Continuing his legacy as one who better informs political debates with history and common-sense, Marvin Olasky analyzes what went right and wrong in the management of the Hurricane Katrina aftermath in his latest book, The Politics of Disaster
. In his introduction, Olasky makes an interesting point: people often make natural disasters a subject of theodicy (questioning God in light of suffering) rather than anthropodicy (questioning man in the same light). We can do nothing to prevent the providential works of God, but we can clearly question human response. And with that, Olasky proceeds into a full-orbed critique of the Katrina response.
Olasky first categorizes the numerous failures of both the government "paperocracy" and media over-dramatization that magnified the negative impact of Katrina. The extensive bureaucracy is exceeded only by an endless paper trail, which in the end caused shortages and delays that may have cost lives. The mainstream media only exacerbated these logistical shortcomings with exaggerated claims of civic unrest, which in turn necessitated that every rescue mission have an armed contingent. It seems that the already beleaguered survivors in New Orleans had to bear an unnecessary storm of delay and deceit.
Anchoring his point in historical developments of the past century, Olasky shows how the growth of government bureaucracy foreshadowed its failure in light of Katrina. Olasky does not just leave his readers fuming as a result of his myriad critiques, however; rather, he bucks the journalistic trend and highlights the good guys amidst this tragedy. He highlights the organizational discipline of the military, the quick and able response of private businesses, and the tireless care provided by faith-based organizations. Such a round of praises certainly won't merit Professor Olasky an appearance on Air America any time soon.