Saturday, September 03, 2005
'As the partisan bickering starts ...': Armchair Gen. Savin Hill poses questions before the partisan hacks drown out other voices:
"Our country will NOT get the answers it needs if the questioning devolves to the predictable partisan hack level in record time. The mainstream media will attempt to affix all the blame in the White House. The Democrate partisan hacks will drone on, simply replacing '9/11' and 'Iraq' with 'Katrina' in their latest Bush-bashing speeches. The Republican apologistas will gin up their talking points (wait for the first mention of blaming Clinton), and none of us will be the wiser.
"Nonetheless: Here is what needs to be answered:
"* Planning mystery: Before Tuesday, August 30th, the disaster recover was in its usual swing -- when all plans had to go out the window due to the delayed levee break early Tuesday. That break changed everything. Plans had to change - the relief effort had to switch from "business as usual" relief ... to 'worst case scenario' relief. They obviously didn't switch plans fast enough - why? Did they not have a worst-case plan? Or is the government/bureaucracy model simply too slow to react?
"* Communications mystery: At some point, then, the command and control to redirect the relief effort failed. Maybe it was mission confusion and bickering at the top, maybe it was physical failure of communication nets. Maybe it was both. Who knows? But from Tuesday to Thursday, the relief effort was in confusion/paralysis mode. Relief buses stayed outside the city out of fear amid rumors and genuine anarchy inside the city. It was clear there was no communication or command and control happening. We need an answer why.
"* Engineering mystery: Why did the 79th street canal levee break? It's not as simple as anyone thinks - it broke AFTER Katrina had long passed over the city. Why? The chain of events leading to that key break need to be understood. Don't assume there was no human error involved. There's almost always something surprising once we learn the real facts on an engineering disaster.
"* An obvious lesson: Once the Guard and military showed up in force - they started to solve the problems. It appears the brains needed to solve a disaster problem like New Orleans are all in the military, not the civilian government. Americans don't like ceding control to the military -- but we need to learn this lesson. In a worst-case scenario, the civilian/bureaucracy complex needs to move aside. A bitter, and unpopular pill for Americans to swallow. I doubt they will, frankly."
Hub Blog's response -- Hmmm. What will be the ideological 'chad' argument of Katrina? It's got to be A.) something no one knows about B.) something people will have passionate opinions about when it surfaces. C.) it's got to be really mundane. ... My bet is it will have something do with levee materials or pumping station lubricants.
"Our country will NOT get the answers it needs if the questioning devolves to the predictable partisan hack level in record time. The mainstream media will attempt to affix all the blame in the White House. The Democrate partisan hacks will drone on, simply replacing '9/11' and 'Iraq' with 'Katrina' in their latest Bush-bashing speeches. The Republican apologistas will gin up their talking points (wait for the first mention of blaming Clinton), and none of us will be the wiser.
"Nonetheless: Here is what needs to be answered:
"* Planning mystery: Before Tuesday, August 30th, the disaster recover was in its usual swing -- when all plans had to go out the window due to the delayed levee break early Tuesday. That break changed everything. Plans had to change - the relief effort had to switch from "business as usual" relief ... to 'worst case scenario' relief. They obviously didn't switch plans fast enough - why? Did they not have a worst-case plan? Or is the government/bureaucracy model simply too slow to react?
"* Communications mystery: At some point, then, the command and control to redirect the relief effort failed. Maybe it was mission confusion and bickering at the top, maybe it was physical failure of communication nets. Maybe it was both. Who knows? But from Tuesday to Thursday, the relief effort was in confusion/paralysis mode. Relief buses stayed outside the city out of fear amid rumors and genuine anarchy inside the city. It was clear there was no communication or command and control happening. We need an answer why.
"* Engineering mystery: Why did the 79th street canal levee break? It's not as simple as anyone thinks - it broke AFTER Katrina had long passed over the city. Why? The chain of events leading to that key break need to be understood. Don't assume there was no human error involved. There's almost always something surprising once we learn the real facts on an engineering disaster.
"* An obvious lesson: Once the Guard and military showed up in force - they started to solve the problems. It appears the brains needed to solve a disaster problem like New Orleans are all in the military, not the civilian government. Americans don't like ceding control to the military -- but we need to learn this lesson. In a worst-case scenario, the civilian/bureaucracy complex needs to move aside. A bitter, and unpopular pill for Americans to swallow. I doubt they will, frankly."
Hub Blog's response -- Hmmm. What will be the ideological 'chad' argument of Katrina? It's got to be A.) something no one knows about B.) something people will have passionate opinions about when it surfaces. C.) it's got to be really mundane. ... My bet is it will have something do with levee materials or pumping station lubricants.
