Sunday, September 11, 2005
Aftershock of Katrina, and 9/11
Consumed by the 'blame game' and unproductive partisan bickering, people are either neglecting or failing to recognize the powerful aftershock born of this tragedy:
-the 10-year sociological and political impact of the storm
-the 5-year environmental and economic impact of the storm
-the near-term geopolitical impact of our inability to crisis manage
10 Years: Sociological, Political Impact
Are we safe? Survivors' lives forever altered. Who's to blame? Was race a factor?
Four years and billions of dollars after the attacks of 9/11, our institutions failed to prepare for, and react to, an event predicted for days.
One has to ask, were there a WMD attack, or if a damn, or levee or nuclear power plant were attacked, how would our government act to protect and assist us? The answer most of us would agree is both depressing and downright alarming.
Action and inaction are quantifiable, but the loss of life and livelihood is not. Our fellow citizens along the Gulf coast have been uprooted physically while battered emotionally and psychologically. Homes passed from generation to generation have been destroyed, simple holidays such as a birthday will now always bring back memories of what was. Children, who perhaps more than any other group of among us require stability to flourish, were separated from their friends, schoolmates, or worse yet family. And for all those displaced, where do they call 'home'? What of the family sit-down dinner? The bedtime story? The arguments that parents might have otherwise had outside of a child's eyes or ears but are no longer the case? It would seem that the additional strains placed on families will either galvanize them, or destroy them.
Would this have happened in a whiter or richer area? As disheartening as the corrosive, partisan finger-pointing is, I am very concerned about the undertow of class warfare that will shape our politics for years to come. Let's be clear, the loss of life and underwhelming government response to the tragedy is mechanical.
In other words, proactive measures such as evacuation planning, prepositioning of assets and levee strengthening did not occur at the extent it should have and that is the result of neglect and failed leadership at all levels of government. Those who are (or were) reluctant members of the poor, suffered because of it. Period.
And yet in spite of this reality, politicians and those who benefit from social unreset will seek to create and exploit result, rather than address root cause. All the while, diverting public attention and government focus from issues such as weapons proliferation, social security and other important matters.
5 Years: Environmental, Economic Impact
The Mississippi & Gulf of Mexico. To rebuild or not to rebuild. Energy supply and refinery capacity.
By now, you've no doubt seen the images of the toxic broth consisting of substances I need not detail, being pumped into the Missippi river. A river which ultimately flows into the Gulf of Mexico. What of the impact to wildlife, some of which may in some way enter our country's food supply? What of the fisheries and beaches along the Gulf coast? I wonder why these issues have not yet been explored by the media. While I have no subject matter expertise on water purification, it just seems to reason that there is some form of technology we could and ought to apply to the reduce the environmental impact to the river, wildlife and our coastline.
In either event, the cost of this disaster and its recovery is staggering. Here are some figures which I've heard repeatedly in the media: $60+ billion dollars in federal relief and $25+ billion in property damage. And already, you and I are paying more than $3.00/gallon for regular gasoline.
Recently, gas prices skyrocketed because of a disruption of supply (oil extraction) and refinery capacity (the transformation of oil into gasoline). But let us not forget, that in the weeks prior to Katrina, gas prices were already surging. Why? Because consumption by other emerging economies is increasing demand, while at the same time there are no new supply discoveries. But the other element is our country's approach to auto fuel. Did you know that gas sold in one state, in some instances can not be sold in another? This is because there are a number of different 'mixtures' which are dictated by different states. And from what I've read or heard in the media, not a single new refinery has been built in more than 20 years. We have an energy crisis, and in an ironic way, Katrina has brought about some good in that it offers us all a preview of energy prices in the years to come. The swell of public outrage offers politicians the photo-op they need to jump all over the issue. Perhaps, now, the pragmatic balance between production and conservation, combined with innovation will give birth to a viable long-term plan for our country's energy independence.
Near-Term: Geopolitical Impact
Lost prestige. Perception of vulnerability. Study guide for terrorists?
We all know the saying, 'perception is reality'. And to so many around the world, the term 'superpower' meant just that -- that America was a nation capable of nearly anything it so chose to pursue. And yet 9/11 turned our freedoms against us, and exposed a tender underbelly. The attack upon us, inspired other attacks on our allies including Spain, Saudi Arabia and (most recently) Great Britain.
And so it is quite possible that another form of damage Katrina has yet to impose upon us, is to create and/or reinforce a perception around the world that we are ill-prepared to handle damage to our infrastructure. The great blackout of 2003 demonstrated that, just as the horrific flood of 2005 has.
Aftershocks can sometimes rival the magnitude of the initial quake. I fear the aftershock of Katrina and 9/11 may do much the same.
-the 10-year sociological and political impact of the storm
-the 5-year environmental and economic impact of the storm
-the near-term geopolitical impact of our inability to crisis manage
10 Years: Sociological, Political Impact
Are we safe? Survivors' lives forever altered. Who's to blame? Was race a factor?
