Analysis & Opinions

"It is worth noting that the only driving-related fatalities this weekend occurred in other states; massive pileups, with drivers stuck in cars for hours on end, took place in states that failed to institute travel bans. Preventing deaths has rarely been simpler. Meanwhile, the deficiencies in the government's response to Hurricane Katrina, in particular, led to advancements in federal emergency management support, airline cancellation protocols, communications systems, and the speed of coastal evacuations, all of which came into play in this storm."

"...[I]f we want more from government, then government may want more from us. And that includes earlier and smarter preparations, from shoring up creaky infrastructure to securing vulnerable homes and property. That sentiment was behind all the exhortations from politicians over the past week."

"Having a professional military means that the United States can go to war while the vast majority of citizens are not directly affected. Therefore it falls upon the president, more than any other individual, to make sure the nation goes to war only if and when absolutely necessary."

"The president's new half-trillion-dollar proposal for highway, bridge, and mass transit projects should be just the beginning of federal and state efforts to promote resilient designs. As the details of how the money will be spent are devised, traditional means through tax breaks or regulations should be coupled with more creative inducements — such as engineering competitions or research and development grants — to promote projects that not only employ workers, but build for a very long future that will bring new hurricanes, earthquakes, and bedlam."

"George W. Bush's presidency really was that bad — and the fact that Obama has largely followed the same course is less a measure of Bush's wisdom than a reminder of the depth of the hole he dug his country into, as well as the institutionalized groupthink that dominates the U.S. foreign-policy establishment."

"...security threats are no longer simply military threats. China is building two coal-fired power plants each week. U.S. hard power will do little to curb this trend, but U.S.-developed technology can make Chinese coal cleaner, which helps the environment and opens new markets for American industry

In a changing world, the United States should become a smarter power by once again investing in the global good — by providing things that people and governments want but cannot attain without U.S. leadership."

"Americans gave George W. Bush six years in which to match his actions to his words. He didn't. They won't be so patient next time around."

In June and July of 2006 the Broadmoor community took on a mapping and surveying project. Bard College compiled information collected by Harvard University and Bard College students with the help from PlanReady, Inc. This is a step-by-step guidebook on community-wide surveying and mapping projects for other neighborhood associations and CDCs.

The New Orleans hurricane relief efforts are giving a party stunned by losses a chance to revive.

In wake of Katrina, agency needs to have independence restored