And herein lies the problem. This is a rather stubborn attitude that probably worked well for the settlers travelling West - "no wimps here". I have a great deal of respect for this attitude - self-boot strapping etc. However, the boot strapper should be safe within a society that will catch him or her if they fall. In other words, free enterprise within a wider context of social responsibility and societal protection for those that can't look after themselves or who fall on hard times. Any cursory glance through history and different cultures will show that successful societies have safety nets for the vulnerable and poor. It's a natural part of the human condition - not everyone can fend for themselves on an equal footing with a white, middle class, 25 year-old male. Therefore, civilised socities build in buffer zones. Also, the individual cannot create their own transport, health or education systems - thus the need to tax income/wealth and redistribute it to aid the wider population. Society does not function when everyone is a rugged individual and only looks after themselves. Whether you live in a Stone Age village where everyone in the tribe looks after each other, or a modern society where taxation looks after everyone, you must still pay your dues to society. Socialism has done no harm to Western Europe, and I'm rather grateful to the Attley government and the Socialists of the late '40s.

But anyway, why haven't the "forces" or "agencies" that be done more for the flood area?

Jane