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[oti]

This is Anime.

 

[Gattsu25]

For the new page:

I just did a diff between the original (PDF) and current article and identified the differences. Please note they do not indicate that it was ever modified. (The second change is really minor):

Deleted text is stuck through and red
New text is underlined

Change 1:

Old Title: In Chicago, wishing for a Hurricane Katrina
New Title: Chicago, New Orleans, and rebirth​

Change 2:

Old: And after careful study of the levees, it turns out the devastation was not born of natural disaster. It was manmade.
New: And after careful study of the levees, it turns out the devastation was not born of natural disaster. It was man-made.​

Change 3:

Old: That's why I find myself praying for a real storm. It's why I can relate, metaphorically, to the residents of New Orleans climbing onto their rooftops and begging for help and waving their arms and lurching toward rescue helicopters.
New: That's why I find myself praying for a storm. OK, a figurative storm, something that will prompt a rebirth in Chicago. I can relate, metaphorically, to the residents of New Orleans climbing onto their rooftops and begging for help and waving their arms and lurching toward rescue helicopters.​

 

[Plaguefox]

For the new page:

Holy shit, lady. "Okay. Okay fine a figurative storm, you got me." Do you think she walked it back of her own accord, or is she one of those people who call upon the wrath of her god to punish those she hates (like teachers' unions) and her board had to mitigate her insanity?

 

[UnluckyKate]

Sounds like the political version of Rorschach

exactly.

Whatever the cost, for the greater good

 

[Africanus]

As someone who escaped Hurricane Katrina in the nick of time and lives in Chicago this article is disgusting.

 

[Fuchsdh]

Link pretty much mentioned it above. I mean, I disagree with her sentiment of course, but she could've totally done without the dumb shock and awe analogy.

For example, I believe that the Holocaust can teach us a lesson of what the worst of humanity can bring and made us realize what we should avoid or take action before something similar occurs again.

That doesn't mean I want another Holocaust though.

Yeah. There's something to be said for how disasters focus us much better on our problems. With that said, A) I'm not sure all the reforms they are talking about are things the majority of Chicago would even want, and B) I'm not sure how ethical the "this will be better if we get to it after a disaster rather than dallying" is, let alone practical.

To use the Holocaust sentiment, have the fortunes of Jews and the relationships they have with other faiths and vice versa really improved enough to say that it was worth the deaths of 6 million of them (not to mention the millions of others who died?) Leaving aside the idea of whole communities being obliterated and permanently uprooted, I can't say those numbers feel in balance.

The author seems like they've fallen into the trap of strict utilitarianism.

 

[Toxi]

An underperforming public school system saw a complete makeover. A new schools chief, Paul Vallas, designed a school system with the flexibility of an entrepreneur. No restrictive mandates from the city or the state. No demands from teacher unions to abide. Instead, he created the nation's first free-market education system.

Someone desiring this for Chicago's school system honestly pisses me off more than the Katrina shit.

 

[Beartruck]

Speaking as someone who lives near Chicago, what the hell is she talking about? Chicago is the 3rd largest city in the country. It along with its metropolitan area has like 6x the population of New Orleans. It would be impossibly devastating and would destroy the midwest.

My gut tells me she wants Chicago destroyed because it usually pulls the rest of Illinois into democratic territory every election.

 

[Africanus]

For more scientific purposes Hurricane and Cyclone like systems can form over the Great lakes such as The Lake Huron Cyclone of 1996 or "The Chiclone" of 2010.

Naturally a Category 5 hurricane would require magnitudes greater intensity than ever recorded, but I wouldn't say it's out of the realm of possibility given the Category 3 like systems experienced in the past.

 

[obijkenobi]

Were the other editors drunk when they approved this? For real though. I mean....I can't think of why you'd say this in public, never mind writing it on a blog,nevermind publishing it in the Chicago Tribune.

 

[Siegcram]

Someone desiring this for Chicago's school system honestly pisses me off more than the Katrina shit.

Same.

On a side note, how did anyone with that writing style get on the editorial board of a big daily newspaper? This reads like a telegram.

 

[Random Painted HIghway]

It makes sense, if you can't get your way through politics what else can you do but rely on but an act of God or nature to smite your enemies and give you the ability to reform things in your image. That you would put this fantasy (no doubt a common one for certain folks) to pen and paper with your name attached is remarkable.

 

[samn]

edit nevermind

 

[Gattsu25]

Are they still not admitting that they edited the article?

Fuck transparency, right?

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

I get what he means. Growing up I and around Chicago, the place practically oozes sitb corruption. You wanna know why some social Democrats could end up voting conservative and hating unions? They're probably from Chicago. So many in my family going Republican slowly over time because democrat = corrupt shitbag more often than not.

A woman wrote the article.

And no. It was a horrendous analogy.

 

[Ivan Amiibo]

OK, a figurative storm, something that will prompt a rebirth in Chicago.

.


key word being "figurative"

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

But the general sentiment has some truth to it. Chicago/Illinois has been festering for generations and the amount of change required is unprecedented.

Yes, but that doesn't mean the analogy was stupid.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

.


key word being "figurative"

Nah, she said she wanted a real storm before everyone was like "you're a psychopath, what the fuck is wrong with you." and then she stealth edited the article.

 

[Ivan Amiibo]

Nah, she said she wanted a real storm before everyone was like "you're a psychopath, what the fuck is wrong with you." and then she stealth edited the article.

That's because people are dumb and generally can't handle parsing a metaphor.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

That's because people are dumb and generally can't handle parsing a metaphor.

That doesn't absolve you from exercising some tact.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

That's because people are dumb and generally can't handle parsing a metaphor.

Yeah, personally I think the dumb one is the person who writes the title "wishing for a Hurricane Katrina."

brb, gonna write my "wishing for a 9/11 in California" article right now.

 

[Ivan Amiibo]

That doesn't absolve you from exercising some tact.

I'm not talking about the content and composition of the article. Just the fact that the topic is titled and people are reacting as if she really meant what she said.

 

[joelseph]

Rahm and crew does suck and it will take an act of God to fix the hole they are digging for the city.

 

[cDNA]

I think the author is trying to say that Chicago needs to rebuilt from the ground up for any real change to occur. From the Author's perspective it took a massive natural disaster to dislodge entrenched political establishments so that meaningful change could be made. I think this comes off as romanticizing the chaos wrought by Hurricane Katrina, but I don't think they were doing it out of malice, just a poor judgment on their part.

I think she fail to mention the billions the Federal Government send as aid to rebuild after Katrina, but that is not as relevant as the free market school she devotes a line to praise. I want to see how many of that free market initiatives were financed with federal taxpayer money vs actual enterprise money.

 

[Jackpot]

That's because people are dumb and generally can't handle parsing a metaphor.

She specifically said a real storm. Not a figurative one.

 

[Wolfgunblood Garopa]

Something has to be done about a less than ideal political climate... why not a good old fashioned horrifying natural disaster that causes widespread catastrophe and suffering to shake things up? Hey, she's just throwing an idea out there. Getting creative. Someone has to start coming up with solutions!

 

[WedgeX]

For the new page:

I feel like you should send this to the Tribune's ombudsman.