The Gulf Coast Catastrophe

Looters in New Orleans are being subdued, deaths may be well into the several hundred, and full recovery "may take years," according to the President (via the New York Times). The price of oil has soared insanely; a gallon of gas (premium) is as high as - good God - $3.89 in Chicago, for instance. ("Gas Prices Surge as Supply Drops", 1 Sep 2005, NYT) "Shortages and gasoline lines were reported in parts of South Carolina, the Dakotas, Arkansas and Kentucky," reporters Jad Mouawad and Simon Romero write, a first "since the 1970's" energy crisis. (Id.) The President's cut his vacation short and is back to work, a good time to be a commander again, I say.