Criticism of National Planning...

[Jamie_B]

[quote name='Homer_Rice' date='Sep 6 2005, 08:01 PM']Yeah, and I took an epic shit this morning; now that was an evacuation. Dante would have been proud. 

Some rational observations:

1) This storm was the size of Great Britain. The challenge to emergency services is pretty overwhelming. I expect some snafus under those conditions. (Oh, and nobody was safely walking out of a storm that size, unless it were by freakish luck.)

2) The blaming part is not so much about individual actions, as it is about individuals within a structural context. E.g. Why no provisions at some locations? Why the bureaucractic crosspurposes and countermanding orders at times? Why the slow response to hospitals, etc?

3) After-action reports and lessons-learned analyses will no doubt be critical in constructive ways. That's the necessary focus.

4) On the political front, folks are already trying to make hay. This is normal behavior, though it does seem macabre while people are still dying. Politics is grotesque sometimes.

So, cognizant of #'s 1,2 and 3, I will engage in #4. I hope everyone does, no matter what your views. It can be a constructive process, if we citizens make it so.
[right][post="143471"][/post][/right][/quote]


Great post, and I agree... Im just not so sure that the Feds get most of the blame, and that seems to be going on.

[Guest BengalBacker]

[quote name='Homer_Rice' date='Sep 6 2005, 07:01 PM']Yeah, and I took an epic shit this morning; now that was an evacuation. Dante would have been proud. 

Some rational observations:

1) This storm was the size of Great Britain. The challenge to emergency services is pretty overwhelming. I expect some snafus under those conditions. (Oh, and nobody was safely walking out of a storm that size, unless it were by freakish luck.)

2) The blaming part is not so much about individual actions, as it is about individuals within a structural context. E.g. Why no provisions at some locations? Why the bureaucractic crosspurposes and countermanding orders at times? Why the slow response to hospitals, etc?

3) After-action reports and lessons-learned analyses will no doubt be critical in constructive ways. That's the necessary focus.

4) On the political front, folks are already trying to make hay. This is normal behavior, though it does seem macabre while people are still dying. Politics is grotesque sometimes.

So, cognizant of #'s 1,2 and 3, I will engage in #4. I hope everyone does, no matter what your views. It can be a constructive process, if we citizens make it so.
[right][post="143471"][/post][/right][/quote]



Good post.

#3 is the important thing. When a tragedy like this happens, people are going to die, but maybe both the people in harm's way, and those elected to help protect them will wake up and take these things more seriously from now on.