Here in America, disasters usually bring out the best in people. I was in South Carolina when Hugo came through in 1989 and, with few exceptions, that's exactly what happened. In the face of all the terrible stories we've seen coming out of New Orleans, I note that we don't hear the same type of thing coming from Mississippi or Alabama. Those communities seem to be pulling together and dealing with the situation. Not that they've got it good or anything, but they're dealing.
But New Orleans is different. Why? The first obvious answer is the additional problems created by broken levees and a flooded city. That has created its own logistical nightmares when it comes to trying to help those who need it. Officials at all levels of government are dealing with the results of two disasters simultaneously, instead of one. Add to that having part of a population stranded as a result of the ineptitude of local leaders, an inner city overridden with gangs and crime and a police department essentially evaporating in the storm's aftermath, and you’ve got anarchy.
These problems existed because the local and state governments there didn't do more AHEAD of time...and were slow to do what was in their power in the immediate aftermath of the storm. For instance, Governor Blanco could have deployed the National Guard under her own authority sooner, and the mayor could have used the city and school buses on hand to evacuate more people from the city before the storm, instead of leaving them neatly parked where they now sit in four feet of water.
Now they want to blame the federal government, and the media and assorted moonbats on the left are looking at this as an opportunity to move on to the "next thing" as a vehicle to slam the Bush administration. (I guess this means they’re through with Cindy Sheehan for now?)
All this finger-pointing at the federal government is despite the fact that the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana failed to implement their own disaster preparedness plan (maybe they couldn’t find it…but bloggers all over the Internet have managed to). It is despite the fact that Bush called for the mandatory evacuation on Friday before the storm hit, or that he officially declared a “federal state of emergency” for Louisiana three days before the Governor got around to declaring an official “state of emergency”.
Article comments
1 - billy
thats one of the weakest arguments to shift blame away from where it belongs. this is a national emergency, and no national leader stepped forward. mainly because we dont have one in this moron you like to believe was elected fairly as president. george bush needs to resign if he cant take responsibility for his MISERABLE FAILURE.
2 - jt
It is so awesome that all you folks read the same piece in the WSJ. The right has their talking points in order!
3 - billy
this piece is a joke. spin all you want. let me tell it to a republican because they are too stupid to understand the basics in life.
when things go wrong. the boss takes a hit. bush is the boss. he is going to take a big hit.
you can point fingers down the chain of command, to the mayor or the local people or whatever. but you will just look like an incompetent pussy every time you do.
4 - Stone
I see you got your daily talking points from the RNC.
The GOP's Magic Bus theroy makes no sense whatsoever. And to say that there should be NO federal accountablility for a disaster makes no sense whatsoever.
And sadly, why you guys try to shift blame, PEOPLE (yes, PEOPLE, not refugees) are DYING and displaced from their homes.
Heartless bastards.
5 - John Bambenek
Federal accountability makes sense, as long as there is local accountability as well.