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September 01, 2005

New Orleans is a casualty of the Iraq War

James over at Independent Country points out how New Orleans was sacrificed on the alter of Presidential politics.

You would think that the economic well-being of the Midwest would be a higher priority than the Middle East, that the states of the Gulf of Mexico were more important than the states of the Persian Gulf. That President Bush and Congress would know that the levees of New Orleans were more crucial to America's welfare and security, than the leveling of Fallujah. That they knew their responsibility is to govern the United States, not the world.

But the ambition inherent in politics - the chance for fame and a "place in history," lies in trying to bring peace to the Middle East, in being known as a "courageous wartime leader," in defeating the Hitler of the hour. It doesn't lie in mundane spending bills.

He makes a very compelling case. I mean it's not like emergency planning and weather experts haven't been predicting that it was only a matter of time before a hurricane would breech New Orlean's levees.

The reality is that state and local politicians are partially to blame too. Commercial and residential development of wetlands, which form a natural and effective barrier, has proceeded relatively unhindered despite the known risks. Still... that pales in comparison to the federal politicians like the President and members of Congress. What might a billion dollars a day have done to prevent the catastrophic devestation of New Orleans? What might a billion dollars a day have done to safeguard the oil and gas refineries which service half the nation?

The tragic reality is that the President and Congress made an informed decision to spend that money in the wrong gulf.

Update: AlterNet has an article describing how money that Congress had allocated specifically for hurricane protection efforts in southern Louisiana (SELA) was diverted to the war in Iraq by the Army Corp of Engineers.

I think Secretary Rumsfeld ought to trot his ass down to Congress and explain why he allowed (ordered?) the diversion of funds that they allocated for domestic use to the Iraq War.

Posted by Kevin at September 1, 2005 07:53 AM