We, the people are so gullible.

Every year at around this time we see pictures of entire towns in the US flattened by hurricanes. Some areas are so prone to hurricanes that they are collectively known as hurricane alley. This year has been no exception and we have seen pictures of demolished houses looking like scattered matchwood. One would think that in such areas houses would be constructed of more solid materials such as cement and concrete able to withstand hurricane force winds but houses are still rebuilt with wood. Is it because that makes houses cheaper and quicker to build reducing labor costs? Insurance companies, at least, should refuse to insure flimsy houses but they do not seem to learn. Also every few weeks we hear of another massacre by someone with a handgun. Wikipedia records the earliest school shooting on November 2, 1853 when a student, Matthew Ward bought a self cocking pistol and killed Schoolmaster, Mr Butler in front of the whole class for having punished his brother excessively the day before. He was acquitted. Not so lucky was an 11 year old boy, Jordan Brown who in February, 2009 shot his father's 8 months pregnant fiance, Kenzie Houk with a 20-gauge shotgun in the back while she was sleeping. Apparently the boy had behavioral problems and was jealous of his unborn brother. He is to be tried as an adult and faces life in prison without parole. What a waste of 3 lives. Yet Americans refuse to learn. The gun lobby uses these incidents to scare people into believing that possessing a gun will make them safer because they can defend themselves against criminals. It is not criminals who are committing these massacres but " ordinary " people who are living normally in the community until suddenly one day they lose control. Criminals are usually known to the police and will not kill senselessly without gain. You may recognise a criminal from the circumstances and prepare yourself. For instance, if you hear noises or see a stranger in your house at night but how do you prepare yourself against a wild explosion of rage by someone you know, someone who is your classmate or neighbor. It is this unpredictability that makes these killings impossible to prevent. Yet the gun lobby uses these same incidents along with bribing lawmakers to make it easier to own guns. How is an 11 year old allowed to own a shotgun. If he did not have the weapon he may have behaved rudely or thrown tantrums but would not have wasted his entire life in prison. What a waste of public funds. We are no wiser in India. Our most revered Finance Minister said in his budget speech that he has to be cruel to be kind which, apparently, is from Shakespeare's Hamlet. The press went weak in their collective knees at this example of erudition but no one pointed out that he was being cruel to us by increasing taxes across the board, which will increase already high prices even further, so that he can be kind to politicians who will use the money for foreign trips with family and friends, live in palaces at nominal rent and swank around with Z+ security. We, the people are so ready to believe in all the lies. Just we Indians believed the lies about the World Class Economist.