EH.Net Mailing List Archive: EH.Teach

Gary Becker's opinion piece in yesterday's Wall Street Journal opens:  
"John Stuart Mill ... optimistically, but I believe accurately, remarked  
on the 'great rapidity with which countries recover from a state of  
devastation, the disappearance in a short time of all traces of mischief  
done by earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and the ravages of war."  The  
history of both natural and man-made disasters during the subsequent  
century-and-a-half generally support Mill." 
 
I would like to briefly discuss the recent earthquake/tsumani in my  
economic history class next week and wonder: 
 
Does everyone agree with Becker/Mill's point?  Or is the statement too  
strong? 
 
Are there good readings that I can use that would demonstrate or refute  
this point? 
 
Can anyone recommend a reading giving an overview of the historical  
economic impact of such natural disasters? 
 
Thanks, 
 
Robert 
 
--  
Robert Whaples 
Department of Economics 
Wake Forest University 
Winston-Salem, NC   27109-7505 
336-758-4916