Man vs Nature

By: Chris Johnson

Among the videos coming out of Los Angeles’ wildfires, one of the most disturbing I’ve seen isn’t of the devastated neighborhood or an inconsolable homeowner who’s lost everything, but of a liberal woman saying, in essence, “Admit it, Republicans. You’re enjoying watching these fires burn down liberal Los Angeles. I know that because I pray for natural hurricanes and tornadoes to hit Republican areas.”

Meanwhile, another video came from one of those more conservative areas, where a natural disaster did tear through, Western North Carolina. In that video, the man on camera was responding to Biden’s announcement that the Federal Government was pledging to cover the cost of all the disaster response efforts in the Los Angeles area. He praised that response, and then he said, “and when you’re done, don’t forget about the people in Appalachia.”

The fact is, the federal government’s response thus far has been far more in line with the first subject, than the second. As the government was pledging to cover 100% of the cost of disaster response in wealthy, liberal Los Angeles, a polar vortex was approaching the victims of Hurricane Helene and FEMA, with its prioritization of disaster “equity,” was declining to renew a program paying for the lodging of 3,500 families who were left homeless by Helene (they did end up renewing it at the last second).

This is after months of accusations of FEMA’s specifically targeting the administration’s political opponents. From their lack of support for WNC’s victims, to the obstacle course thrown up for those victims to collect what aid there was, to the whistle blower reporting that FEMA personnel were told to avoid houses with Trump signs in front of them in Florida, to the priorities currently listed on FEMA’s website with DEI at the very top, the fed’s reactions to these disasters could not be in starker contrast. Who can say whether it has to do with the sitting Vice President’s residence being located in only one of the affected areas?

The devastation caused by the wildfires in LA is a true tragedy, particularly for those who’ve lost loved ones in the fires, but also for the erasure of memories and futures in the homes, many of which were uninsured. Many who thought themselves secure are now doubtless wondering what their future might hold.

The efforts of the crews on the ground, working in the extreme heat with bulky equipment and limited resources, should never go unnoticed.

What also should not go unnoticed, however, is the political decisions which got them to the point where they’re trying to fight fires with no water in the hydrants. Where meth addicts, known to be prone to start fires, are roaming the streets unchallenged while the National Weather Service is sounding the alarm on the risk of wildfires, and where the mayor – knowing those risks – leaves the nation.

All that is discussed, at length, in this excellent interview Tucker Carlson does with Michael Shellenberger.

What receives less attention is the LA Fire Department’s preoccupation with hiring fewer white men as fire fighters. Going back to 2015, at least, the city was expressing a frustration with the amount of white men wanting to fight the city’s fires.

It’s interesting, as I’m writing this, I’m watching the Pete Hegseth confirmation hearings, and he’s making the exact same arguments: the weight of the necessary equipment doesn’t change depending on whether you’re a man or woman. The job’s requirements aren’t arbitrary, and the standard should be set by what the job requires.

Contrary to what the woman in that first video I referenced might think, conservatives are not celebrating the LA fires; we’re not saying they get what’s coming to them. But we do hope that they’re able to see what all these misplaced priorities have actually resulted in.

We want the best for our countrymen in California, including that they would wake up and realize that the politicians they’ve elected have left them vulnerable to the forces of nature, whether that ends up being natural disaster or natural law.

May the Lord bless the victims of the disasters America has undergone these past few months.

 

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