Now, at the end of the hurricane season, is a natural time to reflect on what people should have learned from (or been reminded of by) the events in Louisiana. I am not referring here to the fairly obvious broad societal conclusions people should have drawn about the failure of the welfare state, the effects of fatherless households on the lives and prospects of women and children, and the consequences for the human spirit of a culture of dependency, excuse, irresponsibility, and self-righteously low expectations. Rather, I am thinking of a few things that will help us understand how to plan and behave.
First, never expect government (outside of the armed forces and sometimes fire and police departments) at any level to do anything well or competently, especially in situations requiring thought, initiative, or improvisation. This is a well established rule of long standing, and it was confirmed in both horrific and sickly funny ways after the hurricanes.
Second, you can expect that competent individuals, compassionate church congregations, and well-run private companies will do things well, even in situations requiring thought, initiative, or improvisation as Walmart and others showed in Louisiana. (This is another well established rule that, taken in conjunction with the one above, should lead intelligent observers to large, societal conclusions about the relative merits of bigger or smaller government.)
Third, the world we take for granted depends crucially on the availability of electric power, safe on-tap water, and a functional transportation network.
Fourth, the world is subject to natural or man-made events that can make some or all of those things locally unavailable for a time.
Fifth, fear of liability has made cowards and laggards of us all. There were many, many stories of individuals and groups of people being prevented from helping in Louisiana by someone’s fears of being sued. The plague of lawyers is taking a toll at the margin on the ability of our society to function, especially in times of stress.
Sixth, and finally -- with all that said -- we must all take responsibility for making contingency plans for ourselves. It is not necessary to join the survivalists to see the benefits of having a few days supply of drinkable water and food that doesn’t require cooking or refrigeration on hand, of keeping copies of the information you would need to reconstruct your financial life in a safe place off site, and of being prepared to protect your life and property if civil order breaks down for a time. Appropriate insurance wouldn’t hurt either. If the disaster that strikes is big enough to make national news for more than a day or two, you might be bailed out at least in part by the government; but if it is small and local, you could be footing the bill on your own.
Beyond that people’s precautions will vary with their contexts. We should all take a clear look at what the risks are in our particular locations and situations and plan for them . Earthquakes are a worry in San Francisco but not in West Texas. The reverse is true for tornados. Some people have a large network of helpful friends and family close at hand. Others are alone. Some have people depending on them. Others have only themselves to worry about. Some are old or sick or otherwise particularly at risk, while others are young and healthy. We each have to figure out what sort of plans make sense for us.
The important pragmatic lesson of the disaster in Louisiana is that we should all have plans, and that no one can safely default that responsibility to the government.