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2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Political bias Nov 22, 2007
While the response of the Federal government to Hurricane Katrina was "unacceptable", this book is extremely biased and does not even begin to address the failures of all the other levels of government. America is a country where the help of the Federal government is supposed to be a last resort. This book is too short and too narrow in its focus. I also find claims that the Federal government's response was racially motivated to be completely unfounded and simply divisive for a nation already struggling to address racisim issues.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Hurricane Season: Time to Revisit the Past Jul 29, 2006
Unacceptable: The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina, is an excellent reminder of the tragedy that was Katrina, not just in terms of the physical severity of the storm itself but also of the government's severely limited, too-little-too-late response. The book takes us through the events from the early storm warnings announced by the National Weather Service through the receding flood waters in New Orleans after much of the population had been displaced. As Brasch marches us through the eye of the storm, he documents the abysmal response of local, state, and federal officials. Although the public was bombarded with images and news as the storm raged and is certainly aware of the tragic events that were Katrina, Brasch provides some important context. Failure to heed warnings was merely the climax of many failures that formed the perfect storm. Documenting these failures in one place exposes the scope and breadth of the Bush Administration failures and indeed it is breathtaking. Eventually, the flood waters receded, and so did the outrage - though it is surely still seething under the surface in the Louisiana lowlands, buried under the muck. Brasch's book is an important reminder of what tragedy can befall us in the merger of a void in leadership and widespread incompetence we are vulnerable to not only the disaster wrought by nature but the disaster wrought by the inept officials who blame one another rather than accept responsibility and learn from their errors.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 Insightful, concise and engrossing Jul 25, 2006
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (7/06)
" `Unacceptable': The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina" gives a detailed and concise account of what went wrong in the planning for and response to what many people are calling the nation's worst natural disaster ever.
Dr. Brasch, an award-winning professor of journalism, a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist and author of 16 books is more than qualified to analyze the governmental policies that led to the horribly botched response to Hurricane Katrina. This engrossing and well-researched book begins with an excerpt from Dr. Brasch and Rosemary R. Brasch's 2003 article "An Ill Wind and American Policy". The article accurately outlined the problems that would happen if a natural disaster occurred at home while so many of our experienced National Guard forces are deployed in Iraq. The article included a chillingly accurate prediction by the Brasch's: "Our nation's disaster preparedness doesn't meet the needs that any sizeable disaster might bring."
I have to admit that the event details were hard to stomach at times as the full realization set in that with proper planning and repairs prior to the storm the massive extent of the damage did not have to happen. And once the storm hit and the levies broke the lack of federal response due to incompetence and lack of experience by FEMA and Homeland Security caused unimaginable death and devastation to the victims. "Unacceptable" gives a vivid portrayal of the short sighted political policies that led up to this tragedy such as: not taking environmental reports seriously, allowing businesses to destroy wetlands that provide natural protection to the Gulf Coast, leaving the nation vulnerable by slashing budgets that fund natural disaster preparation to fund the war in Iraq and hiring inexperienced political friends in favor of experts at agencies this country looks to during a natural disaster. The poor governmental response to this crisis was also attributed to the deeper issues of race and class relations in this country.
"Unacceptable" was not all a negative account of Hurricane Katrina. Dr. Brasch also recounted the many unsung heroes, corporations and countries that responded and were sometimes turned away (some justifiably) from helping with disaster relief. Firemen, policemen and so many others took vacation time from their jobs to pitch in with rescue efforts before the delayed response by Federal Government of asking for help. The Red Cross, Salvation Army and so many others proved to be invaluable, but were quickly at their maximum capacity. The American Humane Society, Noah's Wish, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and so many more took on the task of rescuing animals and trying to reunite them with their pets.
