More Thoughts on Katrina
Mood:  sharp
Now Playing: Bach's Mass in B Minor
Topic: More Thoughts on Katrina
More Thoughts on Katrina

Just some more musings on the aftermath of the worst natural disaster in American history….

First, the partisan attacks continue by the American Left, led, as usual, by the Democrat party. The amount of political profiteering by the DNC is simply shameless, evocative of the Northern carpetbaggers that flooded the South after the conclusion of the Civil War. From the shrill cries of Nancy Pelosi, to the irrational rants of Howard Dean, the charges being spewed out of the mouths of these despicable individuals is proving little different than the sewer backwash now flooding the streets of New Orleans. At a time of mass suffering, the best these so-called civic leaders can come up with is endless finger pointing. Maybe Dean and Pelosi should consider replacing Louisiana Governor Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Nagin? After all, they seem to have Louisianan blame-game politics down pat.

In general, I think the recent behavior of the Democrat Party has been very illustrative of just how bankrupt that party has become. In a vein similar to the 9-11 and the Iraq War, the Democrats have sought to use the misery and suffering of the Katrina disaster to score political points with the voters. Not by offering constructive efforts, mind you, but by trying to create new conspiracy theories in their on-going effort to demonize the Bush administration. So now we are routinely subjected to comments that Bush acted slowly because of the high number of poor blacks in the region (President Bush declared Louisiana a disaster area 48 hours before Katrina hit, but Blanco refused all federal assistance until 48 hours after the hurricane hit), or was unable to act because all the troops were deployed in Iraq (two-thirds of the Louisiana National Guard remained in-state), or the environmental policies of Bush are responsible for the hurricane (such a silly idea, no refutation is needed). Like the Kerry campaign of last year, Democrats would seem to still have nothing to offer the voters other than wild, wacky, and bitter GOP conspiracy theories---a state of affairs that will lead to even more Republican victories in years to come.

Of course, the media, the erstwhile allies of the Left, have jumped into the game in various ways. The most recent example is Time magazine’s expose of Michael Brown, the FEMA director. According to the ever-so reliable investigators at that magazine, Mr. Brown is guilty of padding his resume with unsubstantiated experience in crisis management. Of course, these allegations have not been supported by other sources, but that will not stop the Democrats from alleging all sorts of incompetence on the part of Brown and Bush (carefully avoiding any possible reminders that Brown had successfully handled other hurricane disasters prior to Katrina). I, for one, would like to ask about any possible resume’ padding on the Louisiana senator Mary Landrieu, and the hapless duo Blanco and Nagin. After all, these elected state officials have known for years about the potential flooding disaster that could occur after a major hurricane and yet were woefully unprepared when the bell finally tolled. What crisis management experience did they claim on their resume when they sought to shepherd the good people of that high risk state?

In general, the media did a poor job covering this event. Even Fox News, who usually seeks its own path when reporting on a major event, fell right in line with the doom-mongers of CNN and MSNBC. In many cases, journalists became part of the panicked population, adding to the hysteria instead of serving as a calming, reassuring voice. Again, unlike September 11, the media cracked and embraced sensationalism instead of professionalism.

In many ways, this disaster has highlighted how confused some Americans are concerning the organization of this great nation. I am shocked that so many people completely bypass the state and local governments and expect the federal government to be their primary caretaker. People need to be reminded that we are a federal republic, that Washington D.C. is not responsible for the day to day “health, welfare, and morals” of the people of the several states (that is the doctrine of State Rights). The state governments, along with the numerous levels of local government, shoulder that immense responsibility. The federal government acts only in a supplemental role to that charge, and then only when invited in by the state governors. The citizens of Louisiana should be asking what took the governor and mayor so long to act, and not addressing that question to FEMA. In fact, they should be demanding to know, from all levels of state government, why, after years of scientific studies concerning the danger posed to New Orleans, so little proactive preparation was made to ensure the city could survive a hit by a strong hurricane. Louisiana had received more federal aid than any other state in the Union (just under two billion during the last five years of the Bush administration), yet much of that money was diverted to pork-barrel projects (recently, the FBI in New Orleans described the state's public corruption as “epidemic, endemic, and entrenched”). Instead of vetting resumes, Time would be performing a real civic duty by looking for the answers to these questions. That will never happen, of course, because it would prove fatally embarrassing to one of the strongest liberal Democrat bastions in the nation.

All in all, Louisiana is an example of what happens when the people of a state succumb to the big government mentality. Instead of seeking self reliance, they depended on the promises of big government demagogues and have been catastrophically harmed as a result.

Another annoyance: celebrity activism. Why is it that celebrities, who normally contribute nothing to society, descend upon disaster areas with all the alacrity of a vulture to a carcass? It wouldn’t be so bad if these professional imposters would help out and keep quiet, but we are forever subjected to the prognostications of these individuals who…um, to be polite, I would not allow to balance my checkbook on one of their good days? Like the party they often support, a mindless rant of racism, class warfare, and liberal delusions are spouted with all the hypocrisy of Nero discoursing about the importance of fire prevention. To quote Laura Ingram, just “shut up and sing!”

Now the good news: despite these darker aspects of the Katrina disaster, America is still America. Not all the divisiveness of liberal politics, race-baiters, or air-head celebrities has stopped Americans from what they do best: helping the afflicted with unimaginable generosity of all sorts, including record amount of money and elbow grease. Our deep religious convictions continue to trump the bitter politics of the age and motivate all to pitch-in and help out. Indeed, many churches and Roman Catholic religious orders have been first on the scene, alleviating as much suffering as they possible can, even without the help of Hillary Clinton’s investigative committees or Nancy Pelosi’s demand for FEMA firings. Likewise, ordinary Americans of every type and color have joined hands to make right what has gone so terribly wrong. The Gulf Coast, like a phoenix from the ashes, will emerge better and stronger for the trials now testing it. Why? Because that is the flame of the American Spirit at work, and nothing will ever dim that light.

"This is one of these disasters that will test our soul and test our spirit. But we're going to show the world, once again, that not only will we survive, but that we will be stronger and better for it when it's all said and done, that amidst this darkness, there is light. And I want to thank you all for providing light, immediate light to people who needed help. You make your state and your local governments and your country proud... Americans can be certain our nation has the character, the resources and the resolve to overcome this disaster. We will comfort and care for the victims. We will restore the towns and neighborhoods that have been lost in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama [and] rebuild the great city of New Orleans. And we'll once again show the world that the worst adversities bring out the best in America." —President George W. Bush in Louisiana