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Who's Responsibility?
Quintus Jett is scheduled to join us tonight talking about voting in New Orleans. If his post shows up we'll join the discussion - in the meantime I'd like to talk about today's immigrant marches and meetings throughout this country. Particularly disturbing to me is that the current administration continues to turn it's back on the citizens it's represents - making us more and more, as individual's responsible for lack of government presence. Locally, apple growers would be made responsible - with possible fines and jail time, for hiring mirgrant workers without proper documentation - sent to them by the Dept. of Labor. I think we're definitely going in the wrong direction here - what can we really do about this collapse of responsibility by the government? Bob
Posted by Jessica Falker on May 1, 2006 at 08:01 PM | Permalink
Comments
Bob, our posts came in nearly at the same time!
"This trend of individuals being held increasingly responsible for lack of government presence" is something that seems relevant to BOTH immigration and New Orleans.
I was wondering tonight how my intended topic could tie in today's events, and you just did it! Thanks. Let's continue talking about the topics together tonight...
Posted by: Quintus | May 1, 2006 8:09:29 PM
Sorry about the urgent post - let's pick which posting - how about this one - to continue our discussion. Thanks.
bob
Posted by: Bob | May 1, 2006 8:14:36 PM
Well, it's pretty much the "You're on your own" mentality of the Bush administration and many current Republicans, which is of course, starkly different from "We're all in this together", which is the message Democrats like Howard Dean have tried to emphasize.
Posted by: Renee in Ohio | May 1, 2006 8:17:00 PM
Quintus - it's very disturbing to me to see the average citizen in this country being dropped by big business and government into a state of confusion and distrust. We were brought up to feel that our federal government would take care of us when we needed them the most, and for years that did occur. But now, due to spending so much $$ on wars of profit - we no longer have the means, or the will, to take care of our own - which includes all the immigrants that come to this country, and all the poor, toward making a better life. We have become a nation fearing ourselves, our government, and nature all in one. It's time to shake the tree and reinvent ourselves before it's too late.
Posted by: Bob | May 1, 2006 8:22:18 PM
Hi Renee. Nice contrast : )
A friend I know who's Republican described New Orleans in terms of "people who were waiting for the government to help them."
That doesn't reflect the reality of New Orleans, if one were to visit the city and talk to the residents. Actually, I don't think that reflects the reality of that I know outside of New Orleans either.
Posted by: Quintus | May 1, 2006 8:23:07 PM
Yes, Quintus, I see a tremendous amount of energy and drive by the American people. I wish the current government wouldn't waste this gift the American people have to stand up and take control of their lives and events around them. I'm afraid we're slowing throwing that away - can we wait another 3 years! Bob
Posted by: Bob | May 1, 2006 8:28:38 PM
Renee - How do you see the political scene in Ohio? Are there various groups ready to work together - to really change the face of politics in your state? In my area the voting machines [all two in my district] broke down during the first hour - and thus eliminating all those early voters who thought they were making difference.
Posted by: Bob | May 1, 2006 8:36:00 PM
Yes, Quintus, I see a tremendous amount of energy and drive by the American people. I wish the current government wouldn't waste this gift
Posted by: Bob | May 1, 2006 8:28:38 PM
I met someone who had studied the reconstruction of West Germany of WW II. She said that much of the rebuilding occurred faster than expected with the Marshall Plan, due to the energy and will of the German people. She asked me: What makes Germans so special that they could do this and we can not in a city like New Orleans?
My answered that Americans ARE doing this. In
New Orleans, residents are taking matters into their own hands. But unlike the German people after WW II, the people of New Orleans have no Marshall Plan.
Posted by: Quintus | May 1, 2006 8:36:16 PM
Very interesting Quintus - how we can be so generous to others but not necessarily to our own. Still, our primarly objective in reconstructing Germany was to keep the Russians out. We have no "evil" looking to take over New Orleans. And thus no Marshall Plan. Our plan seems to be let the market reconstruct...
Posted by: Bob | May 1, 2006 8:40:47 PM
Bob, my work schedule and family stuff keeps me from doing much of the "shoeleather" work or going to meetings, but I have become more connected with the other Ohio blogs. I also started this to help function as--I don't know--holy water?--against Ken Blackwell.
http://faithfulohio.blogspot.com/
I have seen a number of posts today, and also seen it in the newspaper and on the library web site, about how to vote on the new machines.
I teach tomorrow evening right after work, so I'll have to get out early to cast my ballot.