This well-written book offers great insight into the Federal Response to Katrina. I would not however recommend it to right wing Republicans, as they would probably find it very offensive.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Strongly recommended reading for anyone interested in contemporary politics and current events May 08, 2006
Unacceptable: The Federal Response To Hurricane Katrina by journalism professor Walter M. Brasch is an informative and critical analysis of the inefficiency and ineptitude of the American government's response to the natural disaster and consequent widespread tragedy of hurricane Katrina. Providing an accessible and "reader friendly" in-depth study of predictive and retrospective texts, quotes, and conceptual understandings, Unacceptable guides readers through the many contributing factors which resulted in the Bush administration's dysfunctional political policies, such as downgrading FEMA while pushing new resources into the anti-terrorism campaigns and the war in Iraq. To be given high praise for its candor, Unacceptable is very strongly recommended reading for anyone interested in contemporary politics and current events for its outstanding and precise study of the federal government poorly performance and indecisive action for one of the worst natural disaster in American history.
6 of 8 found the following review helpful:
EXCELLENT DOCUMENTED COMMENTARY May 07, 2006
'UNACCEPTABLE':
The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina
Walter M. Brasch, Ph.D.
BookSurge, LLC
5341 Dorchester Rd, Ste 16
Charleston, SC 29418
www.booksurge.com
Genre: Nonfiction/Social Commentary
ISBN: 1419618393, $12.99, 96 pp, 2006
Walter M. Brasch, Ph.D. is a social issues columnist and satirist, author of 16 books, and a university journalism professor. This book, based upon extensive observation and documentation focuses on the problems within our current government organization--a systemic failure--which allowed two million Americans to be put at risk. Evidently, the relatively new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is at the heart of the problem instead of the solution. Dr. Brasch lists the primary issues contributing to the problem as:
"-Political policies that disregarded global warming and which resulted in warmer sea levels that facilitated catastrophic hurricanes;
-Policies that permitted oil companies to drill into the wetlands of the Gulf Coast and, thus, reduce protection against hurricanes and floods;
-Policies that substantially reduced funding for natural disaster protection, while hyper-inflating funds for the War in Iraq;
-Policies that downgraded the efficiency and response of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), while pushing new resources into the President's anti-terrorism campaigns;
-Policies that allowed a willful neglect of certain populations;
-Policies that emphasized the "PR mission" and "photo-ops" over actual command;
-Policies that allowed willful neglect of critical warning by government scientists and engineers; and
-Policies that allowed waste and corruption to infiltrate the nation's federal response."
'Unacceptable': The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina is a well-documented, concise book on the geopolitics contributing to dangerous problems within our current government. It is, indeed, a clear reflection of the misuse of power and resources. After reading this book, you may also believe that there is sufficient evidence to indict President Bush, or at least add your voice to the opposition or get in line to volunteer. Volunteer for what? For the suggestion floating around in the e-mail world: "Will someone please give this man a '. . . job' so that we can impeach him."
I'm certain that it was not an easy job compiling and organizing all the information documented in this small book, and it is important that someone cared to compile it for us and present it in a concise, understandable way. It is, however, always easier to criticize than to offer realistic solutions.
It is my belief that fewer people read newspapers or listen to the political news today. Fewer people care to be involved because they feel the problems are too overwhelming and out of control. Government has become too large, too complex, too corrupt, too greedy to think about, and the average person can hardly manage their own affairs. Possibly we need another Gaius Julius Caesar with a new vision, but then 'the powers that be' would soon put an end to such a man, as they did before.
My suggestion for change, which I'm certain we are not ready for, is to put a computer in every home and let the people run the country by majority vote on all issues (prohibiting organized special-interest groups) with the votes tallied by a central computer and policy made based on majority rule. This might excite people to take a renewed interest in the well-being of their country and planet. The men we elect, even if they were good to start, can hardly stand up to the power pressures they experience in office, and in the end, I think the average person has more common sense than our elected representatives.
So, let's get out of Iraq and put some serious pressure behind developing alternative energy sources such as hydrogen and setting up the necessary systems to make it work.
Thank you Dr. Brasch for your very provocative account of our governments serious problems.
Reviewed by Kaye Trout - May 7, 2006 - Copyright
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