The Blame Game

Unbelievable -- does that sum up what is unfolding in New Orleans? We have children crying, women exhausted with no strength left for expressing their thoughts, so many good young men -- now carrying the tag of looters. Hunger, can drive men insane-- any surprise that they became scavangers preying for water and food.

No single body is solely responsible for this catastrophe, it is a cumulative colossal failure of historical proportions, that has left a scar that is undelible. How this beautiful city unfolded into an anarchy state is totally depressing, shocking and choking.

The most distressing thing is, this was not out of the blue. The good folks at the "Weather center" had predicted a disaster of never before heard scale well in advance. Even as the nation was captivated by the "camp Casey" circa in Crawford, websites and News agencies cranked up their dual-dopler radars and showed harrowing clouds and howling winds waiting to grace New Orleans (and that they did).

As word got out that this was more than a mid-summer shower, the Mayor Ray Nagin cranked up his men and pleaded the folks of New Orleans to move out of harms way. Detention center and the Superdome were made available for the poor, needy and incapable. All prudent and enough moves, so it seemed 2 days before Katrina showed up for her date with Lousiana.

Will it be any shock if Webster adds a synonym for "bureaucracy" as "hurricane katrina". Starting from FEMA, which acted like this was anything but that. FEMA's current leaders have dubious credentials as more politicians than disaster managers. The people who have to own up to this are many in number, starting from top to bottom.

The questions, easy to come, have started coming. Why was FEMA ever under the Homeland security? Why was natural disaster management undermined in the budget? Why did it take FEMA 2 days to start the process of sending resources? Why was forced evacuation not ordered prior that would have saved more lives? Why was the US Coast guard asked to wait for orders, before flying into New Orleans? Why did no one see the reports (well before Katrina) that some levees are weakening? The answers are going to be hard to swallow.

No matter whether more questions are asked or even if they are answered, the notion that the Federal government let the poor and sick suffer on their own is depressing and distressing.

Let there now be some consensus to atleast, remove an important body like FEMA from Homeland Department, and give them sweeping powers to act when the hour calls. Not after all the bodies rot.