Everyone keeps saying, "The devistation caused by Hurricane Katrina"

[babsbunny]

but what would the devistation be if it was only Katrina and not the Levee breaks?

[ArkDem]

1. What is devistation?

When you decide not to go somewhere?

[havocmom]

2. Good point. Up until the levee gave way, NOLA was in pretty good shape.

My old granny had a saying which definately applies to government trying to save by cutting funds for critical repairs: You pay for what you need, whether you buy it or not.

[politicat]

3. The levees would not have broken if the hurricane had not hit.

I know they were poorly maintained, out of date and code, in need of serious attention and money, but they were holding under normal conditions.

Thus, the levee breaks are part of the hurricane damage.

[havocmom]

5. But, a part which could have been avoided. Info was there they needed

work. There were alternatives but somebody decided to borrow from Peter (necessary repairs) to pay Paul (private corporations making obscene profits on the Iraq war).

Plain and simple, there were alternatives to letting old levees stand unchanged in a time when they could have been made much more reliable.
That was a policy decision. There needs to be accountability for policy decisions which result in such loss of life and disruption to industry vital to national security.

The hurricane did not fuck up policy about where America's money would be funneled: vital infastructure or war profiteering companies. Those were value decisions. And we see the results of bush family values.

[politicat]

8. Sure, and I don't disagree with you.

The problem is that humans are complacent creatures who have little concept of "future" in general, and those in the Administration are in a worse place when it comes to that concept.

[Blue_Roses]

4. this is a pointless question

nt

[havocmom]

6. How so? Damage done just by the hurricane is one thing.

Damage done by spending money poorly (invading Iraq) and wisely (maintaining and improving the structures which make life safer in the US) is worth sorting out. How policy affects the general welfare of the nation is an important issue.

Not pointless to consider how different consequences would be if a different policy had been followed. That is how a nation improves, considering what could have been done better, so hopefully, similar problems can be avoided through better policy.

[babsbunny]

7. pointless why?

is the devistation (and maybe thousands dead) because of the Hurricane, or the levee break? Are we blaming Katrina for what this Administration allowed to happen? Negligence.