[graeme]

Why? With this attitude, we'll keep building more vulnerable cities at the coast, effectively subsidizing doomed construction.

[vorpalhex]

We shouldn't have unemployment, since people should just be saving enough money to make it through the hard times!

People as ends, not means. It's not ok to leave people starving in the streets as an example to others. Fight for laws to restrict building in flood plains, but don't abandon the forlorn.