Slow Motion Disaster

Roland Emmereich, the producer of Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, and 2012, has made a reputation for delivering Armageddon in grand, visually engaging fashion. In each of the aforementioned, definitely-not-art-house films, he managed, through the marvels of special effects, to destroy the earth in a matter of minutes. Spaceships blow things up, monster storms wash things away, massive earthquakes knock things down. This gripping and rapid big screen, make believe destruction is the antithesis of what's been unfolding in Pakistan.

The floods in Pakistan have been going on for days. More than 20,000,000 people have been affected. Think about that: 20,000,000 people. That's just a shade more than the population of New York State (19.5 million) or New England (13.3 million) and Arizona (6.6 million) combined. And this is in a country contending with a decaying infrastructure, a corrupt and inefficient government, and an Islamist insurrection.

I'm sure that my denomination, the UCC, will mobilize to secure financial assistance for those affected. Other churches and non-governmental organizations will do the same. So, too, governments (the U.S. is in the lead with more than $75 million committed). All of this is good. But when it's all over, those aforementioned underlying problems will still be present. What then? And what of the elephant in the room -- climate change? What then?

I wish I had answers. At the moment I don't and it frustrates me to no end.

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