What the hell is going on in New Orleans?

I've never heard of anything more ridiculous than what's happening in New Orleans. How the richest country in the world and strongest superpower can't manage to rescue it's own people in its own backyard is beyond me? According to reports, people haven't had water or food for three days now and things are looking like a scene from Escape from New York. Where the hell is the government, the water, the medicine, and the buses? I don't think Bush has screwed up this bad since....Iraq? This is actually much, much worse. The government might regret it's lax and slower than a snail actions after the 30,000 or so people stuck there get out and sue their pants off.