Bumbling Idiots

Thomas Knapp hits it right on the head http://knappster.blogspot.com/2005/09/when-it-absolutely-positively-must-be.html in this post where he points out that government's priority in New Orleans appears to be shooting people rather than rescuing them. This is the state exposed for what it is, a force for destruction and death.

My conspecifics at work are disgusted with the governmental response to the catastrophe. Even the most rabid Bushites in the office are calling for his ouster. I am gratified to hear my usually statist conspecifics proclaim that this is what comes of leaving these things to government, but I am sorry that it is taking so much pain and death to bring this lesson home to them. I hope that the failure of government will linger in their minds the next time they are called on to support some government program.

The "bumbling idiots", as one of my conspecifics put it, are still grasping for talking points. So far, all they seem to have is the race card and the blame the victim card, and I don't think that this will get much traction (I hope it won't). The "wrath of God" meme is apparently not catching on, at least within the circles I run in.

Sadly, I am pretty sure that the massive failure of government in New Orleans will be used as justification for even more government. The problem will likely be framed by some as arising from not enough government, too few bureaucrats, too little power. About the best we can hope for is that discourse will focus more on the incompetence and screwed up priorities of the people in office. It is probably too much to hope for any meaningful discussion about how much government contributed to the disaster in the first place. I will do my part, for what it's worth.