Michael Moore on Sept. 1, posted an open letter to Bush on Alternet.org . He made his points for the negative review of Bush's enthusiasm for a preemptive war in Iraq compared with his lack of interest in domestic matters including care of the environment which is really the basis for the New Orleans mess.
He then went on to make the hurricane response a race issue. He had a lot of company. The usual suspects included Jesse Jackson, Congressional Black Caucas, NAACP and others. These organizations have endured because of their ability to market and monetize guilt issues (real or imagined) relating to race. They have been so succesful that no race issue ever gets settled.
App. 400,000 residents of New Orleans evacuated the city by order of Lousiana's governor. More than 134,000 choose to stay behind- they were mainly comprised of poor African-Americans. Enter Moore et al. peddling guilt.
No sale. Over 40 years into the Great Society, trillions spent, schools politicized, welfare and medicaid systems straing under the ever increasing "entitlements", America can't afford any more guilt trips or inequality windmills to tilt at. All people must take responsibility for their actions . They must at least demonstrate that they are trying. People will help those who try to help themselves.
To that end the Red Cross has raised over $500, the relief efforts of the Federal, State and local governments are spending enormous amounts of time and resources also. But there would have been a lot less to clean up and a lot less tears if people in New Orleans evacuated in total. And that includes walking out if need be.
No comments:
Post a Comment