Four years and billions of dollars after the attacks of 9/11, our institutions failed to prepare for, and react to, an event predicted for days.
One has to ask, were there a WMD attack, or if a damn, or levee or nuclear power plant were attacked, how would our government act to protect and assist us? The answer most of us would agree is both depressing and downright alarming.
Action and inaction are quantifiable, but the loss of life and livelihood is not. Our fellow citizens along the Gulf coast have been uprooted physically while battered emotionally and psychologically. Homes passed from generation to generation have been destroyed, simple holidays such as a birthday will now always bring back memories of what was. Children, who perhaps more than any other group of among us require stability to flourish, were separated from their friends, schoolmates, or worse yet family. And for all those displaced, where do they call 'home'? What of the family sit-down dinner? The bedtime story? The arguments that parents might have otherwise had outside of a child's eyes or ears but are no longer the case? It would seem that the additional strains placed on families will either galvanize them, or destroy them.
Would this have happened in a whiter or richer area? As disheartening as the corrosive, partisan finger-pointing is, I am very concerned about the undertow of class warfare that will shape our politics for years to come. Let's be clear, the loss of life and underwhelming government response to the tragedy is mechanical.
In other words, proactive measures such as evacuation planning, prepositioning of assets and levee strengthening did not occur at the extent it should have and that is the result of neglect and failed leadership at all levels of government. Those who are (or were) reluctant members of the poor, suffered because of it. Period.
And yet in spite of this reality, politicians and those who benefit from social unreset will seek to create and exploit result, rather than address root cause. All the while, diverting public attention and government focus from issues such as weapons proliferation, social security and other important matters.
5 Years: Environmental, Economic Impact
The Mississippi & Gulf of Mexico. To rebuild or not to rebuild. Energy supply and refinery capacity.
By now, you've no doubt seen the images of the toxic broth consisting of substances I need not detail, being pumped into the Missippi river. A river which ultimately flows into the Gulf of Mexico. What of the impact to wildlife, some of which may in some way enter our country's food supply? What of the fisheries and beaches along the Gulf coast? I wonder why these issues have not yet been explored by the media. While I have no subject matter expertise on water purification, it just seems to reason that there is some form of technology we could and ought to apply to the reduce the environmental impact to the river, wildlife and our coastline.
In either event, the cost of this disaster and its recovery is staggering. Here are some figures which I've heard repeatedly in the media: $60+ billion dollars in federal relief and $25+ billion in property damage. And already, you and I are paying more than $3.00/gallon for regular gasoline.
Recently, gas prices skyrocketed because of a disruption of supply (oil extraction) and refinery capacity (the transformation of oil into gasoline). But let us not forget, that in the weeks prior to Katrina, gas prices were already surging. Why? Because consumption by other emerging economies is increasing demand, while at the same time there are no new supply discoveries. But the other element is our country's approach to auto fuel. Did you know that gas sold in one state, in some instances can not be sold in another? This is because there are a number of different 'mixtures' which are dictated by different states. And from what I've read or heard in the media, not a single new refinery has been built in more than 20 years. We have an energy crisis, and in an ironic way, Katrina has brought about some good in that it offers us all a preview of energy prices in the years to come. The swell of public outrage offers politicians the photo-op they need to jump all over the issue. Perhaps, now, the pragmatic balance between production and conservation, combined with innovation will give birth to a viable long-term plan for our country's energy independence.
Near-Term: Geopolitical Impact
Lost prestige. Perception of vulnerability. Study guide for terrorists?
We all know the saying, 'perception is reality'. And to so many around the world, the term 'superpower' meant just that -- that America was a nation capable of nearly anything it so chose to pursue. And yet 9/11 turned our freedoms against us, and exposed a tender underbelly. The attack upon us, inspired other attacks on our allies including Spain, Saudi Arabia and (most recently) Great Britain.
And so it is quite possible that another form of damage Katrina has yet to impose upon us, is to create and/or reinforce a perception around the world that we are ill-prepared to handle damage to our infrastructure. The great blackout of 2003 demonstrated that, just as the horrific flood of 2005 has.
Aftershocks can sometimes rival the magnitude of the initial quake. I fear the aftershock of Katrina and 9/11 may do much the same.
Friday, September 02, 2005
Lessons of Katrina
Hurricane Katrina has inflicted tremendous pain upon Gulf Coast residents, as well as their loved ones.
And while subsequent events have raised more questions than they have produced solutions, there is a powerful lesson in all of this:
And while subsequent events have raised more questions than they have produced solutions, there is a powerful lesson in all of this:
"There's plenty of blame to go around -- the White House, Congress, federal
agencies, local governments, police and even residents of the Gulf Coast who
refused orders to evacuate. But all the finger-pointing misses the point:
Politicians and the people they lead too often ignore danger signs until a
crisis hits."source: AP
I absolutely, positively, could not have said it better. This is exactly the kind of straight-forward, pragmatic, analysis that Democracy 2 pOintzero embraces.
