The Post-Katrina Era Must Be Progressive

The linguist George Lakoff argues that the Katrina tragedy was exacerbated by the right-wing values that the Bush Administration has put into practice and that the Post-Katrina Era must see a return to progressive-liberal values. Lakoff suggests that the majority of Americans actually hold progressive-liberal values (empathy for others, that we're all in this together, equal protection for all, etc.) as opposed to the right-wing conservativism that (a winner-takes-all capitalism, extremist individualism that valorizes selfishness, and an animosity towards government, unless it can be used to benefit one's private agenda). Note: The glosses in parentheses are mine, not Lakoff's.

I'd like to believe that Lakoff is correct about the values held by most Americans, but I'm not so sure. As Bruce Springsteen sings in "Nebraska," a song narrated by Charlie Starkweather, a mass-murderer who, to my knowledge, was the last person executed by the state of Nebraska: "I guess there's just a meanness in this world." America is a violent culture, and I suspect that more Americans have a sadistic streak than many of us would like to acknowledge.

I fear that too many Americans have embraced right-wing individualism to such an extent that they can feel empathy only for a small circle of friends and family members. I remember a conservative in St. Louis whom I met a few years back. His son had contracted AIDS through a blood transfusion, and although this man was well off he could not pay for all the medical expenses. Fortunately, he qualified for financial support. His son remained alive only because of government largesse. Although he thankfully accepted the government support, he remained steadfastly opposed to universal health care. He was, to put it simply, an elitist who had no compassion for people whom he did not know personally.