We are Just Getting Started

As the body count from the New Orleans devastation rises, and I am not sure if we will ever know the real casualties, we have to ask ourselves who is responsible for the devastation.

And I don't mean god.

I have posted several articles here, showing that there has been a level of awareness that hurricane seasons were only going to get worse primarily due to global warming. I have also posted several articles here that dealt with the Bush administrations contempt and outright sabotage of scientific work that the neocons did not want publicly known. The Guardian published another one yesterday.

Rigorous Intuition posted some interesting links about this disaster. This one was particularly troubling, showing that work on the levees was drastically cut back so that funding for the war in Iraq could continue.

Then the sandbagging that was promised did not materialize:

Nagin: Entire City Will Soon Be Underwater

Problems Escalate To 'Another Level'

[...] Nagin said the sandbagging was scheduled for midday, but the Blackhawk helicopters needed to help did not show up. He said the sandbags were ready and all the helicopter had to do was “show up.” [...]

That is almost too much to bear.

Scratchings pointed out in Freedom Frisking and Liberty Searches that the National Guard was frisking people seeking refuge in the Superdome.

We also have the Pentagon Coordinating Katrina Response, martial law has been declared. There are gas shortages. Perhaps thousands of people will default on their home loans. Loans for homes that are now destroyed.

This disaster is going to hurt for a long time.

Hurricane season doesn't start for another two weeks.

Technorati Tags: global warming, katrina, police state