Reliance/dependence on Big Brother

[judgesmails]

Watching the news coverage of Hurrican Katrina aftermath, including various interview with survivors, I have been shocked by the en mass, knee-jerk outrage at our federal government for its slow aid service.

I am not commenting on whether the federal response has been fast enough, strong enough, adequate, etc. Because I don't know if there are answers to those questions.

But I am disturbed how ingrained the idea that the federal government is the place for individuals to turn for immediate relief from their plight.

I can't relate to these emotions at all. Certainly I have never been through anything approaching this tragedy. And there are individuals - elderly, hadicapped, infants, etc. - who need immediate assistance from someone.

That said, it is a sad comment on the collective character of our citizens that they immediately seek out government solutions to their problems. I can't imagine myself sitting around for days on end waiting for someone to bring me food and water and then complaining that it was not getting done.

Individuals need to recognize that they are responsible for where they choose to live, whether they choose to leave when there are orders to evacuate, and how they obtain food and water for themselves. You are not a child and the federal government is not your mother.

[BCPVP]

A very nice post. Seems like the New Deal-mentality has been engrained into even our younger generations. While I might expect the feds to do something, I wouldn't be jumping the gun to blame the highest levels when it isn't done yesterday.

[whiskeytown]

[ QUOTE ]
But I am disturbed how ingrained the idea that the federal government is the place for individuals to turn for immediate relief from their plight.

I can't relate to these emotions at all. Certainly I have never been through anything approaching this tragedy. And there are individuals - elderly, hadicapped, infants, etc. - who need immediate assistance from someone.

That said, it is a sad comment on the collective character of our citizens that they immediately seek out government solutions to their problems. I can't imagine myself sitting around for days on end waiting for someone to bring me food and water and then complaining that it was not getting done.

Individuals need to recognize that they are responsible for where they choose to live, whether they choose to leave when there are orders to evacuate, and how they obtain food and water for themselves. You are not a child and the federal government is not your mother.

[/ QUOTE ]

ok....first off - let me give you a little Constitutional 101

first paragraph - We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America

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Even the most hands off libertarian HAS to admit that the federal government DOES have a responsibility to protect it's citizens, at least from external threats

(for practical reasons, it's best to have a military force for external and police for internal - keep them seperate)

First off, the defense of New Orleans is a defense for the United States - don't think for a second New Orleans is a party town where poor black people live, so they deserve it - It is one of our busiest ports - so busy, there's no doubt it'll be rebuilt, probably even in the same flood plain - why, because the COUNTRY needs it... It is vital to the security/prosperity of the United States that our national ports are open and safe from harm by intruders foreign and natural - in this spot at least, the government totally dropped the ball - way too focused on phantom terrorists and they dropped the Natural Disaster part of the planning/funding -

so, now, our government's job is to promote the General Welfare - letting people die because they didn't have transportation out of the city - nah.... even the Red Cross admitted recently that although they gave evacuation orders, they couldn't actually evacuate anyone - if you didn't have a car, money for tkts, etc, you were not gonna be able to get out easy.

We pay taxes so the government will provide these emergency services - all those choppers? - troops? - supplies? - news flash - we pay taxes so they're there when we NEED them. Everyone in this country pretty much pays some taxes to the federal government to ensure that it can do the job proscribed in the constitution - and that includes emergency rescues, disaster planning, etc, etc...

and just so you know, I consider natural disasters to fall under FEDERAL jurisdiction - and should be coordinated as such.

I think you're living in a bit of a fantasyland - it's easy to say people want the government to babysit them, but this isn't welfare we're talking here - this is a situation that the Federal Government is specifically ORDERED to deal with as prescribed in the Constitution, and has been for over 200 years - Armies protect civilians, and national governments spearhead relief operations. At least ours did until about 4 years ago when we diverted the funding for it.

SO, it is a mutually beneficial situation that they live there and do their job for the country, and that we do our job for them when they are threatened - got a problem with that? - I suggest you move or try to get an amendment to the constitution.

RB

[BCPVP]

While writing this condescending post did you every think for a second that perhaps the state and local gov'ts (especially gov'ts that exists in a flood plain and in a hurricane zone) should be prepared for this sort of thing?

I don't think the OP meant that there should be NO involvement of the feds. I think he was remarking on the knee-jerk cry for the federal gov't to immediately fix our problems. And this can be extended to a lot more things than just hurricane preparedness...

[judgesmails]

I don't disagree with any of your central points (well maybe about rebuilding New Orleans but that is a different topic).

My focus is on the individuals' immediate, emotional reactions and looking for federal help in such a situation. I think it is interesting, and somewhat tragic, the extent that we rely on Big Brother to care for us even when our survival is threatened in such an acute manner.

[whiskeytown]

a lot of the stories floating around is that people were told to go to the Convention Center/Superdome and when they tried to leave they were PROHIBITED by the powers that be -

people who did leave were considered basically looters, even though they may have just gone for water/foodstuffs.

RB

[judgesmails]

You know, I did not even notice the post was condescending until I looked at it a second time. Guess I am not very bright. Nor easily offended.

Anyway, whiskey is mostly right about things he writes about. It just does not have much to do with what I was getting at.

With the amount of taxes the government collects from us, people probably feel the feds owe them something in a situation like this. They forcibly take a huge chunk of our paychecks and then can't even get their [censored] together to start distributing water within half a week. Failure.

[whiskeytown]

conscending, perhaps -

but to me it's just basic 101 - the Government DOES have to protect it's citizens - it is one of the few responsibilities that virtually EVERY political party believes - and that includes external threats and many believe also from internal threats and natural disasters -

I think the OP is fine in regards discussions of New Deal/Socialism and whether to go that way or not in a regular country at a fairly normal time, but not to specific natural disasters, like New Orleans, which is where some of my attitude came from.

RB