If I cared to set up an account over there here are the questions I would ask the DUmmies:
#1 Why would fedgov assume those planes would be used on buildings, when that had never been done before?
#2 Even if the fedgov knew of the plan, what could they do, assuming they didn't know the terrorists that were going to carry it out?
A. Shutdown the airlines based on intelligence? Yeah, right. You would have everyone screaming and the airlines demanding compensation.
B. Have all airports screen Middle Eastern males? The grievance industry would pitch a fit for weeks. You'd be lucky to be able to engage in profiling again.
C. If, by some miracle, you have fighters available and in the area do you shoot down the aircraft before they get to the WTC? Nope, remember nothing like
9/11 has ever happened and you just killed a plane load of hostages.
D. Try to quietly step up security before hand and handle the terrorists after they hijack the planes? This is the most probable action available. It didn't work
out, it happens.
As for Katrina and New Orleans? Bush would have had to invoke Posse Comitas against the state of Louisiana to do more than he did. That would have been more politically dangerous than working with the state, so he took the safer, better route.
