Walking Contradiction

Over the weekend, I got to talking with an acquaintance about several things. Alcohol was involved.

But we got, especially, to talking about the two most prominent disasters to occur during Preznit HappyHour's reign so far, the 9/11 attack and Hurricane Katrina (and isn't it telling that we now have to rank the disasters during this Presidency?)

However, this friend, who in addition to being a proud Republican, also happens to be a firefighter.

He mentioned being in NY for a while, and out of deference and concern, spending some time working at Ground Zero, which was maybe no longer an emergency site, but still smoldering. I. of course, immediately bought him a drink.

And then, moving on to Katrina, he regurgitated the meme of the responsibility for evacuation being the local authorities, and the individuals, and anybody but any Federal authorities. even though the locals, had, in fact, asked for help. Even though FEMA's actual mission statement calls for them to be first responders in cases of national emergency or where asked by local authorities. The current interpretation being, apparently, that Federal intervention is only permissible when all other resources have been exhausted and after the fact, rather than in prevention and preparation.

And, of course, no amount of diversion of federal funding or Army Engineer warning about weaknesses in the levee system create culpability at the Federal level, since it's their own damn fault for living there.

However, Federal aid for Florida was just fine. As was federal intervention to preserve operation of oil facilities, who had also chosen to locate there, right?

But ultimately, what I thought and did not ask, in deference to a first responder, is, how come when it comes to 9/11, Federal intervention couldn't happen too soon or in too excessive quantity, extending to his personal involvement at his own cost; but that a more extensive disaster, involving the obliteration of an American City and much of its surrounds, deserves nothing but opprobrium and scorn for the residents?


Unfortunately, I think I know the answer.