The Bursting Point

[NATO AIR]

coming soon

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/04/opinion/04brooks.html

The Bursting Point
By DAVID BROOKS
Published: September 4, 2005
As Ross Douthat observed on his blog, The American Scene, Katrina was the anti-9/11.

On Sept. 11, Rudy Giuliani took control. The government response was quick and decisive. The rich and poor suffered alike. Americans had been hit, but felt united and strong. Public confidence in institutions surged.

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Last week in New Orleans, by contrast, nobody took control. Authority was diffuse and action was ineffective. The rich escaped while the poor were abandoned. Leaders spun while looters rampaged. Partisans squabbled while the nation was ashamed.

The first rule of the social fabric - that in times of crisis you protect the vulnerable - was trampled. Leaving the poor in New Orleans was the moral equivalent of leaving the injured on the battlefield. No wonder confidence in civic institutions is plummeting.

And the key fact to understanding why this is such a huge cultural moment is this: Last week's national humiliation comes at the end of a string of confidence-shaking institutional failures that have cumulatively changed the nation's psyche.

Over the past few years, we have seen intelligence failures in the inability to prevent Sept. 11 and find W.M.D.'s in Iraq. We have seen incompetent postwar planning. We have seen the collapse of Enron and corruption scandals on Wall Street. We have seen scandals at our leading magazines and newspapers, steroids in baseball, the horror of Abu Ghraib.

Public confidence has been shaken too by the steady rain of suicide bombings, the grisly horror of Beslan and the world's inability to do anything about rising oil prices.

Each institutional failure and sign of helplessness is another blow to national morale. The sour mood builds on itself, the outraged and defensive reaction to one event serving as the emotional groundwork for the next.

The scrapbook of history accords but a few pages to each decade, and it is already clear that the pages devoted to this one will be grisly. There will be pictures of bodies falling from the twin towers, beheaded kidnapping victims in Iraq and corpses still floating in the waterways of New Orleans five days after the disaster that caused them.

It's already clear this will be known as the grueling decade, the Hobbesian decade. Americans have had to acknowledge dark realities that it is not in our nature to readily acknowledge: the thin veneer of civilization, the elemental violence in human nature, the lurking ferocity of the environment, the limitations on what we can plan and know, the cumbersome reactions of bureaucracies, the uncertain progress good makes over evil.

As a result, it is beginning to feel a bit like the 1970's, another decade in which people lost faith in their institutions and lost a sense of confidence about the future.

"Rats on the West Side, bedbugs uptown/What a mess! This town's in tatters/I've been shattered," Mick Jagger sang in 1978.

Midge Decter woke up the morning after the night of looting during the New York blackout of 1977 feeling as if she had "been given a sudden glimpse into the foundations of one's house and seen, with horror, that it was utterly infested and rotting away."

Americans in 2005 are not quite in that bad a shape, since the fundamental realities of everyday life are good. The economy and the moral culture are strong. But there is a loss of confidence in institutions. In case after case there has been a failure of administration, of sheer competence. Hence, polls show a widespread feeling the country is headed in the wrong direction.

Katrina means that the political culture, already sour and bloody-minded in many quarters, will shift. There will be a reaction. There will be more impatience for something new. There is going to be some sort of big bang as people respond to the cumulative blows of bad events and try to fundamentally change the way things are.

Reaganite conservatism was the response to the pessimism and feebleness of the 1970's. Maybe this time there will be a progressive resurgence. Maybe we are entering an age of hardheaded law and order. (Rudy Giuliani, an unlikely G.O.P. nominee a few months ago, could now win in a walk.) Maybe there will be call for McCainist patriotism and nonpartisan independence. All we can be sure of is that the political culture is about to undergo some big change.

We're not really at a tipping point as much as a bursting point. People are mad as hell, unwilling to take it anymore.

E-mail: [email protected]

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Did you get this off DU, nato? this is utter shit.

 

[Gunny]

coming soon

What would a NYT article be without slipping Abu Ghraib in?

