When Up is Down (or Red is Blue...)
This strikes me as being totally upside down.
On the one hand, we have the Democrats in Louisiana (in the form of Nagin and Blanco) pressing for local control over the rebuilding contracts and visions of the future. Nagin, in particular, has been interesting me by calling for a return of business and free enterprise (tax breaks and business economic zones) as key to the recovery of the Big Easy’s economic base.
To me, these concepts would normally fall under the headings of Federalism (local authority, lowest level of government in control), and Republican economics.
On the other hand, we have George Bush – ostensibly a Republican, who is furiously expanding the role of the federal government to fund not only the relief and rebuilding, but also to simultaneously attack the root causes of chronic poverty.
I would normally have classed these concepts as Democrat (more government involvement and spending) and Socialist (equalizing opportunities and approaching the class/poverty issues as a government responsibility).
Fascinating. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but that clear red/blue separation appears a bit blurry...
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