I think you might both be right.
It does not appear that our own government has been able to handle the situation. Reports from people on the ground there are they they don't have enough resources & back-up. In all fairness they were not given a ton of time to plan for this and I'm not sure people really understood, could comprehend how bad it would be.
Despite the fact that the US was obviously unable to deal with this disaster on its own (where is Homeland Security? Weren't they supposed to be able to rescue people, even in the face of violence?), it does not appear to us that the International press or governments have digested, or at least acted upon, the enormity of the situation. May be a dozen reasons for that (time, US response, politics, logistics, etc...). Time will tell.
And yet it also does not appear that even if every government with the resources to help were to provide those resources they would have any immediate impact on the situation because of the difficulties on the ground, er, in New Orleans with lack of communications, lack of ways in or out of the city and rising violence. ... I personally have a little trouble buying that last bit. But that's the word on the street. Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. -Voltaire
As for the violence, I have academic colleagues in Baton Rouge who have given me first hand reports of wounded arriving from New Orleans. In short, I don't doubt the violence. But, it is now dawning on me that this can be used against the rescue effort. Normally, I would have made the connection right away, but I was horrified by the report from my colleague and I am in despair over it. There are 70,000-90,000 people in the city. The vast majority are good desperate people trying to get out.
