Spike Lee came to New Haven today and i saw his work on Hurricane Katrina and the inefficiency of the Bush Administration in response to the disaster. and questions about Evil just flooded my head. i could instinctively say that it was disgusting how Bush ignored New Orleans to put his mind to greater matters like expand his oil empire in Iraq. Disgusting how the insurance companies refused to pay the victims because their insurance do not cover "flood insurance". disgusting because the underdog are the down and out. disgusting because the old and handicapped were trapped in Superdome to slowly die of heat and lack of food and water. Hurricane Katrina was in all ways a human disaster rather than a natural one, where human beings progressively butchered others through justifications and turning a blind eye on what has to be done. the fact that none of the officials stepped out to refute any detail in that 4 hour feature film just proved how accurate it was. not the complete picture (no story can ever be a full picture of what happens in an event) but enough to be testimony of how the top men (and women, counting Rice) in power today in the most powerful country have been corrupted by their self interest to see figures as living flesh and blood.
i can't help but grieve at the state of human existence.
i couldn't resist taking a close-up of the sculpted figures on the beam. i mean, sculpted figures that are so elaborate are everywhere; it never ceases to amaze me. During the Q & A with Spike Lee, you could tell almost immediately he's cynical how anything can change within the government, and more generally, how the world can ever be a more equal place. the powerful stay in power to get more power to translate into economic gains. a vicious cycle that doesn't end. yet i think that the very act of directing such feature films, is something already.
We then headed down for the high-class BBQ for Writing and Film studies students. we thought it was a typical DIY BBQ singapore-style but in good ol' england fashion, waiters in tuxedos did the BBQing as we sat under the sky in the cold wind enjoying the good fare. i'm quite sure i'm turning fat fast but i'm trying not to think about it too much.
off to New Haven Green for some good Jazz music. it's the Festival of Arts and Ideas, so outdoor performances are held on the Green at night. People come with mats and fold-able chairs, just camping out on the lawn :
