Somebody's to blame

The media has chosen to focus on the poor down trodden souls who've lost everything, urging them along and pushing the belief that it's because the government didn't intervene. Acidman posted an article written by Robert Tracinski of The Intellectual Activist, where Tracinski explains the problem in New Orleans was created by the welfare state. Thousands of people were and are dependant upon the government to not only to provide for them, but evidently to think and provide morals as well.

As the various branches of the government were dead locked in a circle jerk trying to figure out how they could dodge culpability, garner votes for the next election and blame the opposing party some of the residents had chosen to forget the thousands of years of advances the human race and resort to barbaric actions never before seen in America. Other residents have risen out of the proverbial ashes as heroes and tried to restore peace and order to their beloved home.

Granted I can't speak with firsthand knowledge regarding the situation in New Orleans. I've been there and still can't fathom seeing a majority of it soaking in a toxic soup. The chaos that must have erupted when those who choose to ride out Hurricane Katrina, realized they'd made the wrong choice is incomprehensible to me.

The biggest problem I've seen is a one that has repeated itself over and over throughout history. It's the vacuum created anytime authority is suddenly removed and people are unsure what is going to happen next. After the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan several gangs and warlords battled to determine who would be in control until the government stepped in.

The same thing happened in New Orleans. The people who chose to stay behind were faced with an absence of power as Ray Nagin and Kathleen Blanco floundered indecisively while the Federal Governments hands were tied. Their inability to lead and follow through on previously documented procedures may very well have been the death blow for thousands New Orleans residents.

The absence of power isn't overly surprising when we learn through the Rieghl World View that the New Orleans Levee Board is under federal investigation for corruption. I imagine that in the near future we'll see just how inept and corrupt the Governor's and Mayor's offices really are.