They have to go to Holland to find that the difference is that Holland isn't in Hurricane Alley.
THAT is the oft-ignored factor! Holland isn't faced with the likelhood of one or more hurricanes every year.
AND- the flood protection works in Holland because it was built, and is maintained by ,the Dutch-not the conniving, good-enough, political dynasty types that run New Orleans.
For Dutch ideas to work here you'd have to have the Dutch design, build AND maintain the system free of political control. Not gonna happen in a city where the battle cry now is ' this is OUR city'. Meaning- no outsiders are going to run things! Heaven forbid that should happen! In a city where mile after mile of Interstate guard rails are installed BACKWARD, there is NO- I repeat- absolutely NO hope that locals can build and run a system like Hollands.
Dutch ingenuity and efficiency and 'les incompetents' cannot co-exist.