Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader sees that New Orleans has devolved into a Hobbesian state of nature. At least that is how it seems from watching the news. Fear, self-interest, and force seem to have become the way of life on the streets of New Orleans.
It is horrifying.
While we watch the spectacle unfold in front of our eyes on television, the punditry is passing out blame. Your Maximum Leader would hope that our energies would go towards more constructive goals. But it seems as though blame is the only item available in abundance in the affected area.
Your Maximum Leader, like so many on television, is upset at the seemingly slow response time of the Federal Government to react. But before he puts all the blame for human suffering at the foot of the Federal Government one should try to listen carefully to the reports coming from New Orleans.
To put a fine point on it, from what he hears it does not appear as though anyone is trying to take charge in New Orleans. The Mayor appears to be a helpless whelp. The Governor of Louisiana appears to be completely ineffectual. And the helplessness and lack of leadership goes from the very top of the state and local government down to the police. No one appears to want to take charge. Are the Governor, Mayor and others so afraid of what could happen that they don’t give orders? It doesn’t seem as though it can get much worse. Why not give leadership a shot?
Where is the command center for coordinating the relief efforts? At the Superdome? At City Hall? In Baton Rouge? If they even have a command center or relief headquarters it doesn’t seem as though it is doing anything.
Is it just your Maximum Leader or does the situation not seem quite as bad in Mississippi and Alabama? At least the situation insofar as lawlessness is concerned. Perhaps it is just as bad, but all the reporters are in New Orleans and we aren’t hearing about it.
From what your Maximum Leader hears and sees it will be Sunday before significant numbers of National Guard troops (as well as regular Army/Marines) get to New Orleans. One hopes that some National Guard General (Colonel even) will take charge and start making things happen.
Your Maximum Leader reads that the city is under Martial Law. It sure doesn’t seem to be. We don’t hear of troops on the ground. The only people being shot (or shot at) appear to be the police and aid workers. This again speaks to lack of leadership.
Cicero once said that in times of war laws are silent. By extension in times of civil unrest laws may need to be silent as well. The time appears to have come in New Orleans that someone (probably President Bush) needs to suspend civil law and appoint a military govenor.
Carry on.
