The Missisippi River Gulf Outlet has been in existence for decades. It was a shortcut to the Gulf of Mexico. Was it a good idea, probably not. It caused alot of Salt Water Intrusion that destroyed the Marsh that helped protect New Orleans. I do not know, but if someone bothers to research this they will probably find that the original idea for this shortcut did not Originate with the Army Corps of Engineers but some where else.

The Judge in this case made a stupid ruling. This case should never have been allowed to go to trial. I live in Louisiana and have lived in the New Orleans Metro Area for years before returning to Thibodaux so I am very familiar with all the local issues.

The problem was not the levees but the lack of a Sea Gate that could have slowed or de-energized the Storm Surge coming up the M.R.G.O. These methods have been used in the Netherlands Successfully. Most of the New Orleans Drainage System is based on the Netherlands Model, that is why Engineers from the Netherlands came over after Katrina to offer thier assisatnce to improve Drainage and Storm Protection.

What has to be understood is that no system is perfect. There will be failures. The human failure was in the Evacuation which is a local responsibility. Warnings were given but the time was short. Katrinas path was being adjusted daily and it was not until about 36 hours before the storm hit that the Path really targeted New Orleans. The Federal Govt. including President Bush warned New Orleans long before the official Path was predicted to impact New Orleans. The problem was the lack of local response.

Hurricanes are an act of Nature. The damages done by them can only be moderated, not prevented. That is why I say the Judges Ruling was stupid.

The idea of the Mr Go dates back to the early 20th century. New Orleans was concerned that they would lose shipping to ports not so far inland.

The Mr GO was approved and funded by the River and Harbor Act of 1956. Congress. To give deep draft vessels easier access to the city. And completed it in 1965. (I remember when it was built..) Obviously it was all president Bush's fault.

Didn't the corp's propose locks to keep storm surges out of the canal? Like they did with the other New Orleans canals. If my memory serves me correct. The environmentalist took the Corp's to court to stop them. Does anyone recall if something similar things happened with Mr GO.

Obviously it was all the corps fault.

I'm not a big fan of the Mr GO. Today it's main remaining use is to get the space shuttle fuel tanks out. New Orleans could close down Martin Marietta.

Of course new Orleans not raising the height of the levees like Jefferson; had nothing to do with it. New Orleans dredging some of the canals for navagation and under cutting the levees. That had nothing to do with it either. Or the New Orleans leveee board spending all that money on....

"You lie!"  Rep. Joe Wilson R-(SC)

we‘re angry about the Army Corps killing 1,000 people.

Mr Grunwald, want to know what REALLY killed those thousand people?  Welfare!

Welfare has removed self-reliance from their lexicon as well as their thought patterns.

"Oh, I am up to my knees in water, I guess somebody from the federal government will soon come by and provide me food, water, and put me on a greyhound bus to take me Houston.  But in the meantime I think I will loot this store..."

Welfare kills baby, and in this case it killed en-masse.

So will the Army Corps be responsible for everyone in California who will inevitably die when earthquakes erupt along the San Andreas fault, and the people who were stupid enough to build cities smack dab along that fault are crushed under the ruin of their skyscrapers?

I remember what the media did during Katrina.  They were so anxious to blame Bush for something that they actually put lunatics on the air who suggested that Bush cooked up this hurricane with some kind of 'weather machine' (as if he were a super-villain in a comic book), and then somehow imbued the hurricane with artificial intelligence so that it would only kill black people. And they also dug up morons who spread stories that army helicoptors were shooting black people, that they saw army soldiers deliberately blowing up the levys, and that the army was withholding food relief until black people were forced to resort to cannibalism.  It was all hogwash, but the media reported the false stories as if they were true.

This is the kind of lunacy that has taken hold among liberals.  They're getting madder and madder, and they're not getting any LESS mad now that they've got control of all 3 houses of government.  They're still furious - because the Republican party still exists.

It just goes to show that they've become so deranged that they'll never be content until they have dictatorial powers to take property from, to imprison, and perhaps even kill their political enemies.  This is insanity building folks - pure, rabid, fascist insanity. And I fear they won't stop until they've split the nation into two and created a new civil war.

It wasn't some failure by the Army Corps of Engineers that killed those people. It was the belief that we can, somehow, stop natural flooding  from occurring and be able to control the flow of TRILLIONS of gallons of water.  It was our all-to-human belief that we are the masters of the Universe and that we can command nature. 

What killed those people is 100 years of this arrogance, 100 years of building levees, flood walls, and the like.  It was those constructions themselves that let the flood waters rise so high.  Had those structures not existed, the waters would have only raised a few feet and very few people would have died.  Had we not tried to control the floods, those floods wold have done nothing more than ruin a few buildings and it would not have become a raging floodwater that got so many people killed.

People, water finds it's own level and there is NOTHING we, or the Army Corps of Engineers, can do to prevent that.  It's simple physics, a Law of Nature.  Hasn't 200 years of recorded Mississippi River Vally floods taught us anything at all?  For over 200 year we've been fighting with nature, and for 200 years nature has taught us all just who's in charge.

Do you know how to stop killing people because of natural events like floods?  Stop trying to control nature as you will inevitably make things worse.  Instead, let nature take its own course, as our ancestors did for tens of thousands of years.  We need to stop play God, we need to regain our lost wisdom and realize that Nature is King, not Mankind.

The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.
The US Constitution

Unless you're a fetus.
The US Supreme Court

I liked your summary.I would like to add. The Corps was not just "found" guilty but  they readily "confessed" that the engeneering plans for MRGO were known to be inadequate since the planning stage. I am not a lawyer but I know that %of responsibility will play here. The Levee Board plays a huge part of responsibility for corruption, waste and incompetance. It irks me that people who know nothing of La or NO offer advice and assessment. I live in an area known as "Coteau Ridge". This is part of a river delta and is unique to the area. Just to show how "climate change" and human intervention are two different things, Coteau Ridge is what is left of a river that flowed thru here 100 yrs ago. Yes, 100 yrs ago and it no longer exists and not due to human intervention. The flood of 1929 is a huge reason for the comprehensive levee systems being built. Its too late to gripe about the changes made because of that levee system without serious changes in politics and understanding of the terrain.  But to people like Shep Smith and Geraldo, "Bush is killing people", if you dont know or understand NO  or La. then your opinion should be limited to "wish you well".

Sadly, a poll was taken in New Orleans about a year after Katrina, asking "the next time there is a disaster like Katrina, will you depend on the government more or less for help."  A plurality of respondents answered 'more', and a majority answered 'more' or 'same'.

Your post was informative and well stated. There are so many stories to tell about Katrina and Rita that should scare people. Hundreds of people showed up on the levee in their boats to help rescue thousands trapped. They were turned away because Blanco was afraid of lawsuits. Thousands walked out of NO with nothing except carrying their children on their backs. No one ever talks about those who are self reliant and independant and took care of themselves. Some people were trapped in their homes for days before they could get out. Think about the heat and humidity. Only those that are disappointed when their entitlements dont show up made prime time. BTW, Katrina is not the only hurricane to hit La and cause great damage. But it is the only one the media was interested in because they could blame Bush.  We learn, we change, we survive. Just like with that guy in the white house. There will be change.

I hope he fails, soon.