New Orleans and the Attack of the Mad Herd Animals

Okay, everyone take a deep breath. We just witnessed the incredible trauma and stupidity surrounding the 'management' of the New Orleans hurricane response. Now, we are setting ourselves up for the next phase: the madding return (see my previous posting).

If FEMA is running the show, then FEMA needs to set down the ground rules. Not panicked local politicians, not the media, and not the citizenry, which has been whipsawed between death and life, heartache and survival pragmatics. If the federal governemnt is responsible for the safety and well-being of the affected citizenry, then it, not the local government, needs to make the rules. If the local government wants to run the show, then they need to recind their request for federal assistance. They can't have it both ways: ask for help, and then do stupid things.

Of course, getting FEMA to make a decision that makes sense is a whole discussion into itself. But if this can be shifted into a Coast Guard/military-style operation (calm down, all y'all posse comitatus folks!), then there's a possibility that the cleanup and basic safety needs of the population can be met before they return to swamp the crippled infrastructure with yet more raw sewage and self-induced casualties.