In Katrina’s Wake

Just a few days ago, Michael Barone, an exceptionally well-informed commentator, wrote that our country’s much-bemoaned red-blue polarization seemed to be fading. The evidence on which he based that judgement has now been swamped by new data: One of the worst natural disasters in American history is in progress. Thousands of people have been killed, and hundreds of thousands have lost their homes. Refugees are in desperate need of food and shelter. While such dire events unfold, a large segment of our nation’s politically active population devotes its mental energy to thinking up reasons to blame this catastrophe on the President.

There have been quite a few fires, floods, hurricanes, tornados and earthquakes in the U.S. during my lifetime – even a volcanic eruption. Grumbling about the slowness and disorganization of emergency services is not uncommon, but never before have I seen such a vicious, concerted campaign to twist the forces of nature for political ends. The urge to denigrate the other party used to be muted by shock, grief and zeal to aid the victims. This time, hatred has overwhelmed normal human emotions. It is starkly obvious that the Left – not every single liberal but enough to set the tone – regards George W. Bush as simply an enemy, in the same sense that Americans regarded Hitler and Tojo as enemies during World War II. If that is the case, we are involved not in ordinary political disputation but in a form of civil war. For the time being, there is no shooting, but my confidence that there will never be any is diminishing.

Further reading: Arthur Chrenkoff, “Hurricane Exploitation – The Quotes”, “Hurricane Quotes Continue”
David Frum, “Unfinest Hour”

Comments

[fred]

I agree that these are very tense times and that the threat of political violence is growing. Some people are really going crazy. If there ever was a time when some trickster could come on the scene and really send this country down the wrong road, it is now.
regardless of who is at fault for this or that or the other, something needs to be done to bring the country together. As Lincoln said, "a house divided against itself...."

[Steve]

The latest I've read says that the evacuation of the city was ordered by Bush - and that it was considered unprecedented by state authorities.