I'm not getting this reaction at all. Sorry, but I don't see a locally-unique problem (ineffective seawalls) as the responsibility of the Federal government.

I DO see the ieeffectiveness and invisibility of the LA state-and-local governments as a GLARING issue.

I also see a lot of people frozen, incapable of decisiveness without "Big Brother" around to hold their hands. In a nutshell, the Dem gov't in LA let down their own sheep.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Being fair or nonpartisan does NOT mean giving equal consideration to both lies and the truth.

 

[Mr. P]

The rich escaped while the poor were abandoned.

This is pure BS!!

They need to lay off this poor against rich, black white BS...

I just heard the x-Mayor of NO on Meet The Press say that
during his administration a public pole revealed that 50% of the population would NOT
evacuate if told to do so.

Now come on folks, whose responsible here? This may be Cold hearted but, should we just let Darwin do his work?

 

[NATO AIR]

We'll see how your reactions to a conservative writer (once the shining star at the Weekly Standard, now their premier columnist at the NYT (the only one other than tierney who isn't a frothing liberal) has written some rather fascinating books and essays about the "exburbs" and politics in general, basically saying republicans are building the majority for the future and how that's a good thing) giving you his take on the situation jive with what is happening in America in the coming weeks.

It will be interesting to say the least.

"utter shit" is a better description for the disaster response of everyone from the NO government to FEMA, and the way America is looking to the rest of the world right now as we've failed to fulfill our highest duty; that of taking care of our citizenry.

 

[NATO AIR]

This is pure BS!!

They need to lay off this poor against rich, black white BS...

I just heard the x-Mayor of NO on Meet The Press say that
during his administration a public pole revealed that 50% of the population would NOT
evacuate if told to do so.

Now come on folks, whose responsible here? This may be Cold hearted but, should we just let Darwin do his work?

would not because they didn't want to or would not because they couldn't?

like my city of miami, a good percentage of the population (perhaps as high as that 50%) do not own a vehicle and live paycheck by paycheck. hence (a) no way to evacuate on their own, financially or practically and (b) a fear of abandonment after they're run out of what little money they had in some hotel hours away from their home.

i guess you all been too well-off for a while, but i still know there are poor people in this country, and while some of them make it good and make out a successful existence, others just aren't so lucky.

they live, and that's about it. at least in america, they live free.

 

[Gunny]

We'll see how your reactions to a conservative writer (once the shining star at the Weekly Standard, now their premier columnist at the NYT (the only one other than tierney who isn't a frothing liberal) has written some rather fascinating books and essays about the "exburbs" and politics in general, basically saying republicans are building the majority for the future and how that's a good thing) giving you his take on the situation jive with what is happening in America in the coming weeks.

It will be interesting to say the least.

"utter shit" is a better description for the disaster response of everyone from the NO government to FEMA, and the way America is looking to the rest of the world right now as we've failed to fulfill our highest duty; that of taking care of our citizenry.

We ARE taking care of our own. The problem here is that impatient Americans want immediate action and a swift conclusion. IN PERSPECTIVE, a hurricane hit a major US city dead-on. The failure begins with those citizens who decided to stay and extends to city and state governments complete invisibility.

The fact of the matter is, it takes the bureaucracy we live in half of forever to unwind its coils and get into action.

The "x" factors of the fact that NO is seven feet below sea level and inner-city thugs roaming the streets have just made the situation all the more worse.

 

[NATO AIR]

The failure begins with those citizens who decided to stay and extends to city and state governments complete invisibility.
.

I can almost agree with everything except that part. Other than thrill seekers, I will not blame someone who didn't have the money or vehicle for their not evacuating. That's callous. its nice to point fingers and make generalizations when you don't understand life w/o a vehicle and living paycheck by paycheck. Perhaps you do, and just can't relate. or reasonably, perhaps its been so long that you've forgotten.

