Matt Yglesias attempted to use the Berlin Airlift to criticize the federal government’s response to the devastation on Puerto Rico:
https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/913799491316322304
Sigh.
Is he not paying attention? The issue with Puerto Rico right now is a destroyed power grid, no ability to communicate, potable water shortages and a destroyed transportation infrastructure that’s preventing the distribution of aid already at the airport and the ports around the island.
Berlin was surrounded by Soviet tanks but the city had a power grid, water and an infrastructure to distribute aid once it arrived:
Actually, the Berlin Airlift did not supply Berlin with electricity or running water https://t.co/vhkwnxWHuE
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) September 29, 2017
You can't airdrop electricity from transports.
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) September 29, 2017
The ignorance in this tweet and what it's replying to is mind blowing. https://t.co/KlqCoWrQKH
— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) September 29, 2017
More from author and Navy War College professor Tom Nichols, who is by no means a Trump supporter:
*sigh* Okay. Here's why the Berlin Airlift is not like the situation in Puerto Rico. I'll keep it brief.
/1— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) September 30, 2017
Berlin was not destroyed by a disaster. It had functioning roads and airfields and water and electricity and shelter. /2
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) September 30, 2017
If Puerto Rico were just cut off from the mainland, like by a bridge or something, we could fly anything in, starting right now. /3
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) September 30, 2017
What Berlin needed was coal, and food. With enough flights, we could just drop it off over and over, and then Berliners could move it. /4
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) September 30, 2017
You cannot airlift electricity. You have to wade through water with an army of electricians. You can't drop it off at the airport. /5
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) September 30, 2017
If you can't grasp this, I can't make it clearer. I am not defending Trump's incompetence, but a bad analogy is a bad analogy. /6x
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) September 30, 2017
And as we documented to Patricia Arquette yesterday, we’re already airlifting in supplies:
Patricia Arquette asks Hillary Clinton if we can use the Air Force to aid Puerto Rico. Who wants to tell her? https://t.co/Mqxx2LaFNb
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 28, 2017
Related:
Stephen Colbert is embarrassing celebrities to raise money for Puerto Rico and it's actually really funny… https://t.co/aodxlxpsjc
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 29, 2017
ICYMI: Former Obama HACK Dan Pfeiffer deletes tweet on Trump admin. response to Puerto Rico https://t.co/c4Q86xs11W
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 26, 2017
SAVAGE: 'Hero of Benghazi' Kris Paronto just REKT Hillary and her bitchy Puerto Rico tweet https://t.co/njlUbQF1Rv
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 26, 2017
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