Wednesday, September 07, 2005
by Wayne Besen
This may be politically incorrect, but I'm having serious qualms about writing a check for Hurricane relief. The way I see it, I already gave my fair share for the effort on April 15. This is Tax Day, the painful moment where we surrender a large chunk of our hard earned change to the federal government, so they can fix levees and plan for national emergencies.
President George W. Bush, however, decided to squander this money on tax breaks for Cappuccino Conservatives and attacking a nation in the name of 9-11 that had nothing to do with the terrorist attacks. In the run-up to our superfluous war, the Pottery Barn rule was often invoked: "You break it, You own it."
Now we own it and we are broke.
Of course, the conservative game plan was always to starve the beast, meaning cut taxes to run up a massive debt, which would then give them an alibi to cut popular federal programs. But efforts to replace the New Deal with a Raw Deal meant that "Big Government" would be ill prepared to help with disasters such as New Orleans becoming Atlantis.
The President's solution to this shortfall is rallying what he terms, "the armies of compassion". Americans have always been extraordinarily altruistic and kind in the face of tragedy and perhaps that is what I love best about my country.
However, make no mistake about it, this is not charity, this is a backdoor tax and the privatization of disaster relief. Americans are reaching into their wallets to write checks to generously pay for what the federal government should have unquestionably funded in the first place.
What rankles me the most is that this was not a natural disaster. This was a political apocalypse that should have been prevented. In 1998, a $14 billion master plan was put together called Coast 2050 that addressed how to prevent such a tragedy in New Orleans. Thanks to the fiscal shortage created by Bush's tax windfall for Rolls Royce Republicans during a time of war, the plan to protect the city was scuttled.
In a feeble attempt to seek absolution from culpability, Bush pleaded ignorance saying, "I don't think anyone could have anticipated the breach of the levees." Bush brags that he does not read the newspaper. Anyone who does read on a regular basis was likely aware of the catastrophic problems New Orleans faced if it encountered a major hurricane. Instead of writing a check for Hurricane victims, perhaps my money would be better spent buying the president a subscription to The Washington Post.
Bush's cavalier attitude towards disaster preparedness is best illustrated by the way he has handled the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Scientists have warned that global warming may lead to an increase in the frequency of violent storms. While Bush may not believe in global warming, there aren't many scientists these days who are predicting fewer storms. So, it was perplexing that the president folded FEMA into the Department of Homeland Security, an agency that is likely to prioritize terrorists over tornadoes.
New York Times columnist Paul Krugman pointed out that Bush's first appointee to run FEMA was a political buddy, Joseph Allbaugh, whose main experience in natural disasters was once leaving his umbrella at a restaurant. Allbaugh's successor, Michael Brown's chief qualification was that he was Allbaugh's roommate.
With people having a difficult time believing the Bush administration could be this astoundingly incompetent, charges of racism are natural. I don't think for a minute that Bush is a racist. However, if there was bias, it was likely based more on class and politics than race. Put the cowboy act aside, and one sees that Bush grew up as a wealthy prince. Having such a privileged background combined with an incurious mind can be lethal. Did Bush know that some people can't afford cars and must rely on public transportation to escape?
Politically speaking, this is a long-term boon for Republicans and there was an incentive to let New Orleans sink. Poor blacks and whites will not be able to afford to move back. Notice that they got a one-way ticket to Texas. New Orleans will likely be rebuilt as a rich, white Disneyfied imitation of the original. Without a diverse New Orleans, Louisiana becomes a monolithically Republican state. Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu, for example, can kiss her career goodbye.
In the face of backlash, Republicans temporarily shelved their plans this week to repeal the Estate Tax, which they adroitly renamed the "Death Tax". This was a smart move because the charitable checks we are all paying to cover the destitution and carnage caused by Bush's policies, is a "Death Tax" if I've ever seen one.
6 Comments:
I agree with you completely Wayne, I'm not sending money to the red cross either (although this isn't my country, so I don't have as hard a time justifying it.)
I don't normally send money to disaster areas as I believe in structural solutions, building up countries' welfare so they have the means to deal with disasters themselves. I send money regularly instead, to Oxfam.
I could not believe that Bush, leader of the richest and most powerful country today, asked for money to deal with a natural disaster that was No Surprise to anyone.
A week ago, I would have argued your point that this was not a natural disaster. Hurricanes are not caused by Bush singlehandedly. But after reading more about the astounding incompetence displayed by the US government, I have to agree.
The hurricane would have hit, Bush or no Bush, but the damage could have been so much less with even a little more competence.
Not to stick my nose where it doesn't belong or anything, but you guys need to get rid of this guy. I don't mean kill him, besides inpractical it would hardly be democratic, but I think it should be possible to force the man to resign.
I know he doesn't care much about what the blogosphere is shouting, but no president should be able to stay in power if his people want him gone. There's got to be a way to mobilise a movement of civil disobedience to the point where he can't ignore it anymore, or something.
posted by Willie Hewes, at
3:13 AM
I don't feel mean-spirited at all in deciding not to send a check in support of the tragedy down south since my tax dollars were already available long before it occurred, no thanks to Bush's incompetence. Yet deep down I get an uneasy feeling that these morons will be re-elected, now that California has legislated in favor of same-sex marriage. Karl Rove has his work cut out for him.
Robert, Bayside, NYC.
posted by , at
7:16 AM
Willie, I echo your statement on this one. Clearly, if the war in Iraq were not grounds for impeachment, then the tragedy in Louisiana certainly is. I have an idea, why doesn't Bush forego the pending tax cut to the wealthiest of his base and have them provide financial assistance to those in dire need down south? Bush wouldn't know what morality is if it stared him in the face. That goes for all them.
Robert, Bayside, NYC.
posted by , at
7:28 AM
You make a good point Wayne, but I made a donation anyway. However, there is an area where your readers can make a donation where the government wouldnt give a damn anyway, and that's in helping to rescue all the displaced animals and pets that people were forced (illegally) to leave behind. To make a donation either go to this website https://secure.ga3.org/01/UAN_disaster_relief
or you can also go the website of the american humane society: https://secure.hsus.org/01/disaster_relief_fund_2005
thank you
Gary in NJ
posted by , at
9:41 AM
Gary, thank you for the information on helping pets. I was so outraged to find out that survivors were ordered to leave their pets behind. Nothing but heartless and inhumane, but then that's nothing new under this regime we're living. Thanks again.
Robert, Bayside, NYC.
posted by , at
9:48 AM
I agree with everything said, but of course there is no way we can let these people suffer because of Bush's lethal immorality. We must help in every way we can because as the "real" Americans we do care about our neighbors. Bush and his cabal be damned. We must use this tragedy in every single way possible to defeat all of them in 2006 and 2008. Do not let the Rove machine turn what has happened into anything but what it was and is, total incompetence.
posted by Madeleine, at
12:13 PM
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