Is it altruism if the US gov't helps victims of Katrina on their feet by restoring the public infrastructure?

Question

The above is the headline Q. This is the full-version Q: Is it altruism if the US gov't helps victims of Katrina back on their feet by restoring the needed public infrastructure of the towns,cities ,counties, & parishes of LA, MS & AL? The people whose lives were impacted by Katrina & Rita & who were forced to leave their homes & businesses, want to go home but many can't until the gov't commits to & begins the effort to restore in earnest the public services necessary for people to commit to living temporarily in FEMA trailers while their homes are rebuilt. Public services from water to electricity to garbage/debris removal, police enforcement, public transportation, public housing, medical facilities, & education facilities that were all damaged or destroyed by Katrina & the Levee failures, are the necessary supporting infrastructure of daily life in any city. How can the gov't at all levels, Federal,State & Local, across the Gulf Coast think they can pretend otherwise. TWH 08282006

Wikipedia gives this definition for the word: "Altruism is an ethical doctrine that holds that individuals have an ethical obligation to help, serve, or benefit others, if necessary at the sacrifice of self interest. Auguste Comte's version of altruism calls for living for the sake of others. One who holds to either of these ethics is known as an "altruist."

The ethical doctrine of altruism has also been called the ethic of altruism, moralistic altruism, and ethical altruism.

Answer 1

No altruism is when you do something out of the goodness of your heart with no hope of return gain and this is not the case here. The US government owes the people of this area something more because of something called taxes and fellow Americans. They took control of this area and supposedly did something to prevent disasters like this from occurring when the National Guard went in there years ago to make the big change. Because of this certain individuals made political gains then when the disaster struct those politicians turned their backs on the people of Mississippi. You are correct when you say that the government is pretending to do something when in fact they aren't. It is interesting how quickly they can come to the rescue of Israel when in their own country certain individuals are not only put on the back burner but also ignored.

Answer 2

Wheather it is right or wrong! the truth is this the american way. The government is not the only ones helping Katrina victims. For the most part many of them have moved from New Orleans to other city. Most of them were already on welfare in New Orleans and those are now on Welfare in their new city.

A good many of them are never coming back to New Orleans. Through different organization like Red Cdross have given Billions of dollars in money to help rebuild New Orleans and other cities hit by Katrina.

The goverment can not clean up private property without the owners permissions and they are somewhere else so alot of that mess will be there for years.

I think they should just condemmed all of the bad places in New Orleans and bulldozied all of it to the ground and build all new housing whereever needed and when needed too.

Answer 3

Rebuilding there is insane (as defined by einstein). Another hurricane will come along eventually and wipe it out again. They were predicting it for decades before it actually happened. Think it won't happen again? No matter how much they build up the levees, a direct hit by a category five hurricane will swamp New Orleans. That's what happens when you live below the water line.

The government should be providing incentives to get people out of there, instead of funding to get them to move back into harm's way.

Answer 4

It is a messes in New Orlean and here is my truly honest opinion. People in New Orlean half of them are poor and there is no way they can build their own homes as fast as they can.So as the clean up. Here is my suggestion that the owner of the homes work closely with the church and organization to help cleaning his or her own home. Before the people clean up they have to analyze what is going to be next before they decide to do the work.The government has to step in and the people had to cry harder and harder in order to get thing done.Go door to door and collect signatures and send them to Times and Newsweek to print and get attention from the big short. My heart and soul went with all of them and My middle child went with Project home last year. Good luck and keep educate people through Yahoo Answer and her magic.

Answer 5

It is not altruistic of the government for the people by the people...paid for by your tax dollars. The task of rebuilding is going to take up to ten years and the people need thier homes rebuilt today. The damage is far to extensive, to fix in such a short time.

Answer 6

It is the duty of the government to do whatever it can for the victims of the typhoon katrina.For in decent times the same people had supported the government by paying taxes in dollars.

Answer 7

U.S. Government wants the taxes for the specific purposes and not to wipe the as*ses and tears of the citizens.

Answer 8

No. It is the responsibility of the US government to do so, and they ARE using tax payers dollars.

Answer 9

we need the money to help the other country first
late the people over hear get by the best way thy can that is
the American way. at lest it bush way.

Answer 10

http://hurricanekatrina.news//