Burma save

Posted 5/10/2008 09:32:00 AM

By Carter Bundy

Last week, fellow columnist Jim Kadlecek got it almost right when he said we should give money to the Red Cross instead of political campaigns. I doubt he could have anticipated just how timely his first point would be when he wrote the column within hours of the Myanmar (Burma) cyclone. He didn’t get it all right, though. First, where he got it wrong:

Politics can be good

Politics and government action can change billions of lives for the better, including in ways in which the Red Cross also helps. Except with much more money and reach.

Whatever the other failures of this administration in Katrina, the Coast Guard performed heroically and competently, on a scope that no private enterprise could ever be expected to match.

That doesn’t mean government should take over for the private sector or that we shouldn’t have a strong capitalist system. It does mean there are certain things that only governments can do well on a large scale.

Electing politicians who are committed to competent, efficient government action for those societal goals that do not naturally lend themselves to profit is important.

So please do give to candidates who are competent and are willing to use their power to help all of our society advance. And be proud that our country, with our tax dollars, often succeeds in massive humanitarian efforts.

The Red Cross

Where Jim got it completely right is that you can’t go wrong giving to the Red Cross, and this week’s disaster in Myanmar is the best reason to give since Katrina and the Indonesian tsunami.

This isn’t a time to point fingers at the awful, inhumane, foolish Myanmar junta. Nor is it a time to question whether America could develop, as George W. Bush once advocated, a humble foreign policy that would engender feelings of trust even when we have to stand up against tyrants. Those discussions are important, but they can happen on another day.

What’s important is that all of us lucky/blessed/fortunate/talented/determined enough to live and do decently well in the United States not turn our back on the rest of the world.

Think about why any of us is interested in politics. At its best, politics leads to policies that protect and save lives not only here, but everywhere in the world. Of course, the degree to which government should be active, rather than just fostering an environment conducive to private action, is one of the central battles in our political dialogue.

The beauty of the Red Cross is that even if you dislike government being involved in rescue work, the Red Cross is a private charity. Likewise, even if you believe in a strong, active role for government in addressing disasters, in cases like Myanmar, the Red Cross may have an advantage in gaining access in the days immediately following a disaster.

While the twisted Myanmar junta vacillates on whether to accept aid from a country that it deems untrustworthy and hostile, the Red Cross is slipping in, literally and figuratively putting band-aids on thousands of people until more massive help is allowed in.

This is who New Mexicans are

Times are tough in much of New Mexico and around the country. Even worse than being tough, times are uncertain. Families’ purchasing power weakens every day as the dollar continues to lose value. Virtually every New Mexican is worried about his or her retirement. Almost a fifth of our fellow citizens don’t have health coverage. Many have the added burden of trying to survive the housing crisis.

But most everyone reading this column has the good fortune to live with a roof over our heads. We may have some health problems, but most of us can get treatment. Eating out may be a strain on a weekly budget, but we all have clean water and access to food that is generally still inexpensive.

Almost all of us can all afford a little something. Charity is always good, and I don’t give as much as I should, so this is far from preaching. But if you ever were inclined to give, this is the week. You will literally save many, many lives this week and over the next month by helping out the Red Cross or other highly-rated charities that do work abroad.

I’ve only been here six and a half years, but have never lived somewhere with as strong a sense of community as New Mexico. One of my favorite things about New Mexico is the general sense that we’re in it together, regardless of background or economic status.

While that unity is largely centered on New Mexico itself, it also becomes a character trait that, once instilled, is easily transferred to other situations. It’s who New Mexicans are.

Many of us who read Heath’s site believe in political contributions, and most of us believe in them because of their power to help people. We rarely will ever have the power to help more people more directly than we do this week.

Let’s show Myanmar what kind of people we New Mexicans are. Please go to redcross.org or the international aid group of your choice. Mil gracias.

Bundy is the political and legislative director for AFSCME in New Mexico. The opinions in his column are personal and do not necessarily reflect any official AFSCME position. You can learn more about him by clicking here. Contact him at carterbundy@yahoo.com.