False Faith in the State

The earthquake damage in Pakistan has been awful.

According to television reports, many people are upset that the government has been so slow in providing assistance. What amazes me is that the people in remote towns and villages of a third world country actually expect the government to rescue them from troubles. Where did this faith in the state come from. Once people living in remote, mountainous areas knew that they had to rely on their own community’s resources in times of disaster.

The expectation that the state will rescue us seems to be a world wide epidemic. If it has reached remote villages in Kashmir, it is truly a virulent disease. As faith in God has declined, a false faith in the state seems to have exploded throughout the world.

The truth is that the state does not have the power to rescue everyone from a crisis.

The state can never have sufficient manpower to deal with a serious crisis. Even if the army is large, it cannot all be assigned to rescue duties. Many soldiers will have to stay on other tasks, like defending the countries borders and providing protection for the backs of its political leaders. The state also controls many pen-pushers and bureaucrats, but they are not much use in a crisis.
If the calamity affects the road access, the army will not be able to travel from its bases to the areas where the most damage has occurred. By the time they can arrive, the initial stage of the crisis will be over.

In most countries the business sector owns more helicopters, trucks boats and planes than the state. Most heavy lifting and earth moving equipment will be owned by business. Most house building capability is in the business sector. Businesses will be spread throughout the country, so they are more likely to have skilled people and useful equipment close to crisis areas.

Most of the initial rescue work will have to be done by friends, families and neighbours helping each other and helping others. If the business sector is community minded, it might also provide assistance to those in need.

I do not understand why the state is the fount of all hope.

Oh well, at least no one is blaming God for this disaster.