Katrina is the Anti-9/11

Someone on a blog somewhere (I can't remember where) said Katrina is the "anti-9/11" and I think he's right. I remember how after 9/11 people put aside their differences and stopped sniping and hating for a while. Now, in the aftermath of Katrina, sniping and hating has reached levels I never though possible. Both Bryan Preston and James Lileks (via the Anchoress) take a look at this sad development.

From Preston:

But al Qaeda must surely see in Katrina reasons for hope and the will to fight on. We had the chance to demoralize al Qaeda for all time, by showing them that even if nature or an enemy could take out one of our most historic cities and one of our most important ports and puncture our economy, we will come together, put legitimate differences aside and work through it as a united people. But that isn't what we showed them, is it?

We showed them division. We showed them that we don't understand how our own government works. We showed them that we have among us ambitious people who will accuse their fellow Americans of genocide if it might score a political point or two. We showed them how we will respond to al Qaeda's next massive attack on us. How Osama bin Laden's heart must have leaped.

From Lileks:

The next terrorist attack will not unite us for a warm, hug-filled fortnight. The hard left won't wait 24 hours before blaming Bush, and the country will enjoy the sight of prominent pundits angrier at the president than at the men who nuked Des Moines.

Meanwhile, as the sniping and blaming continues, people like Daniel Morris have to pick up the pieces.

I'm done with this subject. If you want to read some sane, rational thoughts on all this, go to the Anchoress. Just start at the top and keep reading.

Just one update: Daniel Morris, who lost his home to Katrina, has a heartfelt post about the controversies swirling around right now. An excerpt:

Let’s look at our broadcast media, too. You suck. My stomach turns whenever I see an interview on television. Would you stop hunting the dramatic confrontation? Stop trying to get this one to blame his bosses. Stop trying to get that one to say he dropped the ball.

Tell us what happens. Say what needed to happen. Say what needs to happen tomorrow. I turn the radio and the television off when reporters ask people to criticize their bosses. To explain what happened before they got involved. To make an angry speech. To blame someone for this or that or the other thing. What a joke.

Don’t ask a politician if things went wrong, or if things could be better, or if someone dropped the ball. Don’t ask them to point fingers. Go and look. See the plans. See the requirement. Did they go together? Did they fall short? Were they stupid?

Report that.