Victims who were displaced by the wildfires in California are being told that they are going to have to wait at least three months in order to receive any kind of housing shelter. Yet the United States and California have hundreds of thousands of vacant units, hotel rooms, and second vacation homes. Why can’t we use any of those? Well, we could. But there are good reasons not to.
California Wildfire Victims Keep Capitalism Strong by Being Kept Homeless
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That last frame was magnificent, Ted – but admit that you set the lady up !…
Henri
The daily $250 million must come out of petty cash, and be in addition to the $700+ billion of the Department of War (Defense?? misnomer? Mind fart? Or just pure evil?) annual budget which is coming very close to $2 billion per day.
I heard just this morning that 18% of GDP is attributable to health care.
A big boost in GDP should also come from rebuilding homes destroyed in weather disasters (that is, if these former homeowners can find anything left to spend on rebuilding).
If it weren’t for catastrophic weather and illness, GDP would be in free fall.
But, the misfortune of one class is the Fortune (Cha-Ching!) of the other.
Oh, and don’t forget to figure in planned obsolescence and the prison industrial complex, too.
The Republicans and Democrats both have had a hand (or two) in Making America Grate Again (but not so Great).
grate:
verb (used without object), grat·ed, grat·ing.
to have an irritating or unpleasant effect:
His constant chatter (tweeting) grates on my nerves.
OUTLAW SHREDDED CHEESE! (make America grate again…)
We used to joke about CA sliding off into the ocean. Now it’s going to burn and this comment doesn’t have a punchline either.
Wake up, sheeple – or your state burns next.
California is an artificially irrigated desert. It is highly prone to wildfires. It is the same thing when people live in an alluvial flood plan. “Why did you move to/build a home in the middle of a forest that could go up in an instant? Why did you build right next to a river that could flood?” “Oh, it’s so beautiful here, so peaceful. It’s where we’ve always lived. etc.”
We’ve seen it so often it’s cliche.
The other cliche? There’s always a few people who, before the fire/flood/locust swarm, almost proudly assert that they ain’t leavin’ no sirree, Bob. And what do the news people do EVERY time? They go back and talk to those people, who somehow always survive, and who now have a smug, knowing look while being interviewed. “Ayup, I knew it wouldn’t be that bad.”
In New York, where a major subway line between Brooklyn and lower Manhattan was put out of commission for 18 months (that’s a year and a half; my fingers did not slip), by Superstorm Sandy, the survivors were forced, for quite a while after, to endure a truly awful jingle on TV about rebuilding efforts. “We’re stronger than the storm” accompanied by graj band three-chord guitar.
We aren’t stronger than a Category 5 hurricane.
We aren’t stronger than a fire season that comes through year after year after year.
San Francisco will not be stronger than the 8.something on the Richter Scale that’s going to come.
We aren’t stronger than the bacteria that are shortly going to achieve total antibiotic resistance.
As Ted points out, the government can’t (or won’t) even deal properly with a small-scale disaster. Perhaps that is what will finally finish off capitalism.
Reason has little or no effect on crazy.
Glenn, I may go out and have that tattooed on my forehead.
OT: Geo. H.W. Bush has been called up to Heaven. A True Hero [tm] who single-handedly ended the Gulf War, bringing peace and prosperity to the region. He was standing right there beside Saint Raygun as the latter knocked down the Berlin Wall with his dick.
Keeee-rist what a scumbag, he sold Saddam the weapons that were used against his own people and then against Americans in a war he green-lighted. Is it any wonder Saddam hated him? They were besties right up until it became politically expedient to declare war. (“Operation Media Storm”)
We need more heroes like him. (i.e. “Dead”)
And this, too.
“After the Gulf War (2 August 1990 – 17 January 1991) and its relatively decisive victory, President George H.W. Bush declared that Vietnam Syndrome was finally “kicked”. It’s believed the U.S. had recovered from the disaster in Vietnam. This idea is backed up by the broad support of government in battles in Afghanistan and Iraq in first decade of 21st century.”
I believe the U.S. population had degenerated, under HW, from the righteous overt opposition to war crimes that typified US operations in Vietnam.
I seems all the posers didn’t need the pose anymore after the end of the draft.
The perverse generation, following the lead of Bill Clinton, who after the successful end of his appeals for a draft deferment, soon made the transition into war monger when his own personal ass was out of danger.
Clinton and W, chickenhawks.
I wonder if the death certificate included the true cause of death: Donald J. Trump’s shenanigans. (The same cause that will go on the Republican Party’s certificate in about two more years.)