In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina’s destruction of New Orleans President Bush and his advisors stated repeatedly that no one could have predicted that a Category-4 hurricane could breach the levees protecting the city, that no one could have predicted the flooding and the devestation the city suffered.
Recently released documents prepared by the Department of Homeland Security show otherwise–Bush was informed in advance of the hurricane’s landfall of the fate that might befall the city.
Which means that the very thing that Bush said could not have been predicted had actually been predicted.
Science-fiction author Adam-Troy Castro summed this news up thusly: “One can imagine Dubya as the Prez in Armageddon, warned that a massive asteroid was on its way to demolish the planet, and the Prez smiling vacantly and returning to Crawford to clear brush.” Snarky? Absolutely. But also absolutely true. Expert advice seemingly means nothing to the Bush administration. The President hears only what he wishes to hear. And that’s a dangerous quality to have in a leader.
Predicted?
I grew up on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain (well technicly, 4 houses down from the levy on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain), and growing up we knew that one day that very thing was going to happen.