but God did,” he said about the removal of the poor from the project near the French Quarter much coveted by speculators.

But as this week’s flames spread, no Republican Congressman cried, “Burn baby burn!” to praise the Lord for cleaning up the ‘Boo, the sin-and-surf playground of Hollywood luvvies.

In New Orleans, God’s covenant with real estate developers has been very profitable. Over 70,000 families remain, two years after the waters receded, in mobile home concentration centers far away from the N.O. re-building boom. Let’s see how long it takes to get Tom Hanks back on his beach towel.

Standing next to Governor Schwarzenegger, a smug little Bush said, “It makes a big difference when you have someone in the statehouse willing to take the lead” – a snide attack on the former Democratic Governor of Louisiana on whom the White House successfully dumped the blame for the horror show in New Orleans.

Mr. Bush never mentioned – and the media would never give away his secret – that 15 hours before the levees broke, the White House and FEMA knew the flood barriers were cracking, yet failed to inform the Governor and state police. Nor did Mr. Bush mention that his Department of Homeland Security’s FEMA trolls took away evacuation planning from the state and gave it to a crew of crony contractors who, for a million bucks, came up with a plan that came down to, “If a hurricane comes, get in your car and drive like hell.”

In California, plans were in place, money poured down with the flame retardant, and no one is suggesting that Mel Gibson move his swastika collection to a FEMA trailer.

Not comparable, the ‘Boo and the N.O.? You can say that again. But as a kid who grew up in the ass end of Los Angeles, I can tell you that disaster apartheid applies on the local scale as well. Look at the tarry filth of Compton and Long Beach shores versus the panicked reaction when a bit of garbage or oil sheen hits Malibu sands. (I remember, standing on the crude-covered shore of an Alaska Native village in March, 1991, the day Exxon announced it would end the clean-up from the Exxon Valdez spill. That same day, the papers showed the careful scouring that week of every pebble on Malibu beaches hit by dinky spill incident.)

Please don’t get the idea I’m slap-happy about the California inferno. My parents live in San Diego - and one of my favorite Air America hosts had to evacuate from her Del Mar hot tub, poor dear. (I’ve heard, however, that billionaires well done taste just like chicken.)

What I’m saying is: Besides the flames, there’s a class war raging in America. Or, should I say, Class Massacre. Because only one side is taking all the bullets. Malibu, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica are “incorporated communities” – islands of privilege politically fenced off from the riff-raff sea of Los Angeles. These self-incorporated Bantustans of the wealthy have their own fire departments and schools. The money islands are relieved of having to pay for the schools and hospitals of the city where their gardeners live. (I can’t tell which is the worst disaster that can befall an Angelino – a fire, an earthquake or the LA public school system.)

Now, it’s easy to say it’s just George Bush who’s the class clown of the class war. But it’s an old story. When a flood took out the tony homes at Westhampton Dunes, the Clinton Administration picked up the full tab for rebuilding these summer hideaways of investment bankers. While today, death-by-poison stalks the environment of Black townships of Louisiana (the FEMA ‘guests’ are parked in a zone called Cancer Ally), Al Gore can’t be found. But when speaking of rising sea levels that can take out the homes of his buddies in ‘Boo or the Hamptons, Gore goes ga-ga.

The one thing I’ll say in favor of that vile little Louisiana Republican cheering the drowning of public housing residents, at least he's honest about how the system works. He’s not afraid to remind us of the gods’-honest truth: disaster response is class war by other means.

So let me not forget to report the war’s body count:

New Orleans flood deaths: 1,577.
California celebrity fire deaths: 5.

Tonight and this weekend, listen to “The Fire Next Time,” on the Palast Report, aired each week on Air America’s Clout with Richard Greene, on the Nova M network with Cynthia Black (from KPHX), on the Solution Zone with Christiane Brown (KJFK) – and live, in Chicago, this weekend, for Buzzflash.com, The Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights and WCPT, Chicago’s Progressive Talk – and, on this Sunday morning on the Bree Show, KTLK Los Angeles, with host/evacuee Bree Walker, slightly charred (or is that a tan?) but undaunted.

Greg Palast is the author the New York Times bestselling book, Armed Madhouse: From Baghdad to New Orleans - Sordid Secrets and Strange Tales of a White House Gone Wild.

Sign up for Palast’s investigative reports at www.GregPalast.com

Link: http://www.gregpalast.com/

[liberalmuse]

1. As always, very disturbing, but excellent commentary by Greg Palast.

Thank god for him.

[aquart]

2. I think he says that, too.

[nightrider767]

3. Very Skillfully Crafted

Thanks for the read Greg.

[aquart]

6. With distortion upon distortion.

It scares me silly that this self-righteous I-know-not-what is accepted without a single challenge.

He's comparing apples and oranges and you're buying it without the simplest fact check.

Palast isn't a saint of the truth anymore. I'm wondering if he ever was.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

7. Thanks.

I know a family who lost their house to the flames.
They werent a celebrity, they werent rich, and they werent white,
but they are hurting. I'm sure Greg wasnt talking about them.
No, they didnt drown. Yes they have insurance.
Do we have to dole out our compassion, our charity? If he
wants to go after somebody, go after my namesake, who acts
almost as if the fires are a reason to celebrate. Thank God
Greg's not exactly saying that himself.

[aquart]

9. I'm so sorry for your friends.

My family is feeling so fortunate right now. My disabled sister and her husband came back to their house, neighbors, neighborhood. We have been in a state of terror since Sunday. I don't want to imagine how we would be if we were dealing with the loss of their home. We feel so helpless being so far away.

[donsu]

15. what did he distort? example please

nt

[Garbo 2004]

36. Well it wasn't a "celebrity fire," there were around 20 fires in different areas,

not just San Diego (County) or Malibu. Counties including San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. Including small towns, rural areas, working class areas, not just posh neighborhoods. Lots of working class people, undoubtedly poor folks too, and migrant workers were impacted by the fires but that wouldn't help make Palast's point with his talk of Del Mar hot tubs and toasted "billionaires."

[nightrider767]

23. Maybe so

But it also was a well written commentary and a good diversion from the usual one liners.

You didn't agree with it, I can't say I agreed with it in it's entirety. But on my end I was complimenting the author on his skill. It was fun reading it, even if you didn't agree with it. Sharing ideas, that's what makes DU fun.

[DrBlix]

25. aQuart; I agree with everything you said.

Palast is slipping fast. Suddenly everyone is concentrating on this false millionaire factor. Yes some of those that were burned out were millionaires but FEW. Real Estate prices have gone up across the country as well as California.
.
I live in Sb county and if you drive down some streets you see 2 bedroom houses 1 bath that were selling for $900,000 Boxes really and selling or were. I know that no one here would pay that price, but young people thought they'd better buy or get priced out of the market......they were conned.....the banks knew they would be over their head.
.
Banks quick to loan money to unqualified buyers with no money down who used what was/is called vreative finacing.
.
So this millionaire bunk is just that bunk.
.
No they aren't millionaires they can hardly pay the mortgage and many will in the end lose that house.

[begin_within]

4. Greg Palast, here's the truth:

The majority of fire evacuees went to friends' and family's homes:



Even though they did a good job at the evacuation centers, it was not this ocean of humanity streaming in there. The largest number I heard all week for Qualcomm was 20,000 at the peak. And that was the largest center. Most were high schools with much smaller numbers. It's being portrayed as this miracle evacuation, but it's actually a lot smaller than the media wants you to think it was. Nearly 3/4 of the evacuees did NOT go to an evacuation center.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. you mean like my sis

and he is also ignoring the dead migrant workers

[bridgit]

11. *that* was a sad scene...

[Elspeth]

21. Great figures Bob. Everyone should read your post.

Thanks

[YvonneCa]

37. That was the case...

...with all my friends and family, both in Chula Vista and in Falbrook. They all stayed with friends until they could return home. One lost her home and is still staying with a relative.

[AzDar]

5. K&R....

:kick:

[bridgit]

10. "California celebrity fire deaths"? Palast cannot be *this* hard up for something to write about...

:eyes:

[Generator]

22. I know that is just rude and wrong

First, any death is a tragedy. And then-well I'm sure those five were either old or stubborn. They were not celebrities otherwise we'd know about it and hear about on CNN for WEEKS.

[Garbo 2004]

34. There were also old folks who died while being evacuated, some from nursing homes.

They're not being counted as fire deaths. And 4 were found in a migrant camp. They may find more in time. Not all the fires are fully contained or out.

[many a good man]

12. Palast is an embarrassment

And getting worse every day.

[Kajsa]

13. Palast, the fires hit everywhere.

At one time we had 17 wildfires in SoCal this week.

The one closest to me,the Santiago Canyon fire is still burning, destroying our
forests and towns next to it.
It was set by an arsonist.

When you see the evacuees from Modjeska, Silvarado and Santiago
Canyon, you see people from very modest means,many with farm animals,
struggling to survive like anyone escaping huge walls of unrelenting fire.

This is an insult to all of us in SoCal.

Since you come from the "ass end" of LA, you should know the
topography and demographics down here.

Or have you forgotten?

[MindPilot]

14. He's conflating "the 'boo" with San Diego

Yes, Maibu is a wealthly onclave, but San Diego is at its heart a working class city.

Greg Palast--since his parents live in San Diego--should know better than to jump on the "it's only rich white people" bandwagon.

[donsu]

16. I'm surprised at the DUers dumping on Greg

or is he on a disruptors hit list?

[MindPilot]

19. Nope. It's just that this time, he's wrong.

Kinda like when he says that peak oil is a PR fabrication for the nuclear power industry.

[EV_Ares]

24. Yeah, not all are dumping. The question is are the numbers he is

talking about right or wrong. They were talking about the differences of the two tragedy's on MSNBC and it is like night and day. It is not taking away from the personal tragedy of all involved in both disasters but the fact Bush is trying to take advantage of San Diego and what he has or is doing and using it in comparison to New Orleans by blaming everything on New Orleans including the governor and the people.

Don't remember who was on MSNBC but like he said, the weather was totally different, the super dome was already damaged when they put people in it and there were twice as many. No chance of escape in a hurricane like the fire and due to so many in the poverty level and didn't have transportation to get out if they wanted. The disaster in CA did give people time to move away.

Nobody is discounting the tragedy of both places. The anger should be aimed at Bush not at Palast. The RW has started their talking points from Bush on down. Limbaugh was calling the people in LA the other day whiners.

[Garbo 2004]

38. Actually since the hurricane was a predicted days in advance, there was time to gather resources to

evacuate those who couldn't leave the area themselves before Katrina. In fact, since the threat of a hurricane hitting NOLA had been a concern for years, there were years to have developed and had a functional plan in place and then follow it. It wasn't done. For a lot of reasons, on the local, state and Fed level. There was far more time to prepare and evacuate people in advance of a predicted hurricane than there was to evacuate people from a number of fast moving firestorms that changed directions with the wind.

Palast had some good points to make about how the bastions of the rich separate themselves from the city of LA, for example. But Beverly Hills had nothing to do with the fires.

But Palast does distort the fires (plural) in SoCal for his own purposes. He has his own axe to grind but his broadside distorted much about the fires and the kinds of people impacted by the fires. Cheap shot journalism: "celebrity fire deaths." Billionaires didn't get turned into briquettes in the fires, migrant workers were.

[donsu]

40. the hurricane didn't take down N.O. - the levee being blasted did

nt

[spoony]

26. Hard not to dump on someone who calls it the "celebrity fire"

Him, Carlin, the lot of them can piss off.

[EV_Ares]

27. Understand and granted he could have used something else but

at the same time it is not right to "dump" on the people of New Orleans as well. I don't think Palast was intending for the article to be dumping on anyone. It is a horrible tragedy all the way around for anyone involved in either disaster. To me what is horrible is a president and group to be using this in the way they are. That is where I think the anger should be projected.

Either way anyone that would take advantage or use any tragedy for their own gain is unbelievable.

[spoony]

28. Yeah he makes a point, but he also poisons it with some

rather unsympathetic language. I wish he would have stuck to the theme: that disaster response is a form of class warfare. That has tremendous potential.

[EV_Ares]

32. Yes, and your point is the correct one "disaster response is a form

of class warfare" and strangely enough, I think this was the direction and the point of the article he must have been trying to get across but from your response and others, I have to say he failed in some respects for everyone to see the article the way he wanted.

I am surprised as he is a professional.

[spoony]

33. I was a bit surprised by that too

I enjoyed Armed Madhouse and think he may have benefited here from a re-reading of this article. It's probably not fair but an offhand remark like that can really overwhelm the thesis, which after getting past the slightly shocking language about the fire is an important one.

[Kajsa]

29. Disruptors?

Excuse me?

Palast is wrong, and he's insulting.

I'll call anyone on that.

I've agreed with him before,
but here he is dead wrong and
should know better.

[Bluebear]

17. "Flame Retard" ??? What a cheap quip.

[Kajsa]

30. and--

My parents live in San Diego - and one of my favorite Air America hosts had to evacuate from her Del Mar hot tub, poor dear. (I’ve heard, however, that billionaires well done taste just like chicken.)

How fucking condescending to the people of San Diego County.

Jesus, how fucking insensitive can he get?!?

[IDemo]

18. I take what Palast says with a grain of salt

since his completely mistaken representation of the Peak Oil issue in "Armed Madhouse".

Maybe he needs to stick with an issue he knows very well - voting rights.

[Grandrose]

20. K&R

Thanks for posting! :thumbsup: :kick:

[Mutineer]

31. Great--just what DU needed---

another "fuck the rich" article.

[Kajsa]

35. Yep, and from a well known " progressive".

n/t

[TimBean]

39. two different disasters - apples and oranges.

How do people not understand this? Fires and hurricans are completely different.

200 billion dollars of damage done due to Katrina. Less than 1 billion in the Cali fires. Fires can be stopped (with water and fire retardant). Water cannot be stopped with fire. There are less evacuees who are all more mobile.