Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Humbling U.S.

Hurricane Katrina's arrival was known well in advance. At least half of the suffering, deaths and destruction in New Orleans could have been avoided had the administrators in charge of the city, State, and country taken the warning more seriously and promptly swung into action. Had the majority of the population in that city been whites, perhaps the response would have been vastly different and more humane. Katrina has done what no other power could do — humbled the only superpower.

R.P. Rammohan,
Hyderabad

Hurricane Katrina has proved that nature is above human intellect. The argument, therefore, that man can conquer nature is self-defeating. It is a lesson for our future generations that the more you tamper with nature, the more injurious it can be.

R. Rajendar Goud,
New Delhi

I hope after the New Orleans tragedy, the people of America will be more sensitive to the travails of the people in third world countries where even in normal times life resembles New Orleans post-Katrina.

We also hope the people of America and the rest of the world will realise more than ever before that in recent times natural disasters have had more to do with human excesses, and abuse of nature. Hopefully George Bush will understand the need to sign the Kyoto protocol. Nature does not distinguish between the world's richest and poorest countries.

Aparna Chandrashekaran,
Gurgaon, Haryana

In spite of sophisticated and strong infrastructure, the U.S. Government failed its people in the most trying times. This only shows that in times of distress, the people should help one another and not wait for the official machinery.

S. Murali Krishnan,
Chennai

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