User:65.54.154.45/Lessons from Katrina

December 15, 2005

LESSONS OF KATRINA

1. A WAKEUP CALL ON --Dangers of global warming and climate change --Dangers of American and world dependence ob carbon based energy---especially petroleum

2. FAILED PUBLIC POLICIES--BOTH PARTIES GUILTY BUT BUSH REPUBLICANS MORE SO THAN DEMOCRATS AND PREVIOUS GOP ADMINISTRATIONS

--Failed environmental policies --Failed river transportation and flood control policies --Complete neglect of the urban poor --Failed energy policy made worse by recently passed energy act --policies which generally a favorable to business and punitive to working class and poor Americans --Failed approach to the “War on Terror” which increases terrorism, lands us in a quagmire in Iraq and Afghanistan and is costing thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars and neglects the threat to homeland security posed by natural disasters --failed planning for response to disaster caused by a category 4 or 5 hurricane at all levels, Federal, state and local

FAILED EXECUTION OF DISASTER RESPONSE AND RELIEF --Slowness of Federal response --inadequacy of planning for evacuation of New Orleans (failure to consider the plight of poor, old, ill and very young, all without means to evacuate) --Failure to move quickly to secure the city from looters and thugs --failure to get food, water and medicines to refugees --failure to find adequate temporary housing in other places LIKELY OUTCOMES

--Realization that we must change direction on --Global warming --Dependence on oil especially foreign oil --Mississippi River and Gulf Coast environmental and flood control management --Providing “homeland Security” against natural disasters

Profound general discontent with --Direction in which America is headed --All institutions but especially governmental institutions (possible exception: active armed forces) --Politicians of both parties --Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA --Diversion of manpower and funds caused by Iraq quagmire --Presidential leadership

Significant adverse economic consequences --Cost of clean up, support of refugees and rebuilding --Cost of gasoline and natural gas --impact on individuals --impact on energy intensive economic sectors (airlines, utilities, transport companies) --Impact on general economy --Impact on exports from Middle West of closure of Port of New Orleans (25% of American exports) --Impact on tourism on Gulf Coast and Florida during hurricane season which seems to become more extended year by year --general price inflation and competitiveness of American producers

A SILVER LINING ?

If Katrina and its aftermath bring Americans to their senses and convinces them that they are being led by cowardly and corrupt politicians and greedy businessmen it is just possible that we will gradually change course on environmental and energy policy and on what is the proper way of going about increasing homeland security. A less likely possibility is that we may focus more on the condition of poorer , particularly urban and black, Americans. A lot will depend on Democrats, Independents and moderate Republicans having the courage to risk being characterized as “unpatriotic” by speaking out forcefully against the general direction of American policy and against specific policies which are heading us to national economic disaster and failure as a society and as a nation.

BGM