Republicans have missed an opportunity they almost never miss. They could have crafted a narrative that if Biden came through with aid for Florida, he was buying votes. If Biden stalled-wanting climate change to be addressed in an aid package-then he was ignoring Red state voters. That kind of damned if you do, damned if you don’t narrative has been a cornerstone of right wing media for decades now. I’ve been expecting this framing to be commonplace when Democratic presidents, doing their jobs, get aid to states when needed. Because it’s their job. So far, I’ve been pleasantly disappointed. But I do think this will eventually be a stock talking point.
I for one, fully support spending whatever is necessary and prudent to provide Florida with the aid needed to recover from hurricane Ian. As long as it’s called Comrade Desantis’ Big Government Socialist Welfare Handout Because Climate Change is Happening Now Act.
But I can not help but compare what happens when Florida needs aid and when Puerto Rico needs aid. Comparing how Florida and Puerto Rico are being treated shows why it’s better to be a swing state than a colony.
Puerto Rico needs only one act passed to be able to recover. The Repeal of the Jones Act Act. After every storm, Puerto Rico gets a waver for a few months and then the shackles go right back on. I would support any bill that ends the Jones Act. As long as it’s called the Freedom Liberty America Unwoke Zero-Pronoun Elimination of the Jones Act Act.
Why Puerto Rico being ignored, again? Well it isn’t a state. It’s votes don’t count. And if they did, those votes would be for Democrats. Trump, for all his flaws, did a wonderful job in yelling the quiet part into the public square with a bull horn. Everyone remembers the our people line when Hurricane Michael hit Georgia just as everyone remembers the “They want everything to be done for them” line when Irma hit Puerto Rico. So, yeah, brown people too.
The Citizens of Puerto Rico who died because of wind, flooding and mudslides during the hurricane died because of the hurricane. Those American citizens that die in the following weeks are dying of neglect.
Looking at the Flint Water crisis and the ongoing water crisis in Mississippi, the only thing that changes is that no one is saying the quiet part as loud as Trump. So if you are going to be hit by a crisis, have the good sense to be a swing state. Make sure to have white people affected and put them on TV.
