KESLER ON THE PLAYING THE RACE CARD IN NEW ORLEANSI strongly agree with Bruce that looking for a racial angle here is wrong both in the normative sense as well as accuracy and those that go that route are opportunistic jackals. Losing an American city would be pretty high political price for any politician to pay to express personal prejudicial sentiments. Likewise most poor, African-American, citizens of New Orleans were not looters but were the
victims of looters, thugs and systemic governmental incompetence.
Bruce Kesler on "
Is it Racism in New Orleans " at
The Democracy Project. An excerpt:
"
Some on the left or among Blacks charge that the lack of attention and speed in helping the mostly Black victims we’ve seen on TV is due to racism. I won’t link to them, as I refuse to give their racism further currency. I, also, disagree with some on the right who charge that the fault resides mostly in a welfare or entitlement mentality of those in the Black community or its Black and liberal leadership not making New Orleans a richer city. Again, I won’t link to them, as I refuse to give their ideologically extreme filter further currency.
Both camps miss the simpler explanation. The fault, more simply, lays in both the limitations of any government to foresee and adequately prepare for all contingencies, compounded by the stubborn failure of the city and state leadership to more energetically prepare and their resistance to enthusiastically cooperate with federal authorities. Race and political affiliation has far less to do with either than sheer inadequacy and self-defensive CYA. It was not a Rudy Guiliani moment." "It was not a Rudy Guiliani moment"
Of course, Bruce understates... but does it well.