The real tragedy in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis in Burma lies not in the scale of the damage and the number of lives lost, but in the utter failure of the military junta to respond to the catastrophe, practically creating more deaths through its inaction.

Despondent at the inertia of the Burmese authorities, a friend of mine asked: Is Burma now a failed state?

I had no clear answer to that, but this question did prompt me into deeper thought on the issue.