From the "what the hell?" desk of Crusader Mike:
If I get this right, our war and disaster leader, Bush the 2nd, figures its too hard for the military to react to crisises in this country, but it's ok to have them screw around trying to win hearts and minds of people who actively hate us and each other. It really helps to stay awake. Maybe instead of naps, he ought to read or something.
The administration doesn't really get the context of anything. The Posse Comitatus Act became law largely as the result of the end of reconstruction. The use of troops to control the South really irked the Southerners, which is understandable. The presence of the SS really irked the French. The presence of American forces really irks the Iraqis. So, when the South promised to be good and enforce the 14th Amendment and all that good stuff, the Army was sent off to kill Indians...err, pacify and assist the west. Of course, then Nathan Bedford Forrest and the KKK did their thing to show how well they hadn't needed posse comitatus.
However, the military is the only branch of government with lots of tough decision makers who can get stuff done in a short period of time; with lots of helicopters, to move people and crap around, and with lots of dedicated people who have sworn to uphold the constitution and protect the people of the United States. They are excellent at a lot of things that needed to be done.
The Army Times, a civilian publication, recommends that a four-star admiral or general be the head of FEMA. The idea being that only a Flag Officer has the organizational savvy and leadership ability to get this stuff done. A Corporal from the Marine Corps or Army or a Petty Officer Third Class could have done about as well and probably better than these yahoos, but the thought is definitely worth considering.
From the story that raised my blood pressure:
The delay this time in tapping the troops, helicopters, trucks, generators, communications and other resources of the 1st Cavalry and the 82nd Airborne is the latest example of how the federal response to Katrina lacked organization and leadership. And it raises further questions about the government's ability to mobilize the active-duty military rapidly now that FEMA has been absorbed into the massive, terrorism-focused Department of Homeland Security.
Addressing the nation Thursday night from New Orleans, Bush said the storm overwhelmed the disaster-relief system. "It is now clear that a challenge on this scale requires greater federal authority and a broader role for the armed forces, the institution of our government most capable of massive logistical operations on a moment's notice," he said.
Several emergency-response experts, however, questioned whether Bush and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff understood how much authority they had to tap all the resources of the federal government — including those of the Defense Department.
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To say I've suddenly discovered the military needs to be involved is like saying wheels should be round instead of square," said Michael Greenberger, law professor and the director of the University of Maryland's Center for Health and Homeland Security."
