In the news the last few days, the devastation of New Orleans and surrounding areas by Hurricane Katrina. Much has been said about the human suffering and losses, and I feel I can't add much more but can only hope for the best for everyone involved.

Much has been made about the governmental response...has it been good enough and if not, how could it be made better? I am on the one hand confident that emergency personnel are doing the best they can with the resources they have at hand. Which brings me to what could and should be better. Government at all levels of the United States currently wastes millions on dubious and destructive policies such as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the homefront "war on drugs" which is really nothing more than fascist repression and criminalization of certain groups of people including people of color and white counterculturalists such as the hippies. This is money that could and should be used for more constructive purposes such as health care, education, and, yes, also for relief, rescue, and rebuilding when natural disasters such as hurricanes occur.