The mayor should have evacuated them way before with all those unused buses. Bush should not have been the one to have to tell these idiots in the state and local government to order the evacution. bush can't do everything, he is not God.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

We'll see how your reactions to a conservative writer (once the shining star at the Weekly Standard, now their premier columnist at the NYT (the only one other than tierney who isn't a frothing liberal) has written some rather fascinating books and essays about the "exburbs" and politics in general, basically saying republicans are building the majority for the future and how that's a good thing) giving you his take on the situation jive with what is happening in America in the coming weeks.

It will be interesting to say the least.

"utter shit" is a better description for the disaster response of everyone from the NO government to FEMA, and the way America is looking to the rest of the world right now as we've failed to fulfill our highest duty; that of taking care of our citizenry.

No. Utter shit is what I call this article.

 

[NATO AIR]

No. Utter shit is what I call this article.

then we agree to disagree.

at least i'm not drinking the lib kool-aid and claiming bush is racist or callous.

i'm just not happy with the response. my standards may be too damn high.

once bush fires mike brown and somebody like rudy or tommy franks takes over fema for a while, we'll get back on a better footing...

after all, the scary part is, we're not even into the peak season for hurricanes.

 

[Mr. P]

would not because they didn't want to or would not because they couldn't?

...

According to the x-Mayor, 25% because they couldn't, 25% because the wouldn't.

The city should have transported those 25% that couldn't..To blame the Feds for this
is insane, it's nothing more than an attack on the administration. These folks are doing nothing but
creating a smoke screen in order to cover-up their own incompetence in preparation. And the Anti-administration folks are chiming right in, riding the coat tails of a National disaster for political gain, instead of being part of the solution.
It's disgusting!

 

[Gunny]

I can almost agree with everything except that part. Other than thrill seekers, I will not blame someone who didn't have the money or vehicle for their not evacuating. That's callous. its nice to point fingers and make generalizations when you don't understand life w/o a vehicle and living paycheck by paycheck. Perhaps you do, and just can't relate. or reasonably, perhaps its been so long that you've forgotten.

The mayor should have evacuated them way before with all those unused buses. Bush should not have been the one to have to tell these idiots in the state and local government to order the evacution. bush can't do everything, he is not God.

I am not making generalizations, nor really pointing fingers. I have been through several hurricanes, and I DO understand, and in fact, have been in those shoes exactly. I just didn't have the money to leave.

My callousness extends so far that my wife and I have been twice in the past 3 days to the HS where we are housing 1500 refugees, and we basically anything we haven't used in the past year went with us.

I'm not looking for praise, nor any of that superficial, feel-good crap. I assume we ALL are doing what we can, IF we can. The point is, I am far from callous to their plight.

My statement was not in reference to those who could not leave. It was in reference to those who just didn't. Having lived in South Florida and Okinawa for more than few years, I pretty-much have the hurricane thing down pat.

I tiotally agree with you in regard to the local gov't ineffectiveness.

 

[NATO AIR]

I am not making generalizations, nor really pointing fingers. I have been through several hurricanes, and I DO understand, and in fact, have been in those shoes exactly. I just didn't have the money to leave.

My callousness extends so far that my wife and I have been twice in the past 3 days to the HS where we are housing 1500 refugees, and we basically anything we haven't used in the past year went with us.

I'm not looking for praise, nor any of that superficial, feel-good crap. I assume we ALL are doing what we can, IF we can. The point is, I am far from callous to their plight.

My statement was not in reference to those who could not leave. It was in reference to those who just didn't. Having lived in South Florida and Okinawa for more than few years, I pretty-much have the hurricane thing down pat.

I tiotally agree with you in regard to the local gov't ineffectiveness.

