Author: Andrew Sullivan

An interesting 1995 story about reform of FEMA in the Clinton years. History might eventually judge that the 1990s was the high water-mark for a certain kind of conservatism – smaller but more effective government. Ironic it happened under a Democratic president.

Four years later, another beautiful fall morning. All the more reason to remember.

THE THREE ‘C’S: What Katrina revealed about the Bush administration’s competence, cronyism and “conservatism.” My take in the Sunday Times of London.

TEN BIOS: Here are the resumes of the ten regional FEMA directors. You have now been warned.

EURO ANTI-SEMITISM WATCH: Tony Blair is being pressured to scrap the Holocaust Memorial Day. It’s offensive to Muslims.

Among point-scoring against “the press,” I still don’t know if Glenn Reynolds favors or does not favor showing the bodies killed by Katrina and governmental negligence. I presume he’s happy the government is no longer trying to impede photographers. He’s right about double standards at CNN (so is Ed Driscoll), but I still don’t have a clue what he thinks. As long as some effort is made to protect individual dignity and privacy, I think we should see reality as it is. That’s why I believe we should have seen the Islamo-fascists behead their victims; why we should be shown the full extent of the barbarism of four years ago in New York City; and why the remaining Abu Ghraib photos – the ones that show what really went on – should be released to the public. We have a right to know the truth about our enemies and we have a right to know what is being done – or not being done – in our name.

Appoint the cronies to preside over a disaster; then distribute the funds for reconstruction to cronies as well. More here. Is it any mystery that voters are angry?

A classic. It may not be too late to lobby the governator not to veto the bill. Take a minute.

Like that of central banks, the power of militaries is often more effective when it has acquired a fearsome reputation of being effective and powerful. Sometimes, as Machiavelli noted, the reputation for ferocity is more important than the capacity to deliver it – and makes actual exercise of it superfluous. What the response to Katrina has done is make the U.S. super-power look a lot less credible, a lot less fearsome, a lot less capable. Ditto, of course, with regard to the inept conduct of the war in Iraq. Just as this administration has squandered America’s fiscal reputation, it has also put a dent in perception of its military effectiveness. That only emboldens enemies, makes deterrence harder and makes more conflict likelier. Dan Drezner elaborates.

She took several days to sign a simple proclamation allowing doctors licensed out of state to help the sick and injured. Several doctors sat around for days waiting to go to work. No, you sure can’t blame the feds for that.

Here’s a fascinating first-hand account of the hurricane drill – “Hurricane Pam” – that Louisiana went through exactly to prepare for something like Katrina. It was a serious exercize, with some limited debate about whether the levees would breach. Then this:

There was a certain amount of contention, a few turf wars, some loud talk. None if it consequential, in the end, because of the single greatest emollient: FEMA. The Federal Emergency Management Agency promised the moon and the stars. They promised to have 1,000,000 bottles of water per day coming into affected areas within 48 hours. They promised massive prestaging with water, ice, medical supplies and generators. Anything that was needed, they would have either in place as the storm hit or ready to move in immediately after. All it would take is a phone call from local officials to the state, who would then call FEMA, and it would be done.

Read the whole thing. It’s a fascinating insight into what might have been done.

Some traditions never die:

Some holdouts seem intent on keeping alive the distinct and wild spirit of this city. In the French Quarter, Addie Hall and Zackery Bowen found a unusual way to make sure that police officers regularly patrolled their house. Ms. Hall, 28, a bartender, flashed her breasts at the police vehicles that passed by, ensuring a regular flow of traffic.

Normality is returning.

Professor Bainbridge offer his take on the Fox anchor.