Kalos, I see your point. A cynical and short-sighted government may well let the "weak" die off, saving themselves the trouble of having to take care of them (or at least try to). But, the harm in this is that such a government would quickly lose much of its legitimacy in the eyes of the survivors. If the government can't- or even worse, won't- care for a good number of its own citizens, what good would it be? A lot of neglected citizens- and maybe some of the "chosen ones" as well- would be all too willing to turn their backs on the government that had, in effect, turned it's back on them.
A government with its eyes on the future would hopefully realize that if the U.S.A. is going to someday return to its position of prominence in the world, let alone defend itself from foreign powers, it will need to preserve as much of its population as possible. From just a PR standpoint, the government would need to be seen as doing everything in its power to assist its citizens. A failure to do so would be a massive blow to national morale, and would undoubtedly slow economic and military recovery.
Look at how the U.S. federal government came across after Hurricane Katrina- incompetent and uncaring. This likely contributed somewhat to Obama's victory in the next presidential election.
Look at how Hoover is remembered for his somewhat cavalier, "it will take care of itself" response to the 1929 Stock Market Crash and the beginning of the Great Depression. FDR is much more fondly remembered because he actually did something about it. Look at how the Weimar Republic was viewed by most Germans in the '20s and early '30s. In fact, one could argue that inneffective government led, in part, to the assention of the Nazi party.
A callous attitude on the part of the T2K U.S. federal government after the TDM could actually lead to an increase in support for more radical and proactive options like New America.
So yes, Kalos, I agree that from a purely practical, short-term POV, an OTSS national policy would make things easier on the Feds, but, in the long-term, it would mean the end of that government, and likely the downfall of the nation. I would hope that the government would see beyond the short-term difficulties of dealing with hordes of desperate refugees. This of course, is my opinion.
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