A Different Tune For An 'Act of God'

When we wake up from the nightmare that the first decade of the third millennium has turned out to be, I suspect that many of us would be happy that we survived at all. In the first five years of this new century alone, we have witnessed both human cruelty and nature's fury in a grand scale. Pictures of gruesome brutality have become a 'fact of life' for this generation of mankind - a never-ending reality show of death and inhumanity proliferated with greater ease through new media, communication, and information technology. Man's darkest nature has been more readily exposed in these last few years through violent conflict, shameless criminality and pronounced incompetence. Terrorism, war, and natural disasters are what will undoubtedly mark our collective memories of this treacherous decade.

As the sun sets on these difficult times, those who claim great leadership in the face of man-made brutality may very well end up exposed by nature as nothing but a falsehood - a lightening rod that promises to deliver light to our dark alleys but ends up setting fire to our neighborhood trees. Men become entrapped in the incompetent and arrogant clutches of false leadership because they desperately fear and selfishly hope. Yet, it is always that invincible cruelty of nature that returns to fully expose the true disposition of the ability, sincerity, and character we claim to possess.

In the aftermath of this latest human tragedy in the Gulf Coast of the United States, many, including some close allies of the current administration, have loudly criticized the federal response to Katrina, especially in New Orleans where the storm left behind a sea of devastation, death and desperation. As the recovery efforts continue, I have no doubt that such criticism will intensify and congressional inquiries into leadership failures pre- and post-disaster will follow.

This is now a whole different situation politically than post-9/11, when a full and honest critique of leadership was unattainable. Criticism at the time was immediately labeled by the rabid pundits of the new political elite as "sympathy and apology for terrorism" - The slogan was: "Blaming the preparedness and response of the government to 9/11 is tantamount to siding with the terrorists". This blackmailing tactic worked beautifully in that it silenced even the most daring of critics and turned the US media - with a very few exceptions - into a lap dog of the reigning political elite for the better half of this decade - repeating scripted 'Talking Points' at nauseam so as to manufacture public consent for incompetent, self-interested, and arrogant policies - This in a democracy where the sacred duty of journalism is supposed to be monitoring the centers of power on behalf of the citizens of this republic.

Now, things are different. Natural disasters have a way of making pro-government arguments made in the aftermath of criminal acts like 9/11 difficult to repeat. What will they say this time? "Blaming the preparedness and response of the government to Katrina is tantamount to siding with GOD"!!?? Things are different now, because Americans died (possibly in numbers superior to those of 9/11) and there is no foreign force to blame for that - no terrorists and no "axis of evil" governments - Just "God", and no one likes to blame God especially within the political base of the current administration. It is after all an irony of life that those who assert monopoly over divine inspiration and mission find themselves often contradicted by the same force whose truth they claim to hold.

The political landscape is surely going to see a readjustment in the next few months and years although the extent of such change remains unclear. But it is certain that things are different now and that the political supremacy some current elements have enjoyed during recent years, especially since 9/11 is bound to crack. Some leading senators and political figures are already recognizing this and they are gradually shifting positions - moving chess pieces - whether it is on Iraq or domestic policy.

Katrina exposed more than the unpreparedness of the bureaucratic child of 9/11, the Department of Homeland Security, and the lack of leadership at the executive level of government. It also exposed the failure of this nation to eradicate poverty within its own borders and to fully integrate its African American community some 42 years since Dr Martin Luther King professed his dream on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. In fact, all members of Congress have to do is take a 10-minute cab trip from the Capitol to South East DC to find this out for themselves. The images of Katrina's aftermath will affect the short-term political discourse in this country at least until forgetfulness returns to condemn anew the less privileged and the most vulnerable to the cruelty of neglect.

An economist once said that risk in politics is the combination of hazard and outrage - the latter being the main driver. When outrage is high, then risk is perceived to require immediate and bold action. The outrage of Katrina's aftermath is surely going to command some changes, although one can only speculate as to the extent of those changes. Will there be an end to Pork in the legislative process? Will congressional funds be finally allocated to sustainable programs that bring about real change to this country's most vulnerable communities? Will impulsive foreign policy moves be accounted for and restrained? Will bureaucratic waste and incompetence be curtailed? Will there be accountability for poor leadership?...Probably all wishful thinking, but if anything, we are entitled to dream just a little longer.