Jonah Goldberg’s prescient Superdome/Lord of the Flies joke?
Jonah Goldberg drew a lot of ire for this post, joking that the people huddling in the Louisiana Superdome should prepare for the worst by growing gills a la Waterworld and forming tribes a la Lord of the Flies .
After taking flak for it, he backed down, emphasizing that he had been joking about it at a time when it seemed as if the hurricane wouldn’t wreak nearly as much havoc as had been anticipated at one point.
Well, now that Hurricane Katrina has laid waste to coastal Louisiana and Mississippi, another blogger is suggesting that things could take a Lord-ish turn, as looting is spreading and basic services are overwhelmed.
Let’s hope common decency, law enforcement, and, if all else fails, armed vigilantes, can keep a semblance of order as citizens and government struggle to overcome the devastation.
Update: Michelle Malkin has a pretty chiling roundup on the breakdown of law and order in New Orleans and Biloxi. It appears as if armed vigilantes are indeed filling the gap left by overstretched law enforcement. Good for them. Property rights mean little if property owners aren’t allowed to protect their own property.
Update 2: Anger at state and local officials in Louisiana, reported through John Podhoretz.
