there was a long opinion piece in the Washington Post today, by Benjamin Forgery, a major critic ot the arts and the cultural scene. He does not rush to judgement, and his views are widely respected.

It begins:

Planning for a New, Improved Orleans

By Benjamin Forgey
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, September 8, 2005; Page C01

Some things you just cannot rush, even after a catastrophe such as the one in New Orleans.

You can and should rush to rescue people, find them shelter and provide medical aid. You can and should begin right away to ask questions about what went wrong, why it did so and who is responsible.


And, of course, it is natural to wonder what's going to happen in the future.

What you shouldn't do, however, is to try to answer these questions in haste and rancor.

Rushing to judgment, though understandable, is a short-term response to a lot of serious, long-term issues. One is the very survival of a nearly 300-year-old city.

...........

"It is not unreasonable, then, to ask if we should rebuild a city in such a geographical bind.

The cost will be astronomical -- billions of dollars just to build an adequate levee system; billions more to do something about the degraded swamps that surround the city and which, when in good health, can do much to protect from hurricane-driven surges. Such a prospect implies an immense investment of federal money -- more by far than went to New York after 9/11 -- simply because there is no other capable source. And so, whether they desire it or not, all federal taxpayers have a stake in the future, or non-future, of New Orleans."


it continues, as he tries to sort out what might be done, what must be done, and what can't be done....well worth reading the whole thing.