Interesting Reading on Katrina

[roscoedoh]

http://www.chronwatch.com/content/contentD...y.asp?aid=16626

[FC]

wow, that was good.

[TwistJG26]

Just what I've been saying. But people listening say that I am blaming the victims.

 

Nice catch!

[Guest MorgansBoss]

Interesting, but it took some doing to get past the first couple lines. I thought it was going to be another Bush bashing the way it started. The fact that the authroities are still having to force people out is evidence that many would stay no matter what. However, I'm in Maryland many hundreds of miles away, and one LA family evacuated here to stay with relatives before the storm even hit! Now they're stranded until such time as they can either go home or re-establish themselves here. The point being - they were smart enough and cared enough about their family to get out of harm's way in plenty of time.

 

I know some folks don't have the resources to leave, but many simply gamble on the storm's track and lose! It's a shame for all of them - the unable and the unwilling, but it's not anyone elses "fault."

[Emul8]

Yes, this article was something of a revelation, and to be completely honest, I found it somewhat refreshing contrasted to the same old stuff that has been copiously flowing from the major news agencies, blogs, etc.

 

I was impressed that the writer of the article had done her homework and didn't blame the poor and elderly victims of the whole Katrina episode. And while I feel that she may have, in her clearly Republican zeal, set about picnicking on both Blanco and Nagin...her assessment of them, though oversimplified and harsh, nonetheless illustrates what many of us have come to believe, that many, MANY people in positions of political power will stop at nothing to keep their spin going.

 

Thanks, roscoedoh, for posting the link!

[Doble Troble]

I think that MorgansBoss makes a good point about blame and fault. Something has happened over the last 25 years or so where Americans have become preoccupied with assigning blame when bad things happen. This has two negative effects. First, people become less concerned about their personal responsibilities, as long as there is someone or some circumstance that can be blamed. Second, it favors an inefficient CYA approach on the part of those in government in a position to possibly be blamed. The buck needs to stop with all of us, and we need to encourage those in charge to act boldly and in the interests of the greater good.

[Emul8]

Doble Troble --

 

I don't disagree with the ideas around blame and fault...it is truly an amazing phenomenon...particularly in the case of a natural disaster, where the real "culprit" is something that can't be blamed without people seeming insane, so, in the throes of finger-pointing fervor, people almost always start blaming each other. And you're right, it seems to be a trend that Americans are getting far too comfortable with...almost like a national pastime!

 

I don't think that we as the constituencies can afford to be lax in living the example of personal and political responsibility to our politicians and demanding that they do the same...it MUST be reciprocal. And it's going to require patience to allow for the inevitable stumble...however, we should all hold each other's feet to the fire around this, because it's going to be very difficult to reverse the trend. As you said, whenever there's a convenient target for blame, it seems that people will naturally take advantage of the opportunity to shrug off any culpability whatsoever.

 

 

[fritz]

In summation, let me just add that NO wasn't called The Big Easy for nothing!

 

fritz