If you are as deeply attached to the idea of human freedom as I am it’s got to be hard to listen to the news or to have a conversation with friends and neighbors who are infinitely sure that the storm is proof positive that we need all-consuming government in order to survive. Our Mayor and Governor are missing no opportunities to further their political agendas but of course any expression of opinion to the contrary is instantly pronounced misguided and inhuman. I have every intention of disabusing these ridiculous and irrational notions however this is clearly not the time.
If you believe, as I do, that free human beings always out-perform government-by-force we should IMHO prioritize taking direct action to help friends and neighbors and people we don’t even know. I happen to live on the Brooklyn waterfront on the border of Red Hook so for better or worse I don’t have to go too far to find something to do. I suspect few in New York City are very far from someone who needs help. I suspect you can walk outside and find something helpful to do. Let’s also remember the effectiveness of division of labor. It may also be that working with a larger organization suits you better or may be more effective. And of course you need to make your own decisions about what you do.
To the best of my knowledge, here in Red Hook (or very close) the Red Hook Initiative seems to be the place to go to make contributions of cash and supplies.
This of course is only my own neighborhood so I’d like to invite readers to post suggestions in comments below about what we can do and where we can go to help.