"Hope" and "change" don't pay the bills – and for that, the democrats will pay
In the last presidential election, “hope” that Washington could be a less partisan and ultimately a less corrupt and more transparent place, coupled with a longing for “change,” propelled Obama into office. That, and an intense disappointment with the previous administration. However, the economic meltdown and the generally painful economic situation for a large number of Americans has lead even many Obama supporters to question whether anything is actually different and whether our president can be pragmatic and effectual in difficult times. This had lead, for instance, one woman at the recent CNBC question and answer session with the President to say: “Quite frankly, I’m exhausted….defending the mantle of change I voted for.”
She, in fact, rattled off a list of exhaustion, including how unpleasant life is for many “middle class” Americans today. Most are in historically unheard of debt, even if they don’t have college loans (but if they do, it’s even worse), many are losing their houses, some are reportedly even resorting to food banks because they simply can’t make ends meet. And this is in the middle class.
This CNBC press conference, largely because the audience consisted of Obama supporters, calls into question what those who voted for Obama are feeling about the economic situation. Who do you blame when things are bad if you voted for the person in charge? And, if I’m unemployed, caring about hope and change may not only be irrelevant now, but it may anger me that those were the more intangible values upon which I based my feelings in the last campaign. Not wanting to direct my feelings of frustration at myself, the party I voted for and the politicians I had a hand in electing will surely bear the brunt of my anger. Social psychological studies inform us that we are more likely to attribute blame to others or external forces for bad consequences and think of ourselves as having a role in the ones that prove to be useful or have a positive outcome in some way. So, I might feel good about the Democrats’ role in health care reform and feel as though my vote had something to do with it, but when it comes to the economy, the death of soldiers in two wars, etc., I might instead blame the administration and likely the President as the figurehead. And, what does this mean for the the 2012 political season? Frustrations are high and people don’t want to blame themselves, so they blame the administration (and that’s the Democratic supporters!). Looking forward to the next election, I have to wonder if there’s any way for the democrats and the President to escape this blame game unscathed.
Every year we wait for the monsoon season to come and beat the heat of summer’s spell. The lovely rains that blossoms the trees and lightens up the atmosphere, the wonderful weather where romanticism revolves in the air for 2 months atleast. It’s altogether a lovely feeling throughout July and August.
But all of a sudden, this year’s monsoon actually brought sadness over the faces; it became a wrath of God. Every single province in Pakistan got traumatized due to the rains. As this year’s rain brought in a huge Flood, shattering houses, taking away lots of lives. From the top to the bottom, Pakistan is all under water. Killing Water!
What is happening? Such destruction? So much rain that not even dams can stop them? Did our Meteorological department know about such heavy rain falls and disaster caused by it? Was our irrigation department prepared? Did our ecological department plan about it? Did people have any idea how worse it can be? Did people prepare? Did people get time to think over it and prepare?
Obviously there is no answer.
The rains started, the sewerage system got occupied. People started running towards their home to take their families to a place where it’s not raining heavily. They are on their way to other cities/areas, the bridges collapsed, roads broke into pieces. Even the mountains loosen up, huge rocks started to fell on causing road blocks. One to another, people got caught into problems, where there was No way out.
The people who went on holidays, vacations, honeymoons etc got trapped in the beautiful northern areas of Pakistan. Up on the hills, where there is no food, water, access to any store; they are stuck up in their own realm of problems. Where helicopters and government officials will have to go there to help them but due to heavy rains, they couldn’t go there even. It’s a distressing & painful state.
The flood started from Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, entering Sindh via Baluchistan and parts of Punjab.
As always our Forces are always there to take care of us, to protect us and save our lives. Army along with Air Force and Navy rescued many affected people but still several died and drowned in the water. Still Navy and its Commandos are trying to save lives in flooded areas of Sindh, though it just entered Sindh but created a mess there too.
Prediction is that this situation will calm down by mid August 2010 but will not end until September.
But one must appreciate the spirit of Pakistanis; everybody is there to help their native brothers and sisters. People are collecting & providing clothes, money, medicines, food etc all what they can think of, to the camps created by Armed Forces in different localities, as people cannot return to their homes due to no electricity, gas and major necessities of life.
Electric supply, Gas and all such pipelines were closed to avoid fire and current in water, which could have lead to several deaths. Already a great number of people have already died within a week’s time.
Well, one can take preventive measures always. People should avoid travelling, whether it is through any mode. People should store lots of food & medicines in their home. But then again, can one stop flood coming into their homes? Gosh NO!
Although these Disasters being Natural are not without Human Involvement!
..
This is a humanitarian crisis, and one should really not consider the nationality of the families dieing due to such a crisis. It is so unfortunate that people are considering nationalities when giving aid to individuals including little children. I think this is an opportunity for people, regardless of race, religion or color, to unite.
SWO is working in effected areas of Sindh from the first day with its team of Doctors and Caregivers but we need help, we urgently need following items:
1. Mosquito nets.
2. Snake Bite Injections.
3. Food stuff.
4. Tents.
5. Drinking Water.
6. US Dollars 70000
We are looking towards International Community for their support and help. Remember, God loves those who love humanity.
“I will never forget the destruction and suffering I have witnessed today. In the past I have witnessed many natural disasters around the world, but nothing like this.” – U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Sincerely yours,
Mehtab Qureshi
President
Saharo Welfare Organization (Regd)
http://www.saharo-pk.com
Phone: +92-021-376779
If anything, I blame the Democrats for not being forceful enough. The Republicans used every tool they could to lock down Congress and grind any kind of progress to a halt while the Democrats strove to be bipartisan and incorporate their ideas into new legislation.
Now we’re in election season and I fully expect the Republicans to take control again, and I can guarantee they won’t be nearly as nice.
The Democrats deserve blame. They got people excited on purpose, based their whole campaign around a theme of change, and then failed miserably at delivering that change.
Why, I wonder, is he giving tax cuts to businesses, when millions of unemployed Americans are in desperate straights?
Businesses have plenty of cash. They don’t need any more. The people living in their cars, stealing from supermarkets just to survive, they are the ones who need help. I think it would be more effective to provide direct aid to them.
I wonder why the Democrats don’t? Couldn’t have anything to do with campaign money and lobbyists, could it?
Even when Obama was running for office, I knew he was middle-of-the-road, at best. He never went for single-payer health care, or taking the troops out of Afghanistan, or ending tax cuts that exploded the Debt during Bush’s term, that never did anything for the economy. (Although he was trying to convert the cuts over to the middle-class, and away from the rich). It’s why I voted for Hillary in the primaries. But you have to give him credit for trying to get progressive measures through Congress, anyway. It’s not easy to do with all those Republican oink-oinks in there.