Uh, who is "we," kemosabe?

Here it is, the archetypal disaster report, closed on a note of earnest, homespun resilience. "We will rebuild."

Nowhere in the report is our stalwart survivor interrogated as to just exactly how, or who "we" represents.

Because, as sure as I'm sittin' here, our straw-hatted Good Ol' Boy doesn't have the resources to rebuild. And by "we" he means that you and I and every other sucker is going to have to pitch in and help him enjoy "our little paradise."

At least between catastrophic storms anyway.

We already subsidize living on the beach for those who wish to embrace that risk. We shovel tens of millions of taxpayer dollars into the ocean to "renourish" the sand the ocean washes away. An ocean that's rising, and wave action that's growing more energetic with increasing average wind speeds. We pay higher insurance rates all over the state, in part, to offset the risk Good Ol' Boy takes on to live where he does.

Folks in Kenosha, Wisconsin are helping Good Ol' Boy live in his little paradise with their federal tax dollars spent by FEMA.

Good Ol' Boy doesn't care.

I love the way PBS just ignores the question. Sure, it might be too much to put it directly to Good Ol' Boy in his hour of suffering. But they could have asked someone. Illuminated this illusion that "we" isn't just Good Ol' Boy and his fishin' buddies.

"Other folks got their stuff." Yeah, "their stuff" is subsidizing his dumb ass.

Florida. You have to be insane to live here.

Or a dumb ass.

Unsure which category I'm in.

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Originally posted at Nice Marmot 06:14 Tuesday, 1 October 2024