Typhoon

The destruction of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines was horrific. Thousands may have died. However, this disaster was no surprise. It was predictable.

Overcrowding, poor construction too close to water's edge, poor communications. There were many factors in place to ensure the loss of life from this storm. Poverty, religion and ignorance conspired to kill the victims.

We have the technological ability to prevent massive storm deaths. After all, our satellites are spinning outside our solar system. We are calculating the number of habitable planets in our nearby Universe. Weather-monitoring technology shows us progress of storms in real time. Computer models tell us where we should and should not build structures for habitation. Yet the vast majority of humanity has no easy access to this information.

The reality of human life, when looked at in this harsh and realistic light, has not significantly changed since the Middle Ages. The wealthy, now counted in millions, live elevated lives with access to food, education and material comforts. The poor, now counted in the billions, live on the ground as they have since the beginning of human history. They may have plastic sheeting over their heads or cell phones in their hands, but they are still living lives of disease, disaster and violence.

A humanist sees this simply as a matter of engineered inequality in favor of those who exploit the poor to live better themselves. Corporate capitalism has many rationalizations for its leadership in this process. They are just rationalizations. The truth lies in the eyes of starving children and homeless flood victims.