Then we had a flood.
You guessed it.
The cry has changed from "Obama's a socialist!" to "Give me a FEMA check!!" and complaining that the federal disaster declarations didn't go out fast enough and don't cover a wide enough area.
Totally typical. This state is full of people who don't want to pay taxes, don't think they should pay any attention to government regulations, and spend a lot of time fulminating about individual responsibility and getting government off our collective backs. As soon as something goes wrong, though, they're right there demanding help immediately, and bitching when it's not delivered fast enough.
Once their living rooms dry out, it's also totally predictable they'll go right back to ranting about socialism and getting the government off their backs. In fact, it's totally predictable they'll also bitch about the process, the financial assistance being inadequate, and the response being too slow. For some people, there are no learning experiences.
Nan,
ReplyDeleteI take a little issue with your post today. Enjoy your blog but must disagree here. The Federal Govt job is to assist in the event of natural disaster (which it does not seem to do too well anyway). It is very similar to the job of defending the nation. It all ties in. What people take issue with is a government that is becoming more and more invasive in every aspect of their lives. This is not a new thing of course and President Obama can not rationally be blamed but the fact remains; the federal government is becoming too large and intrusive.
I agree with Nan 100% on this one. I see this same attitude a lot and wonder why the irony seems to be lost on these people.
ReplyDeleteI think that overall, we are just extremely fortunate in this country, and have a tendency to act a little spoiled.
Reminds me of Homer Simpson: "Idon't even believe in Jeebus!" "AAH, Save me Jeebus!"
ReplyDeleteMy view is that a lot of Americans are becoming increasingly tired of the hypocrisy. President Bush increased the size of our government more than any other president in history. He also grew government more and more intrusive in our lives, with warrantless wiretapping and eavesdropping on our phone conversations, high level security checks at airports. Any decent of the president was decried as anti Americanism. Now the same people who voted him in office are outraged as to the size and intrusion of government? I’m sorry but you can’t have it both ways, either you want less government in your lives, including federal aid and assistance or you don’t
ReplyDelete"The Federal Govt job is to assist in the event of natural disaster (which it does not seem to do too well anyway). It is very similar to the job of defending the nation. It all ties in."
ReplyDeletePresumably this could be accomplished by a few boats sailing around and picking people off rooftops. I don't see why the fed should do things like provide food and medicine to the survivors.
What people take issue with is a government that is becoming more and more invasive in every aspect of their lives.
ReplyDeleteSorry, B.C., but I call b.s. on this one. Where were the teabaggers when Bush was flouting the already Orwellian FISA regulations? Where were they when the Bushies rolled out the totalitarian-sounding "Homeland Security" behemoth? Does the PATRIOT Act ring a bell? No, the teabaggers talk about 'intrusiveness,' but they're still only reading from Lee Atwater's script ('you can't say "nigger" anymore, so you complain about big, intrusive government instead').
Nan's illustration couldn't be any clearer: they like 'big government' when it's funneling other folks' tax dollars to them-- emergency or not-- but when they imagine their own money going to 'those people' (e.g. in the form of government-run health care, which, ironically, isn't even being offered) it is evil big government socialism. It's so gratifying to see that the GOP can still play this reliable card.
You're right. Nevermind the fact that the government orders us all around, controls to the maximum extent possible every aspect of our lives, and takes under threat of violence 50% or more of our personal productivity. That is just our patriotic duty; it doesn't give us the right to expect anything in return.
ReplyDeleteNo, actually, it has been my observance that those who demand that the government save them from any adversity and reimburse any personal loss are the same folks who line up every election to vote Democrat. I know many,many people who wish for much less government than we are currently saddled with, and as a general rule, when bad stuff happens they simply buckle down and do whatever is necessary to help themselves, their families and neighbors. And if they don't happen to have what they need to deal with a situation, they call on not the government, but family, friends, neighbors, and/or fellow church members to help them. This is for the same reasons that, if my vehicle breaks down, I will move it out of the way and try to fix it myself. If I am unable to do so, I call a tow truck (that I will have to pay for) or a friend with a trailer. The last thing I want to see is a cop, who will only complicate matters by telling me I must have it towed within a certain time (like right now), perhaps by the particular tow service that the local government has a contract with; and I of course may not walk on the side of the road, and by the way let me see some ID, registration, proof of insurance, where are you going/coming from, do you have any weapons in the vehicle, how about opening the trunk?
Those who are talking about socialism are not just in the South. Nor did they just start talking about socialism since Obama has been in office. You know, Nan, that I didn't just start recently.
Those of us who don't want the government to control everything don't change our minds just because something happens. The ambulance services, for example, are private enterprises, here at least, and they do a fine job.
Let me close with a comparison of government versus private service in an example I am familiar with.
When we moved here, I initially was planning to forgo trash pickup, preferring to deal with it myself rather than pay the exorbitant monthly fee the government-operated service charges. Nothing doing; they sent me a monthly bill anyway, and when I didn't immediately pay it, they sent a certified letter threatening arrest if I didn't remit payment within ten days. Now, a year later, they still haven't dropped off the trash can they are supposed to supply, so I am still using the can I bought.
A neighboring county doesn't have government-run trash pickup. Instead a private service exists for those who wish to employ it, or one may haul their own trash if they wish. Now, this private service doesn't supply trash cans, but the monthly service charge is a third of what my county charges. And of course, this private service never sends threatening letters to people for deciding not to do business with them. After all, that would be illegal, wouldn't it?
Oh, one last thing I almost forgot. Did you read about the Michigan woman who was fined $1000 and threatened with jail time because she allowed a friend's children to wait for the school bus with her kids? I'll bet she's having some thoughts against socialism.
Tracy's story would be a bit more believable if the opening didn't completely contradict reality. Right-wingers love to talk tough, particularly on the internet, but these keyboard commandos are always the first to start whining for help when things don't go their way. Just look at how the governors of Texas and Louisiana caved in after both spent several months trash-talking about the stimulus. And over the past eight years, you would have been very hard-pressed to find a single right-winger who didn't enthusiastically support Bush's unconstitutional expansion of executive power.
ReplyDeleteSonny Perdue, Georgia's illustious governor, caused this flood so he should have to clean it up himself:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/2007-11-08-georgia-prayer_N.htm
Be careful what you wish for. It just might come true.
Republicans and Libertarians like to argue that the "free" market is the solution to everything and the government is the problem and the solution to nothing.
ReplyDeleteOk, fine. Then let's get the government out of there and let the "free" market take over. We'll see how good of a solution that really is. How soon will it be until death and anarchy takes over? Somehow, I don't think the Republicans and Libertarians would really like to see the government doing less.
People who give simplistic answers to disasters, like a broken down car and getting help from their family, friends and church members, have never experienced a true disaster. Where every ones car and home is destroyed, where the church is gone as well as the bank and grocery store. The electricity is off, computers and phones don't work and the drinking water is polluted. The fact is there are circumstances beyond the abilities of local, county and even states to help everyone who needs help. This is the role for a national neighbor, FEMA, to help their stricken neighbors stabilizes a bad situation and help the community rebuild. I find it sad indeed the tendency of some pompous, self righteous people to boast about what they would do in an impossible situation, like some super hero, and who, in the same breath, kick at people who are truly devastated. They show more compassion to a dog then a fellow human being in need. Such are the delusion of Compassionate Conservatism. People in need are people in need, it's as simple as that. If these arrogant "bootstrappers" cannot understand that simple concept and continually point fingers of blame at unfortunate victims, there is no hope for them as a true child of God and no place in heaven for them on judgement day.
ReplyDeleteRepent your thoughts and ways your standing in God's eyes are at stake.