‘You’re not forgotten‘: how the right racialized the Ohio train disaster

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by whell

Other than demographics and the role the media wanted race to play in the reporting of those events, race didn't play a role in either. Race became a convenient scapegoat for blame-shifting politicians and a willing media looking for an easy narrative, but that's about it.

Oh, and if you want to play the race card in Flint's case, OK that's up to you. But can you help me understand what racial bias influenced Darnell Early - the person who lead the effort to make the decision to move from the Detroit Water system to water sourced from the Flint River - to make the decisions that he made regarding the switch?

In both New Orleans and Flint, racism didn't cause the events (though it may have played a role in decision-making for the changes made to the Flint water system). It did impact the response to the events as a study commissioned by the state of Michigan showed in the case of Flint, as others have for the Katrina response. I won't bother trying to explain it to, because you'll just twist and turn through serial denials or otherwise obfuscate. You'd be better off figuring it out for yourself. Maybe then you believe/understand it. It will require an acknowledgment on your part of the existence of systemic racism, however, something conservatives are loath to do.

FWIW, it was a Virginia Tech (my alma mater) Civil Engineering professor, Marc Edwards, who blew the whole Flint story open. Both sons took courses with the guy and really admired and liked him.

[RickeyM]

Boy, fill him up with Reich-wing talking points and like the little engine that could he just keeps chugging along. Anything to push the narrative "Repubs - great, Dems - bad". Ever faithful to his programming.

[whell]

Originally Posted by finnbow

In both New Orleans and Flint, racism didn't cause the events (though it may have played a role in decision-making for the changes made to the Flint water system). It did impact the response to the events as a study commissioned by the state of Michigan showed in the case of Flint, as others have for the Katrina response. I won't bother trying to explain it to, because you'll just twist and turn through serial denials or otherwise obfuscate. You'd be better off figuring it out for yourself. Maybe then you believe/understand it. It will require an acknowledgment on your part of the existence of systemic racism, however, something conservatives are loath to do.
.

The "study" you pointed to was conducted by the Michigan Civil Rights Commission. Here is a link to the study,and Ive read it a number of times. Have you read it even once? Or did you just read ABOUT it in a CNN article.

https://www.michigan.gov/mdcr/-/medi...B1CC88018D7F0F

For this Commission to issue a report that would determine racism played a role is not really newsworthy. Of course they'd find racism.

Of course, the case that is made in the report is convoluted as hell. I suspect the folks on the Commission had an axe to grind with Flint, particularly with the city's historical political leadership and with GM. That history had NOTHING to do with the decision to source water locally, other than to the extent that it was one of a number of decisions a cash-strapped city government made in order to save money.

It was probably also a logical decision to make. The Detroit water system from where Flint was sourcing water was poorly run and charged quite a bit. Flint had options, and they pursued those options. What got screwed up was the execution of that decision. Human error and poor judgment, not racism, were the proximate causes of the Flint water crisis.

Back to the report you mentioned: the name Darnell Early doesn't appear in that report. Not once. Mr. Early was the decision maker and the driving force to move away from the Detroit water system. Why do you think that is? You also didn't answer my question about Mr Early. Hmmmm....

[Rajoo]

Originally Posted by whell

The problem is more likely Buttigieg's own making. Regardless of politics, the train derailing in Ohio could turn out to be a massively significant event: both from and environmental and transportation safety perspective. The head of the EPA was on-site. Pete B had no plans to do so until the public criticism got loud enough. When he was interviewed about Ohio, his responses were mechanical or tone-deaf.

There are over 1,000 train derailments a year. This is political only because GOP wants to bring Buttigieg a few notches for political reasons. This derailment was caused by Norfolk & Southern and they must be huge GOP donors to get this level of blame deflection.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Rajoo

There are over 1,000 train derailments a year. This is political only because GOP wants to bring Buttigieg a few notches for political reasons. This derailment was caused by Norfolk & Southern and they must be huge GOP donors to get this level of blame deflection.

