Sat, 08/29/2009 - 3:50pm — Sarah
Four years ago a hurricane slammed into the Gulf Coast of the United States. Early in the morning it looked like the threatened city of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the storm's path, might have "dodged a bullet." The rest of the Coast had been whacked hard, but the storm, unlike Allison in Houston, hadn't "parked" above New Orleans. Then the levees failed. We all know what happened after that. Not all the stories were tragedy; heroes arose, as they'd done in September 2001 in Pennsylvania and DC and New York.
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Mississippi: Recession hurts Katrina recovery
despite Barbour's denials, families in South Mississippi face rising costs, falling prospects for housing, health care, and jobs.
We can admit that we’re killers … but we’re not going to kill today. That’s all it takes! ~ Captain James T. Kirk, Stardate 3193.0
1 John 4:18
NPR kills story exposing post-Katrina junk pumps threat
an account years in the making which you can read here.
We can admit that we’re killers … but we’re not going to kill today. That’s all it takes! ~ Captain James T. Kirk, Stardate 3193.0
1 John 4:18
"a uniquely American approach"
Any time I hear about Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans, I think of this Newsweek article "It's cheaper to go Dutch" (6 September 2006) [emphasis added]:
Four years later the fact-finding continues.
Every apathetic citizen is a silent enlistee in the cause of inverted totalitarianism.—Sidney Wolin
"It comes from a government decision to protect their people."
thanks for that link. i took the quote from a paragraph [from your link] on why the dutch system works.
"I don't want to build my own levee"
You're welcome!
BTW, the quote "a uniquely American approach" on my first comment is what President Obama is seeking for "health insurance reform." Apparently, tried-and-tested solutions in any arena, no matter how effective, from beyond our borders are verboten.
I just recalled a late-night exchange on one of the election night primaries with Rachel Maddow and Pat Buchanan. Pat said something like Katrina shows that government "doesn't work"—or some such absurd conclusion—and Rachel shot back with "I don't want to build my own levee. I want the government to build a levee for me." (That Rachel—always looking for a government handout.) It's sort of a healthy antidote to the neighbors-helping-neighbors, "government is the problem, not the solution" inanity.
Every apathetic citizen is a silent enlistee in the cause of inverted totalitarianism.—Sidney Wolin
uniquely american
comes to us thanks to celinda lake, see page 6 of this 39-page pdf for example. and why do we need a uniquely american solution? it all started here, apparently. gac indeed.
coburn, eek. only to be expected of a physician who started life as an accountant, i guess.
"uniquely American" - ack!
Thanks for the info, hipparchia—I knew about Celinda Lake but I hadn't seen that PDF and didn't know where that "uniquely American" blather came from.
I thought, because vastleft referred to it, it might be from another mindless purveyor of catch phrases.
"Uniquely American." I think there's no phrase in the entire health care debate that makes me cringe more. It's designed to close off options, shut down debate, and halt learning, without any logic or reason:
It's insulting in its complete vacuousness. It appeals to the worst of American jingoism and exceptionalism and, by its invocation, makes us collectively stupider. We've gotten into the "uniquely American" position of having the highest costs in health care with the highest percentage of people uninsured or underinsured through our "uniquely American" tradition of employer-based health insurance that is, in its "uniquely American" way, for profit. Maybe it would be a good idea if we tried something else for a change. The only saving grace might be if "uniquely American" were deployed, in the same mindless fashion, against its proponents: Improved and Expanded Medicare-for-All: It's Uniquely American!™ (the exclamation point underscores the absurdity, naturally)—and, even then, I'd be able to use it only in an ironic way.
HCAN. Bleh. Early on, when I was trying to just learn something about health care reform, I found HCAN's site and hated it. I didn't want "affordable" health care any more than I wanted "affordable" fire department service. I didn't want "choice of a private insurance plan"—I wouldn't give a damn about "insurance" if health care were guaranteed. "Out-pocket-costs based on ability to pay"? Why? Wouldn't a health service based on progressive taxation achieve that more effectively? And so on.
Turgid, mealy-mouthed phrases which assumed the continuation of the status quo. The whole thing felt "focus-grouped" and "targeted" and "massaged"—which, of course, it was. Ugh. The single-payer folks were just so much more sane. (Sorry, just had to get it off my chest.)
Every apathetic citizen is a silent enlistee in the cause of inverted totalitarianism.—Sidney Wolin
and a wonderful rant it is too
celinda lake may very well have taken bush's 'uniquely american' and applied it to health care. after all that 'research' was done in 2005 or 2006. and i can't find the link right now, but she claims to have been a republican before she became a democrat.