Gorbachev Vows Revolution If New Orleans Levees Don't Improve

New Orleans Times Picayune:

Mikhail Gorbachev drew loud cheers in New Orleans Friday when he promised to lead a local revolution if the Army Corps of Engineers doesn't keep its promise to improve levees by 2011.

"We will be coming back," the Soviet Union's last leader said, through an interpreter, during a ceremony in the Lower Garden District. "If this pledge is not fulfilled, we will start a new revolution in New Orleans."

After the applause died down, Gorbachev said that action should be a last resort, even though, he added, most Americans apparently have forgotten that their country is the result of a revolution.

Read the whole story: New Orleans Times Picayune

Comments

[outnow]

01:17 PM on 10/10/2007

Gorb,

Revolution was good when we revolted from British rule. They taxed us without representation. But it was a "substitution of aristocracies." Note that women and Blacks were not included. Also, you had to own property to vote.

Jefferson saw that revolutions would be necessary every twenty-years, or so. The Marxist theory would require some further changes in the "ownership of the means of production." Gorb supported a society like Sweden - this is socialism without totalitarianism.

Many people feel that Dennis Kucinich is a socialist. In Europe, he is "middle of the road." To Republicans, "it is not normal" to have a middle class. Reagan's tax cuts and union-busting, the middle class is gone.

Forty years ago, the middle class owned their homes. They had one-hundred percent ownership. Savings is in the negative now, ever since Regan became president. Income has been steadily dropping since Reagan.

In Mesopotamia, Greek, British, Dutch, Spanish, China, Mayas and Incas, do you find a middle class? Always a small number of very wealthy people. Dickenson showed that Scrooge had one or two Bob Cratchetts - its about wealth and labor. The Black Plague wiped out a third of the population increasing the value of labor and established a middle class leading to the Renaissance, where arts and literature flourished. Serfdom, working poor is "normal."

Central and South America were looting for gold so the value of labor went up in the Enlightenment, which lead to the establishment of America. Free land and cheap slaves caused the American wealth, middle class and finally, the Revolution. Will free oil in Iraq do the same?

[gray375]

12:21 PM on 10/10/2007

Wow.It takes the last leader of the USSR to speak the truth.

He's right.This country was born on the premise that the people are accountable to nothing but the laws they themselves make,but that the government is beholden to the people.Washington has forgotten that.

Mr. President (Gorbachev),

Do you think you could loan us the people who helped you take back the government that was stolen from you? We seem to be in a similar situation here in the US. We need to wrest control from the dictator in the White House, the fascists and their Vichy collaborators in the Congress and return the Constitution from exile.

[asemeco]

12:43 PM on 10/10/2007

Everywhere in the world the Government is afraid of the people. Here, it's the other way around. Any kind of dissent is portrayed as treason and not being patriotic.
No wonder W does whatever he wants.
We are all pseudo-patriotic wimps.

[cuzkate]

08:32 AM on 10/10/2007

President G, What you did not ask is "why is no one in jail for this vile criminal neglect?" The candidates do not ever mention this horrible tradgedy. Everyone rushed to Pacific Islands for their disaster and threw a bunch of $ there. In our very own Country a state is imploding. Money cannot solve it The corp of engineers has become a band-aid factory. Nice job Gorby! Thank you for shaming this government.

[drblack]

05:22 AM on 10/10/2007

Truth is truth no matter who says it. That is why science is the best way to interpret reality.

[MaryMullins]

03:42 AM on 10/10/2007

EVeryone should watch this.

Very powerful...

Lets see how many open minds there are here.

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/174.html

[slobone]

10:59 PM on 10/09/2007

He still needs an interpreter? He's spent more time in the US than in Russia over the last 20 years...

[average joe]

10:09 PM on 10/09/2007

He's in N O and didn't get mugged or shot.

[Sundialsvc4]

09:50 PM on 10/09/2007

Hmmm... I can hear it now. "Mister Bush, Tear Down That Wall!"

