Arnold Pretends and Poses

Posted on October 29, 2003 in Disasters Social Justice

A reader sent me this:

“I came basically to Washington to establish relationships and to make sure we are getting more federal money for California as I promised in my campaign,” Schwarzenegger told reporters following a meeting with House Republicans. “But of course the recent events, the huge disastrous fires have changed my mission a little bit. I’m now looking for federal money for the people, the victims of the fire.” — Arnold Schwartzenegger

Which will come automatically because Gray Davis and Resident Bush have declared the four California counties a disaster area. It is sinking in that while Gray Davis is heroically manning the helm of the ship of state during this crisis, Arnold is doing nothing but politicking. He has to make himself look good. So when actual actions are lacking, he pretends that his D.C. junket means something.

Reminds me of those mountebank kings of old who claimed victory over droughts by saying that they made the rains come.

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Lynn left Psalm 96 up in the browser:

The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice,

let the many islands be glad.

Clouds and dark mist surround him,

his throne is founded on law and justice.

Fire precedes him,

burning up his enemies all around.

I don’t think that the fires were so discriminating — what has a 93 year old woman done recently to deserve having her house burn down? — but it is a pause for thought to recall that the areas all hardest hit elsewhere threw their financial and voting support towards the recall.

If the districts which had been devastated had been Democratic, you can bet that Falwell and Robertson would be on the airwaves right now declaring it as a Divine Judgement.

The best response at this moment is to follow the example of Governor Davis and throw our energies to alleviating the suffering of those left homeless in the fire. This is not a time for attempting to look like the greatest human being alive, this is a time for slipping into the background, steeling our bodies and our minds towards allaying misery. If anyone makes a photo opportunity out of this, the media should turn off the microphones and the cameras.

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Ignore Ahnold. Do some real good by donating to the Red Cross. If you want to help out physically, the Red Cross Evacuation Center is at Third and Del Rosa in San Bernardino. I am sure that somebody there can come up with something for you to do.