“This is the folly of man”
You’ve hit on precisely why the nuclear scare aspect has overshadowed actual destruction. Natural disasters make for good stories and ratings, but they lack a certain captivation. They’ll never get the press of, say, the royal wedding. Because they are acts of God. We, being people, are interested in people.
People exist within the earthquake/tsunami story, but they can provide no more than anecdotes. Someday someone could write a novel about the hours and minutes of Joe Suzuki’s earthquake day. But without a Nero or Bush II fiddling while Japan burns, it won’t make it into the evening news as anything more affecting than your average “cat in a tree” or ‘Isn’t this cancer kid brave?” story.
The reactor story, contrariwise, has drama. Men built it, and men, as opposed to techtonic plates and waves, have tragic potential.
Add Alar to the list.
Whoa. Good post.