Well, no, because the tsunami was so sudden, but on the other hand, I don't know how much wealth was in those prefectures to begin with. And of course, part of what you learn in sustainable development courses is that there's a reason poor countries are all along the equator - it's the most environmentally violent, turbulent, un-tamable latitude on Earth. Economies have a tough time developing with any consistency there. Even within an equatorial country, people aren't dumb - the most powerful cities don't get built where the likelihood of a natural disaster is high; let poor people live in the danger zones. And another important thing to consider is density and architecture. The average tornado would kill more people in Bangladesh than Kansas because the people in Bangladesh are living in slums with no basements. And related to that is the trend of nuclear waste dumping zones being wherever the poorest people are, because they have less power to wave around at the government to protect themselves than the rich.
I think that chapter was about the Coconut Grove fire, but she goes into a lot of disasters, natural and manmade. It's all about how people respond in crisis ("who survives and why").
Well, I don't know how to change a tire either, and neither do my friends who have less money than I do (although we'd be good at making do with less and rationing). I think that's more a factor of rurality. And yeah, vindication, as mentioned above. The problem is when vindication becomes justification for actively desiring a massive disaster, just so you (general you) can say "I told you so!" Which is what creeps me out about survivalists.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-04-19 04:25 pm (UTC)I think that chapter was about the Coconut Grove fire, but she goes into a lot of disasters, natural and manmade. It's all about how people respond in crisis ("who survives and why").
Well, I don't know how to change a tire either, and neither do my friends who have less money than I do (although we'd be good at making do with less and rationing). I think that's more a factor of rurality. And yeah, vindication, as mentioned above. The problem is when vindication becomes justification for actively desiring a massive disaster, just so you (general you) can say "I told you so!" Which is what creeps me out about survivalists.
No problem!