The second (and related) reason is that they felt a need to get out in front of and deflect from the revelations of Trump's deregulation of the rail industry with respect to transporting hazardous cargo, particularly since it occurred in a deep red portion of a critical electoral state.

[whell]

Originally Posted by Rajoo

There are over 1,000 train derailments a year. This is political only because GOP wants to bring Buttigieg a few notches for political reasons. This derailment was caused by Norfolk & Southern and they must be huge GOP donors to get this level of blame deflection.

You're not serious, are you? Are you actually suggesting that any of those other annual train derailments had the environmental and economic impact that last month's derailment in Ohio had?

This is political for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the apparent lack of Federal gov't's (in)ability to respond. If there's a blueprint for a coordinated Federal response to a disaster within a Federally regulated system, it's pretty absent here. Also, yes, the optics of slow to respond Federal leadership (EPA and DOT) - in terms of a show of support for the residents of Ohio whose lives and finances have been damaged by this event - is very evident. That includes Pete "I'm on personal time" Buttigieg.

[Rajoo]

Originally Posted by whell

You're not serious, are you? Are you actually suggesting that any of those other annual train derailments had the environmental and economic impact that last month's derailment in Ohio had?

This is political for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the apparent lack of Federal gov't's (in)ability to respond. If there's a blueprint for a coordinated Federal response to a disaster within a Federally regulated system, it's pretty absent here. Also, yes, the optics of slow to respond Federal leadership (EPA and DOT) - in terms of a show of support for the residents of Ohio whose lives and finances have been damaged by this event - is very evident. That includes Pete "I'm on personal time" Buttigieg.

I am being serious. As I mentioned to you, I am a ChemE though no longer in the industry. One of the first companies I worked for, just about every plant we operated is now a superfund site. I had to visit a few of these plants frequently, so I am more than familiar with chemical storage, handling and waste treatment.

This Ohio disaster is not that big a deal in my opinion, at least not the disaster of the century, decade, year. Perhaps disaster of the month. Was release of the gas a mistake in hindsight? A chemical fire is lot more difficult to manage, or even impossible.

For Fox and the GQP, this is convenient for Biden bashing and Buttigieg is in a no win situation. If the EPA and all other agencies have already responded, why should he go there?

[RickeyM]

Originally Posted by Rajoo

For Fox and the GQP, this is convenient for Biden bashing and Buttigieg is in a no win situation. If the EPA and all other agencies have already responded, why should he go there?

I know! To don a hazmat suit, pick up a shovel and begin removing dirt? Or would the Repubs have been happy if they showed up to stage a photo-op, pass out hats and expired water* and treated reporters to McDonald's like tRump did?

* tRump Water, which closed down bottling in 2010 and the water tRump passed out sat in plastic bottles for thirteen years rendering it unfit for consumption.

[Rajoo]

Originally Posted by whell

You're not serious, are you? Are you actually suggesting that any of those other annual train derailments had the environmental and economic impact that last month's derailment in Ohio had?

This is political for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the apparent lack of Federal gov't's (in)ability to respond. If there's a blueprint for a coordinated Federal response to a disaster within a Federally regulated system, it's pretty absent here. Also, yes, the optics of slow to respond Federal leadership (EPA and DOT) - in terms of a show of support for the residents of Ohio whose lives and finances have been damaged by this event - is very evident. That includes Pete "I'm on personal time" Buttigieg.

Whell, did Alex Azar visit NYC during the 2020 pandemic?
Why the hell not? A lot of people died there you know due to his boss's incompetence.

[whell]

Originally Posted by Rajoo

Whell, did Alex Azar visit NYC during the 2020 pandemic?
Why the hell not? A lot of people died there you know due to his boss's incompetence.

Uh, gee. No, Rajoo. I'm sure he didn't. Because, you know, it was a PANDEMIC. And like most other big cities, NY had travel restrictions in place that, golly, would have required Azar to self-quarantine for 2 weeks if he had gone there. I'm sure he had better ways to spend his time, like working with his boss to cause more people to die in New York.

And I bet you really thought you were making a really good point there.