An Unnatural Disaster: A Hurricane Exposes the Man-Made Disaster of the Welfare State (moral, POV)

[Theodore]

by Robert Tracinski

It took four long days for state and federal officials to figure out how to deal with the disaster in New Orleans. I can't blame them, because it also took me four long days to figure out what was going on there. The reason is that the events there make no sense if you think that we are confronting a natural disaster. …

…What Hurricane Katrina exposed was the psychological consequences of the welfare state. What we consider "normal" behavior in an emergency is behavior that is normal for people who have values and take the responsibility to pursue and protect them. People with values respond to a disaster by fighting against it and doing whatever it takes to overcome the difficulties they face. They don't sit around and complain that the government hasn't taken care of them. And they don't use the chaos of a disaster as an opportunity to prey on their fellow men.

But what about criminals and welfare parasites? Do they worry about saving their houses and property? They don't, because they don't own anything. Do they worry about what is going to happen to their businesses or how they are going to make a living? They never worried about those things before. Do they worry about crime and looting? But living off of stolen wealth is a way of life for them.

People living in piles of their own trash, while petulantly complaining that other people aren't doing enough to take care of them and then shooting at those who come to rescue them—this is not just a description of the chaos at the Superdome. It is a perfect summary of the 40-year history of the welfare state and its public housing projects.

The welfare state—and the brutish, uncivilized mentality it sustains and encourages—is the man-made disaster that explains the moral ugliness that has swamped New Orleans. And that is the story that no one is reporting.

Read the whole article here:

http://tiadaily.com/php-bin/news/showArticle.php?id=1026

[Engyo]

Umlike this man, I have met some of the folks evacuated from New Orleans, in the course of volunteering this weekend. While what he is saying may apply to a few, he is tarring far more people inaccurately with his broad brush. I truly hope that the karmic causes he is making now do not lead him to be on the receiving end of something similar in this lifetime; although maybe he might learn something therefrom.

[Engyo]

I wanted to add a second comment. While volunteering this weekend I have also met people from Houston, who have no cars, are on fixed income or below the poverty level. I met them because they came out to the Astrodome, to the George R. Brown Convention center, and to Reliant Center to do what they could to help these evacuees. One man I met walked four miles in Houston's 90+ degree heat to come help. Another woman rode city busses for over an hour to come.

How would/should Mr. Tracinski view people like this? Are they just like their "valueless" New Orleans brothers and sisters?

[jamaesi]

Absolutely disgusting.

Here I was hoping for a little compassion for our fellow man, but again "down with the people who are.. already down!"

[mr.guy]

Which news outlet was it again that reported largely on the crime and residential complaining?

[Sunstone]

I suspect that the causes of crime in New Orleans are other and more complex than simply "the welfare state caused it".

[Theodore]

Originally Posted by jamaesi

Absolutely disgusting.

Here I was hoping for a little compassion for our fellow man, but again "down with the people who are.. already down!"

Why don't you actually refute what the article is saying instead of your usual blanket condemnation. This obviously is a valid point judging by the behavior of the citizens of NO that remained behind: looting, shooting and raping their fellow victims. Are we just supposed to ignore this phenomenon because of racial sensitivity?

[Feathers in Hair]

Oddly enough, I don't think it's a race issue. If you put anyone in this horrible situation, some of them are going to act in disgusting ways. I found this article that echoes my sentiments here.

When a Preventable Tragedy Occurs, Whose Fault Is It? The Victims (Of Course) by Jesse Kornbluth
(snip->)...

The government will tell whatever tales it can to distract us. But don't, for a minute, think that the right wing's tough guys would behave any better than the New Orleans looters if their kids were hungry and thirsty and hurting. Trust me on this: Once these soft white pundits stopped bawling, they'd cheerfully blow your brains out with their hunting rifles if you stood between them and a week's supply of Poland Spring.

Crises are supposed to bring out the best in people? Then let these filthy racists shut their mouths so that those who want to help can get on with it.

I don't at all believe that everyone who's reacting badly to the victims are racists, but I guess I just don't understand the mentality of wanting to lay blame on those who are already hurting.

Editted to comply with RF's posting policy.

[Darkdale]

Originally Posted by Theodore

Why don't you actually refute what the article is saying instead of your usual blanket condemnation. This obviously is a valid point judging by the behavior of the citizens of NO that remained behind: looting, shooting and raping their fellow victims. Are we just supposed to ignore this phenomenon because of racial sensitivity?

I agree with you in a sense. I think the looting, shooting and rapes were just a national disgrace, but I don't think it was caused by the welfare state. I think it was caused because some people are just animals, they are just evil. Of course, the real disgrace is how many people are race baiting and making this natural disaster into a political issue. It's really quite disgusting and Americans should be ashamed of themselves. But, I'm not so foolish as to not have expected this, I'd just like to encourage everyone here to avoid the media hype, come together and take care of our own.