It's starting already - the discussions about the price of gasoline, the Wal-Marts that are closed, the economic effect of a catastrophic hurricane. Gas prices rose past $3.00 a gallon today, not much of a surprise. Bread, toilet paper, all these things will get more expensive for a while as transportation companies pass along fuel costs to businesses and along to consumers. "Oh no, here comes the recession" is the tone of voice I hear.
The damage may exceed 40 billion dollars, I think, and insurance companies will be assessing and paying out to their clients for a long time. In 4-6 months, the Gulf Coast will see a new building boom such as has not been seen in decades. Over the next five years, entire towns and cities will be rebuilt, neighborhoods will once again be filled with playing children and parents heading to work or school or church. Communities will be stronger and church attendance will skyrocket. Our economy will stabilize as refining capacity is again brought online, drilling platforms reset over their wells, and fisherman, cruise lines, and vacationers head back out onto the water.
We'll see some policy changes at our insurance companies, we'll see policy changes at FEMA and we'll watch volunteer organizations like the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and community groups getting the attention they deserve for the work they do right here in America. We'll refocus on our country for a while. We will hope that other countries will help us rebuild as we did after the tsunami, the earthquakes, the mudslides...
Does calamity make us a stronger country? For a short while, yes. Will the situation in the Gulf states get worse before it gets better? Probably. Perhaps news organizations will note the irony of the destruction and death in the Gulf States here in America, while we continue to press on toward peaceful resolution of the conflict in the Gulf States half a world away. Perhaps not.
I'm sure I'll keep paying more for gas. Perhaps I'll be one of those guys who rides his bike to work. Maybe this is a good time for starting a fitness program of that sort, right? Perhaps the sarcasm is just a bit heavy just now.
In a perfect world, I'd be able to head south with a chainsaw and a vanload of food and water, hoping to help in some infinitessimal way to clear away the damage and bring some comfort to people fleeing their destroyed homes. I am sure thousands of people are feeling exactly the same way. Still we are smacked in the face with the stories of economic downturn - I guess the humanitarian efforts are just not interesting stories. I believe they need to be at the heart of our society - you know, people helping people because it's the right thing to do.
The stream of consciousness writing will stop for now... maybe more later if I continue to stay awake when I should be sleeping.
Posted by MEK at September 1, 2005 12:11 AM