The Army Corps of Engineers is one of the finer things in the US. I find it encouraging that they are involved with this effort.
Please note that's an extremely specific observation and doesn't implicitly suggest anything else, positive or negative, about the rest of this situation.
They are and they aren't. What they did for New Orleans is stupid-incredible. Stupid because it's a river-gulf city below sea level that the rivers are trying to absorb with no plans to relocate. Incredible because wow, that's an accomplishment. A lot of that is subject to political whims, though, so it's not necessarily the Corps's decision.
You aren't required to care what my point is or to click on any links I post.
I am sometimes looking to respond in some way to the specific person in question and let them know that I think they are wrong about something. I generally prefer, if possible, to not turn it into a pissing contest or a big deal that leaves them feeling personally attacked, publicly humiliated, etc.
It's like trying to have a private conversation on a stage in front of an open mic. Maybe no one will pay any attention. Or maybe all eyes will turn towards the two of us and things will get suddenly very awkward. I would like to minimize how awkward it gets, if possible.
I have an extremely high opinion of the Army Corps of Engineers. My father and ex husband were both career Army and I've lived all over the US and spent time in Germany.
There are lots of non military projects that have a sign somewhere indicating the Army Corps of Engineers worked on it. Their work is everywhere.
I don't think I've ever actually met anyone from the Corps. In my mind, they occupy this mystical, legendary space where no one ever sees them, but they magically show up to build huge infrastructure projects of abnormally high quality. Then, like little shoemaker elves, they disappear, leaving behind their amazing work though it seems to me personally like no one ever sees them.
I was just looking for a list of projects to suggest that the Corps does a great deal of stuff and shouldn't be judged harshly for one bad example. And then I found the above page listing so much more than I had any idea they did.
I am even more in awe and even more convinced they are basically wizards stealthily hiding from public view like ninjas while building what sometimes seems like all of the big infrastructure projects in the US.
And I didn't feel there was any way for me to open my mouth and somehow downplay the awe I personally have for their work and have had all my life without sounding like I was coming down on some random person like a giant ton of bricks. So I just left the link and said nothing because there isn't enough time in the world to "write a shorter letter" in this case and subtract a lot of baggage, so to speak. And I don't see any good whatsoever coming out of making a random internet stranger feel like they are being intentionally buried under a ton of bricks for the crime of being unaware that the Corps does vast quantities of things and New Orleans is just one single project.
It seems to me they edited their comment to be less harshly critical of the Corps, so I feel like they probably got the point.
You are more than welcome to just ignore any stand alone links I might occasionally post for some reason in the future.
Please note that's an extremely specific observation and doesn't implicitly suggest anything else, positive or negative, about the rest of this situation.