We have not done right by Puerto Rico for the past 100 years. There is a reason the infrastructure is poor. Even if you accept that we did everything perfectly (which I absolutely do not), it still goes to Mitlen’s general point that no one really gives a crap.
The infrastructure in rural Mississippi and Louisiana is crap too (not as crappy as PR, but crappy). That’s why the devestation was as awful as it was. I don’t remember folks talking about infrastructure problems and debts and “hard decisions”
So even if the response was perfect, the attitude towards these people has been far from it.
Pretty sure we lambasted the freak out of the Bush Administration for the Katrina response. Particularly an inability to get basic supplies to people. People were reduced to crapting in corners of the SuperDome. Most of these issues were blamed on the devastated road system, particularly bridges. Over 40 that were around New Orleans were deemed too dangerous to use, including the I-10 Twin Span Bridge. Then there were the litany of reports about the levees and the ACE.
No ... we definitely talked about infrastructure problems in the post Katrina environment.
Better question regarding attitude should come from your fellow countrymen. Where are the calls for money for PR? Where are the football players starting up go fund me pages? Where are the "Pray for Puerto Rico" covers for my facebook profile pic? Yea, it would seem that America as a whole doesn't give a crap about PR.
