Hurricane Sandy, “the perfect storm,” showed President Barack Obama to be the perfect president to handle it. Before the first breeze trumpeting the imminent arrival of Sandy ruffled our hair, our president was making arrangements for the emergency relief of those who would be the possible victims.
And when the fear became a reality, he was ready and implemented all necessary government measures and visited the troubled scenes — and this time spent at the critical tail end of the presidential race. Ask Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. This was no Hurricane Katrina scenario.
Imagine Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in that position. During the June 13, 2011, Republican presidential debate, he answered honestly that federal disaster relief was “immoral.” He said he would have the private sector handle it.
Disaster for profit. Why not? That greed-oriented mentality would advocate for prisoners for profit by privatizing jails, human well-being for profit by privatizing health care, communication for profit by privatizing the U.S. Postal Service, education for profit by privatizing public schools, U.S. disaster response for profit by privatizing Federal Emergency Management Agency-type activities, etc.
The privatizing for profit by him and his privateers goes on. Romney’s Bain Capital is the poster boy for these buccaneers. It is their piracy modus operandi: attack, capture, destroy and plunder.
The concept would be laughable if it was not so lamentable.
Nicholas Zizelis
Bayside
