The Anchoress

“There is no America out there waiting to bail us out. We have to be our own America.”
–Col. Austin Bay (on the Hugh Hewitt Show, Tuesday, August 30) H/T Just a Woman.

Mudville Gazette is writing on the extensive military response to Hurricane Katrina. More than 9,000 soldiers have already been deployed to affected areas and that number will grow. It’s an extensive effort and a US NORTHERN COMMAND looks to be continually updated. Along with Michelle Malkin’s non-stop work, the Mudville and NORTHCOM sites might be two to keep open and at the ready for breaking news. Greyhawk ends his message with a depressed acknowledgement that the press cannot help itself and is already trying to politicize this tragic issue. I think it will backfire on them.

On the plus side for the press, The Times Picayune, in the thick of things is doing a great job of simply bringing the news as it happens.

Btw, the Army Corps of Engineers are not exactly doing a dance about the chances of draining NO.

DO routinely check in with Michelle Malkin - she is simply doing phenomenal work - she’s actually keeping up with all the breaking news. She also has a tremendous roundup of local and community help and aid. Excellent work.

Reuters is reporting that the economic fallout from Katrina may not be too awful:
Hurricane Katrina is likely to have only a modest impact on the U.S. economy as long as the hit to the energy sector proves transitory, White House economic adviser Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday.

“Looking forward … reconstruction is going to add jobs and growth to the economy,” he added. “As long as we find that the energy impact is only temporary and there’s not permanent damage to the infrastructure, my guess is that the effects on the overall economy will be fairly modest.”

News to keep in mind and maybe spread around.

The President has released some petroleum reserves. A neighbor told me that in the course of her daily errands yesterday she noticed her favorite station had raised its prices by 18 cents. The gouging begins. I recall President Clinton released some reserves during the 2000 election campaign. This seems a better reason, for certain, but I am always uncomfortable when they are touched. Too much like touching your principle.

Btw, I have no patience for the silly asses who are unable to blog beyond “Bushisafuckingmoron” nonsense. One blurb I read carried on about how “…it took Bush several days to even make a coherent comment and express his sorrow after the December Tsunami…” Uh-huh…because, if you recall, while the rest of the world was standing around, biting their collective lips, wailing that only the UN had the “moral authority” to take charge of the striken area and posing for “we feel so bad” photo-ops, President Bush was co-ordinating a massive relief effort with Australia and Japan, and sending US Aircraft Carriers and relief via our servicemen. Forgot that already, eh? No, I’m not linking to the haters. If you need to go witness their two-handed self-gratification, you’re welcome to it, but not via this site. They are almost becoming parodies of themselves - purveyors of BushHate Porn.

Slightly offtopic, but I woke up this morning with an odd thought in my head: We have tragically lost 1848 servicemen in Iraq. President Bush has met with over 900 of their families. President Bush has literally met with HALF of the grieving families of our soldiers. That’s pretty amazing when you think about it. He gets no props for it, of course, but still - amazing. Meanwhile, “the smart people” are talking assassination and pie throwing re Paul Wolfowitz. I am so tired of the “smart people.”

Fausta at Bad Hair Blog has lots and lots of links, and she also asks that I help remind folks that “the American Red Cross has nothing to do with the policies of the International Committee of the Red Cross and has in fact withheld funds from the ICRC to protest its blatantly biased agenda.”

Done and done.

Louisiana guy Rod Dreher writes:It’s interesting to think about the massive recriminations that are going to take place in the aftermath of this storm. Not a single soul in Louisiana can say they didn’t see this coming. Like everybody else in south Louisiana, I grew up hearing about the Big One that was going to hit New Orleans one day…. All of this was predicted … but nobody made serious efforts to protect against it by strengthening the levees. That would have been difficult and expensive.

Pirates Cove links to some really rather disturbing talk by Chris Matthews. I too have noticed that he and a few others in the press seem almost disdainful of this story - as though covering “those rednecks” is beneath them.