Posted by: Renee in Ohio | May 1, 2006 8:42:56 PM
I would also like to see the marches that happened today continue for a week - a month. Then where would the open market be? If this sounds like frustration, it is. It seems that every day there's a group or many groups speaking out about their needs, their dreams. What will it take to elect real leaders that will work with us, strive to make our lives better with pro-active action, not just piddly post disaster relief.
Posted by: Bob | May 1, 2006 8:45:13 PM
Good point, Bob, about a clear "threat" not facing New Orleans. The magnatude of threats precipitate by nature did sort of jump off the national priority radar..
I don't think the market really has much to do what we see in New Orleans. Markets require a kind of transparency and public evaluation metric that seems interesting from New Orleans.
In my view, most of what we call "the evils of the Market" is really Social Darwinism and not a market at all. Adam Smith didn't like capitalists colluding against the interests of consumers either...
Posted by: Quintus | May 1, 2006 8:48:51 PM
It still seems like what I suggested at the recent Earth Day celebrations I attend at St. Mikes College - that we need to take the time to envision what we want this country to be 100 years from now. We're great at talking about the past - a little vague about the present, but totally in the dark about the future. Until we actually sit down and think about what we want our children's children to being living in - we'll be stuck with just today's thoughts or no thoughts.
Posted by: Bob | May 1, 2006 8:57:27 PM
It seems that every day there's a group or many groups speaking out about their needs, their dreams. What will it take to elect real leaders that will work with us, strive to make our lives better with pro-active action, not just piddly post disaster relief.
Posted by: Bob | May 1, 2006 8:45:13 PM
I'd like to see leaders make decisions that protect lives first and then property, in a way that is even handed and moral.
It doesn't seem fair to me to criminalize undocumented workers when the government knows it's going on (to the benefit of employers) and does nothing about it.
I think that might be a point where progressives and conservatives might not be very far apart, although I recognize that there are still differences and that they are messy...
Posted by: Quintus | May 1, 2006 8:58:40 PM
we need to take the time to envision what we want this country to be 100 years from now. We're great at talking about the past - a little vague about the present, but totally in the dark about the future.
Posted by: Bob | May 1, 2006 8:57:27 PM
I'm all for envisioning the future and linking it to actions that we can take in the present!!!
Not sure if I can end on a more conclusive note than that, so I'll end my blog here : )
Posted by: Quintus | May 1, 2006 9:01:25 PM
It looks like our time is just about up. Thanks Quintus for being patient and joining us tonight. Thanks. Renee - Marian Harris is scheduled to join us next week - she's a candidate for Representative from Ohio. Guess we didn't really solve much tonight but it's always great to discuss these issues - and hopefully many more to come. Thanks...
Posted by: Bob | May 1, 2006 9:01:38 PM
Sorry I missed the live blog tonight. Will read and comment later.
Also, I just want to make it clear that the main post here was not written by me.
Posted by: Jessica | May 1, 2006 10:18:56 PM
In summary the current adminstration in particular, and the federal government in general, is placing more and more responsibility on the average citizen to take care of those services, and themselves, which have previously been handled by government agencies. This appears to be happening throughout our society on all levels. We are being asked to deal as best we can. This seems to be a recurring theme - as with the current immigration issue, and the plight of New Orleans. This raises many questions about how we should continue to pressure the government to be more responsive to the national needs. Should we be electing more progressive candidates, who are as Quintus mentioned are at least "more even handed and moral" in their actions? Perhaps the growing grassroots revivial is another answer to making a real change toward a more sustainable national future.
I want to thank Quintus and Renee for their participation tonight. Keep up the good work.
Bob
Posted by: Bob | May 2, 2006 9:10:04 AM
En resumen la administracion actual en detalle, y el gobierno federal en general, esta poniendo mas y mas responsabilidad en el ciudadano medio de tomar el cuidado de esos servicios, y ellos mismos, que han sido manejados previamente por las agencias de estatal. Esto aparece suceder a traves de nuestro soceity en todos los niveles. Nos estan pidiendo repartir como podemos lo mas mejor posible. Este se parece ser un tema que se repite - como con la edicion actual de la inmigracion, y el apuro de New Orleans. Esto plantea muchas preguntas sobre como debemos continuar ejerciendo presion sobre el gobierno para ser mas responsivos a las necesidades nacionales.
Debemos elegir a candidatos mas progresivos, que son como Quintus menciono por lo menos "mas incluso dado y moraleja" en sus acciones? Quizas el renacimiento cada vez mayor de los pueblos es otra respuesta a realizar un cambio verdadero hacia un futuro nacional mas sostenible.
Deseo agradecer Quintus y Renee por su participacion esta noche. Continue el buen trabajo.
Bob
Posted by: Bob | May 2, 2006 9:34:50 AM
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