Judging by the numbers of spam ads and messages I get daily, impotence is a big problem in this country. But I never really understood that until now. Insofar as impotence affects personal lifestyle, there appear to be effective pharmaceutical remedies. Despite the barrage of TV ads, this problem is usually best dealt with privately and off camera.
But when a government is crippled by impotence, it must be exposed publicly because its citizens pay a deadly price. What Katrina's wrath has wrought goes far beyond the physical, emotional, environmental, and political damage to the Gulf Coast, its victims, and its survivors. As the world has witnessed over the last week, this represents a massive failure. More than any event since 9/11, she has focused a laser beam on our federal government's inability to serve a nation's citizens, save lives, offer relief to survivors, or fulfill the primary function of government.
Call it incompetence, miscommunication, callousness, contempt, lack of leadership, or what you will, but the federal response to aid victims of our worst natural disaster has been impotent. More than anything else, it symbolizes the Bush Administration's values, priorities, language, and attitudes toward public service. But the cutesy names for bloated bureaucratic procedures have never belied the notion of "limited government" so plaintively.
"No Child Left Behind" has an even more tragic ring to it, now. But for all those who have been left behind there are also those who are speaking out. If you'd like to, here's a new MSNBC poll. The question is:
Katrina relief: Do you think specific government officials should be held accountable? (As of 2:00 86% said "yes.")
The irony in this whole fiasco is unmistakable, since blaming the government has been a conservative creed for more than 25 years. Until now. The fact that a major cable news service even has to ask such a question may illustrate how successfully the White House has warped some perspectives.
Bush's adjective for the last two days to describe the results of the federal response to Katrina is "unacceptable." Certainly. But that doesn't comfort people like Aaron Broussard, or anyone else who's given up hope waiting for the government to act appropriately. It also doesn't come close to describing what happened in Louisiana last week. "Unacceptable?" That makes it sound like a rough draft that you can re-submit for another review. "Unacceptable" is a word you use for the wrong color of paint, bad cable service, or an inappropriate gift from a stranger.
Unfortunately for those caught in the impotent organizational chart FEMA wanted to negotiate with Louisiana officials before acting, that's a gross understatement. But it underscores his inability not just to respond to a crisis, to think on his feet without a script, but also to understand a profoundly obvious problem. Even now, he's pouting in Baton Rouge over a dispute about control and authority, like a spoiled brat unable to get his way with Governor Blanco. Right now the President needs to listen to those who have survived and have managed to escape from a hell his policies have created.
For those caught in the crossfire between White House communications strategists managing the damage control and local officials still working the scene, "unacceptable" is an impotent response to those still dying in New Orleans, in Houston, in Dallas, or in other temporary shelters unable to cope with long-range needs. Despite Rove's attempts to manage the language of Republican Congressmen today, however, the truth will emerge. As the photo-ops continue, and the spinning revs up into high gear, on-the-ground reports give a more devastatingly accurate view of a government with a shameful "condition" it doesn't want to talk about.
Until we do, the problem will get worse. Until we identify the causes, there will be no effective solutions. Until we admit the mistakes, we can't apply appropriate remedies. Until we stop using ineffective words to describe the far-reaching effects of a misguided ideology, the truth will be hidden. And if we do not learn from the long series of intentional legislative acts that allowed this condition to develop, those who suffer from its consequences will continue to be victims.
Let the messages go out loud and clear to all current politicians: we will not relent, we will not excuse, and we will not forget. And we will not let our government hide from its shame.