Using a Krauthammer to Pound the Needy

On Friday, Charles Krauthammer was on TV discussing disaster relief for the crushing devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy that destroyed countless lives.

"I think what [Speaker] Boehner did in postponing the vote until today was absolutely right," Mr. Krauthammer insisted. "That was a rape of the Treasury."

When I heard that, I only had one question.

Was it a "legitimate" rape?!

If it was, then the Treasury won't get pregnant. This is really good news. No one would have been hurt.

Unfortunately, Mr. Krauthammer was too focused on the cost to realize this. "$60 billion, including a ton of pork," he whined, like a John negotiating with a really expensive hooker.

But the thing is, even if it wasn't a "legitimate" rape, that would mean it was consensual. So, both sides would be getting what they wanted. Congress would get to pork the Treasury, and the Treasury would get to put out.

And in the end, they both would get to help destitute Americans in dire need of help.

While I know that many people likely saw Mr. Krauthammer's comments as being cold and heartless, in reality they were cold and heartless.

I mean, seriously, Hurricane Sandy was a monumental national disaster of epic proportions -- and I'm not even exaggerating. The Eastern Seaboard of the United States was crushed, and most of it is still digging out, trying to get their lives back. American citizens, our neighbors, your neighbors, strangers yet part of us all. Businesses, industries, cities, towns. Pummeled by an earth-crushing, society-destroying hurricane.

How small, petty, mean-spirited, hurtful and inhuman do you have to be to not want to do everything you can to help?

By the way, I'm sure that there are others just like Charles Krauthammer who don't want to help. I understand. And they are just as small, petty, mean-spirited, hurtful and inhuman.

This isn't about "the Treasury." It's not about our budget deficit or national debt. This is a dot on a caraway seed of our deficit. Aiding the needy is not what's caused our debt. Aiding those in critical need is what we do as humans.

Whatever the cost.

If your neighbor's house was on fire, you'd bring out your hose, no questions asked. You wouldn't worry about how this would affect your water bill.

This isn't about the Treasury. It's about people who just don't want to help others. Don't want to help the poor, don't want to help the elderly, don't want to help the sick, don't want to help their neighbors, don't want to help anyone who actually needs help. Which is really the best, if not only time to help people. But if they themselves were left in critical need for any reason, would likely be first in line demanding help from the government.

And they'd be right to demand it. And they should get it.

It's one thing to preach "love thy neighbor." It's another thing to live it.

Love thy neighbor does not come with a price tag.

"If they would rather die, they should do so and decrease the surplus population."

Don't be surprised if Charles Krauthammer is visited by three ghosts tonight...

More from Robert J. Elisberg can be found on the website, Elisberg Industries.