Not Acceptable

I'm very glad, in a sad but twisted way, that I've managed to be distracted from the ongoing brohaha in the Home Country by events in faraway New Orleans. I guess it was a sort of presumption on my part that if ever the United States ever encountered any natural disaster, it could cope easily from such problems with no fuss. Instead, the world media was bombarded with images straight out of a third world disaster film. Coming from a country which has had its fair share of tropical cyclones, earthquakes, and the occassional volcanic eruption, a country wherein we rail against the inept response of our officials to anticipate such events, the way the US Government responded to the Hurricane's aftermath was something I would expect from our country, and others like ours. I mean, this is the lone superpower. Watching the coverage on BBC World, which I prefer watching then say CNN for its more European outlook, you could sense some kind of utter disbelief on the part of the commentator that such a country as the United States of America could be humbled by the forces of nature. As my wife and I were watching the coverage, she couldn't help but be puzzled at the sheer ineptitude of the responding officials to the disaster. I mean, the local and the national level officials knew how bad it was, why didn't they prepare as hard as they thought possible? Whats even funnier was the comment of one of the persons initially interviewed during the day the levee's broke, that New Orleans was facing a scenario that was considered the second worst possible outcome. God help the poor people of New Orleans if the worst case scenario had happened.

Perhaps the lesson that can be learned from this kind of disaster is that even mighty nations can be humbled by situations such as this. That in the final analysis, whether one plans it well enough, there will always be variables that will not be taken into consideration. That there are just some things that can't be avoided.

The events of last week will recede from memory, but it is an example of how hubris can lead to such fatal consequences.