When I look at the images of the suffering, death and complete devastation of hurricane Katrina, I'm compelled to ask what role, if any, public policy played in the massive suffering of New Orleans victims. It doesn't take a genius to connect the dots from energy policy which favors global corporations while ignoring global warming and the need to protect wetlands, foreign policy driven by the "need" to control the natural resources of others, federal budget deficits driven by an ill-conceived war and a huge tax give away. Democracy's got no clothes!
What is the role of the government? Fox News pundit, Bill O'Reilly is already spinning the ..."see what happens when you trust the government...?" as if citizens have no right to expect anything from their government. Compassionate conservatism, indeed! We should be better than that. In America, our government should be our collective conscience. The federal budget should reflect our concern with equality and social justice--and not simply pork barrel projects designed to keep the powerful in power. We could be the greatest country on earth if we could stop the flag-waving and the posing and get down to the business of building a better society. But the people in power "hate" government--they want to privitize everything--that way you can pick and choose who you think is really "worthy" of your charity--and write it all off while you're at it.
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