Government Failure

Bill Clinton, new ally in the effort to relieve the wounds of Katrina, has stated that the government failed New Orleans:

"Our government failed those people in the beginning, and I take it now there is no dispute about it," Clinton told CNN. "One hundred percent of the people recognize that -- that it was a failure." (See interview -- 2:32 )

Bill O'Reilly doesn't think so. He thinks Americans need to fend for themselves:

"Talking Points" wants to reinforce two things. First, the huge, bureaucratic government will never be able to protect you. If you rely on government for anything, anything, you're going to be disappointed, no matter who the president is.

For example, engineers knew for decades the levee system in Louisiana could not withstand a Category 5 hurricane, but nobody wanted to pony up the $20 billion to shore it up. That kind of decision happens all day, every day.

Second point, New Orleans is not about race. It's about class. If you're poor, you're powerless, not only in America, but everywhere on earth. If you don't have enough money to protect yourself from danger, danger's going to find you. And all the political gibberish in the world is not going to change that.

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina should be taught in every American school. If you don't get educated, if you don't develop a skill, and force yurself to work hard, you're most likely be poor. And sooner or later, you'll be standing on a symbolic rooftop waiting for help.

Chances are that help will not be quick in coming.

Bill O'Reilly's perception vis a vis Bill Clintons: that the government is so unruly a beheamoth that it cannot, and should not be relied upon in times of disaster.

This is the Ideological divide in America- although right now, those on one side of the line, the libertarians of America, are in a huge minority. This is where Bill O'Reilly and General Stan agree and disagree- this concept of assistence.

In one sense, O'Reilly is correct- the beaurocracy of the government prevents it from being as effective as it should.

O'Reilly refuses to acknowledge the fact of the class divide: Simply saying people should "Get a skill" does not make that possible; nor does it build enough ability to cope with all the other societal implications that keep these people in poverty. O'Reilly claims that those who think the government will rescue them are fools: that self-reliance is the answer is only applicable to anarchic anti-societal controls in many situations. Besides, many of these individuals did not think the government would rescue them, nor do they want to be rescued even today. That's the point- the larger question is did our government even successfully try; and should they even try. The first answer is No, the second is, according to the popular cultural outrage of Americans who watched Katrina occur: Obviously.

O'Reilly doesn't think so. Clinton thinks so. Bush is clueless in the equation.

The Government did fail America in Katrina. Only now are things beginning to operate efficiently over there. Only now are refugees experiencing anything like a decent life- with great assistence and despite their "skills." But the fact is that The Administration treated our nation with neglect, we were like a child being left in a car with the windows rolled up, crying for help and being ignored [while mommy and daddy bought shoes and guitars]. In some communities, that's called Abuse.