Katrina Exposes Disaster of the Welfare State

[Adam's Apple]

Unnatural Disaster: A Hurricane Exposes the Man-Made Disaster of the Welfare State
By Robert Tracinski, Real Clear Politics
September 5, 2005

It took four long days for state and federal officials to figure out how to deal with the disaster in New Orleans. I can't blame them, because it also took me four long days to figure out what was going on there. The reason is that the events there make no sense if you think that we are confronting a natural disaster.

If this is just a natural disaster, the response for public officials is obvious: you bring in food, water, and doctors; you send transportation to evacuate refugees to temporary shelters; you send engineers to stop the flooding and rebuild the city's infrastructure. For journalists, natural disasters also have a familiar pattern: the heroism of ordinary people pulling together to survive; the hard work and dedication of doctors, nurses, and rescue workers; the steps being taken to clean up and rebuild.

Public officials did not expect that the first thing they would have to do is to send thousands of armed troops in armored vehicle, as if they are suppressing an enemy insurgency. And journalists—myself included—did not expect that the story would not be about rain, wind, and flooding, but about rape, murder, and looting.

But this is not only a natural disaster; it is a man-made disaster. The man-made disaster is not an inadequate or incompetent response by federal relief agencies, and it was not directly caused by Hurricane Katrina. This is where just about every newspaper and television channel has gotten the story wrong.

The man-made disaster we are now witnessing in New Orleans did not happen over four days last week. It happened over the past four decades. Hurricane Katrina merely exposed it to public view. The man-made disaster is the welfare state.

for full article:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com
Scroll down to Monday, September 5, 4th article listed.

 

[KarlMarx]

Unnatural Disaster: A Hurricane Exposes the Man-Made Disaster of the Welfare State
By Robert Tracinski, Real Clear Politics
September 5, 2005

It took four long days for state and federal officials to figure out how to deal with the disaster in New Orleans. I can't blame them, because it also took me four long days to figure out what was going on there. The reason is that the events there make no sense if you think that we are confronting a natural disaster.

If this is just a natural disaster, the response for public officials is obvious: you bring in food, water, and doctors; you send transportation to evacuate refugees to temporary shelters; you send engineers to stop the flooding and rebuild the city's infrastructure. For journalists, natural disasters also have a familiar pattern: the heroism of ordinary people pulling together to survive; the hard work and dedication of doctors, nurses, and rescue workers; the steps being taken to clean up and rebuild.

Public officials did not expect that the first thing they would have to do is to send thousands of armed troops in armored vehicle, as if they are suppressing an enemy insurgency. And journalists—myself included—did not expect that the story would not be about rain, wind, and flooding, but about rape, murder, and looting.

But this is not only a natural disaster; it is a man-made disaster. The man-made disaster is not an inadequate or incompetent response by federal relief agencies, and it was not directly caused by Hurricane Katrina. This is where just about every newspaper and television channel has gotten the story wrong.

The man-made disaster we are now witnessing in New Orleans did not happen over four days last week. It happened over the past four decades. Hurricane Katrina merely exposed it to public view. The man-made disaster is the welfare state.

for full article:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com
Scroll down to Monday, September 5, 4th article listed.

Perhaps this incident will help those who advocate enlarging the Fedeal Government (e.g. nationalizing health care) realize just how adept the government actually is ..... at screwing things up....

If the government can't handle looking after the public safety (which IS their job), why do people continue to expect them to provide medical services on a national level (which SHOULD NOT be their job)?

 

[nosarcasm]

Public officials did not expect that the first thing they would have to do is to send thousands of armed troops

its standard precedure to have police forces coming in to prevent looting in
floodings anywhere. So this article is off base in their little welfare
looting tirade.

 

[no1tovote4]

its standard precedure to have police forces coming in to prevent looting in
floodings anywhere. So this article is off base in their little welfare
looting tirade.

In the US we have the Constitution that does not allow federal forces into states as police forces and doesn't allow them in as aid without the permission of the Governor of the state. This Governor refused to give that permission, even when directly asked by the President she witheld the permission for 24 more hours. She has much to answer for directly and indirectly.

The looting went on because there was no plan whatsoever to protect these citizens by the local governments and the federal government could not aid until the Governor finally signed that document.

The disaster was mitigated by the inept actions of more local government than it was by the feds. The feds should have been preparing as they kept waiting, they acted as if they didn't even know they were needed until after the document was signed. They too have some responsibility, but they could not act until the Governor finally allowed them to act.

 

[nosarcasm]

I agree with your assassment.