My word for this is “miscumbubered,” which it turns out is not a word in the English language. Perhaps the better word, since it is a word (but I still like mine) is “discombobulated,” meaning “characterized by confusion or disorder. For example, ‘He was discombobulated, utterly confused as to what had happened.’”
Our planning, training and disaster exercises with others is meant to smooth out the rough edges of a disaster response. I heard someone say that their jurisdiction’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic “was perfect.” When have you ever seen anything in the public or private sector be “perfect?”
Perfection does not exist in disasters or war. Just consider the term “collateral damage” when it comes to errant missile strikes or poor decision-making.
