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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 8, No. 8

Publication Date: August 25, 2021

DOI:10.14738/assrj.88.10678. Karaman, Z. T. (2021). Exploitation and Administration of Disasters. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 8(8). 400-425.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Exploitation and Administration of Disasters

Zerrın Toprak KARAMAN1

Derrière chaque grande fortune il y-a un crime

(There are great crimes behind all great fortunes)

Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850)

Different countries have varying types of disasters, and their severity is ever-increasing. In

addition, in some cases, the widespread impact of disasters is getting bigger due to climate

change and various intercontinental interactions. The microbes that transmit various diseases

from one country to another through "strong winds and pollination" that nature provides has

also been the focus of recent research studies as well. In addition, “humanitarian terror,” which,

just like the virus, is transmitted from one country to another, is also at the center of disaster

discussions. The resulting losses (apparent destruction) and damages (cost) are of interest in

the eyes of public opinion. In addition, although they are not directly mentioned, the

administrative structures of the country are also in front of the public eye with their

development and cultural indicators and images shared through global media channels.

However, the loss is not just limited to agricultural products. There are deaths and other losses

as well and these are not clearly broadcasted. In addition, the administrative and social root

causes of disasters are often not clearly conveyed to the global public. This article reveals the

importance of the amplifying effect of the relationship between mismanagement and

exploitation in the demolishing and destructive damages of natural disasters. Just as the words

democracy and centralism do not juxtapose, the words colonialism and democracy cannot seem

to juxtapose in a way that positively strengthens the meaning of each other. Due to the fact that

the human factor itself is “an element of risk and threat”, human beings are particular sources

of fear in disasters. In the chaotic environment created by disasters, terror is also looking for

opportunities at the global level. However, when examined comparatively, the countries that

suffer the most damage among these multifaceted relations are the ones that are being

exploited. Except for the several studies that question the colonial era 2 due to increasing

number of storms, this study that reveals the relation between "Exploitation and Disaster" is

among the first studies in this field.

INTRODUCTION

Human history is an unfair political arena. Human-induced activities further decimate

economic inequality between countries. Undoubtedly, this inequality has not suddenly

1 Prof. Dr., Dokuz Eylul University, zerrin.toprak@deu.edu.tr.

2 While there were 68 deaths in Houston, there were 2,975 deaths in Puerto Rico and this has raised some questions. To

see the link between the analysis of four storms in Puerto Rico, Houston and Texas, see. Storymaps.arcgis, 2019. It has

been found out that Puerto Rico is defenseless in the face of the effects of natural disasters because of its population, the

unequal distribution of resources and services, and the fact that it is not represented in the U.S. government. Accessed on

14.05.2021

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Karaman, Z. T. (2021). Exploitation and Administration of Disasters. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 8(8). 400-425.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.88.10678

occurred. An ancient form of a behavior that fuels this inequality and consumes all kinds of

resources is being transferred to following years and the future eras. Outsiders come to new

lands with an "interest/sense" of promising to develop those lands with their own perspectives

or philosophies. And they evolve by inventing new styles of exploitation. Decolonization is

considered a factual reality in which stories of suffering, fueled by slaughter, develop between

those who stand out with their technological and up-to-date power and seek resources or

sacrifices to maintain this power and those who cannot own and protect their resources and

compete with these powerful states. Colonized, indigenous peoples on their territory say that

the missionaries who set foot on their land with the Bible in their hands taught them to

pray by closing their eyes, but when they opened their eyes, they saw the Bible in their own

hands and the land they had lost in others' hands...

Due to natural events and human activities, disasters occurring at different danger levels

increasingly threaten the quality of life on various scales at global, national and regional levels.

Atmospheric events affected by climate changes have diversified disasters around the world,

expanding their power and sphere of influence. Disasters create various security threats that

can also vary depending on their impact. Disaster types include the ones directly related to the

climate such as severe heat, severe cold, drought, storm and tornado. They might also be

geological such as earthquakes, landslides, rockfalls, avalanches, volcano eruptions and

tsunamis. Biological, nuclear or chemical weapons and various accidents (in mines, industries)

and cyber-attacks can be classified as technological disasters. Political disasters include war

and terror. And lastly, biological ones can be seen in various occasions as erosion, forest fires

and epidemics, insect infestations. A few of these disasters can also coexist. For this reason, in

terms of security measures, disaster administration requires interdisciplinary research and

integrated institutional structures in which different specialties should be included.

But more than the striking effect of nature, the destructive effect of humans damages the safe

balance of life. It is theoretically easy to explain the characteristics of disasters, which multiplies

its impact due to the sophistication or underdevelopment of countries by using the context of

population balance and other socio-cultural and economic indicators. However, it is not easy to

control these variables. In addition, the increasing effect of “barbaric” behavior of mankind,

which has “no link with any sort of education” and which simply falls into the definition of

“terrorist act”, similarly erodes all countries. For the countries that cannot seem to develop,

their underdevelopment is actually because of them being "the subjects of exploitation” rather

than the discussions on Homo Sapiens' evolvement. The philosophy of the exploitation order

developed by capitalist (exploiting) countries for these underdeveloped countries does not

allow social development. This is why both nature and human-induced disasters, especially in

undeveloped countries, are constant sources of struggle which feels like an uphill battle.

Natural and human resources of exploited countries are disappearing either completely or step

by step at different rates depending on the severity of exploitation.

The ever-continuing exploitation mentality which can be defined as “human-induced disaster"

comes with the promise of developing new energy resources, etc. but this mentality is actually

an unlimited practice of exploitation that ends with the arrival (exploited) countries becoming

poorer, deprived and destroyed in all respects. The arriving (exploiting) countries also impose

what is right and fair on the peoples through the administration of that country. Today, the

exploitation scheme continues around the world as the main method of undeserved capital