Bit of perspective, please

Its been a funny day. The sun is shining. Work has been pretty good. Its given me a chance to put this whole thing in perspective.

My afternoon has been spent alternating between a discussion on the existence of God and reading the posts of a guy blogging in New Orleans... oh, and working a bit too. It makes you look at things a little differently.

Its made me think that in spite of the hassle we're going through with the house, we don't have it bad at all.

We've got sanitation, we've got water, we've got some power and more than anything else we've got civilisation. There's a whole world out there - New Orleans is the most pressing example - that don't have some or any of these.

The question that keeps coming to me about New Orleans is how can this happen in America. I know natural disasters are just that - natural. So you can't blame anyone for them happening. But as with anything how we react to them is what defines us. In general, people care, people worry, people show support. But also, people murder, people loot and people take it as an opportunity to get what they can.

Surely the role of the government is to facilitate the caring and the supporting and to prevent the murder and looting. So what exactly are Bush and his people doing? This is the kind of thing that defines leaders. This is what they're supposed to get into politics for.

I know its probably not my place - I'm a Brit and I'm not physically doing anything to help. But I've been to the US. I've stayed with an average American family. I know that they are decent people. But their leader and the organisations that help keep him in place are letting them down.

As I write this, the news reports that he's cut short his holiday to go to the region. Cut short! Now! Days after the disaster! He's not even going to NO.

Its disgusting enough that so called developing nations are without basic human necessities. Its horrific when the wealthiest nation in the world lets its people descend into anarchy, disease and deprivation. While their leader plays cowboy on his ranch.

My heart goes out to the people trapped in this ravaged place and to those who have loved ones there.

Updates on Sid and other frivolity will have to wait till another day.