When we make mistakes it is a chance to learn – an educational opportunity. The Iraq War and the response to Katrina are two mistakes from which we can learn a great deal. Here are six lessons, there may be more as the two stories unfold.

The National Guard's primary duty is to provide security, food, water and supplies to victims of natural disasters. They fill sandbags to prevent floods and rescue people injured, ill or swept away. Their primary role is to be a “national” guard not an “international” guard – to protect Americans at home.

It is time to bring the National Guard home from Iraq. As Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) said on the Senate floor on September 13 “We need to bring them home, with a hearty, 'Job well done.' We should begin with the National Guard. Obviously, they are needed here. They are an integral part of our first responder team in the event of a terrorist attack or if, God forbid, another natural disaster were to strike.”

Not only was personnel limited at this critical moment but so was equipment. The types of National Guard equipment that has been sent to Iraq includes Humvees, power generators and high-water vehicles. And, when these troops come home – it does not mean their equipment comes with them. When the the Mississippi 223^rd engineer battalion, the' first responder' for Gulf hurricanes, returned in May 2004, it was required to leave all of its equipment in Iraq. As a result the nation is less secure and Americans are less safe.

This is no surprise. In April 2004 the Government Accounting Office issued a report that warned : “[E]quipment and personnel may not be available to the states when they are needed because they have been deployed overseas. Moreover, the Guard may have difficulty ensuring that each state has access to units with key specialized capabilities – such as engineering or medical assets – needed for homeland security and other domestic missions. . . .” As recently as August 1 the Louisiana National Guard complained that they were taking critical equipment to Iraq that should have remained in Louisiana. Sadly, the administration and Congress ignored these warnings and American lives that could have been saved were lost.

The Iraq War seems to have also changed the make-up and approach of the National Guard. Perhaps because they have spent time in Iraq or because they have been trained with a focus on urban warfare they too often seemed to behave as an occupying force pointing guns at civilians. And, because of the lack of Guard personnel the government sent in private contractors, some call mercenaries, from Blackwell Corporation – a private security firm that gained international attention when four of its men were killed in Fallujah sparking a massive U.S. retaliation against the civilian population of the St. Louis-sized city.

Even before Katrina some governors had called for their National Guard to come home. Now, with the experience of Katrina, the U.S. government should recognize the urgency of bringing home all National Guard troops from Iraq so they can return to their primary mission – protecting Americans at home.

The draining of resources to invade, occupy and rebuild Iraq has resulted in misplaced priorities at home. Hurricane Katrina highlighted the failure to address the problems of water control in Louisiana – indeed in the Gulf Region.

On June 8, 2004, Walter Maestri, the emergency management chief for Jefferson Parish, told The Times-Picayune that funding for preventing the drowning of New Orleans had been moved. “It appears that the money has been moved in the President’s budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq. And I suppose that’s the price we pay. Nobody locally is happy that the levees can’t be finished, and we’re doing everything we can to make the case that this is a security issue for us.” The Army Corps of Engineers had been issuing warnings as well. Money to repair the levees and to save the wetlands, nature's sponge for excess water had been cut. The wetlands had sunk for the last century due in large part to the levees. More recently the pace quickened as a result of heavy oil drilling resulting from the Big Business socialism of the Bush Administration which allowed 20 million acres of wetlands to be developed. As oil and gas was sucked out thousands of acres of wetlands sunk and the natural buffer for floods was weakened further.

Last year, on April 24, 2004, The Times-Picayune reported cuts in funding saying: “Less money is available to the Army Corps of Engineers to build levees and water projects in the Mississippi River Valley this year and next year.” Yet in June 2004, the Army Corps of Engineers budget for levee building in New Orleans was cut to 20% of its previous commitment, due to the cost of the war. This year the Congress allotted New Orleans only half the $11 million it sought for flood-prevention projects. The Army Corps of Engineers estimated that $14 billion over ten years would protect the city and coastline. Ignoring these requests will now result in taxpayers spending hundreds of billions to clean it up and rebuild.

These cuts came despite the Federal Emergency Management Agency predicting in 2001 that a flood of New Orleans was one of the three “likeliest, most catastrophic disasters facing this country.” And, it also came despite a simulation that the National Geographic reported in October 2004 that showed a New Orleans flood would leave 200,000 people behind after an evacuation – the carless, homeless, aged, infirm and those who refused to leave. All of these warnings were ignored as the war and occupation of Iraq sucked hundreds of billions out of the U.S. economy.

