Take it from us, said the Chicago Tribune in an editorial, New Orleans will be back. This isn't the first time a natural calamity has dealt an apparent deathblow to an American city. The flood that submerged Galveston, Texas, in 1900, and the earthquake that destroyed San Francisco in 1906, were both seen as the end of those cities at the time, but merely set the stage for a 'œrobust comeback.' Here in Chicago, the Great Fire of 1871 destroyed 17,000 buildings, left the city in smoldering ruins, and brought pronouncements that the city would never be the same. But pessimists always underestimate the human spirit, and fail to see that a disaster on the order of Hurricane Katrina offers 'œa chance not to simply rebuild, but to reimagine.' With time, and the assistance of American taxpayers, a 'œNewer Orleans' will one day rise. It may take many years. 'œBut already, in the confusion and chaos and suffering, it has begun.'
Don't be so sure, said Joel Kotkin in The Wall Street Journal. While some cities have used disaster as a springboard to greater glories, others haven't. Rome never regained its splendor or pre-eminent status after being sacked by the barbarians. American 'œrust-belt' cities such as Detroit and Cleveland never recovered from the loss of key industries. Besides, said Klaus Jacob in The Washington Post, investing billions to rebuild New Orleans would be a mistake. Most of the city lies in a bowl-shaped depression 10 feet below sea level, surrounded by water, with hurricanes coming in off the Gulf every year. New Orleans has always been a 'œdisaster that was waiting to happen.' Even if the levees and flood walls are rebuilt bigger and stronger, they cannot fend off the storm surge of a Katrina-like hurricane—especially with sea levels rising, due to global warming. In a century, 'œNew Orleans may not exist,' no matter how much we spend rebuilding it.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
