Bush's Nanny State

Bush apologists have as much right to speak out as anyone else. What they don’t have is the right to manipulate and rebrand language to their own purpose.

Typical of the current outpourings is:

Common Sense Rules for Compassionate Conservatives By Nathan Tabor of the Lincoln Tribune
"In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Liberal media is full of recriminations about who should have done what, and when, and why the Federal government miserably failed to do its job. Most of the talking heads want to blame President Bush, personally, for just about everything from global warming to the levee failures and the gas shortages.
Implicit in the foregoing discussions is the now nearly universal assumption that the Nanny State is somehow supposed to provide cradle-to-grave security for each and every person, and that we are all rightfully entitled to it."

“Nanny Culture,” is in fact, well defined as ‘a tendency in government of all levels to unduly protect citizens from their own bad habits.’ More to the point, it is imposed equally by governments across the spectrum, often for their own ends. It is a form of social engineering, and to a degree imposed marketing.
George W left himself wide open to the criticism over the Katrina fiasco. No, he did not cause the hurricane, and yes, other levels of government must carry a measure of responsibility.
However George W painted a bulls eye on his forehead when he virtually told the American people, “don’t you worry about anything, we will protect you!” Why did he make this outrageous promise? The feds took this stance purely to assuage fear, criticism and doubt over his ‘crusades to the holy lands’.
The administration created their own version of the nanny state, raising public expectations far beyond the reasonable; purely ease the way for their own dubious agenda.
This is not a subtle argument over conservative Vs so called liberal values. The criticisms, in the light of the Governments stand, are valid. George W and his cronies failed to deliver on their ridiculous promise.
Observing from the outside, the total lack of basic commonsense in the whole emergency relief affair has been mind blowing. Even before the disaster occurred, those in the know were pointing out that the information on which the Feds were basing their plans was bullshit.
Still the litany came, “Don’t you worry. We will look after you!” With little else to give them optimism, the people clung to this false hope from a government which continued to promote itself as a super guardian.
This is not history, the lesson is from yesterday. George W and his gang need to do more now than to engage in empty rhetoric.
The assumption that the Nanny State is somehow supposed to provide cradle-to-grave security for each and every person, and that we are all rightfully entitled to it is one generated by the Bush administration. Now it is up to them to honour the outrageous promises.