Every man for himself.

Editor,
In answer to your question whether the White House really believes that responsibility for the public's health and welfare should fall on volunteers, church groups, and individuals, I think the answer is obviously yes.

With respect to virtually every province of civic life, with the exception of waging war, George Bush continues unapologetically and loudly to urge replacing government spending with "faith based" charities and "ownership accounts". College tuition is envisioned to be covered by investment in "education accounts", health care to be covered by investment in "medical accounts", retirement by "retirement accounts".

Evolution according to the right is "just a theory", but a basic tenet of the "culture of life" is that if you can not afford to pay your own way, you are not fit to survive. And the vicissitudes of global capitalists' investments are no excuse. If "faith based" charities are not enough to get you through hard times, well, don't come begging to the government.

Rich people and corporations need as much money as they can possibly get, so they shouldn't pay any taxes. And public money, like the Social Security trust fund (with which there was NO problem before it was looted and replaced with IOU's), is meant to be collected from workers and given as subsidies to the rich.

This system of government is envisioned by BushCo ideologues as needing to be spread across the globe militarily so that rich people have access to more money. The people to whom we bring liberty and democracy in other countries will be expected to invest in faith based ownership accounts.

So, yes, BushCo really do believe it is every man for himself, that the WELFARE of the people (see the preamble to the Constitution of the United States) is not the province of government, and that "faith based" charities are where those kept poor by capitalists in order to keep wages low should turn for relief.