What would be different....

.....if the world focused on improving construction standards and safety, living conditions and work standards. 7000 people might not have died.

People like to take potshots at America and capitalism, but our wealth has benefits far beyond a nice house and lots of amenities and gadgets. Can you imagine a natural disaster taking over 7000 American lives? (More than double the number killed on 9/11/2001.)

No other system in the history of the world has benefitted the average citizen and the poor man as much as the American system has. When you hear the "air raid" sirens or you listen to weather warnings on the radio, when you watch TV weather news or look up the weather on the Internet, and you run down to the local stores to grab supplies, stock up on food, buy plywood to board up your house and jump in your car to get out of the path of a major storm, do you ever give any thought to the fact that the wealth of America has paid for those benefits? That you could be alive today because our system has built a number of safeguards to keep you alive? Do you think about the fact that policemen and fireman serve in every town and city in this country, often as volunteers? And do you realize that very few people have these same benefits? Much less take them for granted?

Imagine, for a moment, if the Islamofacists focused on building capitalist, democratic societies that benefitted all Muslims rather than dictatorial regimes that repress human rights. How much better off would the longsuffering Muslim common man (and woman) be?

UPDATE: The death toll is now over 11,000. A horrible tragedy of immense proportions.

UPDATE 2: Now its over 13,000. This is just awful. And to think that it's easily preventable makes it even more tragic.

UPDATE 3: The death toll has climbed past 22,000 and will probably go higher as more bodies are found.