It depends on which government.
The US is still a federal system with states acting as sovereign entities with powers and responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is for disaster relief. FEMA is there to provide guidance and resources, but disaster relief is supposed to be deployed at the state level. This is one of reasons why the National Guard has responsibilities to individual states.
Hawaii has never seen any wildfire or wildfire conditions like this before: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/10/climate/hawaii-fires-climate-change.html
Of course there should be preparations to counter climate change as it continues to aggravate situations like this, but I don’t like the excuse where the feds can blame the states and the states can blame the feds when shit hits the fan. It has become an excuse for inaction. Hurricane Katrina, Texas ice storms, California wildfires, the Kentucky floods, this could have been sorted out looonng ago.
Why do we make the choice to keep things this way when they always lead to disasters?
The problem is that the alternative is having the federal government immediately intervene in any emergency, which states would likely complain about.
I guess the problem then is I care about having a government that doesn’t want to kill me or leave me to die, then. Excuse me, I should have been caring about civility within our decaying governing structure while people roast alive on the street! Oh you’ve made me see the light, you sure have.
“I feel like the citizens of this island have been called upon, maybe by a higher power, to actually help because no one else is helping,” said Kai Lenny, a professional surfer.
Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez said her department would launch “a comprehensive review of critical decision-making and standing policies leading up to, during and after the wildfires.
…
US Coast Guard cutters and rescue helicopters saved 17 lives and assisted 40 other survivors in reaching shore. FEMA said it has 150 personnel on the ground, including search-and-rescue teams, with more on the way.
Not saying USA didn’t shit the bed on this one, but I feel like that one line in the meme needed some context.
neoliberalism.jpg
With an extra dash of colonial seasoning.
That speaks volumes about both governments attitudes towards their citizens.
The right panel should show that moment The Zucc did a VR avatar high five over dead bodies after a hurricane.
