Culture of Calamity

Have not read Culture of Calamity yet but in Alternet, there is a terrific interview with the author, Kevin Rozario, where he "explores the role that massive catastrophe has played in American culture. Why did the stock market radically jump despite the prediction of thousands of jobs lost in Hurricane Katrina? Who benefits from disasters? How did it come to be that, in the wake of 9/11, an average of $2.1 million in tax-free payments were made to the families of those killed in the attacks? Why are mainstream media outlets inundated with images of destruction?"

Read this to learn more about how the US has dealt with disasters throughout history as Rozario states that opportunity beckons whenever people capitalize on the aftermath of any given situation. "In the New York City fire of 1835 the value of land goes up eight times in the two months between the fire and the aftermath of the fire. The land was worth more cleared of the property than with property."

When viewed in this light, we should be happy as the stage is set for disasters of biblical proportions courtesy of the wonderful Bush Administration.