This is the theme that has propelled the Republican domestic and, to a certain extent, even its international agenda. The term ‘Undeserving’ crosses all racial and ethnic barriers and refers to black welfare Queens of the Reagan era,the white underclass,the newly arrived immigrants etc. These people are supposed to be a drain on our mighty economic engine because they are not flashy enterpreneurs but instead need services like health, education, and yes, welfare to make ends meet.They are the ones singled out for the tirades from Rush Limbaugh,O’Reilly and the WSJ editorial page.
If you carefully read the articles by rightwingers on the New Orleans ordeal of the Undeserving People, you will note that they are called shiftless, lazy and unable to take the initiative to save their own lives.
In the international arena a similar attitude prevails among rightwingers.Sometime ago, I posted a note on another blog a letter I received from my three daughters who went to Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India to help the victims of the Tsunami.Their first hand accounts of the courage and suffering of some of the poorest people on earth touched many but I was also told by some that we should not waste our sympathies on these Undeserving People because they will make fodder for Bin Laden!
What this shows is that the carefully constructed view of America as a compassionate nation is under assault by the right wing.Instead they want to turn this country into a heartless nation on a par with some of our older enemies so that the demonization of the Undeserving people can continue.
If the notion that helpless people are undeserving of our attention and/or help gains a foothold, we are done for.