[Carrie]

I'm probably the only person in this crowd with a differing opinion, or just the only one with the balls to say it.

Last night's "playing" with the troops was a complete and utter waste of resources and time. I see people all over Buff's blog cheering him on for this, I just keep thinking about how those soldiers could have taken that time and used that effort to be going through buildings with real looters or trapped people.

And yes, I've left a note saying this on his blog for him to see. I'm not one of the ones playing up to him and then muttering what they really think once they get off of the computer.

Another poster asked ""It's a nuanced and existential situation that men with guns and orders to use them aren't necessarily going to stop and ponder. And should they? "

My response was:
"No, they shouldn't. Workers are being pumped full of antibiotics and taking Tetanus and Hep B shots before going down there. The CDC is on its way today to assess disease control and possible outbreak. The people need to be out of there - all of them.
Taking one router to City Hall is not "essential personnel". Grabbing other companies' servers and hooking them up is not "essential personnel". Hovering over your own servers and feeding the generator is not "providing essential communications".

The guys helping to restore communications are in those white vans you see rolling by on the street with ladders on top.

There is a difference between providing essential help, or doing CYA on your own equipment and providing a little help here and there when asked or paid (whether in money or water).

Has Mike and crew provided valuable information to us via this blog and webcam? Yes.
Were Mike and crew there all this time solely to provide infrastructure support and rebuilding efforts? No. They were there to keep their servers running.

They should have made arrangements to have the servers out of there days ago. If a truck can get diesel in, it can get servers out. If the people there are too invested in their machines and their money to pay attention to their own safety and that of the folks staying with them (like Crystal), they should be made to leave. Yes, Mike is ex-special-ops. Yes, he can protect them from looters. Can he protect them from disease and chemical exposure? No.

Every hour they stay there is not only a threat to their own lives, but it also puts added stress on the *true* relief crews in the area (as evidenced by the situation with the troops last night).

Mike, feel free to blast me over on the O board if you don't want to do it here, some of the O'nauts already are. Just being honest and telling you what I really think. I know you'd prefer that to lying to your face (or monitor) and then talking behind your back. Y'all need to pack up the servers and head to Tampa, where there's big steaks and lots of wine waiting for you."

Feel free to blast me, call me names, whatever. *shrug* It's the way I feel about it. There are people out there dying and starving, people afraid to come out of their shelters - and these soldiers could have been in a different building helping someone had DirecNic's office been evacuated as it's supposed to be, as the Mayor has asked, begged, pleaded, and ordered time and time again. EVERY able-bodied person refusing to leave New Orleans right now is a drain on the resources that the non-able-bodied people need.
*straps on the kevlar*