The Danger of an Entitlement Society
September 4th, 2005 by GoldFalcon
The following is an excerpt of a note I wrote to a friend of mine who has some serious issues with how the Federal government handled itself in the aftermath of Katrina.
I’m not trying to make light or make fun of any of the victims of the hurricane but I do think that many of the survivors showed a disturbing lack of personal initiative. They simply seemed unable to do anything but sit and wait to be rescued. I didn’t see anyone in New Orleans attempting to build fires to boil water, rig shelters, or distribute food on their own. From the mayor on down there seemed to be a very prevalent attitude of “Someone has to save me!” displayed there.
My philosophy prevents me from endorsing that attitude. Especially when it is coupled with people turning violent because they feel it is their right since they are being ignored by the government.
There was a failure but I think it was largely at the state and city level (those who had the most responsibility to act to protect their populace) and not at the Federal level (who’s main function is simply to provide money to rebuild and support victims through FEMA).
There was also a failure on the part of many of the survivors who simply didn’t do enough to help themselves in my estimation. I saw survivors in Mississippi rigging shelters, making camps, stockpiling food, and boiling water; in short, helping themselves.
I saw people in New Orleans screaming into cameras about how they needed help.
It would have never occurred to Americans of 100 years ago to yell that the government wasn’t doing enough because they weren’t dependant on it. We saw some of that spirit elsewhere in LA and MS, but not in New Orleans.
Now none of that means they shouldn’t get help, of course they should, but I can’t say that I was proud to be an American watching what they did and how they reacted to adversity. Most of the people that I saw on the news did not show one ounce of the independant, resiliant, tough American spirit that I saw in New York after 9/11. I saw it other places in the path of Katrina, but not in New Orleans. [Let me point out that I obviously was not there and so my observation is limited to what the news media wanted to show me, namely the Superdome, the Convention Center and stretches of I-10]
I attribute it to the fact that poor inner-city blacks have been indoctrinated by decades of a misguided “This country owes me” attitude, the same attitude that Bill Cosby (himself a Liberal black man) was demonized for pointing out.
What the people yelling loudest (in the media and on the ground) seem to want is a police state. The only way for the federal government to have responded any sooner would be for that government to maintain a large, standing police force in each state, to take over the hospitals, to take over the fire departments, to take over the various state rescue and protective agencies and to run them all centrally.
Now, I understand that might not make some nervous but it would scare the living hell out of me, as it would anyone of Jeffersonian bent. It’s supposed to be a measure of last result to get the federal government involved in state government matters. By definition a failure at the state and local level must occur for the federal government to need to be there.
Even The New York Times is reporting that the state and city government had serious issues before the hurricane even made landfall, issues serious enough to cause police officers to abandon their posts and their city before the hurricane hit.
We should all stop and think before we respond to the emotional impact the pictures out of New Orleans have. Whose responsibility is it to handle state emergencies? What else could the federal government have done (within the confines of federalism as it now exists)? Whose responsibility was it to protect New Orleans and ensure law and order? Whose job was it to make sure that the refugees at the Superdome and the Civic Center were properly provided for? Who told them to go there? Whose responsibility was it to make sure that those congregating on I-10 were evacuated?
It certainly wasn’t President Bush. He fulfilled his due dilligence by declaring the coastal areas disasters before the hurricane even made landfall (an unprecedented move as far as I know). The race baiting by the members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Jesse Jackson, and others is nothing more than opportunistic media whoring and it is shameful. The saber rattling by the left is nothing more than political haymaking in advance of the upcoming congressional elections and is equally nauseating.
I can’t stomach the Chris Matthews’ of the world anymore and have taken to turning off the TV, not because of the political agenda of the commentators and news reader’s, but because the America they seem to think exists (or at least the America they seem to want) has nothing at all to do with the rugged individualism that has always been the hallmark of the American people and, indeed, built this nation. Their America is a socialist one where the government provides for the people, is responsible for their every need, and the focus of blame for everything that goes wrong.
That may be what passes for America in New Orleans, and New York, and Los Angeles, but that ain’t my America, and the day it happens is the day I’ll take old Abe Lincoln’s advice:
” When it comes to this, I shall prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty - to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.”
-Abraham Lincoln
*Update* Francis has exactly the right take on this.
