Put Down That Hose, Comrade

Since the President was so concerned about "socialized medicine" that he vetoed SCHIP expansion, can we assume that his trip to Southern California tomorrow is to deliver a lecture about the evils of socialized firefighting? After all, if the free market is the best way to fight poverty, injury, and disease, I'm sure the invisible hand would have no problem putting out a few fires. Since America has the best healthcare in the world, maybe the progress against the wildfires would go quicker if the firefighters borrowed a trick from the insurance industry and only concentrated on saving the homes of people whose employers have enrolled them in a private fire protection plan that provided coverage for fires caused by accidents, arson, and acts of god. Just cross your fingers and hope that the fire gets put out before your coverage lapses.

Comments

[democracydiva]

Great blog! And thanks to others for reminding us about the other socialized services. The military! Yes. I work for getting single payer and that's one of the first criticisms i.e. that it is 'socialized', and, yes, people have to wash their mouths out once they say the word. Let's keep educating the masses because when the people lead, the leaders will follow.

[wldnswmmr]

More truth is said in jest. There is NO ideological consistency to anything Bush does, other than a dedication to violence and to spending federal money on war. Everything else, to him, is a waste of money. Maybe we'll all get vouchers someday, and we can choose whether we'd like to get police, fire or ambulance protection. Not all, of course. Capitalism requires choices.

[ssaz]

I honestly believe George Bush is the closest thing to Adolph Hitler this country has seen in its history. He continues to centralize power onto himself and the citizens, like lemmings, just follow with little or no resistence. Maybe once ALL of our rights are completely gone we will once again recognize their value and revolt. How can any self-respecting person back such a lunatic?

[CatfishJohn]

there is nothing FUNNY about this disaster or to be gained in political points about the current suffering and damage engendered by this fire. But with that said, there is a dark historical irony here in that the general locale of this disaster is the place Bush chose to blissfully play air guitar at a Republican fundraiser with some country crooner exactly when new orleans was drowning in '05. He chose to ignore Katrina. he acted that day- as it was evident to the nation that Katrina was ravaging the gulf- as if he didnt have a care in the world, while comparing himself to FDR out in sunny SoCal...

[PeterM]

I completely agree and while you are at it, why not point out the repulsively Communist idea of Socialist national defense - put down those guns comrades. We all know that the capitalist market solution is the best and it should provide the best defense at the lowest cost for our country. Every single citizen should enroll in private army contractor insurance to fight wars. Nuclear weapons can be obtained through pools like WMO's (war management organizations) the equivallent to HMO's. Like health care, wars effect every single one so only free market solution is a valid option. What is this nonsense that the government must run national socialist organization like the Pentagon, NSA, CIA, FBI etc... Free market will solve everything!
I need my own private NSA agent to spy on government officials. If it's good for Verizon and Comcast it's good for us too!

[starboymikey]

put down those guns comrades. We all know that the capitalist market solution is the best and it should provide the best defense at the lowest cost for our country.
__________­__________­__________­___

So what do you think Blackwater is?

[PeterM]

Being hired by the US government and working under its national sociallist defense umbrella they provide the worst defense and at the highest cost. You missed the point ;)

[Dogger]

Socialized fifefighting makes sense because fire spreads. Disease, on the other hand, . . .

Er, nevermind.

[Dogger]

oops: firefighting

[BlackJAC]

Perhaps we can hire Blackwater to fight the fires...at quintuple the cost of a normal fire department and with immunity from the anti-looting laws that the rest of us are subject to.

[The Magus]

Mr. Saunders, you've nailed it!

[ChiMan1]

That Bush he took my parking spot at the Mall again, and also stopped up my toilet, besides giving my cat a hair ball, does this guy ever sleep?

[andvoodootoo]

Sure he sleeps - while the twin towers fell, New Orleans drowned and California burns.

[ssaz]

The question is how many more disasters will it take for people to wake up? Maybe a nuclear war with Iran? Sure looks like that's where King George is headed, doesn't it?

I hope George Bush burns in HELL (and I'm atheist) along with his shoot-em-up sidekick Dick.

[kellygrrrl]

BushCo will ABSOLUTELY use this disaster as a means to PRIVATIZE fire departments. I'm sure Halliburton or Blackwater will get the no-bid contract. I'm certain is all in the works as we sweep the ash from our homes.

[VictorLaszlo]

Beautifully said.

[arkansawtravler]

My mamma, when refering to someone whose dough didn't rise always replied...­"He thought they said rain when they said brains" and ran under the house.

[arkansawtravler]

The shrub that is.

[MinuteMan]

> Since the President was so concerned about "socialized medicine" that he vetoed SCHIP expansion, can we assume that his trip to Southern California tomorrow is to deliver a lecture about the evils of socialized firefighting?

Don't be so tough on our hard-working president; he's just flying out west to watch the show and roast a few marshmallows. And, "compassionate conservative" that he is, I'm sure he'll bring along enough marshmallows to share (at least for those who are willing to sign personal loyalty oaths---there are limits, after all).

[iPaul]

Excellent.

[Kansas Evans]

Really great blog!

[Annisee]

Short and exactly to the point Mr. Saunders!

Your thoughts may well enlighten those readers who, after saying the word "socialised" have to wash out their mouths.