”As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport” — William Shakespeare.
Latest Bangladesh cyclone called Sidr has killed more than 2,000 people so far (**Click to Read BBC news story**). At least one big cyclone hits the south of Bangladesh every year. BBC news story notes a shocking fact that, ”Another storm in 1991 left some 143,000 dead”. Hurricane Katrina’s death toll according to Wikipedia was about 1,836. Sidr cyclone has not only killed and displaced people but has also destroyed nearly all standing crops and infrastructure. I find Bangladesh’s misery quite unnerving especially because this happens almost every year. In other words Bangladesh gets a Katrina almost every year and because it is one of the poorest third world countries, the damage done has extreme consequences.
I find it weird how nature turns its wrath every year on the weakest of the weak. Some people may take dark pleasure in the fact that Bangladeshi cyclones kill Muslims every year. If you may read some of my recent posts and comments you might know what I am referring to.
”We are the good guys”….
But also, ”Calamity is the test of integrity.”, said Samuel Richardson. How very true. It reminds me of Cormac McCarthy’s novel, The Road in which we see how human beings turn into beasts in the times of disaster. We noticed how during Katrina disaster there were criminal elements who were stealing food, goods from people and even raping women in refugee shelters! But as the protagonist in McCarthy’s novel says, ”We’re the good guys”, the human integrity is truly tested and emerges during such calamities. We can see the international community scrambling to help Bangladesh. Two U.S. navy ships have also been sent to Bangladesh. Animals don’t do that. Human beings do, the ones that ”are the good guys”. Because of them the world will survive, come what may.
