The role of govt in a disaster - any kind you care to name

No matter what role the govt decides on in any critical situation (MAYBE EXCEPT WAR, but probably including that as well ..12/7/41, 9/11/01, post invasion Iraq) the govt response will be 2 things:

TOO LATE
MOSTLY WRONG

A government is not hired to get us out of natural, economic, or other such disasters (up until now?). It MAY be able to protect the people (it's real and only job) from some situations.

One could form an argument that the federal govt at all levels, and in all branches failed to do just that with regard to the present economic joke. The SEC and other regulatory agencies (executive branch) failed. Dodd, Frank and Congress were BOUGHT and failed to protect the people, but as we can see the govt is so far gone, no self corrective measure are possible. Executive appointments are, in a large %, tax evaders, and congress while doing the same (Rangel), is still convinced (Schumer ...'the american people don't care') that they can go on in the same old way.

So we have no protection ...EVEN NOW.

What of after a disaster?
From 1929-1936 two administrations with opposite philosophies despite trying EVERYTHING from taxes, to protectionism to govt hiring and makework could NOT find a way out.
Katrina ..oy. The National Guard was in place. Water, ice, housing, tents, mechanized infantry, all ready, yet it took days, a week or more to even get untracked adequately. Michael Brown was not a model responder, but it would not have made an overall difference ..all we have to do is look at the state and local actions to know this is fact. Next time around there will be other mistakes and other lessons to learn.
It's impossible. The lesson is not about Katrina, it's about the nature of govt response.

The forces at work in a democracy render it IMPOSSIBLE for the govt to 'save' us, or apparently to protect us adequately(greed, however crossses all ideological and system boundaries).

Which brings us to today.
I understand it's impossible, even UNAMERICAN to do nothing. The American response will always be that there is some ingenious action we have not yet tried which will 'fix' this.
There may even be actions which will HELP.

But it will come later. And as Geithner said, AFTER ERRORS (however if you are in charge of making sure things don't get worse you send out some unknown underling to deliver that sentence ..IF AT ALL.. for obvious reasons of market and popular confidence).

Which brings us to the error being made now. 3.7 trillion of everything every dem and some repubs can think up, rammed into the 'help us now' begging party, which will undoubtedly enrich some people who are REALLY GOING TO PISS US OFF AND DIMINISH CONFIDENCE IN GOVT, and not only not help, but leave the govt with the choice of increasing taxes, or creating inflation by printing money and diminishing world economic confidence in the USA, translated into the end of other nations buying T-bills.

Anyone out there thought about what your retirement or social security is going to be worth if the govt just won't turn off the presses so it can pay off this debt?

So they not only will be late and wrong, they will PROBABLY make it worse. And that's true NO MATTER WHO IS IN OFFICE.

So to save ourselves, we have only ourselves. While we do save ourselves, we may be able to help others. That's called a mitzvah, and there's a reason why it is.

The idea that it has been, or can be any different is a delusion. A delusion which will forever change America into an unpleasant nation with diminished hope, and dimmed growth...where people only care IN THE END if they can be saved, and where if they can accomplish on their own, it is secondary to that.

This administration believes not only that the govt CAN save us, but that it must, and that THAT is it's role. One look at Dodd, and Frank and the positions THEY RETAIN, and you will have to excuse me for lacking confidence in those who are satisfied with such a situation, and excuse me if I question their judgement ACROSS THE BOARD, including an honest attempt to protect the people.