And so the images from New Orleans this week have recalled not only the panic of 9/11 in New York City but the chaos of April 2003 in Baghdad after the United States ousted Saddam Hussein - and the looters took charge.Except for those fleeing the dust cloud when the Towers crashed, I saw no panic in NYC on 9/11. No looting whatsoever. Comparing New York's response to the mayhem when Baghdad fell is obscene.
New York had been prepared for a terrorist attack and had rehearsed for such for years. Most governments have regular preparedness drills, but how many places expect to have to take action? New Yorkers were expectant. How many of the folks from New Orleans who were actually trained for evacuations stayed behind? How many of the thousands who stayed had a clue about what to do if the city flooded?
So much of what has happened in these last few days could have been prevented with a little education. But you have to have willing students for that to work.