[Marxism] Let them eat press conferences

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

http://crookedtimber.org/
Let them eat press conferences
Posted by Henry

The president of Jefferson Parish on Meet the Press

    The guy who runs this building I?m in. Emergency management. He?s 
responsible for everything. His mother was trapped in St. Bernard nursing 
home and every day she called him and said. Are you coming. Son? Is 
somebody coming? And he said yeah. Mama. Somebody?s coming to get you.. 
Somebody?s coming to get you on Tuesday. Somebody?s coming to get you on 
Wednesday. Somebody?s coming to get you on Thursday. Somebody?s coming to 
get you on Friday. And she drowned Friday night. And she drowned Friday 
night. Nobody?s coming to get us. Nobody?s coming to get us. The Secretary 
has promised. Everybody?s promised. They?ve had press conferences. I?m sick 
of the press conferences. For god?s sakes, just shut up and send us somebody.

Mary Landrieu on Bush?s tour visit.

    But perhaps the greatest disappointment stands at the breached 17th 
Street levee. Touring this critical site yesterday with the President, I 
saw what I believed to be a real and significant effort to get a handle on 
a major cause of this catastrophe. Flying over this critical spot again 
this morning, less than 24 hours later, it became apparent that yesterday 
we witnessed a hastily prepared stage set for a Presidential photo 
opportunity; and the desperately needed resources we saw were this morning 
reduced to a single, lonely piece of equipment. The good and decent people 
of southeast Louisiana and the Gulf Coast ? black and white, rich and poor, 
young and old ? deserve far better from their national government.

I?ve had difficulty in writing about what has been happening the last 
several days because I can?t find the words. I?m too angry. I was at 
Margaret Levi?s presidential address to the American Political Science 
Association on Thursday. She began by talking about what was happening on 
the Gulf coast and in Iraq, and went on to speak about how the state has 
obligations that go beyond the protection of property rights and the rule 
of law. It?s supposed to protect its citizens? basic rights and welfare, 
and to do its best to protect them from the vagaries of fortune. This is 
obvious stuff, but it helps clarify what has happened and is happening. The 
US state, under George W. Bush has failed in this most basic of 
responsibilities. It?s failed to protect its people, to an extent which 
amounts to criminal negligence. It?s shown an indifference verging on 
contempt for its weakest and most vulnerable citizens. It has 
systematically gutted the government in pursuit of crony capitalism and 
jobs for its friends even when they?re hopelessly unqualified. It seems 
more interested in political spin and damage control than in facing up to 
what has happened, and is continuing to happen.

What we?ve seen over the last several days is evidence of how fundamentally 
American politics have been corrupted (others, including some Democratic 
officials, are participants in this corruption too and share the blame). In 
a parliamentary democracy, George W. Bush would almost certainly either 
have resigned by now or be on the point of resigning. Bush and his friends 
and supporters tell us that they?re conservatives. Conservatism, if it has 
any moral content at all, is supposed to be a political philosophy of 
values, of taking responsibility for one?s actions and inactions. Not press 
conference spin, blame shifting and Potemkin relief efforts. This is 
depravity, pure and simple.

(Update: some changes to wording).

Update 2: Link to video of Aaron Broussard, via Laura Rozen: 
http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001798.htm


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