Comments on: Charity Nation http://www.mahablog.com/2007/08/26/charity-nation/ Making the World Safe for Liberalism Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:04:26 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: maha http://www.mahablog.com/2007/08/26/charity-nation/comment-page-1/#comment-275558 maha Mon, 27 Aug 2007 10:49:03 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/?p=2052#comment-275558 <i>[to move poor people back into areas where they are in constant danger of flooding and hurricanes]. There you are all fixed. </i> Once again -- if that's the plan, then the Bush Administration should forthrightly say that, and then help people relocate. And then the volunteers can stop wasting their time rebuilding houses no one is going to move back into. [to move poor people back into areas where they are in constant danger of flooding and hurricanes].

There you are all fixed.

Once again — if that’s the plan, then the Bush Administration should forthrightly say that, and then help people relocate. And then the volunteers can stop wasting their time rebuilding houses no one is going to move back into.

]]> By: unaha-closp http://www.mahablog.com/2007/08/26/charity-nation/comment-page-1/#comment-275505 unaha-closp Mon, 27 Aug 2007 05:23:10 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/?p=2052#comment-275505 <i>Whatever the reason for government non-action [the article suggests rebuilding below sea level in hurricane zone may be dangerous], the Katrina experience ought to put to rest the idea that private charities can replace government welfare, disaster relief and other “safety net” programs. I say ought to; empiricism hasn’t yet stopped a rightie from believing whatever he wants to believe [for instance that subsidizing poor people into flood and hurricane prone housing is a bad thing]. But for the rest of us, the Katrina experience reveals that sometimes you really do need government [to move poor people back into areas where they are in constant danger of flooding and hurricanes].</i> There you are all fixed. Whatever the reason for government non-action [the article suggests rebuilding below sea level in hurricane zone may be dangerous], the Katrina experience ought to put to rest the idea that private charities can replace government welfare, disaster relief and other “safety net” programs. I say ought to; empiricism hasn’t yet stopped a rightie from believing whatever he wants to believe [for instance that subsidizing poor people into flood and hurricane prone housing is a bad thing]. But for the rest of us, the Katrina experience reveals that sometimes you really do need government [to move poor people back into areas where they are in constant danger of flooding and hurricanes].

There you are all fixed.

]]> By: No More Mr. Nice Guy! http://www.mahablog.com/2007/08/26/charity-nation/comment-page-1/#comment-275473 No More Mr. Nice Guy! Mon, 27 Aug 2007 02:21:14 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/?p=2052#comment-275473 Speaking of Hurricane Andrew, everyone should read this harrowing account of how the Feds screwed thousands of people: http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/hurricane.html Speaking of Hurricane Andrew, everyone should read this harrowing account of how the Feds screwed thousands of people:

http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/hurricane.html

]]> By: My Name is Url http://www.mahablog.com/2007/08/26/charity-nation/comment-page-1/#comment-275466 My Name is Url Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:52:48 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/?p=2052#comment-275466 my above comment is actually directed toward #10, whose identity seems to have shifted while I was typing. my above comment is actually directed toward #10, whose identity seems to have shifted while I was typing.

]]> By: My Name is Url http://www.mahablog.com/2007/08/26/charity-nation/comment-page-1/#comment-275464 My Name is Url Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:44:58 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/?p=2052#comment-275464 #11-- However, Mississippi is pretty much in the Republicans' pocket no matter what. It's about as far from a battleground state as you can get. Sure, they want to "send the message" that they will help them out, but I don't think the Republicans think they're in any danger of losing their precious votes there. What is Mississippi going to do, vote for Hillary? The G.O.P will probably gain Louisiana, at least for the short term, but they've lost so many other swing states that it won't help them. They're just going to solidify their historical shift into a regional party. And seriously, their lack of response to Katrina will hurt all over the county. Eventually even (ironically enough) in the states that suffered the direct damage. #11– However, Mississippi is pretty much in the Republicans’ pocket no matter what. It’s about as far from a battleground state as you can get. Sure, they want to “send the message” that they will help them out, but I don’t think the Republicans think they’re in any danger of losing their precious votes there. What is Mississippi going to do, vote for Hillary?

The G.O.P will probably gain Louisiana, at least for the short term, but they’ve lost so many other swing states that it won’t help them.
They’re just going to solidify their historical shift into a regional party. And seriously, their lack of response to Katrina will hurt all over the county. Eventually even (ironically enough) in the states that suffered the direct damage.

