Opinion: Making fun of Texas while people are dying isn't the own you think it is

[Klaralven]

I hate to break up a good time. I really do.

But if you don't mind, perchance, it would be a nice gesture if some of you stopped windmill dunking on Texas as freezing temperatures plunge millions into dark and cold, literally killing people this week.

I know it's not all of you. But there is a certain subsection of folks that appear hellbent on using this moment of systemic collapse to get in some version of this one lonely joke:

Texas is a vicious place ran by a coterie of increasingly moist and precious men. We have a private power grid built chiefly of Nerd Rope and men's dress ties and our local rappers do more on a given day to support working people than our elected officials. It is in many ways one of the foremost enterprises in American Failure.

But Texas is more than its worst actors. It is a diverse state, a red and blue state. Moreover it's like any other place in this nation, where people are just trying to get by in the face of seemingly worsening odds. And some are dying and asphyxiating trying to stay alive right now.

https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Texas-ERCOT-power-outages-grid-Twitter-Abbott-15954018.php

OTOH, we remember how sympathetic Texas politicians were after Superstorm Sandy.

[MaryMagdaline]

1. Amen. Lots of good people there

[samnsara]

2. i guess i missed the texas outrage. Just know its damn cold and ppl can die...

[DonaldsRump]

3. I have nothing against the people

My indictment is against the government and private sector officials that caused this mess. Some of those people are directly accountable not just for this mess, but other unacceptable behavior affecting the rest of the country. I am specifically referring to such "giants" as Abbott, Patrick, Cruz, and Paxton.

I don't profess to understand their direct relationship to the current power situation, but I do know these people interjected themselves into things they had no business discussing while, directly or indirectly, failing to take care of their own state. And then they run to the feds to bail them out. Some of these folks also slammed the "socialists" in California for the power outages meant to protect against wildfires and boasted about how great their own situation was. California was a specific target of trump and the Republicans for the last 4 years, and these officials in TX loved it.

Hypocrites and incompetents. And very dangerous people.

The officials who are responsible deserve real-time blame.

On edit: I just saw this posted on DU. RWNJs are blaming us for this now. I see no reason why the government officials in TX shouldn't be held accountable RIGHT NOW. https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=15120143

[SoonerPride]

5. But of course who elected and continues to elect those officials ?

Hey, I live in red state hell Oklahoma. Our “leaders” are cut from the same cloth of stupid and greedy.

And they get more whackadoodle by the day.

But my fellow Oklahomans can’t get enough of it.

And then when we too are having rolling blackouts they seem dumbfounded that their greed and short sightedness come back to bite them in the ass.

Texans get what they voted for.

[DonaldsRump]

7. Yes, but note Fox News is already blaming the "coastal elites" for this mess

That's happening now. The spin and lies against us are incredible, and need to be countered in real time.

Yes, Texans elected these people. But these government officials need to have their blame, incompetency, and hypocrisy exposed in real time. Otherwise, the "socialists" will be to blame, and your rank-and-file Texan will believe that.

It's about countering spin and holding officials accountable. I feel incredibly sorry for the people, not the government officials who caused this mess and went after everyone but themselves.

[SlogginThroughIt]

19. well sure. Liars gonna lie.

That’s how they do it.

[kcr]

4. Opinion: Texas is a fine state. Pay no attention to what it is doing to its fine citizens

Thin skins will not tolerate dissent.

[efhmc]

6. 5,259,126 Texan voted for Biden. Enough to carry many states. In fact several states.

In the meanwhile lots of people are suffering no matter what their political bent. As an ardent Dem supporter I am saddened by the nasty comments on line by many "liberals" toward an entire state.

[atreides1]

9. True

But the population of Texas at last count was 29 million...and 5.2 million votes for reason and sanity is a good thing, but it isn't enough to make a change in Texas...anytime soon!

I'm truly sorry that people are suffering, that people have died...but it is because of the political bent of many that they are suffering!

The fact is that as soon as this emergency is over, the investigations will go away or no fault will be assigned, the left will be blamed for what happened...and things will go back to same as it ever was!!!

My question is when do people who choose poorly ever learn the lesson that their actions can have consequences as well as rewards?

[efhmc]

17. Even with the GOP count only about 12 million people voted. (5,890,347 DJT)

Actually the Dem vote is a good percentage. It has increased yearly and is continuing to go up.

[Arkansas Granny]

10. Thank you. IMO, this is a humanitarian issue at this point.

We can argue and cast blame later. Right now any assistance that can be provided should be sent.

I can only imagine the desperation of sitting in the cold and dark with no alternatives.

[DonaldsRump]

20. I agree about the tragedy

But the Republicans are already blaming the Ds as we speak. They are the ones doing this while this tragedy unfolds. Our folks, who are also helping via federal aid, need to also make sure the spin doesn't become the reality.

I have already seen Greg Abbott and Fox News blame this on the "coastal elites", AOC, Senator Sanders, and the Green New Deal. The lies have to stop. It is the only way to stop this from happening again, as voters genuinely believe this is a "socialist" failiure.

It is not.

On edit: here is an example of the R lies about this going on in real time, while people are dying: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215120751

[JI7]

8. How about Blaming California,Biden, Harris, AOC , Pelosi etc for what happened in Texas ?

I think that is a lot worse. Is is really worth it to write this article . I don't see much making fun or other than when it comes to things like the shit TEd Cruz and other ELECTED PUBLIC OFFICIALS in the state have said.

How about blaming the green new deal for it ? How did Texas get the green new deal but liberal blue states didn't ?

I think that should be the focus.

We are starting to get right wing spreading bs about what happened in Texas the way they have been about Covid and other things .

[Tien1985]

11. I won't lie

That my first thought was negative--wondering if they were going to blame Biden instead of their own messed up system for "ignoring" them in a tit-for-tat from Trump and NY. But it really didn't occur to me to make fun of them for freezing.

[FSogol]

12. Opinion: Pointing out the massive hypocrisy of Texas' elected leaders isn't making fun of Texas

while people are dying. Texas' ineffectual leaders are allowing them to die. Your scolding is misplaced.

[BeerBarrelPolka]

14. This

[LexVegas]

13. ...

[Drahthaardogs]

15. I would NEVER make fun, but I'll cuss their politicians

For setting people up to die

[Drahthaardogs]

16. I would NEVER make fun, but I'll cuss their politicians

For setting people up to die

[raccoon]

18. " Texas is a vicious place ran by a coterie of increasingly moist and precious men"

What in the world does that mean?