[meandmagoo]

05:53 PM on 10/09/2007

Wow.It takes the last leader of the USSR to speak the truth.

He's right.This country was born on the premise that the people are accountable to nothing but the laws they themselves make,but that the government is beholden to the people.Washington has forgotten that.

[Ginzaman]

03:16 PM on 10/09/2007

Laugh all you want. But the truth is he's right. All the displaced people (mostly African American) will NEVER be coming back. That would destroy the neocon's stealing the 2008 election.

If you were prevented by the govt. from going back to your home, would you fight in the streets to get it back? I don't think too many rich white folks in New Orleans have to worry about that.

[RandyRanson]

02:27 PM on 10/09/2007

After looking at the line up of Republican candidates, Gorbachev probably figures he could run and have better of a chance at winning than these odd balls.

'Get your '2012 Gorbi for President' stickers, here.

[UltraClassic]

01:45 PM on 10/09/2007

I have not laughed this hard in a long time. The darling of the liberal left and former leader of the Evil Empire is going to come to the good ole US of A and shake things up.

Only a liberal or leftist democrat could take this seriously!! LOL!!

[scooperss]

02:16 PM on 10/09/2007

Sure is funny as hell. Shows how low the good ole US of A has sunk and it's a hoot isn't it?

mORON.

[cindyw]

03:55 PM on 10/09/2007

What's not laughable is the fact that Gorbachev apparently cares more about American citizens devastated by Katrina than their own president does. Keep laughing. You've got 468 days left.

[MalgreLui]

12:29 PM on 10/09/2007

Yes, but at least OUR leaders wear the flag lapel pins.

[LittleBrother]

12:14 PM on 10/09/2007

Does Harry Shearer know about this?

[realitytrumpsbull]

12:13 PM on 10/09/2007

One more politician throws his hat into the
ring to 'solve' a science problem with a
speech...look at a map...Nawlins will become
New Venice if they get another Katrina. The
city's going to have to try and get more land
farther from the water's edge. Another way to
do business, here, would be to start trucking
in millions of tons of dirt to build up the low-lying areas so that they will be able to
withstand heavy weather, any future potential
flooding, and so forth. You put a soup bowl
in a tub of water, and you push down on it,
what happens?

UNHEARD VOICE: you declare racism, I declare
'we have forgotten how to utilize science for
the common benefit-ism'. I think someone should
call Holland, they've been playing this game
with the ocean for a LONG time...those darn
smart dutch people...

[keir]

12:22 PM on 10/10/2007

You do know that it was not the Gulf that flooded into New Orleans...but a lake? You do know that the Gulf is about 84 miles from New Orleans? You do know that parts of New York are also in a bowl? That a hurricane comeing off the Alantic can do to those parts of New York, with its multi millions of citizens, what failed Federal Levees did to New Orleans?
As far as calling Holland...Democrats and scientists from LSU have already been there. The trouble is MONEY. Bush took a week to come to New Orleans, or to send help. He does not think our city is important enough. After all Browny did a hellofajob...and New Orleans dodged the bullet and well...why worry about the people of New Orleans, if you get rid of them you can sell their land to developers...like they want to do to City Park.
Everyone holds up their big rubber finger and shouts,"America is #1!" well prove it. Bring back the neighborhoods of New Orleans and all along the Gulf Coast...stop the forceing out of those families that are scattered to the four winds...so that along the coast hotels and resorts can thrive and in New Orleans the culture and heritage can be turned into condo ads for the developers.
You think that the 300+ years of existance that New Orleans had not faced hurricanes before? New Orleans was under Spanish rule, French rule and American rule...it was fought over and in...burned down and blown apart by hurricanes, but New Orleans and it's people always came back. This time, with the red tape and Bush administration it is harder going.
2004:
Army Corps request: $11 million
Bush request: $3 million
Approved by Congress: $5.5 million
2005:
Army Corps request: $22.5 million
Bush request: $3.9 million
Approved by Congress: $5.7 million
2006:
Bush request: $2.9 million

keir