I'm not sure the Webster's definition is the interpetation you would want to be pushing. I'm sure you already know this (but others may not),by Article II of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide and the provisions of Articles 6 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court of 1998, it is debateable that Bush may be complicit in violation of Article II (c): Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; further defined:

"includes the deliberate deprivation of resources needed for the group's physical survival, such as clean water, food, clothing, shelter or medical services. Deprivation of the means to sustain life can be imposed through confiscation of harvests, blockade of foodstuffs, detention in camps, forcible relocation or expulsion into deserts."

Let's define victims of New Orleans as a racial group.

However, "The crime of genocide has two elements: intent and action. "Intentional" means purposeful. Intent can be proven directly from statements or orders. But more often, it must be inferred from a systematic pattern of coordinated acts.

Intent is different from motive. Whatever may be the motive for the crime (land expropriation, national security, territorrial integrity, etc.), if the perpetrators commit acts intended to destroy a group, even part of a group, it is genocide.

The phrase "in whole or in part" is important. Perpetrators need not intend to destroy the entire group. Destruction of only part of a group (such as its educated members, or members living in one region) is also genocide. Most authorities require intent to destroy a substantial number of group members – mass murder. But an individual criminal may be guilty of genocide even if he kills only one person, so long as he knew he was participating in a larger plan to destroy the group."

"Systematic pattern of coordinated acts" is debateable. As you have seen yourself, it all depends on who and where you ask.

Also, since it seems to be the soup du'jour to announce one's race here, it may comfort many to know that I am not white nor black.

"When they started sending people in, they kept sending me assessment teams. Assessment teams! 'Listen, I don't need a goddamn assessment team. I need food, medical supplies, water for 2 million people, and I've got to feed them twice a day. Get the shit in here. We'll sort out the distribution.' "

General Romeo Dallaire, commenting on the genocide in Rwanda.

"We wanted soldiers, helicopters, food and water,they wanted to negotiate an organizational chart."

Denise Bottcher, press secretary for Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco of Louisiana.

Creepy!