People throughout the United States should be concerned about these misplaced priorities. The American Society of Civil Engineers has reported the entire basic infrastructure of the United States including bridges, roads, sewage systems, and dams is rapidly deteriorating. They give the country's infrastructure a 'D' and describe a “looming crisis that jeopardizes our nation's prosperity and quality of life.” Rather than sending money to illegally occupy Iraq federal officials should leave resources in local areas so the governments closest to the people can ensure that vital infrastructure is kept from deteriorating. Will it take a bridge collapsing or a dam bursting to wake up our elected officials to this 'looming crisis?'

Just as lawmakers ignored the coming crisis in Louisiana despite repeated warnings, they are ignoring changes in climate that will bring increased frequency and severity of storms like Katrina.

Burning oil, natural gas and coal is a major cause of global warming because it releases carbon gasses into the atmosphere. This leads to the melting of polar ice caps, a rise in the sea levels, and warmer oceans. The evidence that climate change is a reality is so strong that even the Bush Administration has acknowledged it exists. Unfortunately they have not faced up to the reality that the impacts of climate change are upon us.

When Hurricane Katrina is examined scientists will recognize that increasing ocean temperatures are creating stronger hurricanes. Already a consensus is developing on this matter. Joseph Romm, a former Energy Department official who is regarded as a leading expert on energy, told Business Week: “It is increasingly clear that global warming makes [hurricanes] more severe and destructive.” Recently, an article in the journal Nature, Kerry Emanuel of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology argued that rising ocean temperatures caused by global warming have increased both the frequency and power of hurricanes over the past 30 years. Kevin Trenberth of the National Center for Atmospheric Research agrees that the intensity and rainfall from tropical storms and hurricanes “are probably increasing.” Walter Brasch summarizes the storm cycle's growth:

“Between June and November every year, all eastern coastal areas are subject to hurricanes and intense rain and flooding. In early August, the National Weather Service had predicted twice as many storms and hurricanes than previous years hitting the U.S. Gulf and eastern coast areas during the 2005 season. NWS meteorologists had forecast 18–21 tropical storms, with 9–11 becoming hurricanes, and 5–7 of those becoming major hurricanes. Significantly warmer oceans, possibly caused by global warming, was cited as a prime reason for increased hurricane activity.”

Mike Tidwell, author of “Bayou Farewell: The Rich Life and Tragic Death of
Louisiana's Cajun Coast,” (2003) which predicted the impact of a hurricane like Katrina, starkly writes about what the United States will be facing if it fails to act quickly to deal with climate change:

“. . . the Bush Administration is ignoring raw data and reports from its own agencies that say every single coastal city in America - from New York to Savannah to Los Angeles - could soon become a New Orleans. Within a short generation or two, the same sort of flooding and storm damage and death toll and economic ruin we see in the Crescent City could become an annual occurrence in some other U.S. city, spread across some other American coastline.”

Every American will be effected by this, not just the 150 million that live on the coastlines. Yet, this urgent issue is not on the agenda in Congress or the Oval Office. Political leaders need to take their heads out of the sand and face-up to the immediate need to deal with climate change. All options should be put on the table to determine how the U.S. should rapidly reduce its emissions of carbon gasses. There are solutions to these problems but our political leadership will have to face up to the special interests, especially the oil, gas and coal industries, and break U.S. addiction to fossil fuels.

Stop Being Blinded by the Fear of Terrorism

At a time when storms are increasing in frequency and severity the government's fixation on terrorism is resulting in destruction of its ability to handle natural disasters. This is going to result in Americans being less safe and secure, more deaths, more injuries and more property damage. The impact of terrorism on safety, security and property will be minimal in comparison.

In addition to money and personnel being diverted to Iraq, the bloated Homeland Security bureaucracy sucked up and incapacitated the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA is the agency “tasked with responding to, planning for, recovering from and mitigating against disasters.” Hundreds of millions from the FEMA budget was transferred to other parts of Homeland Security – instead of natural disasters it went to combating terrorism. Money for state and local agencies for rescue operations was spent on equipment to prevent terrorism.

