More Katrina

[femtohacker]

As you can tell from my two previous posts I have no qualms about discussing the politics of disaster relief.

At the same time I'm inclined to think that the following image is a bit of a pot shot. It is, however, a very well aimed pot shot.

Comments

[pentheus]

While I totally agree with the sentiments of the commentary in a prior post of yours about the role of government and the need for a strong government with a light hand, I'm not sure that I buy the potshots from the left about conservative budget strangulation's necessary link to underpreparedness for Katrina. The link has a certain easy obviousness, but that doesn't make it true. The scientific control, I suppose, would be a Democratic administration's response to a catastrophe of huge scale. The problems that I'm really hearing about don't seem to stem from a budgetary lack, but organizational failure. Since the "Hurricaine Pam" excercise had been conducted, why weren't there a slew of emergency measures planned and implemented? It seems that it wasn't lack of funds or ability, just will. Now, this can be pinned on the largely republican governments in the area, and the denial of levee/flood-preparedness funds by the GWB administration--they called it "pork"-- but I'm unconvinced that it would have unfolded any better if a

[fenmere]

Maybe I totally missed it, but I haven't heard anybody declare the thing a state of emergency yet.

Again, I probably missed it.

Anyway, I agree with your assessment here, pentheus, including the GOP/Nazi comparisons. That kind of willy-nilly blame pointing doesn't get us anywhere.

But Bush can still be criticized for his response to the thing. It does seem like he doesn't care, even if he's just stupidly saying the wrong things. And apparently "character" was one of the main reasons he was voted into office...

[pentheus]

I am also permanently uncool with the GOP/Nazi comparisons, re: "Field Marshall Norquist."

[pentheus]

especially when much better play can be gotten from his first name.

[gazatext]

Great post! I wish you could follow up on this topic!