The Exploitation Of Grief
September 3, 2008, Matthew Good Following Hurricane Katrina, the United States Congress approved $62 billion dollars in emergency spending. President Bush vowed to see the glory of New Orleans restored, to initiate a program to deal with the levees, and ensured that all those that were displaced and affected would be taken care of.
Three years later the affects of Katrina are still palpable.
In a testament to the Bush Administration’s stupidity, one of its first decisions was to immediately declined offers of assistance from Cuba and Venezuela – the first two nations on the planet to react to the crisis. Both countries were willing to pledge over $1 million dollars in immediate financial assistance (combined), provide mobile hospitals, water treatment plants, bottled water, canned foods, heating oil, 1,100 physicians, and almost 25 metric tons of medicine. Unfortunately, politics got in the way of human decency, and the aid was declined.
Politics have a great deal to do with how pieces are picked up after a disaster, be it natural or man made. Regarding the subject I would point you in the direction of Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine as an in-depth primer. That said; it really should come as no surprise that the Bush Administration has pledged $1 billion dollars in assistance to the Georgian Government. In situations such as these, politics trump humanitarianism.
The Russians have pledged to help rebuild Tskhinvali, which sustained the most damage during the brief conflict, and continue to provide financial support to the South Ossetia. In fact, Russian construction workers have already begun work. Thus, Washington’s response is $1 billion dollars in assistance to Tbilisi. In the end, it’s not about helping people so much as it’s about the appearance of helping them to strengthen geopolitical interests or thwarting the interests of others. Because were that not the case, politics would be thrust aside in the name of the greater good. It wasn’t allowed to occur in Louisiana, it won’t happen in Georgia, nor in any other place where people are suffering but their plight is overshadowed by political ends. That’s simply an age old reality. People are used to bolster the positive, selfless appearance of governments whose exploitation of their grief is passed off as anything but.
This little symbol lets you @ another comment
The election is so close. Perhaps this travesty of a US Administration will change for the better.
“In the end, it’s not about helping people so much as it’s about the appearance of helping them to strengthen geopolitical interests or thwarting the interests of others.”
When it comes to the Bush administration- it’s not just the end….His shitshow and pompous political favors are also the beginning and the middle.
[quote comment="63768"]The election is so close. Perhaps this travesty of a US Administration will change for the better.[/quote]
I personally think that it will, but it really won’t matter because the huge pile of crap that Bush will leave behind will be enough to sink even the very best of intentions.
Just a thought,
“Men (people) fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth, more than ruin, more even than death….Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man (humankind).”
Bertrand Russell
I hate the use of Men and man to describe all people. It was another time when Russell had his thought.
I almost cannot believe that the Bush government would actually turn down aid from other countries. The arrogance that decision demonstrates is simply unacceptable. Just thinking about how many people could have been helped with that foreign aid makes me sick. I guess we know where their priorities are. Unfortunately, this is typical of Western politics these days. Excellent post, Matthew.
“by the people, for the people”…..The “People” are nothing more than pawns in the political process. Do you feel loved by your country when your country turns down disaster aid “just to make a point”? While stranded on your rooftop after a hurricane wipes out your entire community, do you care, even for a moment, about residual bad blood between JFK and Fidel Castro from 40 years ago? We get it, Cubans are evil communists and a constant threat to the freedom and liberty of the Unites States of America, but, put that aside for a few days and get that person off their roof as their home and everything they’ve worked for floats away.
“There’s a bigger issue here. There’s more to it than meets the eye”. Bullshit….
Someone is trapped on their roof. EVERYTHING else is secondary.
[quote comment="63780"]Just a thought,
“Men (people) fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth, more than ruin, more even than death….Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man (humankind).”
Bertrand Russell
I hate the use of Men and man to describe all people. It was another time when Russell had his thought.[/quote]
That is a really good quote!
WTF… here is what I don’t get… and I am a humanitarian lover of all living things… people are dying in the streets in the US without medical care or appropriate food and shelter, and the country is on the brink of financial ruin and they turn down aid and pledge 1 billion to Georgia… do I have this farce right? What is this just another show of strength, how can they not see that everyone on the planet knows they are at the brink of ruin… is that what needs to happen.. their economy needs to collapse entirely before change happens for the US people?