Remember how "colorful" politics are down there (big pockets, stratching backs, etc. more so than even a national level). I'm appalled by the armed gangs, the shooting at police helicopters, the looting, but sadly, I'm not hugely surprised.

And flooding in New Orleans hit a very poor, very economically stratified city with an already very very (add many more verys) serious violence problem and major skepticism among the population about the police force and local government (corruption, etc.) I remember thinking on Saturday morning that the city's basic emergency plan could be summed up as "get the folks with resources out of town... let the poor (black) families and stranded tourists drown." I'm not defending anybody, and Lord knows I'm not defending the folks who are carjacking, looting, shooting at rescuers, etc. I'm just not surprised. This was ugly from the get-go.

The Missup has always wanted to move west and drain to the Atchafalaya. Sadly, perhaps if we weren't so dependent on the port we should let the river go. Unless building levees for stage 5 hurricanes is feasible?