From the Washington Post today - How Big Government got Irene right, and why government matters?

From the Washington Post today - How Big Government got Irene right, and why government matters. There will be those, of course, who will not accept the facts. But here's a columnist who calls it like he sees it, and he sees success.

washingtonpost.com/opinions/hurricane-ir... Asked by ElBanditoRoso 3 months ago Similar questions: Washington Post today Big Government Irene government matters Politics & Law > Politics.

Similar questions: Washington Post today Big Government Irene government matters.

You tell me. It seems like the small government proponents are slash-and-burn types - all government is bad. If the TP showed some discretion, I might have more respect for them.

ElBanditoRoso 3 months ago .

I'm not sure really what the tea party is because I'm dubious of any political characterization that has been crafted in the media. I wonder if they are really as homogenous in their thinking as they are usually portrayed to be. But, I can say with certainty that not everyone who favors smaller government is a tea partier.

Viewed abstractly, the strategy almost kinda makes sense. You scream bloody murder about everything the government does, and you wait for the other side to say no. You can even tell yourself that you need a purpose for every purchase: the onus is on the "buy" side to make the case.

But it's not a way for anybody to gain any respect for you, and that undercuts your argument. It's lazy to always say "no", and eventually sane people stop listening. You have the "easy" side of the argument, and you've made it.

Now shut up and let adults think. The "all government bad" argument is so stupid as to constitute nothing but noise. Argument by screaming doesn't invite moderation in response.It only gets more screaming, in the opposite direction.

And since the default of government is to continue, that means your strategy isn't optimal: you get more continuation, rather than less. (Especially when you're a bunch of flaming hypocrites who vote to increase government whenever you're in power.) .

And everywhere, FEMA, given new authority by Congress after Katrina, didn’t have to wait for states to request help. This is the thing the detractors of the way Katrina was handled often neglect: at that time, FEMA could no mobilize until a state of emergency was declared and help was requested - and neither the mayor of New Orleans nor the governor of Louisiana declared a state of emergency until days later. It is gratifying to hear that if nothing else; at least FEMA can go help those who need it regardless of whether they have the good sense to ask for it or not.

After all, most Americans self-define as moderate. That includes Democrats, Republicans, and the ever-growing number of Independents (who may not like either party). This makes sense to me: "American politics is consumed by a bitter, at times violent, debate about the overall role of government and specific governmental programs.

Pundits often frame this divide in terms of geography (red states versus blue states), ethnicity (spanics and blacks versus whites), class (rich versus poor), or age and gender. Those factors matter, but seeing polarization only in terms of group versus group misses an important paradox about Americans: Most of us have both deep conservative instincts and liberal instincts. " newgeography.com/content/002014-why-most... The Pew Research Center did this study - found it while I was looking for their study that showed a broad survey showing Americans' self-description of political leanings, with most expressing their political philosophy as moderate, with a center-right leaning.

This piece addresses the issue of the Federal government:"Distrust, Discontent, Anger and Partisan Rancor The People and Their GovernmentOverviewBy almost every conceivable measure Americans are less positive and more critical of government these days. A new Pew Research Center survey finds a perfect storm of conditions associated with distrust of government – a dismal economy, an unhappy public, bitter partisan-based backlash, and epic discontent with Congress and elected officials. Angry at Federal government Federal government is a major threat to themTotal 21% 30%Repub 30% 43%Dem 8% 18%Indep 25% 33%"http://people-press.org/2010/04/18/distrust-discontent-anger-and-partisan-rancor/"Most of us have both deep conservative instincts and liberal instincts."

That means help people out when they are in need....a hand up, but not a permanent handout. FEMA fits there. That's sort of the general welfare, with large storms and tornadoes.

That fits with my liberal instincts. I grew up in a small town, a few blocks away from a creek that flooded every year or so. Men who had small fishing boats would go to the flooded houses (if the people had not used their own good sense and left when the water started rising) and would help the residents into the boats and take them to dry ground, where their friends/neighbors/relatives would take them in.

These were volunteers doing this for no pay, just their own common decency. When I was about 15, I asked my parents why the people who were flooded so often didn't move. My mother said "Because they get insurance money and buy new furniture and new clothes every time it floods".

That's foolish: that goes against my conservative instincts. And it appears the majority of Americans feel the same way. Com/content/002014-why-most-americans-are-both-liberal-and-conservative.

Is there no middle ground between all-encompassing government - "My entire point, if you read what I wrote, was that to the TP there is NO middle ground, and there should be. ElBanditoRoso 3 months ago .

I'm not sure what the Tea Party's full message is.......but the middle ground is where most of us stand. I know the TP is getting a lot of attention, and I suspect some of the messages are being given a spin by some media types......pundit types. And of course there are pundits on both extremes.

Should we consider ourselves fortunate that Washington D.C. Is snowed under and the Government will leave us alone for a" "Ok! Facts are out there TODAY! Did Federal Government lie to us?" "The Canadian(minority) Conservitive Government fell today in a no confidence vote,today can anything like this ever =" "The British government is deporting an African woman with terminal cancer - they removed her from hospital today.

" "How big should our government be? " "How much government do we need or should we have?" "Is the US government is responsible for our Economic wows today; Or is it our Greedy rich people? " "Do we have a good government?

" "Today's betting pool question. The government lied for over a year about the recession before someone finally had the" "Is a dysfunctional government the status quo in Washington, DC?

Should we consider ourselves fortunate that Washington D.C. Is snowed under and the Government will leave us alone for a.

Ok! Facts are out there TODAY! Did Federal Government lie to us?

The Canadian(minority) Conservitive Government fell today in a no confidence vote,today can anything like this ever.

The British government is deporting an African woman with terminal cancer - they removed her from hospital today.

Today's betting pool question. The government lied for over a year about the recession before someone finally had the.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.