As the blame game continues with Hurricane Katrina (frankly, we think this one's pretty much the fault of Nature), we're seeing an intense race to the bottom. Survivors be damned; politicians want to survive, too, and the only way they think they can is by pushing someone else into the evil, fetid water of New Orleans.
The feds are determined to lay this one on local and state officials who happen to be Democrats. But they're swiftly running out of wiggle room. The head of the National Hurricane Center says he told two top federal officials that flooding was a distinct possibility in NOLA. According to the Times-Picayune, both Michael Chertoff and Mike Brown were briefed on Katrina's historic potential.
"It's not like this was a surprise," Max Mayfield told the newspaper. "We had in the advisories that the levee could be topped."
Chertoff doesn't seem to remember this conversation. Too bad for him that it's logged in the records of the National Hurricane Center -- and in Mayfield's mind.
5 comments:
Ron,
The actual event, meaning Hurricane Katrina, is of course, a fault of Nature, but what lingers as unacceptable is the American government's repsonse to the natural disaster.
Bush failed miserably. There is no other way to say it.
And whatever issues occurred between Democratic Louisiana Governor Blano and Republican President Bush to slow, halt or drop the ball on saving American lives--nobody cares, the end result was still the same--people died, Americans died and there was no reason for that to happen.
If you told me, we're sorry the day after the storm we weren't able to get to a little old lady's house and she drowned, I would think rescuers had made a valliant effort and just were not able humanly to get to everyone. That happens in disasters. People do die.
But we are not talking about a valliant effort, we are talking about allowing tens of thousands of American men, women and children to slowly and inhumanely starve and die of thirst for FIVE DAYS with NO relief or efforts to stop it.
That is NOT an act of Nature, that is an inhumane act of human nature.
Big difference.
The Bush Administration failed miserably: a given to all but the hopelessly partisan.
But that doesn't absolve the mayor and the governor from their own screw-ups. If anything, they knew the potential for calamity better than anyone in D.C. and should have been more prepared to deal with the agonies.
Democrats can't blame it all on Bush while absolving Mayor Nagin and Gov. Blanco, both Democrats. That's falling into the same hole now occupied by GOP partisans.
Ron,
You're right. Everyone will take a share in the blame--Republicans, Democrats and Americans as a whole.
In reality we all, every human being, is ultimately responsible for what happened to the citizens of New Orleans the five days following Hurricane Katrina.
We are all responsible because this behavior is an affront to the common decency and humanity we are all entitled to as human beings.
With an estimated 10,000 or more possibly dead in New Orleans alone, there will be plenty to death and carnage to pass around to be responsible for.
But you cannot tell me as a former editor at the local daily newspaper and the local lifestyles magazine that when the journalistic 'shit' hit the fan, it was not YOU who were ULTIMATELY responsible for the actions or inactions of the staff, reporters and photographers in your charge.
By the same token, it is at the desk of the commander-in-chief of this country where the proverbial buck ultimately stops in times of natural disaster of a biblical scale.
And please do not be afraid to find fault where fault truly lies, whether it appears appaulingly bipartisan or not.
You run the risk of making general absolution for those who are not truly contrite for the inexcusable sins of neglect, abuse and abandonment of the citizens of this country.
Governor Blano (D) and President Bush (R) had a temporary wrestling match for possible martial law of the state of Louisiana and while they performed this legislative and political tango, helpless Americans caught in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath died in the process.
That is something they will BOTH have to be accountable for in the end.
It is also equally dangerous to find a generous fault upon local governments when in truth they were supposed to be able to rely on the National Guard when their own local law enforcement and rescue resources are scarce or depleted in the case of natural disasters.
That is part of their 'job.'
As you well know more than half of National Guardsmen from each state in the union are currently in Iraq, as are their high-water vehicles.
You can blame the local governments but the truth is the US government and military now view our National Guard as their own private military reserve for their needs in Iraq and use it accordingly.
The fact that the city of New Orleans had consistantly petitioned the federal government and been denied the funds to fix the levees is a verifiable fact, not a bipartisan opinion.
You know as well as I the throwing political sticks and stones will not bring the dead of this disaster back.
The only reason to speak out about injustice is to attempt, no matter how desperate the odds against it, to prevent it from ever happening again.
And that is a cause worth fighting for...for all Americans, no matter what their party affliation or loyalties.
Correction from the above post:
"And please do not be afraid to find fault where fault truly lies, whether it appears appaulingly PARTISAN or not."
"The fact that the city of New Orleans had consistantly petitioned the federal government and been denied the funds to fix the levees is a verifiable fact, not a PARTISAN opinion."
Sorry for the typos!
Typing and spelling do not necessarily run in a similiar direction. lol
Not much the feds could do until the got permission from Blanco to take over operations. Remember all that "state's rights" stuff from Poli-Sci 101?
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