Putting FEMA inside Homeland Security undermined the agency. Some of its best and brightest left and the new head of the agency, Michael Brown, seemed to be appointed based on political patronage not expertise. While Brown has become the fall-guy for the Administration, Michael Chertoff, the head of Homeland Security, should get greater blame. He is the initial person in charge and it took him 36 hours after Katrina hit to designate Brown as the responsible official.

And, there are questions whether Homeland Security will be able to handle a terrorist attack despite the billions it has spent. Many questions abound as to whether this bureaucracy will be effective in its mission. Americans are less safe and secure not only from natural disasters, but very likely from terrorism as well especially since there is no question but that the Iraq War and occupation has led to an increase of terrorism and hatred for America around the world.

Stop Misleading the American People with Propaganda and Photo-Ops

The United States has been treated to Iraq War propaganda – the president and his plastic turkey “serving” the troops in Iraq, “Mission Accomplished” on an aircraft carrier, and the “heroism” of Jessica Lynch to name a few.

President Bush is treating Americans to the same type of propaganda in the Gulf. In order to hide his ongoing vacation and fundraising trips after Katrina hit, the president has made several trips to the region – each one choreographed to pull on the heart strings of Americans and present the image of a president who cares.

After his first visit German television reporter Christine Adelhardt reported how the scene was set for his visit:

“. . . just two minutes ago, the President drove by with his convoy. But what happened here throughout the day in Biloxi is really unbelievable. Suddenly salvage groups appeared here, suddenly clearing vehicles were here. Those had not be seen here all the days before and this in area where it really would not be greatly necessary to clean up because nobody is living here, far and wide, anymore. The people are further inside the city.” [translated by Bernhard Horstmann of Hamburg, Germany]

German independent TV, ZDF, reported similarly “suddenly [a] help crew showed up, people who cleaned out the rubble, that searched the houses for dead bodies. And this exclusively along the route of the president. [And then] the president left Biloxi and with him all the help crews.” In addition to the clean-up crews ZDF reported that a food distribution center was set up just before he arrived and closed as soon as the president and the TV cameras left.

The president has used firefighters, Coast Guard helicopters and food as props as well. All of which could have been used to help the people of the Gulf Coast rather than propagandize America.

Perhaps if the President, had not vacationed and traveled for fundraisers after Katrina hit, along with the Vice President who was vacationing in Jackson Hole, WY and Secretary of Defense who was vacationing in San Diego – there would not be need for propaganda. They could actually have been doing their jobs and television cameras could film that rather than the mock-displays of caring.

Face Up to Poverty, Racism and Classism

Hurricane Katrina opened the eyes of many Americans to persistent problems that our country has been unable to adequately address – racism, poverty and classism. Indeed, the rich-poor divide has expanded in recent decades to the largest chasm since the 1920s. And, it is continuing to get worse. The level of poverty in the United States has increased in each of the last five years. The median income of Americans is dropping. Indeed, one in three Americans working full-time earn less than $8.50 per hour – one quarter of America's working families live in poverty.

At the same time the wealth of the wealthiest is growing. The financial wealth of the top one percent of households now exceeds the combined wealth of the bottom 95 percent. The wealth of the Forbes 400 richest Americans grew by an average $940 million each from 1997-1999 while over a recent 12-year period the net worth of the bottom 40 percent of households declined 80 percent. For the well-to-do, that's an average increase in wealth of $1,287,671 per day. If that were wages earned over a 40-hour week, that would be $225,962 an hour or 43,876 times the $5.15 per hour minimum wage. Income disparities insure a widening chasm – the ratio of average annual large company CEO pay, $11.8 million, to average worker pay, $27,460, spiked up last year from 301-to-1 in 2003 to 431-to-1 in 2004. If the minimum wage had risen as fast as CEO pay since 1990, the lowest paid workers in the US would be earning $23.03 an hour today, not $5.15 an hour. And for the super rich the gluttonous greed is nauseating, the richest 400 Americans hold wealth equivalent to one-eighth of the GDP.

And, when New Orleans – indeed the Gulf region is looked at the numbers are even worse. In New Orleans 34% of the population lives at or below the federally defined poverty line of $16,090 annual income for a family of three. The annual rate of poverty for the entire U.S. is 12.7%. Louisiana has the highest poverty rate of any of the other fifty states, at an astounding 20.3 %. For the young, only Mississippi has a higher child poverty rate than Louisiana. According to estimates, half of all children in Louisiana live in poverty.

