VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: Dresden in Los Angeles and our Confederacy of Dunces

By Victor Davis Hanson

LA is burning. And the derelict people responsible are worried that they are found out as charlatans and empty suits.

The leftwing voters who enabled them are getting angry over the inferno that their chosen politicos green-lighted—as if they are shocked, shocked by the consequences of their voting.

The dam buster Nero Newsom made his accustomed fiddling appearance and then split—when the media began pointing out that he prohibits new reservoirs, sends precious water out to sea, blows up dams, prevents precautionary gleaning of forests and chaparrals, and then usually blames “Climate change” or “Trump” when called to account.

Poor Karen Bass was DEI-ing in Uganda after being previously warned that lack of rain, record winds, and kindling-like hillsides put her city in existential danger: Out of sight, out of mind.

Or did she junket across the world to consult about fire prevention with Ghana’s new president?

Was slashing nearly $18 million from the $50 billion city budget, after bragging about creating “451 new positions” in various woke/DEI fields, a way to prevent 25-square miles of Dresden-like desolation?

The embattled Fire Chief Kristen Crowley for two years has bragged not of response time, not of preventive strategies to stop fires, not of slashed budgets and water shortages, but instead about her DEI credentials as the “first” (fill in the blanks) LGBTQ etc. woman, who has hired “70 percent” of her force as either nonwhite, or nonmale, or nonbinary, or non-old fashioned, tough-guy firefighters.

The LA utility head? Usually AWOL. The permanent director of LA infrastructure is usually quickly fired or resigns for incompetence, bribery, or malfeasance.

Joe Biden? He was there—but only to try to put thousands of acres of federal land off-limits to roadblock the evil incoming Trump administration.

Did Joe have ideas to save LA? Maybe, but as usual he talked instead about himself—in this case his new great-great grandson and the miraculous salvation of his grandkid’s house (not the 1100 structures that then were ashes). And then he left, dispirited that his last junket to Italy may have to be cancelled.

Kamala Harris, our vice president?

Remember her during the 2024 campaign and how she rushed to Florida to glom onto Gov. De Santis’s masterful performance in dealing with record flooding?

Nowhere was the LA resident to be seen, as she too plans next week a last minute multimillion-dollar freebie junket.

What is the attitude of these “public servants” in times of existential crisis?

Maybe it’s: “Ashes, ashes, all fall down”….

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