Last week, fellow columnist Jim Kadlecek got it almost right when he said we should give money to the Red Cross instead of political campaigns. I doubt he could have anticipated just how timely his first point would be when he wrote the column within hours of the Myanmar (
Politics can be good
Politics and government action can change billions of lives for the better, including in ways in which the Red Cross also helps. Except with much more money and reach.
Whatever the other failures of this administration in Katrina, the Coast Guard performed heroically and competently, on a scope that no private enterprise could ever be expected to match.
That doesn’t mean government should take over for the private sector or that we shouldn’t have a strong capitalist system. It does mean there are certain things that only governments can do well on a large scale.
Electing politicians who are committed to competent, efficient government action for those societal goals that do not naturally lend themselves to profit is important.
So please do give to candidates who are competent and are willing to use their power to help all of our society advance. And be proud that our country, with our tax dollars, often succeeds in massive humanitarian efforts.
The Red Cross
Where Jim got it completely right is that you can’t go wrong giving to the Red Cross, and this week’s disaster in
This isn’t a time to point fingers at the awful, inhumane, foolish
What’s important is that all of us lucky/blessed/fortunate/talented/determined enough to live and do decently well in the United States not turn our back on the rest of the world.
Think about why any of us is interested in politics. At its best, politics leads to policies that protect and save lives not only here, but everywhere in the world. Of course, the degree to which government should be active, rather than just fostering an environment conducive to private action, is one of the central battles in our political dialogue.
The beauty of the Red Cross is that even if you dislike government being involved in rescue work, the Red Cross is a private charity. Likewise, even if you believe in a strong, active role for government in addressing disasters, in cases like
While the twisted
This is who New Mexicans are
Times are tough in much of
But most everyone reading this column has the good fortune to live with a roof over our heads. We may have some health problems, but most of us can get treatment. Eating out may be a strain on a weekly budget, but we all have clean water and access to food that is generally still inexpensive.
Almost all of us can all afford a little something. Charity is always good, and I don’t give as much as I should, so this is far from preaching. But if you ever were inclined to give, this is the week. You will literally save many, many lives this week and over the next month by helping out the Red Cross or other highly-rated charities that do work abroad.
I’ve only been here six and a half years, but have never lived somewhere with as strong a sense of community as
While that unity is largely centered on
Many of us who read Heath’s site believe in political contributions, and most of us believe in them because of their power to help people. We rarely will ever have the power to help more people more directly than we do this week.
Let’s show
Bundy is the political and legislative director for AFSCME in