[RC] Lessons of Hurricane Katrina

[Avesland@aol.com]

The Lessons of Hurricane Katrina
 
The disaster of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast teach all of  us
some lessons that deserve to be made explicit. You may  think
of other lessons besides these, but from my perspective  here
are the most important :
 
(1) In case there was ever any doubt, we now know  that
Libertarianism is a complete farse. Unless someone is blind by 
choice, what could possibly be more obvious  than that a  strong
government is crucial in any large scale emergency. This  may
refer to the Great Depression of the 1930s but it also  applies,
full force, to a catastrophe such as Katrina. Everything  that
government can do is needed now, and will be needed  for
months to come, or  even years into the future. If there is  a
problem with government and the hurricane it is that  government
did not do nearly enough in the past to make sure that such  a
storm would not be able to inflict such carnage and  destruction.
This is not a recommendation for maximum government in  all
situations but it is a recommendation for every bit as  much
government as is really needed in cases like this, that is,  to
anticipate such problems and be ready for them. The  Libertarian
approach to such a disaster is what ? As far as I can tell  the
Libertarians offer nothing, or damned little, that is  relevant.
 
(2) To the maximum extent possible the flooding of New Orleans 
should be made into an opportunity to create a new city  where
such a disaster can never happen again. How ? The vast majority 
of below sea level structures in most parts of the city will 
necessarily be condemned as soon as inspectors can  examine
houses, stores, etc, in the future. A flood ruins almost  everything
if water stays in a structure for more than 48 hours.  Therefore,
condemn entire sections of the city and tear down all  buildings
in entire large neighborhoods. Some historic buildings could  be
moved away (either in toto or in sections to be reassembled  later).
Then start filling in the land do that all property in the city, as  much
as feasible to maximum extent, becomes at least sea level.  Only
then allow new buildings to be constructed.
 
Pass legislation that requires all structures to be strong enough  to
withstand 150 MPH winds. Rebuild the levees to a height  sufficient
to withstand a sea surge of at least 35 feet. Institute a  program
mandating pumping stations that can operate independently  of
city power, with pumps that are up-dated no less  than every  12
years with the latest technology.
 
Similar provisions for the entire seaboard that is susceptible  to
hurricanes, the Gulf Coast and the lower Atlantic as far  North
as Delaware. All new construction should be able to  withstand
150 MPH winds. All existing buildings should be retrofitted  to
the same standards. Same standards for highways and  bridges.
And off shore oil rigs. Only government can make this  happen.
The Libertarian approach is totally useless.
 
(3) Integral to the recovery and re-building process  various
government agencies should make it a point to send experts  to
the Netherlands to find out all useful information about  keeping
the sea from ruining the land. All useful information of this kind 
should be passed on to the Congress and state legislatures  and
appropriate laws passed. By all means such actions should  be
carried out in consultation with corporations and the  recommen-
dations of business be given all due consideration.  Similarly,
recommendations from environmental groups about such
things as preserving wetlands to act as buffers against such  storms
should also be given all due  consideration.
 
(4) The looting and violence that has broken out in New  Orleans
should be more than enough, especially after the example  of
post-war Baghdad, to tell us all that our society desperately  needs
a common morality that makes sense and that acts to  protect
law abiding citizens. In other words we need a religious  revival
that not only energizes people for a temporary period but  that
changes the very fabric of culture such that we no longer can  even
consider a society that is religion free. This should still be a  society
in which religious freedom is guaranteed , including such  religions
as Religious Humanism, but the thought of religionless  society
should  be seen for what it is, a formula for social suicide.  This can be
almost any religion except normative Islam. But we need  common
morality that people actually believe in. To think that gangs of 
hoodlums in New Orleans have acted in almost identical ways  to
crazies in Baghdad in 2003 ought to tell us that a moral crisis  exists
in America that must receive the highest priority  attention.
 
(5) Allowing for a very few possible exceptions, there  should be 
NO additional military  base closings.  All bases in all  parts of
the country -we need as many as possible- should be double  tasked
so that the forces deployed at any base can respond to  massive
disaster in 24 hours or less.
___________________________________________________
 
Your comments about other recommendations would be  welcome.
 
Billy Rojas
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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