The Bow Ramp is making me feel less lonely in my attitude.
Grehawk’s Post ought to be linked at every blog and shoved up the media’s nose.
Matt is banging this particular drum as well
You are right on target with your posting. I listened on the radio all day yesterday while driving, well actually I had to turn it off cause i was disgusted with the attitudes of people and people in the media. It’s terrible but after listening to these ‘helpless’ people I lost most interest in trying to help them. I’m sure there will be lawsuits up the cazoo within a year and they will be unending. Then there will be investigations on why the Feds didn’t do more. Russert this morning was so over the top I couldn’t listen to him.
Spot on Goldfalcon.
We have painted ourselves into a corner with our “The government will handle it” attitudes. I want the government as little in my life as possible, that means that I must be able and willing to do what it takes. I am.
Right on! I’m so ashamed of the media, some politicians, and a lot of citizens. I leave my TV on a while because I really would like to know how things are going, but then have to turn it off when a LOT of people have to open their mouths. Some I can stand to listen to & some I just can’t!
I’m really proud of a lot of the people who’ve been hit so hard & still can show kindness and compassion to others. Some I’m just plain embarrassed for - sure hate for the world to see this as an example of the American spirit.
Your correct as far as your thinking goes. But lets look at some facts (as I know them, from knowing people from NO). You got mainly three groups, the smallest is the rich, the next smallest is the middle class working folk, the last is the non working, get their cks from the government, drink, eat, whore, pimp, gamble, steal, bully, and suck tourists dry group.
The first group either left or had shelters and supplies and guns to protect all that
The second group either left or made do and were hard up but could survive if it was not for group three. I don’t think this
group started out with guns but may have “aquired” some later.
The third group didn’t leave, didn’t know how to, didn’t want to, were making plans and cleaning their guns before the storm even hit land. They were planning on “cleaning up” on this storm.
This of course is just my opinion, but being almost eighty and being around the world a few times and other places that most men of any color won’t go. I think I’m not far off the mark.
Papa Ray
West Texas
uSA
In case you missed it, Troops begin Combat Operations and guess who will be blamed for any deaths.
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
You are pretty much on it dude…as always. The only place you fall short is with the “pre” hurricane opinion. The facts as we are seeing them here in LA (I live in Lake Charles a few hours away from NO) is that the vast majority of those that the world is seeing are those that wouldn’t leave or evacuate to a shelter.
Facts:
1. The plan drawn up by the local and state disaster planners included everything they always do (news flash for the world…we do hurricanes…and have been since before they named the state)…and on top of that planning they included a poll where 1/3rd of the respondents of the city of NO (totalling about 500k) said they would not leave in the case of a major storm.
2. The city of NO provided buses and police escort to any and all who could make it to the local pickup areas…and some 120k+ didn’t go there.
3. The city of NO provided 3 shelters in the city…they were not used in large numbers.
The fact is that in LA…we do hurricanes. People leave. They evacuate. And like Goldfalcon…I don’t want to make light of anyone’s plight…but I can count to 5. And in my 25+ years living in this state (minus some time in OKC and at Ft. Bragg) I have evacuated quite a few times…I have sheltered in place a few times. It’s part of our lives…just like earthquakes in CA. But in the end…I can count to 5. I know the limitations of my house…and where I live (30 miles off the coast)…so I make that call.
We have a large body of poor blacks in this state…and their capital is NO. They have a black major, police chief, and city officials. This is a NO issue. Not a state issue. Our state takes care of it’s own. These people chose to stay…and we (all Louisianians and everyone else) are paying the price for these people. We bought this…and now we get to take it home.
You are right about them doing for themselves. But it gets worse. The rumors here in LC abound about our “refugee”. Everything from the crime the brought to the fact that they won’t take jobs offered…and worse…can’t seem to eat a meal without gripping about the food. They don’t do anything for themselves. They don’t clean up the shelters they are in or serve their own meals.
I think in the end we have simply exported the poorest, least motivated people NO has to offer to the entire Southern region.
CL
***I think in the end we have simply exported the poorest, least motivated people NO has to offer to the entire Southern region.***
Suicide bombers for those big hearted Americans willing to share their home with a brother in need.
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Weather Network…
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting…
You are right on.