By Emily Van Kirk
President Obama, following his visit to flood-affected areas in Louisiana, exhorted Americans “stay focused” on disaster relief across the state and “do what you can do to help get families and businesses back on their feet.”
China also experienced flooding this summer, which has largely been blamed on Soviet-era construction of cities and drainage systems. China Daily, an English-language newspaper, encourages cities to bolster their systems in preparation for extensive flooding.
While we in America tend to forget disasters after the news coverage has subsided, the Chinese are left to their own devices from the start — they do not have access to infrastructure that can mitigate the effects of such disasters.
Fox News has criticized Obama, contending that “cutting short” his Martha’s Vineyard vacation would have been an appropriate response to the Louisiana flooding. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has also found fault with Obama’s actions or lack thereof, referring to his Louisiana visit as “too little, too late.”
Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, a Republican who, according to the New York Times, “frequently criticizes Mr. Obama,” regarded the president’s visit as effective. In an interview, Nungesser said, “They actually do care.” Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, was similarly satisfied with the federal response to the disaster.
The Chinese government’s response to the flood there exemplifies its tendency to disregard the people’s grievances. Rather than respond to the flood directly, the Communist Party relies on a federally sourced news agency to relay information that blames disastrous rainfall on Soviet influence in China. Further, local governments are left with the task of flood recovery but are without the legitimate means to do so.
The New York Times has found that in Louisiana, “some are busy just hanging on.” Louisiana residents have had to become accustomed to the devastation associated with rainfall. Flooding over the past two weeks have displaced tens of thousands of people and killed at least 13.
Although President Obama has received considerable criticism for his response to flooding in 2016, former President George W. Bush’s inaction 11 years ago after Hurricane Katrina is considered a major shortcoming of his presidency.
It would appear that whether the president, Chinese or American, pays a visit to disaster zones does not have a marked effect on the destruction caused by floods. People in these regions will face hardship regardless of a presidential presence. Federal assistance will provide money for recovery efforts, but the president being there ultimately serves to reassure people who are not directly affected by the disaster.
Individuals who and media outlets that take issue with the president’s delayed trip to flooded communities in Baton Rouge need to consider their own response to the flood-affected region. “[T]his is not just about property damage” Obama remarked in a speech in Baton Rouge. “This is about people’s roots. What I want the people of Louisiana to know is that you’re not alone on this.”
If we as Americans project democracy and human rights internationally, then we need to be willing to address the people in our own country who are suffering. We cannot rely on the president to solve problems that arise from natural disasters. When we question whether the president’s response was expedient, we also need to ask ourselves what we can do to help our people.