Haiti and Horror
This ain’t gonna sound politically correct, but the point is that the horror story in Haiti has been brewing for decades, so we ought to be circumspect about how we intervene. No, I don’t share Pat Robertson’s belief that Haitians brought this on themselves for making a deal with the devil. Nor do I suggest that we sit on our hands and abandon half the island’s population to looters, starvation, and disease.
But I do believe that while we save lives, we don’t try to rebuild Haiti the way it was. That means providing goods and services to those in need instead of shoving millions in filthy lucre to the corrupt forces that have dominated Haiti for so long. The Haitian powers-that-be are responsible for shoddy building practices and lack of emergency procedures and resources.
Yes, it was a big quake. Much was damaged, many people killed, injured and dislocated. Any government would have been challenged. But this government had not been doing its job.
It’s important to note that the Dominican Republic – the other half of the island of Hispaniola – has done quite well thank you, and everyone would be a lot better off if we turned Haiti into a nature preserve, and sprinkled the remaining populace around the Caribbean and Latin America where they might be assimilated into healthier societies.
This note. One can only imagine the greater efficient delivery of needed supplies and personnel to Haiti if we didn’t have a coupla hunnert thousand American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Plus all the tens of thousands more in Okinawa, where they are not wanted, and in Europe where they are not needed.
And finally, consider that millions of Americans are going to be sorely distressed at how much American money is spent rebuilding Haiti, instead of fixing American schools and hospitals. Especially the people in New Orleans, who know corruption and violence and neglect as well as any Americans.
©2010 SetonnoteS
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