But rarely has this extreme poverty been reported. Bryon Calame, the Public Editor of the New York Times on September 11 noted that the 'paper of record' had missed the story: “over the past decade Times readers would have been hard-pressed to find a news headline about the poverty in the midst of the city that brings to the minds of many Americans the revelry of Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street.”

When there is poverty there are a wide range of other problems as well. New Orleans, a city of 500,000 is likely to have 300 murders this year, mostly in the overwhelmingly poor, black neighborhoods. The residents of these neighborhoods have a hostile relationship with the New Orleans Police. Corruption in the police department has been reported for decades, in recent months they have been accused of drug running, theft, rape (two incidents) and police killings of unarmed youth. Many young black men spend time in Angola Prison, a former slave plantation where inmates still do manual labor. Eventually, 90% of prisoners die in prison. Reports during the hurricane indicate prisoners died – drowned trapped in their cells – some arrested the night before on minor charges not yet processed.

And, education in Louisiana is among the worst in the nation. Teachers salaries rank 48^th in the country, and only $4,724 per child is spent per year. An estimated 50,000 students are absent from school on any single day, and New Orleans has a 40 percent illiteracy rate. Everyday more than 50 youth drop out of school.

Why these poor in New Orleans did not leave is evident. Tens of thousands did not have cars or transportation money, living pay-check to pay-check leaves no money to relocate. Those who owned homes had mortgaged their lives to do so and often did not have insurance, so fighting for the little they had was the only option. A FEMA test of evacuation concluded that hundreds of thousands of poor would be left behind – but no plans were put in place to correct the problem. But now we must look forward, what are we going to do to ensure that the rebuilding of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast does not continue to expand the rich-poor divide and increase poverty?

Sadly, the initial steps have not been good – Halliburton, Bechtel and Fluor, three well-connected Bush-corporate friends – were immediately hired in the rebuilding process. Their record has not been great in Iraq – where corruption seems to have been institutionalized. Hopefully, this is not a sign that the wealthy friends and business associates of Bush-Cheney will be getting no-bid or fake-bid contracts – or a sign that corporate welfare for the wealthiest becomes the order of the day. On September 15 the president announced a massive rebuilding of New Orleans however, this threatens to be a record-setting taxpayer funded corporate welfare if we are not careful.

In 1927 there was a similar flood of New Orleans and it brought to power Huey Long, who become Governor of Louisiana and a U.S. presidential candidate. Long was a populist who stood on the side of the common people against Big Business and Wall Street. During the Depression, Long put forward a “Share the Wealth” plan as a response to the greed of the wealthiest in the 1920s. His share the wealth plan would ensure that all Americans had a stake in America, more entrepreneurial capitalists were created and all had a secure retirement with their piece of the largest economy in world history.

Perhaps a lesson can be learned from Alaska, where each year since 1977 Alaskans receive their share of the oil wealth as part of the Permanent Trust – which has become an economic engine for the state. Every Alaskan receives a check, in some years as high as $2,000 – for a family of five that is $10,000 – enough for a downpayment on a home. Or, if saved over a few years to start a business or pay for college tuition. Alaska was the only state in the last decade not to increase the divide between rich and poor. Bush has called for an “ownership society” the rebuilding of the Gulf may be an opportunity to make that rhetoric a reality.

The United States is about to embark on a massive rebuilding of New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. This is going to cost taxpayers more than $200 billion dollars. Rather than transferring tax dollars to massive corporations, a plan should be developed to ensure that the wealth that results from that investment is shared among all the investors – all Americans. Rebuilding can be an opportunity to give all Americans a stake in the economy – a chance to 'share the wealth.'

The wealthiest are not wealthy because they work harder or are smarter, they are gaining in wealth because the finance, tax, corporate welfare and economic system is rigged in their favor. The monied elite who fund political campaigns have bought politicians to do their bidding. As a result the system is designed for the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer. Hurricane Katrina pulled off the cover of this reverse Robin Hood policy that plagues America. Now that we know it exists America must face up to these challenges. We are a good enough people and a wealthy enough country that we can do so.

Katrina was an ugly disaster that has showed that many issues are not being addressed by our government, our communities and our families. As difficult as it is to look to the lessons of Katrina and Iraq that is the task political leaders must now face. If we don't learn from the mistakes of the past – we will keep repeating them. And, that is not good enough for a country as wealthy and powerful as the United States.