Indifference is a weapon.

"Indifference is a weapon of mass destruction," U.S. congressman Dennis Kusinich said when he reviewed the u.s. government's performance in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Television screens showed hundreds of thousands of poor, black people being led around by incompetent government personnel at every level.

The United States presents itself to the world as a prosperous, and caring nation but nothing could be further from the truth. Television cameras gave us pictures of the poorest people in the poorest region of the United States being treated inequitably once again. During the most critical phase after the hurricane, helicopters and landing pads were not available to overcrowded community hospitals needing to transfer patients while at the same time, the limited supply of helicopters in the region were tied up by upscale private clinics and by corporations removing the staff, records and personal belongings to safer locations.

The example of indifference was set by the President himself who went on the air waves to talk about the seriousness of the disaster but as soon as that talk was done, he was busy raising funds for the Republican Party and campaigning for tax cuts. The initial search and rescue efforts and the efforts to maintain safety and good order, were a tragedy as well as a national disgrace. Most important of all, an air of major inequity hovered over it all. The world saw the most disadvantaged African-Americans in horrendous circumstances, a face that the U.S. does not like to show.

The United States now has several hundred thousand displaced persons living in temporary encampments and shelters. Most have lost all their assets and are uncertain about their future--where they will live and how they will support themselves. The poor are now even more impoverished than they were previously.

The Bush administration, having flubbed the emergency efforts, is now being called upon to deal with the complicated issue of a large mass of dislocated people. These people have to be sustained for now and then decisions have to made about their future. Will they be returned to their shattered communities in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama? Are they to be resettled elsewhere or relocated in other parts of the United States? What of the stresses and strains on family life? Will there be long term health effects? Will these people find jobs or will they need retraining? How long are they to remain in temporary housing?

Right now, attitudes of compassion and sympathy prevail but this is beginning to erode. This erosion of good will is reflected in the unfortunate statement of Barbara Bush, the President's mother. She expressed the belief that the displaced persons are living better in their temporary accommodations, supported by public funds and charitable contributions, than they were in their home communities. She is not alone in this belief. It's an attitude that arises and grows after each major disaster. Compassion gives way gradually to malevolence and social conflict. A concerned government must act quickly and effectively and be seen to be doing so in order to avoid and minimize this racial hostility.

This is not the first time the u.s. government has had to deal with dislocations affecting large numbers of African-Americans. They don't have a good track record. When the Civil War ended, the United States was faced with four million footloose ex-slaves. Instead of land reform which would have turned the former slaves into land owners, venal politicians restored the property and power of the former slave owners. The ex-slaves became the cheap labour pool for their former owners. The Mississippi flood of 1927 was a disaster affecting almost as many people as Hurricane Katrina. Money was allocated for relief and a large part of it ended up in the hands of corrupt officials and overpaid contractors. All of these efforts served to maintain the South as an area of injustice. Now the contractors are lining up for deals in the Katrina-affected areas.

The Bush administration is finally spending money on the aftermath of the hurricane. Americans should question whether or not the funds are going to the affected people or to Bush-friendly contractors. Where is the money to come from--other important social and economic development programs? The efforts of the government must be viewed with a great deal of skepticism.

The relief and restoration efforts could serve as a catalyst to deal with the long term problems of this impoverished region of the United States. But will it? President Bush has made a poor start but he could still redeem himself by setting about correcting this gross inequity.--L.K.