"Likens Katrina's Impact to the Trauma of War"

These two articles from Truthout aren't exactly uplifting, but are worth a look nonetheless (the first is also available here, with a hat tip to Blake for the link).

First, Mike Tidwell sounds the alarm--while it might seem at first glance that he's calling for the abandonment of NOLA, that's not the case: my own take on his position is that he's just saying that the city CANNOT exist in the state of limbo Team Bush thinks is just swell. In addition to Category 5 hurricane protection, steps MUST be taken to restore marshes, barrier islands, and wetlands surrounding the city; otherwise, you're literally begging for another disaster. Sadly, the government--also noted by YRHT--took the political equivalent of a burnt stick and poked it right into the region's eye with an appropriation request of less than half a penny on the dollar for a plan to do just that...a plan that, as the article states, was "confirmed" as sound by the National Academy of Sciences.

The second story in the Truthout link focuses on the mental/psychological trauma on a scale unprecedented in this country--and where I lifted the quote that's titling this post. The situation IS a lot like a war, which further highlights the inadequacy, incompetence--and venality of the government. Overseas, they've literally wrought the carnage that defines their legacy. Here at home, nature might have caused the problem, but the gang in charge don't seem to have the first clue as to how to fix things...or, even worse, they simply refuse to act.

How can ANYONE trust them on ANYTHING? They're going to magically restore stability to the Middle East when they can't--or wont--bring stability to their own nation? And, on the flip side, they can't print money fast enough for Mesopotamia, but snap shut the national wallet when it comes to fixing things here?

That's just plain sick.