]]> By: maha http://www.mahablog.com/2007/08/26/charity-nation/comment-page-1/#comment-275462 maha Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:37:02 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/?p=2052#comment-275462 <i>They are going to help a Republican-run and dominated state like Mississippi before they come to the aid of a Democratic state like Louisiana. </i> I understand they aren't doing much for Alabama and Mississippi either. They are going to help a Republican-run and dominated state like Mississippi before they come to the aid of a Democratic state like Louisiana.

I understand they aren’t doing much for Alabama and Mississippi either.

]]> By: khughes1963 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/08/26/charity-nation/comment-page-1/#comment-275451 khughes1963 Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:46:25 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/?p=2052#comment-275451 True, however the way the administration runs everything, political calculations are also first and foremost with them. They are going to help a Republican-run and dominated state like Mississippi before they come to the aid of a Democratic state like Louisiana. True, however the way the administration runs everything, political calculations are also first and foremost with them. They are going to help a Republican-run and dominated state like Mississippi before they come to the aid of a Democratic state like Louisiana.

]]> By: Marshall http://www.mahablog.com/2007/08/26/charity-nation/comment-page-1/#comment-275445 Marshall Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:06:06 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/?p=2052#comment-275445 About Faith Based Initiatives - I don't just want these blatantly unconstitutional programs stopped, I want the money back. In my book, this is just another means of theft for the Bush Kleptocracy. About Faith Based Initiatives – I don’t just want these blatantly unconstitutional programs stopped, I want the money back. In my book, this is just another means of theft for the Bush Kleptocracy.

]]> By: Doug Hughes http://www.mahablog.com/2007/08/26/charity-nation/comment-page-1/#comment-275442 Doug Hughes Sun, 26 Aug 2007 23:44:10 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/?p=2052#comment-275442 Re the S & L crisis. I aint buying. I remeber clearly that BEFORE the S & L bailout, the banks - not part of the S & Ls started a campaign to have the taxpayer bail them out on bad loans that the banks claim the feds encouraged or pressured them to mail ... including loans to 3rd-world countries, and they wanted to throw other bad loans into the bag because having to write off bad loans that the banks were carying on the books would be bad for the overall economy. This was BEFORE the S & L crash, and the dog would not hunt. Congress was faced with an overwhelming disapproval from voters to bail out banks, so the idea went away as abruptly as if a switch was turned off. A few years later, the S & L crisis.. just happened. The same loans (by description) that the banks could not get the taxpayer to underwrite, had materialized in the unregulated S & L world. Guess who paid???!! And no one has ever dusted off the bad loans to see that they ORIGINATED in the banking world and were exchanged into the unregulated S & L world for cash.. which saved the banks from expensive defaults. We were had - and if anyone with serious journalistic credentials wants to investigate, will they please make me the beneficiary of their life insurance? Re the S & L crisis. I aint buying. I remeber clearly that BEFORE the S & L bailout, the banks – not part of the S & Ls started a campaign to have the taxpayer bail them out on bad loans that the banks claim the feds encouraged or pressured them to mail … including loans to 3rd-world countries, and they wanted to throw other bad loans into the bag because having to write off bad loans that the banks were carying on the books would be bad for the overall economy. This was BEFORE the S & L crash, and the dog would not hunt. Congress was faced with an overwhelming disapproval from voters to bail out banks, so the idea went away as abruptly as if a switch was turned off.

A few years later, the S & L crisis.. just happened. The same loans (by description) that the banks could not get the taxpayer to underwrite, had materialized in the unregulated S & L world. Guess who paid???!! And no one has ever dusted off the bad loans to see that they ORIGINATED in the banking world and were exchanged into the unregulated S & L world for cash.. which saved the banks from expensive defaults.

We were had – and if anyone with serious journalistic credentials wants to investigate, will they please make me the beneficiary of their life insurance?

]]> By: Doug Hughes http://www.mahablog.com/2007/08/26/charity-nation/comment-page-1/#comment-275440 Doug Hughes Sun, 26 Aug 2007 23:32:26 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/?p=2052#comment-275440 Responding to #8 and #9.. If there is no good economic sense to rebuilding the lower 9th ward, then the government has an obligation to assist in relocation and housing for the displaced. I seem to remember 'Love Canal'? which was toxic and the governement paid for relocation assistance. The situation in the lower 9th was not toxic, but it was dangerous and the tragedy the result of failure of the local, state & federal governemnt to anticipate & prepare. Responding to #8 and #9.. If there is no good economic sense to rebuilding the lower 9th ward, then the government has an obligation to assist in relocation and housing for the displaced. I seem to remember ‘Love Canal’? which was toxic and the governement paid for relocation assistance. The situation in the lower 9th was not toxic, but it was dangerous and the tragedy the result of failure of the local, state & federal governemnt to anticipate & prepare.

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