Since biblical times, disasters have been experienced as defining moments. From Noah's flood to last week's catastrophe in New Orleans, the phrase 'nothing will ever be the same again' has been repeated time and again.
Frank Furedi argues that we are not as powerless as we think.
Promiscuous use of terms such as 'plague', 'epidemic' or 'syndrome' inflate anxieties. The adoption of a high-tech, apocalyptic vocabulary helps turn acts of misfortune into a crisis of human existence. It fuels a mood of powerlessness where different fears compete with one another to capture the public imagination.
We need to remind ourselves that communities often possess remarkable capacities to rebuild their lives. The experience of history indicates that humanity can survive disasters. The good news is that life goes on.
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