The Other McCain

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A Tsunami of Posturing

Posted on | March 11, 2011 | 24 Comments

Few things are more predictable in modern discourse than the instinctive opportunism of those who, as soon as tragic news makes headlines, seek to turn it to some narrow political advantage.

The as-yet-unnumbered innocent Japanese who have lost their lives can speak on behalf of no agenda, and the distraught survivors of the devastation want nothing but help and comfort. And yet . . .

Today’s tsunami: This is what
climate change looks like

And yet . . .

Tsunami Relief And Preparedness Cut In GOP
Budget Proposal: National Weather Service

Decent people are appalled by such posturing. What comes next: The Great Compassion Rodeo, in which liberals display their moral superiority by claiming to care more about Japanese tsunami victims than the rest of us. But you know who’s actually helping tsunami survivors? The United States Navy, that’s who:

Eight warships are headed to Japan to render disaster relief in the wake of a catastrophic magnitude 8.9 earthquake that left hundreds dead Friday. The quake unleashed a tsunami that is tearing across the Pacific. . . .
“Our deepest sympathies go out to our close friends in Japan as they deal with this tragedy,” Adm. Patrick Walsh, Pacific Fleet commander, said statement posted on his Facebook page. “U.S. Pacific Fleet is making preparations and posturing our naval assets to provide assistance when directed. We stand ready to support those in need. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan.”
None of the 38,000 military personnel assigned to Japan are dead, Pentagon spokesman Marine Col. Dave Lapan said Friday. He said six ships are headed to Japan to render aid, if called upon: the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan; amphibious assault ship Essex; dock landing ships Germantown, Tortuga and Harpers Ferry; and amphibious command ship Blue Ridge.
In addition, cruiser Chancellorsville and destroyer Preble, along with Reagan, have been ordered to “proceed at best safe speed toward Japan,” Pacific Fleet said on its Facebook page at noon Eastern time.

My co-blogger is a career Navy man, of course, but he’s deployed ashore in landlocked Kabul, and we have no reason to suspect they’ll send him to provide emergency IT support in Japan. Each of us must do what we can where we are, and all of us can give to the Red Cross. I just did.

UPDATE: Now, back to the news . . . Earlier today, I was watching TV and they reported that, despite warnings, surfers were trying to get onto Southern California beaches and ride the tsunami-enhanced waves. Further north, a reminder of the dangerous reality: “A 25-year-old man was declared dead Friday afternoon after being swept out to sea off a northern California beach while trying to photograph a tsunami launched by the massive earthquake near Japan, according to a Del Norte County, California.”

In Japan, meanwhile, the earthquake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station remains a source of concern.

UPDATE II: Instapundit finds a news story about those tsunami-loving surfers. If anybody finds a story with names and/or photos of those dudes, please link it in the comments. There is something distinctly American about guys who are willing to risk their lives for a super-gnarly wave. They deserve their 15 minutes of fame.

UPDATE III: Loren Burke Is a Great American!


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Category: Japan

Comments

  • DaveO

    The ship I expected to see was Comfort, or one of her sisters.

  • http://ehvogel.blogspot.com/ ehvogel

    What’s interesting is that Obama didn’t identify the name of the aircraft carrier he deployed to Japan during his press conference: the USS Ronald Reagan. Why not?

  • Anonymous

    And the Japanese will know how to accept our help.

  • Anonymous

    And the Japanese will know how to accept our help.

  • Anonymous

    “Earlier today, I was watching TV and they reported that, despite warnings, surfers were trying to get onto Southern California beaches and ride the tsunami-enhanced waves.”

    And every liberal who actually believes in evolution should be cheering them on. Removing contra-survival genes from the pool is what evolution was created for.

  • http://thatmrgguy.wordpress.com/ Mike

    Might I make a suggestion…instead of giving to a charity here in the US, how about sending it directly to a Japanese charity organization. Look what happened to the money that was sent to Haiti. Where is it now? The Japanese people will know more how to use the money than some charity in the US.

    Although the Red Cross probably has more experience than any other charity. I’m just leery of them ever since the 9/11 debacle when there was some questions about how the funds were dispersed and to whom.

  • http://4simpsons.wordpress.com/ Neil

    Those doing the posturing are the same ghouls who used the Arizona shootings to score points against Sarah Palin et al before the bodies were even cold.

  • Harry Reid

    Thank God we have the Cowboy Poetry Festival in Elko to alieviate the suffering of the Japanese people.

  • Harry Reid

    You heartless Republicans want to take that away from my constitutents and the Japanese people who need some bit of hope in their lives, how dare you, how dare you.

  • jefferson101

    Insty nailed it. Lucifer’s Hammer was the prologue.

    Ride the wave until it whacks you against the skyscraper downtown. And they are that crazed.

    Heh.

  • Anonymous

    They take too long to get ready – 30 days or so.

    Don’t worry, the Essex has the next best thing, those LHDs have the next largest medical facilities to the Comfort – 4 full ERs and enough medical beds for hundreds. They have to fix Marines, after all.

    Plus about 1800 empty bunks and enough mess capability to feed that many 3 meals a day.

    The Germantown, Harpers Ferry and Tortuga all have large medical facilities for their size, too – they’re smaller amphibious ships. They’re all also stationed in Japan (as is the Essex) and are handy.

    The carrier’s not too shabby, either. If she doesn’t have an air wing, there’s about 3000 beds for refugees and I think 2 or 3 operating rooms. Bonus: she’s nuclear powered and can make fresh water in nearly unlimited amounts for as long as it takes.

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  • JeffS

    Climate change causes earthquakes? What will Science discover next……?

  • http://thatmrgguy.wordpress.com/ Mike

    Not much of a wave but here’s a photo taken this AM
    http://www.rgj.com/article/20110311/SPECIAL01/110311019/1321/news

  • http://thatmrgguy.wordpress.com/ Mike
  • http://thatmrgguy.wordpress.com/ Mike

    Here’s a video, but not sure when shot…really gnarly dudes and dudettes.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlPqL7IUT6M&feature=player_embedded

  • http://twitter.com/erickbrockway Erick Brockway

    Yep, “Climate Change™” now causes earthquakes…
    Buuuuuuushhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

  • Anonymous

    Even the Fonz only “jumped the shark” once.
    These guys are beating a dead snark.

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  • Anonymous

    That shark is pate at this point.

  • Confederate_rose98

    You sound as if you have first hand knowledge of the Essex. Is that true?

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