New Orleanians understand what is meant by the assertion that Hurricane Katrina was a man-made disaster. Sure, a hurricane is a force of nature, but the extent of its damage wouldn’t have been as great if the canal walls were stronger, the evacuation wasn’t bungled, and the MRGO didn’t exist. At first glance, all of these factors seem unfortunate, but largely unrelated. If one can draw any connection between the problems that led to Katrina being such a nightmare, it might simply be a worldview that values profit and expediency over a collective responsibility for the common good. This is where The Neoliberal Deluge begins.

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