Homeland Security, Indonesia Needs Our Help!

By Chris Moses
The Blue Print
on Homeland Security:

Hurricane Katrina literally wiped out New Orleans. Although four years of reconstruction have passed, the city is still far from the way it once was. It has only partially recovered from the catastrophe. The issue at hand is what to do now in terms of reconstructing New Orleans after a massive recession.

Even before the economy crashed, the origins of the funds for the future projects of New Orleans perplexed the US. Where should the money come from, the federal government, state and local governments, taxes, or private developers? After the economic downfall the reconstruction has slowed considerably.

Conservatives believe the federal government should not be primarily responsible for the funds because spending money and raising taxes has a detrimental effect on the economy; this causes the government to become an ineffective investor and consumer. On the other hand, the liberals believe federal government spending is essential for the reconstruction of New Orleans because they believe the government should involve itself more in issues like rebuilding New Orleans.

Today, the US has received word that Mount Sinabung of Indonesia erupted, creating mass destruction, followed by a series of minor earthquakes. There have been reports that the Volcanic Explosivity Index is 7, which is greater than Mt. St. Helen’s and Mt. Pinatubo’s VEI.

Clearly, Indonesia is in great need of foreign aid. This catastrophic occurrence has immediately affected Indonesia and will perhaps affect many different areas of the globe. The eruption that spewed 130 km3 into the air could potentially have an adverse effect upon our climate, which in turn could affect agriculture, resulting in starvation. The Indonesian Government has specifically requested aid from the US government.

This recent crisis directly affects Homeland Security with regards to New Orleans. The US government now has to decide whether or not money will go to Indonesia for relief efforts, and if so, how this will affect New Orleans, which still needs billions of dollars for rehabilitation.

Will conservatives agree on limited federal spending on New Orleans and Indonesia, or none at all? Liberals, should all federal spending go to New Orleans, or some to Indonesia as well? This is the debate Congress will see over the course of the next few days.

Indonesia needs our help horribly, while New Orleans is slowly making progress. There is only so much the US can contribute to both crises. Only time will tell where the money will come from and where it will be spent.