You know, whenever I get it in my head that I'm halfway decent at putting words down on a page, I read something from a guy who really knows what he's doing, and then crawl back to my safe little world, where I spend most of the day talking to computers. In this case, it was James Lileks covering the same ground as my Blame Bush First post, but with infinitely more style & grace.

Highly recommended reading. Here are some highlights:

I am somewhat surprised that RIGHTEOUS ANGER is now the default mode in situations like this - but not too surprised. If the biggest problem in the world is Bush, then everything is naturally his fault.

But wait, there's more!

Oh, the lessons we learned from Katrina. Bush's refusal to invade New Orleans tells everything you need to know about Republican racist perfidy. The local government's incompetence tells you nothing whatsoever about Democrats ability to govern at the micro level. Lethal storms can be turned aside months in advance by signing the right treaties. Or so they're saying in the reality-based community.

And then finally, some lessons for us to take away:

Lesson one: Don't rely on the government. Four years after 9/11, it's apparent that some local governments are not well-oiled machines when it comes to disasters - more like a box of sand and busted gears. Blame for that can be promiscuously distributed.

Lesson two: the next terrorist attack will not unite us for a warm hug-filled fortnight. The hard left won't wait 24 hours before blaming President Bush, and the country will enjoy the sight of prominent pundits angrier at the President than the men who nuked Des Moines.

Well said, Mr. Lileks. Well said.