Last night's lead story on 60 Minutes featured the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake. It was heart wrenching. The human suffering and loss of life in Haiti was unthinkable. The graphic devastation was, as one reporter indicated, eerily reminiscent of the Holocaust....nature can be as cruel as evil dictators on some level.
The issue for America is not whether or not we should provide relief for this impoverished nation hit by yet another natural disaster; but to what extent and at what cost. We must of course provide emergency relief to stop the immediate human suffering; but to what degree after containment and stabilization?
America does not have the endless deep pockets the world has come to expect and she is also suffering from within.
We can no longer afford to rebuild yet another floundering nation while ours is so unstable and precarious.
Common sense should trump our fear of perceived negativity by a world community who, with rare exception, never hesitates to judge our efforts.....while never themselves investing towards any relief effort for others.
When nation rebuilding in Haiti takes centers stage, the world community, for a change, must equitably share the responsibility of this endeavor. America is at it's breaking point. China's wealth and the oil rich Middle East need to step up as do the Europeans and Russians. I mean they're all clamoring for one world order so what's the hold-up?
If Obama insists on analogizing his administration's response to the Haitians to Bush's Katrina response; all common sense will be lost on the issue along with our solvency as a nation.
Which impoverished nation will be next? Bangladesh? Cuba? Nigeria? Angola? Chad? ? Even Venezuela won't be off the table!
Foreign aid will go into turbo drive.
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14 comments:
I agree that the world must step up to the plate in this instance. However, it is at times like this when I become infuriated with current and past U.S. administrations for spending trillions of tax payer dollars on bail-outs, unnecessary wars and untold pounds of legislative pork. Haiti is closer to Houston than Seattle or Augusta, Maine. And I believe that the U.S. has played no insignificant part in the demise of modern day Haiti. Beginning with the early 20th century U.S. occupation of Haiti (for which we left them a $40,000,000 debt) and culminating, most recently, in the U.S. attempt to industrialize Port Au Prince by opening up manufacturing plants there. Althought its true that the plants created tens of thousands of jobs for Haitians, it is often overlooked that these jobs pay $2 per day. Does that help or hurt Haiti? If we care about Haiti (and I believe we should), we must figure out a way to educate the Haitians. Due to ingornance, illiteracy and short-sightedness, the Haitans have destroyed 98% of their own forrests. Aside from the obvious environmental repercussions from such clearing, they have de-stabilized their soil to the point that it is very difficult to sustain a fluourishing agro-economy. Evenso, agricultural experts opine that Haiti could feed itself if it didn't export most of its cash crops. All this to say that the successful formula for saving Haiti is extremely complicated. As I said, the world must step up.
Black:
Re: your anxiety over our nation's potential insolvency... We've been insolvent for a long, long time. Unfortunately, even if we spent billions on Haiti, it would have little net affect on our nation's balance sheet.
point 39,
Nancy Pelosi and her Starkist plant are exploiting the Samoans the same way and all under Congressional approval orchestrated by hers truly. The exploitation of 3rd world hell holes is too often America's forte.
I bet they end up with better health care than we do.
Point 39,
My point was why open the flood gates further and set a new precedent for all the 3rd worlders to exploit....we sure can't afford that.
It's time to tighten our belts not invite everyone over for an orgy.
Xi:
I assume your tongue is firmly planted in cheek, but I certainly understand your cynicism.
Haiti's story is an astonishing fall from grace. A little over 200 years ago, it was widely considered the wealthiest colony in the world. Now, as we know, its widely considered the poorest country in the western hemisphere, if not the world.
Black:
I understand your point and its well taken. I am cautiously optimistic that the rest of the world seeks this opportunity to do what we (US) have always done best. Early tallies show that the European Union has pledged significantly more government dollars than has the US. That's a good sign.
In general, I agree. However, without some infrastructure improvements where buildings and habitats are capable of surviving hurricanes and earthquakes, we and the Haitians will be in the same circumstance again sooner rather than later.
point39:
Many things were different 200 years ago and will be even more so 200 years from now. WTF does that have to do with a country's flagrant failure to enter the 21st century in better form. It's time to stop making excuses for failure.
Anon 5:36
Stops the hate. All of you self rightous white republicans are the same angry jugmental hipocrites you was 200 years ago.
Obama will use this as an opportunity to continue to ruin our country. Obama is a communist and "point39" is a hippie.
Aggie:
I once clerked for Senator Phil Gramm when I was in college. I don't divulge that to make me seem any more important than I am, but the fact that I affiliated myself with Graham ought to shed some light on my political leanings. I've been called a lot of things, but never a hippie. Instead of spouting the predictable superficial political rhetoric, why don't you offer some plausible solution or inciteful analysis. I am very much a critic of Obama and certainly did not vote for him, however I think Limbaugh's comments were ignorant and in poor taste. Any president who has the misfortune of holding office during a disaster like this will invariably be in the proverbial damned if you do, damned if you don't position. If he doesn't come out very pro-actively, he'll suffer the same criticism that W suffered after Katrina. If he does come out with a flurry of activity, he'll be scrutinized for committing the US to do to much. There are plenty of other issues to politicize. No need to blurry the focus on an incredibly tragic situation.
39,
What happened in Kennedy country up east is shocking and a message. Obama's botched handling of Haiti is just one of many failures in his short but already disasterous campaign to destroy what this country stands for.
As a Republican, you should rejoice and spread the word. Unborn lives will be saved with the win in Massachusets.
APC:
Which precinct do you represent and how do you feel about Hotze and Woodfill's vision for the Republican party?
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