So, what insights does this comparison yield? A few become obvious:
1) Money first, people second
Governments are most concerned with protecting their economic interests. Despite all our altruistic claims when invading foreign countries, the US is no exception. Whether disaster is natural or man-made, when government protects its cash cows or wealthiest citizens, it does so in the name of protecting its own economic health. The poor, uneducated, uninformed, or underprivileged are on their own.
2) The government will not save you when disaster strikes
It may try to help, it may provide limited aid (as I have seen firsthand in south Florida) but its resources are limited and it simply cannot save everyone. Don’t expect it to bail you out. If you live in a disaster-susceptible area, don’t live in denial. Make conscious preparations in the event disaster strikes. Even if you don’t live in a high-risk area, self-reliance is a virtue you can afford and won’t regret having when you need it.
3) Government is what you make it
The citizens of New Orleans elected their local officials. The people of Louisiana elected their state officials. They had numerous opportunities to vote on how to spend funds and sadly, the majority chose not to spend resources on hurricane prevention and flood protection. It’s trite because it’s true—we reap what we sow.
What does it all come down to? As in so many areas of human life it appears we learn best from dire negative circumstances which propel us into making conscious rather than inspirational choices. As I have been taught firsthand from living in Florida, there are two sides to every coin. Paradise? Certainly my state has many aspects of an ideal climate and an idyllic lifestyle. But it comes at a price, one I and millions of south Floridians are now painfully aware of and willing to pay, as I suspect are the nearly one million full-time inhabitants of Cancun. Yet we’re lucky, Florida and Cancun reap enough tourism riches to qualify for government rescue. If only the citizens of New Orleans had been so fortunate, and so enlightened.
