What a difference a century makes

[Paranoid Pessimist]

Here where I live, in San Francisco, it’s the Great Quake Centennial, so the local stations are giving us a bunch of documentaries about this. It’s amazing, the difference between what happened right after the quake then and now. Back then, the Army and some cohorts were able to quickly put up tent cities in Golden Gate Park, and had sanitation squads scouring the city for potential epidemics. People took charge and did things. Maybe, by today’s standards, shoot all looters is a bit extreme, but officialdom was out there organizing things and making it so people could find ways to live daily lives. Nobody was left in a stadium with nothing whatsoever for three days or whatever it was. Despite all the high tech communication devices we all possess, the response to the hurricane girls, Katrina and Rita, was confused and kind of half hearted. Of course the people out there in boats mucking around and hauling people out were responding with everything they had, and deserve all the praise they can get. But officialdom now, unlike officialdom a century ago, could not seem to get its act together.

This is progress?

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

1. All the technology matters not if those in charge DON'T GIVE A DAMN.

That's the main issue, not technology.

[fishwax]

5. absolutely. they could have, they just didn't care.

private citizens and companies were able to get in and distribute aid. But the prez had parties to attend instead.

[babylonsister]

2. No progress at all. Didn't you get the meme?

I'll go look for one, but they are out there.

[The Traveler]

3. Not progress. This is what happens

when you "make government weak enough to drag into a bath tub and drown it." I guess Grover and his money grubbing crew were successful after all.

[Kutjara]

4. Then and now: the difference.

In 1906, the power elite knew that workers were necessary for the creation of wealth. America was in expansion mode and population growth was a priority. The loss of skilled workers, whether to war or natural disaster, was felt for years after the event itself. The government tooks steps to save lives because lives equalled work and work equalled wealth for the capital holders.

Today, workers are an embarassment. Anything that an American worker can do can be done more cheaply in any one of 200 countries around the world. All American workers do is drain the wealth of capitalists. In light of this, it should come as no surprise that the government is reluctant to throw even more money away when a natural disaster hits. BushCo are doing their best to eradicate the working class by conning them into the military with promises of a better life and then getting them killed, but this is a slow process.

I'm guessing that, when bird flu finally does hit, there will be just enough vaccines for the ruling elite. The rest of us can take our chances. But who cares, the economy won't be that badly affected. The poor don't buy much anyway.

[Art_from_Ark]

7. In 1906, Teddy Roosevelt was president

perhaps the last progressive Republican President. He wasn't about to sit on his fat ass in the wake of such a catastrophe.

As for the power elite in 1906, they couldn't give a rat's ass about workers. There was always a long list of potential employees (including children) who were available to replace the ones who were too old, sick, or dead to work.

[pansypoo53219]

6. the UNACCEPTABLE

is acceptable when under the fucktard in the white house. cause nobody picks on retards.

NO MORE DAMMIT!