The devastation in Texas is going to cause an enormous outpouring of help in the form of money and materiel in order to get the worst hit areas of Texas back on their feet. The money will come from private donations as well as government funds and resources. But one might notice that certain sections of those affected have become victims of instant poverty. Already we can see the difference in attitudes of how people react to calamity. Some are already seeking a way to get back in the race and climb back on the horse that threw them. Others wander helpless and confused, and still others simply sit still and wait for hand outs. We already know who will recover and who wont. Rand has made it clear as to why nations prosper and others don't. Capitalism is the key to material abundance and the key to capitalism is individual freedom. What is most interesting is that while providing the same freedom to all, a tragedy such as a devastating hurricane provides us with a veritable laboratory of how wealth is created or not created by various individuals, and illustrates the nature of how economics works, whether we like it or not. We are currently at stage one of the recovery. It will be interesting to see who recovers and why in the next few years.