Let me just say, this is not out of disrespect to those affected by Katrina. It seems that with the problems in Iraq, the horrors of Katrina, and the skyrocketing gas prices, America might finally elect some decent leaders. Leaders that won't cut a reccommended $105 million charge by the Army Corps of Engineers to strengthen the levees in Louisiana in half, then watch as Don Young spends hundreds of millions of dollars on useless bridges, or for a $10,000 traffic light in Los Angeles. Maybe people will elect leaders who will actually pay attention to seasoned high command officers before launching a war that almost half the country opposes in the first place. Mabye people will elect leaders who keep oil companies' hands out of their pockets, so they don't have such a hold on our lives. I'm not talking about a certain party, I'm talking about any politician of any party. This could be the biggest turning point in government since Teddy Roosevelt started giving Rockerfeller figurative kicks in the teeth. At least, I hope so.

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"The Difference between Republicans and Democrats, is that Repbublicans come up with bad ideas, and Democrats come up with no ideas" Lewis Black

there will some good that comes out of all this. I read an editorial today (forget the source now) that pointed out that every tragic event has led to fundamental reforms in our nation. The Johnstown Penn. floods in the 1890's indirectly led to reforms in industry and against industrialist power.

Bill Clinton's screwups in part led to a change in power in Congress.

All of this (the war, the economy, the disaster) could lead to another change for the better in some way.

People who see evil and tragedy often turn to the light and love their neighbor who they never noticed before. It's a shame that bad things happen before good people come out of the woodwork.

Certainly some reform will come out of this. But it will be something that will placate the masses while doing the least amount of damage to the status quo (I hate that word, but I couldn't think of another one). So new powers will be given to FEMA or a new weather bureau will be set up. Or revenue will be removed from other programs to feed some more emergency relief that will remain dormant for most of the time.
I'd love it if somehow this led to more government accountability, greater public participation, and lobbyists being kicked in the head, but I'm not going to hold my breath for it. Chances are the reforms that do come about won't even prevent this from happening again.