Yes, Virginia, storms and chaotic weather did happen before January 21, 2001 and even the NY Times says so. And so does this guy.

Seminarians based in NO are safe and helping about 100 others stay safe. Just thought I’d post positive news.

A Small Victory is collecting good news in all the bad, which is a great idea. We need more stories like this, about the positive stuff people are doing, and less about the negative. She also has some terrific links, pictures and round-ups.

Betsy Newmark helpfully links to a Walter Williams piece that puts gas prices in context: In 1950, a gallon of regular gasoline sold for about 30 cents; today, it’s $2.50. Are today’s gasoline prices high compared to 1950? Before answering that question, we have to take into account inflation that has occurred since 1950. Using my trusty inflation calculator (www.westegg.com/inflation), what cost 30 cents in 1950 costs $2.33 in 2005. In real terms, that means gasoline prices today are only slightly higher, about 8 percent, than they were in 1950. Up until the recent spike, gasoline prices have been considerably lower than 1950 prices.

Austin Bay is writing about the Democratic Surge. Not what you might think:

Four years ago, Osama bin Laden designated Afghanistan as the launch pad for his global jihad — the world war that would make him an imperial caliph. The possibility of democratic elections in Kabul never crossed his demented mind….Afghanistan remains a damaged, looted society pulverized by three decades of war, but it now has hope.

And since we’re talking hope in the ME, you might want to read this piece on Iraq as well.

Don Singleton tells us that on this day in history:

# 1886 An earthquake rocked Charleston, S.C., killing up to 110 people.
# 1887 Thomas A. Edison received a patent for his ”Kinetoscope,” a device that produced moving pictures.
# 1888 Mary Ann Nicholls was found murdered in London’s East End. She is generally regarded as the first victim of Jack the Ripper.
# 1935 President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an act prohibiting the export of U.S. arms to belligerents.
# 1954 Hurricane Carol hit the northeastern United States, resulting in nearly 70 deaths and millions of dollars in damage.
# 1997 Diana, Britain’s Princess of Wales, was killed in an early-morning car crash in Paris, France. Also killed was her millionaire companion, Harrods department store heir, Dodi Fayed. The couple was being chased by aggressive paparazzie (photographers) on motorcycles at the time of the crash.

Just thought you’d like to know.

The looting news is depressing and I think the extensive coverage of it is probably not helpful. I tend to agree with Jonah that food, water, diapers - you may as well be pragmatic and take them - the food is only going to rot, anyway - but the looting of people’s homes, the stealing of televisions and goods - it’s not right. It cannot be excused. And what the hell are you going to do with a vacuum cleaner with a world under water? (I think the press would be really smart to abandon coverage of looting - they are complicating things for themselves, even with their captioning. Go see!

When New York was attacked on 9/11 there was no looting. There is no excuse for it, now. I know the situations are not the same - NY had power, for one thing - but I do think in this case leadership makes a difference. Mayor Giuliani was a reassuring, strong and confident presence in NY. Mayor Nagin, even before the storm struck, looked to me like a man who increasingly wished everything would just go away.

Hugh Hewitt is also thinking about media responsibility, particularly as it - insatiably hungry for new images - decides to focus on looters. Wizbang says bloggers should stop playing Monday Morning Quarterback and do more - he has suggestions for the “more” and his point is well taken…but it is the nature of the blogger to do both, to help and to kvetch! All kidding aside, Paul is homeless now, and a paypal button has been set up to help him here.

I’m figuring we’ll be seeing First Responders mobilizing from surrounding states. I know some of my NYFD friends are talking about heading down that way to help out. Godspeed.

PunditGuy has some firsthand refugee blogging.

Completely O.T., but you’re probably ready for O.T. Was Shakespeare a Catholic? I know it doesn’t matter, but he’s always fascinated me.

A little more OT, but this time it’s important, Ed Morrissey continues his dogged and intense scrutiny of the 9/11 Commission. I’m glad he’s doing it, too!

Finally - no way to get around it…Bad press for the President