Where is the Government?

[Wind Dancer]

Good article that reveals yet again the insensitivity of *.

-snip-

Bush landed in Mobile today to finally "tour" the devastation in the region. In a press conference upon landing, Bush acknowledged that the results of the recovery effort "are not acceptable." When asked to clarify what exactly he felt was unacceptable, Bush replied, "Well, I'm talking about the fact that we don't have enough security in New Orleans yet." The president made no mention of the fact that tens of thousands of people are stranded without adequate food, water, or medical attention. The rescue stage is still not yet over, and has been horribly botched, the relief stage has yet to be made effective, and above all this, Bush's top concern is law enforcement.

But that's not out of character for this administration. Whether abroad in Iraq or here at home, our government's function has been streamlined to consist solely of policing. Meanwhile, the not-for-profit social service organizations and the Armies of Compassion are left scrambling to pick up the slack and attempting to provide a modicum of social welfare for citizens.

While Americans ask the question "where is the government?" the question right behind that, the question which may not leave patriotic lips, but is nonetheless creeping into consciousnesses is, "How come a government that's able to move tens of thousands of troops halfway across the globe isn't able to bring some Guardsmen here to hand out bottled water?" Or "Why can the government build empires abroad, but it can't build a decent high school for my kids."

-more-

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=72&ItemID=8696

[VespertineIconoclast]

1. Excellent commentary –-

It’s full of insightful thoughts.

The author eloquently and concisely said it with:

What the winds of Katrina have blown into the national view are not just images of ravaged hurricane victims. They're the images of average Americans, long left stranded by their government. This is the other part of America- forgotten, ignored, shoved so effectively under the carpet that it takes 175 mile per hour winds and an opening of the flood gates of Hell to force their story onto primetime TV and into the national discourse.

This administration has essentially broken the social contract between the people and the government.

-VI