There is a common and fundamental understanding of why we need "government." The onslaught of Katrina brought the issues front and center. While I was incoherently thrashing out feelings through my blog, writing spotty posts, now ranting, then again avoiding the matter entirely and narrowing my focus to my own daily life, Ronni Bennett wrote a five part sequence she titled "We Interrupt This Blog." It began like this:
This is a single-topic blog; we talk about getting older here. But
there are, on rare occasions, events of such magnitude that to ignore
them would be contemptible.For a week, I have been glued to television - at first, awed by the
power of nature, then shocked by the extent of the destruction, aching
at the despair in the faces of the displaced left to fend for
themselves and finally, horrified at the indifference and incompetence
of America’s leaders.My rage is barely controllable.
Follow these links to continue reading:
We Interrupt This Blog… Part 1
UPDATE: We Interrupt This Blog… Part 1
We Interrupt This Blog… Part 2
We Interrupt This Blog… Part 3
We Interrupt This Blog… Part 4
We Interrupt This Blog… Part 5
As citizens of a nation state, we have been internally conflicted about criticism of our government in wartime. Many of us have had ill feelings that we were ready to suck up in deference to the needs of the leadership and in respect for troops in the field. Now we have reached a point where the "less government is best government" and the "greed is good" crowd will demonstrate the results of their laissez faire policies and practices. This demonstration comes first at the expense of the people of the gulf coast, but ultimately it touches each of us. This could indeed be a pivot point where our expectations of government are reaffirmed and our electoral process is recast as a contest to see who best can meet those expectations. Or, the next election again could be government by business as usual.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Frank…
I’m astonished at your front-and-center piece about my Katrina postings. There has been so much good stuff written around the blogosphere and even some of mainstream media managed to belly up, at last, to the reality of government of, by and for corporations and the wealthy.
So to be singled out this morning, particularly by someone I respect such as you, leaves me - well, not knowing what to say. Thank you is the best I can do.
I wish I could believe that “our electoral process [will be] recast as a contest to see who best can meet those expectations,” but already Halliburton has received one of the first federal rebuilding contracts, President Bush has suspended the Davis-Bacon Act which requires workers under federal contracts to be paid the “prevailing wage,” and to compound that shameful decree, there is no requirement that the savings be reflected in a reduced contract fee.
I’d have some faith that the next elections might reflect what we are learning about our government’s practices from Katrina, but that these first two business-as-usual acts have gone on unthwarted by Congress doesn’t inspire me to such belief.
Thank you again, Frank.
Ronni rules! She should have her own political blog in addition to her other two non-political ones.
YES! to all of this! Frank, Ronni and Winston. The cockles are toasty warmed by being in the presence of such company.