I have a love/hate relationship with the Corps of Engineers. In spite of the fact that so many people believe that Darth Rove and his weather machine sent Katrina here so George Bush could murder black folks, that it was “the big one” we’ve been dreading for decades, and that our local pols are blameless victims of the Bush Administrations refusal to give money for the levees, it’s just not so. For example white people died at higher capita rates than blacks. Conditions in New Orleans were Category 1 (although the storm surge did not instantly dissipate when the storm began to weaken more than 24 hours before it hit.) Local politicians squandered levee funding on pork. This video just about says it all:
Most importantly, the Corps admitted that it was at fault for the levee breaks, which for normal people pretty much ends the arguing. They were forced to admit it, because a boatload of evidence (summarized in plain English here) proved it, even though the MSM only covered it briefly and grudgingly. I think there was some vitally important news about Paris Hilton or Britney Spears that month. I’m sure the lack of “flood the zone” coverage about the real culprits behind the most expensive engineering failure in history had nothing to do with the fact that it contradicted the overwhelmingly liberal/leftist media’s view that Bush is the Devil, or something like it.
And yet… in spite of all the abuse the Corps so richly deserves not just for the abominable failure of the New Orleans levees, but for substandard levees all over the country…
… they are doing a fantastic, wonderful, heroic job in Iraq and they deserve a lot of credit for it. If the rest of the military is the stick, then the Corps’ work is the carrot. If we are to win “the hearts ands minds” of the Iraqis and Afghans, it will be through the kinds of projects like this gas station renovation which will make a difference in people’s daily lives. Bringing the power of a democratic vote is important, but bringing this kind of power to the people is critical as well. Our presence there may be provoking some radicals to act on the terroristic proclivities they already had. But many young people have quite a different view of our troops because of the Corps. There is no way we will win this war without the Corps of Engineers. This is what they do best, and I respect them for it.
All I ask is that they be kept far away from the levees.
Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, The Virtuous Republic, Perri Nelson’s Website, The Random Yak, Adam’s Blog, Big Dog’s Weblog, basil’s blog, Common Folk Using Common Sense, Stuck On Stupid, The Bullwinkle Blog, The Amboy Times, Leaning Straight Up, Cao’s Blog, Jo’s Cafe, Conservative Cat, Conservative Thoughts, Rightlinx, Allie Is Wired, third world county, stikNstein… has no mercy, Blue Star Chronicles, Pirate’s Cove, Planck’s Constant, The Pink Flamingo, Gulf Coast Hurricane Tracker, Dumb Ox Daily News, High Desert Wanderer, Right Voices, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
“I think there was some vitally important news about Paris Hilton or Britney Spears that month.”
I’m constantly amazed at people’s ability to ignore the momentous in favor of the insignificant.
Me too. Every once in a while I catch myself doing it – easier to focus in on minutiae than deal with a big problem, I guess.