You know how some say that anti-virus companies like norton are making viruses so people will buy the new more expensive software? What if the Buisness of privatized disaster relief services did the same thing? created disasters so they could make money. Thats true capitalism for ya right?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2204505,00.html

If it is a service offered in the form of an insurance policy, it is in their interest not to actually employ the service, as they still get paid without using it, whereas it adds to their outgoings if they do.

On another note, why is it that people still live in these forests in California where they are always under the grave threat of wildfires?

I've always considered that a remote possibility (don't get me started on my computer virus drama, either). They are only so limited when it comes to creating disasters, but even if they can't create certain things, why not build them up?

I guess it is a problem wherever any service, if completely successful, will make itself redundant. Many services, private and public, exist to deal with problems that we do not really want to have to deal with, but if these services managed to completely eradicate the respective problems with which they deal, then no one will have a need for that service any more. Therefore it is not in their interest to be too successful at what they do.