Is it altruism if the US gov’t helps victims of Katrina on their feet by restoring the public infrastructure?

Question by heeltap: Is it altruism if the US gov’t helps victims of Katrina on their feet by restoring the public infrastructure?

The above is the headline Q. This is the full-version Q: Is it altruism if the US gov’t helps victims of Katrina back on their feet by restoring the needed public infrastructure of the towns,cities ,counties, & parishes of LA, MS & AL? The people whose lives were impacted by Katrina & Rita & who were forced to leave their homes & businesses, want to go home but many can’t until the gov’t commits to & begins the effort to restore in earnest the public services necessary for people to commit to living temporarily in FEMA trailers while their homes are rebuilt. Public services from water to electricity to garbage/debris removal, police enforcement, public transportation, public housing, medical facilities, & education facilities that were all damaged or destroyed by Katrina & the Levee failures, are the necessary supporting infrastructure of daily life in any city. How can the gov’t at all levels, Federal,State & Local, across the Gulf Coast think they can pretend otherwise. TWH 08282006
Wikipedia gives this definition for the word: “Altruism is an ethical doctrine that holds that individuals have an ethical obligation to help, serve, or benefit others, if necessary at the sacrifice of self interest. Auguste Comte’s version of altruism calls for living for the sake of others. One who holds to either of these ethics is known as an “altruist.”

The ethical doctrine of altruism has also been called the ethic of altruism, moralistic altruism, and ethical altruism.

Best answer:

Answer by toe poe gee gee oh
It is not altruistic of the government for the people by the people…paid for by your tax dollars. The task of rebuilding is going to take up to ten years and the people need thier homes rebuilt today. The damage is far to extensive, to fix in such a short time.

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