I missed most of last night’s speech, but what I did hear made the little Libertarian in my head start screaming and spitting with rage. Of course, the latent Democrat in my head was thrilled to hear all of the effort the Federal Government will be putting into restoring rebuilding New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region and the little Republican was excited to hear that the method would be Tax-incentivized Enterprise Zones, entrepeneur-supporting policies and turning over federal land to citizens.
The sentence that sent the little Libertarian into a lather was ” It is now clear that a challenge on this scale requires greater federal authority and a broader role for the armed forces — the institution of our government most capable of massive logistical operations on a moment’s notice.” Um, waitaminnit. He wants “broader” military control over local government in a time of “challenge?”
How long before this gets exploited by President Bush or some future President? How low will the bar for a “time of challenge” to be declared and our military invades any local hamlet, town, city or county to take control? How long will they stay once the crisis is over? When will the local government finally be able to wrest control of its own populace from under the heel of the GiNormous Federal government? How can Washington, D.C. possible better administer a rescue and recovery effort when the Big One finally hits California?
I really do feel for the people in New Orleans and I want them to return to a new glorious city on the Delta, but I don’t want this to serve as a precedent to allow the military and federal government to intercede and pre-empt action by local authorities who are probably best poised to handle evacuation and rescue, at least in the immediate term. The last thing we need is to foster more dependence on the Federal Government so we have even more people sitting on their asses, waiting for the government to save their asses. It is my responsibility to appropriately respond to an evecuation order by assessing the threat and moving me and my family to a safer area. If I choose to remain, hoping the government will save me, and they don’t, it’s my fault, not the government’s.
We are a nation of individuals, not a herd of cows. We each have a brain issued to us on day one and it is our responsibility to put it to use. No man can think for another. Let’s not let the government be our Nanny and our Savior. There are plenty of people who are willing to pay private enterprise to perform both services better.