the Daily Whale - 29 August 1992

The U.S. military is skilled at helping out after disasters in other parts of the world. But when a hurricane wipes out the tip of Florida, what’s the first thing you hear from the Army? “I’m sorry, we need a request from the Governor.” “We are legally prohibited from competing with private business.”

The Pentagon can ignore other bureaucracy, but it still watches its own. So if you want the best American disaster relief, move to Bangladesh.