(hurricane thing down pat) me too. miami, NC, iwakuni, yokosuka, guam.. yea i'm good to go on that too.

i know there are thrill seekers and just plain idiots out there who stay no matter what. i feel for their families, not for them.

i've sat and stewed at the bungling on all levels here, and i'm just tired of it, i know a lot of other people are caught up in defending the admin. from partisan attacks right now, but once the investigations and hearings get rolling, documents and transcripts will roll out that will showcase the sheer incompetence of nearly everyone involved. people will wonder why FEMA did so well in the 90's despite what was often dreadful incompetence on the part of state and local authorties (remember the miss. river (and other river) flooding that hit people hard from minnesota to louisiana) yet did so poorly in 2005 with new orleans and miss/alabama.

like i said my standards are just too damn high probably.

that's good you and others are doing good things for people. that's what makes this so galling, that deep down, you know america is much better than this, especially when there's folks out there who would do damn near anything they could to help out when/if given the chance.

 

[Mr. P]

...



i've sat and stewed at the bungling on all levels here, and i'm just tired of it, i know a lot of other people are caught up in defending the admin. from partisan attacks right now, but once the investigations and hearings get rolling, documents and transcripts will roll out that will showcase the sheer incompetence of nearly everyone involved. people will wonder why FEMA did so well in the 90's despite what was often dreadful incompetence on the part of state and local authorties (remember the miss. river (and other river) flooding that hit people hard from minnesota to louisiana) yet did so poorly in 2005 with new orleans and miss/alabama.

like i said my standards are just too damn high probably.

...

You're buying the BS, NATO..

The Mississippi Gov. was on the show this morning as well...
Mississippi was hit much harder than NO/LA and his comment was...
"We're not having the problems NO is having"...

Now I think the question should be why? Did they evacuate better?
Did they actually have a plan? My guess to both is yes.

 

[NATO AIR]

You're buying the BS, NATO..

The Mississippi Gov. was on the show this morning as well...
Mississippi was hit much harder than NO/LA and his comment was...
"We're not having the problems NO is having"...

Now I think the question should be why? Did they evacuate better?
Did they actually have a plan? My guess to both is yes.

you can skim through one of these threads and you'll see i took up for barbour (the ms gov.), i think they're doing a good job there and i also think there is less of the criminal/crackhead element (plus MS cops aren't corrupt, just mean, ruthless sum bitches).

I just think maybe the MS. governor doesn't have enough resources, but that isn't necessarily his fault. they'll work it out, let's just hope the folks w/o food/water/medicine/shelter get some soon in that neck of the woods. i really like the people in MS.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

this crap about the country returning to the seventies, losing faith in institutions etc. is just utter lib crap.

 

[NATO AIR]

this crap about the country returning to the seventies, losing faith in institutions etc. is just utter lib crap.

the only institution i retain faith in is the military.

i dont' trust the government on anything else.

our education system is bunk.

our infrastructure is decaying.

liberal judges overturning decades of common-sense law and precedent to support their agenda.

the media at war with anyone and anything that doesn't toe their line or agenda.

too many of our businesses would rather hire illegals under the table then follow the damn laws and too many of our politicians would rather be multi-cultural than American.

our society and culture is way too oversexed and way too focused on the individual, not the family or morality.

our government is far too large and ineffectual. we've just added several massive layers of government (homeland security and that senior citizens drug benefit) in the past 4 years.

i can tick off real and pressing problems for hours that add to public unease about the social and government institutions we have.

its not liberal bs, its very real and its something we all must start doing something about.

the problems ain't gonna go away, and if we don't take them more seriously, the liberals will be in charge to make all the important decisions.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

the only institution i retain faith in is the military.

.

Is this the "McCain style ruthless law and order" you were talking about? You're getting scary.

 

[Mr. P]

you can skim through one of these threads and you'll see i took up for barbour (the ms gov.), i think they're doing a good job there and i also think there is less of the criminal/crackhead element (plus MS cops aren't corrupt, just mean, ruthless sum bitches).

I just think maybe the MS. governor doesn't have enough resources, but that isn't necessarily his fault. they'll work it out, let's just hope the folks w/o food/water/medicine/shelter get some soon in that neck of the woods. i really like the people in MS.

Actually he seemed positive about the assistance he was getting..
He even mentioned 1 million meals brought in last night.