Lady Liberty tosses some bricks

Lady Liberty examines some of the aspects of the Hurricane Katrina blame-slinging:

Whether it's advisable or not, there was really never any doubt that the city of New Orleans would be rebuilt. When it is, the experience of Hurricane Katrina will doubtless also ensure that the levees surrounding those areas below sea level are improved to withstand stronger storms and higher water.

Along with the clean-up and the plans for restoring and rebuilding those parts of the city that were destroyed by wind or water, many in officialdom are also preoccupied with what the Bush administration calls "the blame game." Some are calling for investigations; others are skipping right to the punishment phase for those they believe responsible for the devastation (or at least for the failure to adequately mitigate it).

I've decided that the best way to handle both building and blame is to combine the two into one neat, efficient, and eminently suitable package. Here's my idea: We build a wall around New Orleans to keep out the water — and then we put certain people behind it and lock the gates to keep them out of the rest of the country.