This is no longer a Post 9-11 America. This is a Post Katrina America.

[Arugula Latte]

The repercussions of this will be felt for years, decades even.

This is will determine whether we are a two-bit flash-in-the-pan or a Republic for the Ages.

[Mythsaje]

1. And I think this fiasco will leave gaping wounds

in the Republican Party for a LONG time.

Their masks have been torn away and they're being exposed for what they are.

[Independent_Liberal]

6. You got that right...

Those suckers have been exposed!

:)

[KT2000]

2. People have lost faith

patriotism and an american flag will not fix this. This one is really difficult. We have shame on our country.

[Tin Man]

3. Many changes will come

Yes, like 9-11, a watershed event in American history (pun not intended).

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. This may be a bursting point, as David Brooks says on News Hour with JL

Very interesting discussion with Brooks, Oliphant, and Clarence Page. Brooks made a good point that events like this expose the reality of how the rich have been taking care of themselves at the expense of the poor and can be the bursting point that leads to changes on the scale of the New Deal. Drew the analogy of the Jonestown flood where a lake owned by robber barons including Andrew Carnegie was part of the impetus for the progressive reforms at the turn of the 19th to 20th century. Analogy of the New Orleans flood in the 20s that helped usher in the New Deal. Analogy of the 70s that people just wanted to be over which helped usher Reagan in. This is more like the 20s when Republicans were in power.

Populism will be transcendent for a while.

[Mythsaje]

7. We can hope...n/t

[demodonkey]

8. Um, that's the Johnstown Flood, over 2000 died for Rich Guy's FISH!

I live near there, Johnstown PA.

On May 31, 1889 a dam owned by the South Fork Fishing & Hunting Club (members were Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, etc.) wall of water ripped down a narrow mountain valley and wiped out the city of Johnstown, with 30,000 population at the time. Over 2000 died and many horribly as houses crushed together, caught fire, and people trapped burned alive. The South Fork club had built the dam up as cheaply as possible (even dumping in HORSE MANURE for fill) and when the record rains came on May 31, they refused to pull the flood gates until TOO LATE, because their lake was stocked with expensive fish that they didn't want to lose.

If you come to St. Michaels PA you can still see remnants of the dam (the hole where the dam blew out is still there and it is incredible) and you can see the original rich boys clubhouse and "cottages". And in Johnstown you can see the high water mark on some of the buildings that survived the flood and still stand.

Actually the scenes from NOLA make me think of what it must have been like in Johnstown, multiplied by about 10-15 times.

[Arugula Latte]

12. Wow, I'd heard about the Johnstown Flood, but I didn't know the backstory.

Thanks for that. That is amazing!

[MojoXN]

10. A minor point, but I think you mean the Johnstown, PA flood.

Unless you were referring to Jonestown, Guyana.

MojoXN

[ZombieGak]

13. amazing discussion

And to hear Brooks even say he was angry at Bush!

[movonne]

5. How many photo-ops does he want with "Katrina America" ..I would

say none.

[fed-up]

9. This is a Post Bush Amerika

How the hell are we going to survive another 3 years???

First this week I thought we were in Russia, what with all the news black out issues....guess they were trying to cover up their genocide at the Super Dome, the Convention Center and throughout NOLA.

There are not enough cuss words or words of anguish and pain to describe what I am feeling and have felt since this started to unfold.

Now I wish we were in Japan as an honorable business man and all those responsible would have committed suicide after such a colossal failure.

[Harry S Truman]

11. Suddenly....

poverty, racism, infrastructure, public good, governmental activism, environment, energy, and more all have a DIFFERENT meaning.