Oh, for crying out loud. Whenever the power went out in Edmonton the first thing we would do was fill up the bathtub with water and fill a bunch of pots as well. This is in addition to the 10 large blue bottles of water we kept in the basement next to the three month supply of non-perishable food items and our hand-cranked AM/FM radio.

Did we know how long the power would be out? No. Did we know how extensive the power outage was? No. Did we know if we’d have water in the taps in a couple of hours if the power didn’t return? No. So we put some water aside. It’s just common sense.

All services fail at some point, sometimes for the most mundane of reasons. Those with an iota of common sense plan for this.

One thing I’ll tell you flat out, if a similar disaster befell Provo, Utah, you’d be lucky to see 100 dead people. Why? ‘Cuz Utah is crawling with Mormons. Mormons stockpile food. The stockpile water. Fuel. Batteries. And they’re some of the best when it comes to helping their neighbors, even the non church members, so you can bet these resources would be shared in a time of need.

It’s not an issue of colour, but one of culture. In New Orleans we’ve seen what comes of participating in a culture of dependency. It ain’t pretty.

I am not trying to get Bush off the hook because, in my view, he is not on a hook. But my point is that individuals rather than the state are ultimately responsible for their own survival. My suggestion is that it is a bad bet to assume the government will somehow miraculously ensure nothing bad happens and, if it does, be there within 24 hours to save you.

Broussard’s guy had, apparently, four days to organize the rescue of his mother. Now it may have been a big building but as there was no power, no water and no communications - except, amazingly with this one elderly woman - there was not much by way of emergency service which could be provided. Frankly, he undoubtedly had the few hours needed to rescue Mum and any other older people stranded with her.

Frankly, on reflection, I am not entirely convinced Broussard isn’t making the entire story up. I mean with communications knocked out all over the state how did she manage to phone in her plight daily.

As for Bush getting into a power boat - I would not be entirely opposed to that as long as it was not the one Sean Penn used.

I’m well aware that Broussard wasn’t the man he was talking about. I’ve referenced the video clip on my own site. The latter was in charge of emergency services in a (large) building. I repeat: had he left his post, you folks would have prattled on about “no sense of responsibility,” and so on if anyone had come to grief because of it. You have, admit it, now, no knowledge whatsoever of what he was doing throughout the disaster. And he had, in any case, every right to expect that relief was on its way. Just check out the FEMA preparations for Florida. Too bad Jeb wasn’t visiting the Big Easy at the time Katrina hit.

The suggestion that Broussard himself should have abandoned his duties as President of Jefferson Parish to go to rescue one individual who had come to his attention is a ludicrous attempt to shift blame. I’m sure, on reflection, that you wish you hadn’t made such a fatuous comment. At least none of us leftists insisted that Bush should get into a power boat and start pulling people out of attics.

The houses were not underwater the day before the storm hit when the people could easily have filled a few jugs of water.

Broussard was the President of the Parrish and was not speaking about himself rather a chap who ran one of their buildings. and there was no reason why picking up mum would have conflicted with the guy’s duty as she was in a place where there were other elderly people.

By all means expect help; but recognize that it is going to take a while to arrive and that you are going to be on your own. Whether you survive for the five or six days before the supply train logistics kick in will depend on whether you are prepared to take responsibility for your survival. ‘Cause if you leave it to the government you are risking your life on the ability of a bureaucracy to respond quickly and efficiently - not a bet I think many of us, left or right, would be willing to make.

Parenthetically, this is hardly a victory over socialism; rather it is one more instantiation of the fact socialism rarely works as intended.

Come on, Jay, you’re blinded by your wish to pin this disaster on the victims themselves. There are a number of choice bits of tendentious speculation in your piece, like the “why didn’t they bring water to the Superdome” meme (What water? Their houses were underwater. That’s salt water, in case you were unaware) but none uglier than the one I quote above.

The man in question was in charge of emergency services. In charge. So you wonder aloud why he doesn’t run off to rescue a member of his own family. Had he done so, no doubt you and others would be blaming him for other deaths while he wasn’t manning his post. Besides, how the hell was he supposed to know that the fifth cavalry would be mounted on giant snails?

There seems to be no length to which the Right will not go to blame this disaster on the “nany state” and whatnot. What “nanny state,” for crying out loud? This is the USA. What “nanny state?”

The USA spends billions and billions on foreign wars. Their military are by now masters of supply chain logistics. Yeah, I’d expect help. I’d expect support. I wouldn’t expect a bunch of comfy folks on high ground smugly telling me that I deserve my fate, that I should have looked after myself better–but then, I’m an optimist. Probably would have got me killed down there, while you
and your friends celebrate another victory over socialism.