It appears that this technique of finding the few and blaming them – is policy at many levels. It works with any big entity. Treat everyone as if they are the worse case scenario and you can turn into an institution that does not need to respond to the non deserving. Anne Rice put it about as succinctly as possible.
wonder what’s gong to happen in California. My guess is – it’s a much more powerful crowd and their squeaky wheels will work wonders.
I understand there are two working child psychiatrists in all of New Orleans and there are still children so terrified of wind and rain – they cannot function. There is no money to be made serving the poor. There will be a lot of money made in rebuilding Malibu. What does that say about us?

When I think about New Orleans, in my mind’s eye I still see all of those people, young and old, black and white, outside of the Civic Center, and then I hear Michael Chertoff’s words about just finding out about the people there, when I know I’d been seeing them on television for two days. I especially remember the old woman in a wheelchair, covered mercifully in a blanket, for she had expired some while back.
I also remember a story a young man told about getting an excited phone call from a friend, telling him that power had been restored in the center city, since he had seen President Bush speaking from Jackson Square. This young man was staying with friends, but eagerly turned the television on, only to see the President’s speech end, and the square go dark again, as it remained for some time to come. The lights had been brought in only for the President, and left with him.

It was government’s duty to tell those people living below sea level that water runs downhill.

It might also have been the government’s duty to tell those people that the corp of engineers had built the levees in a substandard manner…

America has become cruel. judgemental and heartless. According to her fellows, the gulf south deserved the misery it lived and is still living to this day. I have tried to rationalize this reaction over the last two years. Perhaps if they can denigrate us enough they can lessen their own guilt over deserting their fellow Americans in time of need. No, that is not it.

Taking note that water runs downhill is not judgemental, it’s merely mental, an observaton.
I feel the same for the mansions built on the shifting sands of the barrier islands off the coasts.
Rich or poor, does government’s duties extend to protecting people from their own bad choices?
Our government has a policy of not negotiating with terrorists, for example. So if you wander into dangerous territory and get kidnapped, you’re on your own. How is this any different?
Is there a limit to how much we can protect people from their own bad choices?

freya:
Everyone makes bad choices. Only Christ lived the perfect life. So, according to you, we are absolved from helping our neighbor when they have made a bad choice? Just don’t tell that to all the good souls who we saw helping the fire victims in California this week. After all, Californians know that all those dry weeds are going to burn up sooner or later.

Still, again, the citizens of New Orleans had the right to believe that the levees would hold. They didn’t. Structurally, they were deficient.
Is that the fault of people living “downstream”? The Port of New Orleans is a valuable port for the nation, and much of the land that could have prevented flooding has been allowed to erode or has been developed.
It’s interesting that the Netherlands is totally protected by a system of levees that they built after the flooding in 1953. Without them, the entire nation would flood.
Amazing that they can do it, while the richest, most advanced nation in the world can’t protect its citizens.

Globally, the whole Katrina debacle was a blow to the image of the U.S. From Asia, it looked horrible. The response to the Tsunami was faster. We didn’t care about the political questions. While watching all we could ask was, “Why isn’t someone helping those people?”
Regardless of one’s politics, it’s a situation that should not have taken place in the wealthiest nation on earth.

Lest it potentially be misunderstood, amend my fourth sentence to read, “We didn’t care about the political questions of NO or who was to blame.”

Wow, Dave. Thank you again for such a supportive post. I am touched by your Christian perspective on New Orleans. That is a lot coming from someone who thinks we should round up all God people and send them to the Holy land to work it out.
Here’s a gift for you and your readers. Please don’t let the title scare you. It is just the way I saw it.
http://bourgeoisnievete.blogspot.com/2007/08/crucifixion-road-home.html

And let’s also remember that when those neighborhoods were established, they were not in as much danger. They way the entire North American watershed has been managed helped to create the problem. Also, there is the historical fact of slavery and poverty. Many people in the 9th ward and surrounding areas were there because there was literally no other place for them to go.
Hindsight may look 20/20 – but only if you have selective vision.

If N.O had been wealthy white area, or if someone important had lived there, more would have been done. GWB was told the levees would break and that there would be a loss of life. he did nothing.
He went down there, gave a speech, unloaded lights, generators, had planes flying overhead and then packed up all that stuff and left. He claims to be man of God, yet he could care less about helping the needy-which Jesus said was the only way to salvation. His mother was caught on tape stating that the refugees were better off in the shelters than in their own homes. The family is not in touch with reality.