Any reasonable observer must conclude that the difficulty the U.S. Authorities, at all levels, have had with dealing with Hurricane Katrina arose not simply because it was an exceptionally savage and huge storm, but, much more importantly, it was so sudden. This thing was not even declared a hurricane until just before it arrived in Florida - few in recent years can have picked up so much power in a short passage over the northern Gulf of Mexico. Usually, serious storms spend a week or more tromping over the Caribbean islands, so that everyone gets the message.

This has nothing to do with the political effect of Katrina. The chaos in New Orleans appears to be quite simply an issue of the moral quality of the population - America's Burden, so to speak.

A piece of evidence supporting this view was recently published on Prestopundit. It is a report by a lady who volunteered at a Texan relief center:

I know they have just suffered a lot and lost everything, but that’s really no reason to take advantageous of people’s generosity. I swear it’s like they didn’t have any home training. Some of these people don’t have any sense of common decency or respect for fellow human beings; especially those who are trying to help him.

To which one can only observe:

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Matthew Chapter 7 v. 20

Hat Tip California Conservative