From THE VN/VO:
Make no mistake, the effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans are not only one of the worst natural disasters in American history, they are also a test of our entire nation's readiness for and response to the proverbial catastrophic terrorist event- an event we've all been conceptualizing in theory since September 2001. Thus far this week, we've all failed the test.
Other than having someone to blame, there is no discernable difference between what is occurring right now in the Gulf coast and what would occur if any terrorist group's ultimate goal were reached. Even worse, with a terrorist attack the scene playing out in New Orleans could very well be playing out in many major metropolitan areas simultaneously.
While there are a set of relatively simpler that this disaster has uncovered- issues such as preparedness, response times, and manpower- the overarching problems are cultural and psychological. When we begin to shed light on these more complex issues, we find an entire nation that is most likely nowhere near able to handle a real attack on our soil.
Lets take a look at the first part of the problem: preparedness. While the dictionary definition of the term may elicit a concept that is simple to achieve, provided that enough resources are thrown at it- preparedness is actually a little more complicated that we think. We- meaning the citizenry, and more so the government- are a nation that is chronically reactionary.
After September 11th, the overall movement in the security universe was supposed to be towards something more proactive. However, the proof is in the pudding. We're now aptly prepared to handle Middle-Eastern hijackers driving our planes into New York buildings (a reaction to past events), but we're not prepared to immediately curtail the rather predictable devastation from a hurricane, known to us a week in advance, hitting a city which exists mostly below sea level.
I can only hope that no terrorist group is having an "ah-ha" moment right now- realizing that they could take a few suicide bombers to all of our levies, knowing that not only are there very few security personnel watching over them, but that we wouldn't be able to fix them until it is far too late.
Preparedness, you see, doesn't just mean scrambling FBI agents when someone makes a bone-headed bomb joke at the airport. Preparedness means the ability to scramble thousands of security personnel- military, engineering, investigation, medical, and the like- to any location in the nation that may come under any creative terrorist incident within hours- not days or weeks. It means a known set of rules and procedures that, in the unfortunate event of some form of devastation, as few citizens as possible are affected to a life-threatening degree.
Issues of proactive response are actually the simple end of the problem here. The disaster in New Orleans has uncovered a much larger, more wide-ranging, and more dangerous issue regarding our culture and our psychology as a whole.
We are faced with a reality usually reserved for third-world nations. In the event of wide-ranging devastation, a certain subset of our population will turn against any efforts to stabilize the devastated area. They will not only loot and pillage, they will also carry out acts which border on terrorism. In the recent New Orleans chaos, we've seen rescue vehicles- and even military personnel- fired on.
The media have already begun to offhandedly excuse a lot of it as merely part of the human condition, or the fault of general socioeconomic imbalance. It is, however, neither of these things. One thing is for sure: this cultural condition- whatever it is- combined with a worst-case scenario disaster on a national level, is what causes great nations to crumble. While, of course, we all hope to never find out what would truly happen if this toxic mix were to be stirred up, it is high time we address cultural issues along with the more physical, procedural issues within the realm of national security.
Who are these people that apparently live amongst all of us? The question is not what specific individuals were looting and killing in Louisiana during the hurricane aftermath, the question is which specific people would do the same in Chicago, New York, Des Moines, and Portland. How do we either change their psychological makeup, or remove them from society?
Maybe it means a criminal justice system that is less bent on relativism and forgiveness, and more on future security concerns. Maybe it means a government movement to get people thinking about the community and its security before themselves, similar to what was done in the 1950's.
Admittedly there are a lot more questions than answers right now. The answers require a shift in culture, which is never an overnight project. I am sure we'll come at least somewhat close to solving the issues of readiness and disaster procedure. The media and the government will most likely focus on this simpler issue.
The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina showed no signs of a nation in the midst of any sort of war. If we're not going to take the war on terror seriously, then let's stop talking about it. If we are- and I believe by all counts we should be- then we must be a nation built for the worst case scenarios of a war. This means the military, the government, and most importantly the culture.
New Orleans in August, 2005 was a test. We failed that test. Our next big test may not be a drill- it may be the real thing.
View story at THE VN/VO:
New Orleans Disaster: A test of cultures, failed.
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