Naomi Klein: Rapture Rescue 911: Disaster Response for the Chosen

from The Nation:



Rapture Rescue 911: Disaster Response for the Chosen
Naomi Klein


I used to worry that the United States was in the grip of extremists who sincerely believed that the Apocalypse was coming and that they and their friends would be airlifted to heavenly safety. I have since reconsidered. The country is indeed in the grip of extremists who are determined to act out the biblical climax--the saving of the chosen and the burning of the masses--but without any divine intervention. Heaven can wait. Thanks to the booming business of privatized disaster services, we're getting the Rapture right here on earth.

Just look at what is happening in Southern California. Even as wildfires devoured whole swaths of the region, some homes in the heart of the inferno were left intact, as if saved by a higher power. But it wasn't the hand of God; in several cases it was the handiwork of Firebreak Spray Systems. Firebreak is a special service offered to customers of insurance giant American International Group (AIG)--but only if they happen to live in the wealthiest ZIP codes in the country. Members of the company's Private Client Group pay an average of $19,000 to have their homes sprayed with fire retardant. During the wildfires, the "mobile units"--racing around in red firetrucks--even extinguished fires for their clients.

One customer described a scene of modern-day Revelation. "Just picture it. Here you are in that raging wildfire. Smoke everywhere. Flames everywhere. Plumes of smoke coming up over the hills," he told the Los Angeles Times. "Here's a couple guys showing up in what looks like a firetruck who are experts trained in fighting wildfire and they're there specifically to protect your home."

And your home alone. "There were a few instances," one of the private firefighters told Bloomberg News, "where we were spraying and the neighbor's house went up like a candle." With public fire departments cut to the bone, gone are the days of Rapid Response, when everyone was entitled to equal protection. Now, increasingly intense natural disasters will be met with the new model: Rapture Response.

During last year's hurricane season, Florida homeowners were offered similarly high-priced salvation by HelpJet, a travel agency launched with promises to turn "a hurricane evacuation into a jet-setter vacation." For an annual fee, a company concierge takes care of everything: transport to the air terminal, luxurious travel, bookings at five-star resorts. Most of all, HelpJet is an escape hatch from the kind of government failure on display during Katrina. "No standing in lines, no hassle with crowds, just a first class experience." ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071119/klein

If we as a nation do not MAKE the rich give back and make laws to force limits(by taxation or other means)on how much the rich take from us all ,that is,most of us, we will be screwed by them and their fucking hired servants..

NO ONE should be allowed to hire out private firefighters while local fire departments are bankrupted by the rich for their disaster criminal capitalism schemes. Fuck the rich bind them do not let the few grow too wealthy because they know no self restraint on their greed and lust for acquiring,they are like crack addicts,they will rob what is the resources of the common good from the masses. .FOR THEMSELVES ALONE.Shamelessly.

One company... it works, sort off

Once you get competing companies... why we had volunteer fire departments

So history doesn't repeat itself...

Really...

:scared: