Ethnic cleansing in the United States?

Much of the commentary about the response to Hurricane Katrina has been somewhat hysterical, and rather unenlightening. Today I found a rare exception by the fascinating author Mike Davis, who writes about cities (mostly, American cities) in a manner that is always thoughtful and remarkably stimulating.
To see, in his article "The Struggle Over the Future of New Orleans," language usually associated with Israeli policies towards the Palestinians, is certainly shocking. But he is careful and thoughtful, and his suggestions appear (to me at least) to make good sense. He's also optimistic about the possibilities of social movements - a valuable trait, all too rare among lefties.