Posted on 07/06/2011 11:25:50 AM PDT by dynachrome
I found this of interest, about half way down:
"Governments and big nongovernmental organizations — which are keenly aware of the big picture — are often blind to neighborhood dynamics.
In Southeast Asia, Aldrich found that well-intentioned NGOs actually hurt the fishing communities they were trying to help. They saw the damage caused by the tsunami in fishing villages and started giving new boats to all the fishermen.
Really, at the end of the day, the people who will save you, and the people who will help you, they're usually neighbors.
- Daniel Aldrich "Fishing is a very social activity. It is organized, really, not in a hierarchy but in a network," Aldrich said. "So you have someone who drives the boat, the person who steers, you have two people fishing in the water, some person who carries the net and some person who goes — takes the fish to market. Once every person is given their own boat, you've gone from five people working together to each individual working by themselves."
Fishermen who used to work together now became competitors. Trust broke down. Fights broke out.
"Some of the local activists I talked to called this 'the second tsunami,' " Aldrich said.
(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...
I saw a lot of this working in Africa in Civil Affairs for a military deployment. USAID, the UN, etc. would never think through their programs. The UN in particular was a lot of useless show, and very little go. The other thing I experienced is that a lot of lefties care about “The People” in a macro sense, but don’t really care about individual people.
They weren't well-intentioned, and it wasn't an accident.
The Agenda 21 crowd has but one agenda, and that is eliminating excess humans who are spoiling the Walden paradise that they deserve.
That's such a universal truth about liberals it should be a conservative bumper sticker...
This part is true.
We should all make sure our own neighborhoods and family are prepared and encourage our cities and States to acknowledge the strength that planning in this way will bring.
Think of the difference that would have made after Katrina at the Super Dome. Remember the thousands of family members all over the area who were essentially abandoned by the very first responders at hospitals and Sheriffs’ offices.
In Houston, Ben Taub, Memorial-Hermann and the other hospitals in the Texas Medical Center area were overwhelmed with people who showed up. The doctors, nurses and other workers who stayed on the job were unable to help their own families. In the future, there must be plans for families of first responders who stay on the job, at least.
liberals are like the french revolution = everyone has the right to be rude and obnoxious to anyone.
Conservative is the american revolution, the right to be treated with inaliable rights and the duty to do the same “just because” not because of mere operation of law law
IOW
left = rude = mob
conservative = manners = civilization
I’m so glad that NPR decided to run this story in the wake of Katrina.
Oh wait...
The Key To Disaster Survival? Bottled water and ammunition.
"Get more involved in neighborhood events," Aldrich said. "If there is a planning club, a homeowners association — if there are sports clubs nearby, PTAs — those groups have us in contact with people we wouldn't normally meet and help us build up these stocks of trust and reciprocity."
"Really, at the end of the day, the people who will save you, and the people who will help you," he added, "they're usually neighbors."
Odd that NPR - home of 'elitists know best' would put these views forward. Liberal 'citizens of the world' usually have their noses so far up in the air that they can't see the obvious...
Broken clock and all...
Liberals are human too. They care about themselves, their families, their friends, and the neighbors they take the time to get to know.
They are not all just a bunch of ideological maniacs bent on the communist overthrow of the world.
There are quite a few conservatives, on the other hand, who are proud of their fierce independence. Of not knowing or needing to know or care about their neighbors. Proud of having sufficient acreage between them and their nearest "neighbors". Proud of having an independent water supply and the firepower to protect it.
Woo hoo! You have isolated yourself from the advances of modern civilization. You are prepared for the zombie apocalypse. But how can that sort of lifestyle be considered conservative? It is really just reactionary paranoia.
In other words, government ‘help’ isn’t.
An african leader was once asked how to stop hunger in Africa - he said “stop sending us food”
He said when people get free food they stop buying it from the farmers. Then the farmers go out of business and the hunger is worse next year.
Add to that to handing out free food. Free food from the UN puts the local agriculture out of business.
We are tight with our neighbors here in the NH hills.
And we are all pretty much prepared. Most of us on our little dead-end dirt road have some or all of the following ...
Horses ... cows ... large gardens ... canning ... sheep ... goats ... chickens ... wood heat ... spring houses ... hand-pumped water ... camping and wilderness experience ... mechanical and structural expertise ... and ammo.
When I attempted to explain the need for “disaster preparedness” to my benchmark lib,
it was like talking to a wall. The repeated answer I got was “if that situation happens, we’ll all be in the same boat”.
I guess that it doesn’t matter if you’re starving, thirsty and cold, just as long as EVERYONE is starving, thirsty, and cold.
That's the point of being a lefty - to not care about individual people. Lefties are supremely selfish narcissists, and they know they define the very essence of immorality through that absolute refusal to grow up. Solution? Claim the moral high ground through a fevered, religious care for "the people," and use it to empower a collective, tyrannical government that they alone control as elites, so they get everything while destroying everyone in the name of "compassion" and ultimately - they still don't ever have to care about anyone but themselves.
Psychotic malignant narcissism - it's not just a bad idea, it's the Democrats.
You lib friend has no need to prepare. You are prepared and have let him know that. If he can't get from you what he needs, he can organize a large enough group (gov't?) to take it from you.
Here's the PLAN:
Cities team with a sister-city 50 or so miles away.
Both cities cross-train their police, fire, doctors, and hospital staff in the sister city once a year. In a disaster the sister city staff is up to speed and ready to step in...
Also, sister cities would have permission for outside police and fire departments to act within their city.
During Katrina there were many police and fire departments suited up and ready to assist but were not allowed to because permissions were not in order.
Those 'permissions' could be gotten ahead of time with the sister city concept. With the proper cross training a city's insurance wouldn't be effected either.
It’s my MIL, so I really have the moral requirement (5th commandment) to prepare “for her”.
It’s really frustrating that I have to take care of someone who is fully in favor of policies that will lead to the need to be self-sufficient.
Of course, if the SHTF, her communications with the outside world will be severely curtailed in the interest of keeping her from “sharing”.
So? That has no bearing on disaster survival. These people expect the government to come in and save them. And you expect those of us who are sacrificing now in order to be prepared to protect OUR families, to also provide for the people that have worked hard to see our freedoms and property confiscated?
I have good friends that are libs. Most are nice people in general. But that doesn't stop them from wanting to destroy my life and my freedoms in pursuit of their Utopian fantasies. They stand in front of me and admit they think I am a nut for setting aside food and ammo. They think their government should have absolute control over my life and property. They say I shouldn't be allowed to own the guns and ammo that you are saying I should use to protect and feed them. So, when the SHTF you believe I should take food from my family's mouth and give it to people that will look the other way if the Brown Shirts come for me?
I am all for networking and mutual support. But it will be with those who have something to contribute to the group when crunch time comes. An empty pantry and a hybrid with an Obama bumper sticker don't count as contributions.
Flame away...........
I agree with your POV.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.