According to a report done by CNN.com concerning the Haiti crisis:
THE RESPONSE IN DOLLARS
$1.12 billion: International aid pledges
$783 million: Funds received as of Tuesday (26 Jan)
$317 million: U.S. assistance as of Monday (25 Jan)
Um, I don't even know how to add those numbers into my calculator to get a total, and I don't know if this includes what it's costing the US to send troops there. Haiti was a disastrously poor country before the quake. Now it seems they are loaded! Where is the money going, and why aren't we seeing results? You would think that with that kind of money the US military could build the people individual shelters at least as good as the ones they had before the earthquake.
But I don't see that happening. In fact, all I continue to see on the news is death and destruction and more money being thrown at it.
There's a reason third world countries are poor: corruption. Does it really make sense to continue giving money to a government that barely maintains a police force?? Why not reinvest some of that money into our own country instead of (and yes, I see the irony of this statement) giving it away to corrupt leaders who were never in hardship in the first place? The Haitian people will never see that money. They will slowly begin to rebuild their lives with the exact same tools they had before the earthquake and nothing will change.
I understand the need for the US to provide humanitarian aid, but we also need to realize what we are dealing with. Some investments simply are not a good idea, and in times of economic hardship we need to be critically analyzing our investments.
Credit: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/26/haiti.by.the.numbers/index.html?hpt=T2
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3 comments:
I find this an interesting argument... I actually didn't expect it from you. Though I agree in many ways. :)
Corruption is the main reason I don't feel comfortable throwing more money towards our own government for anything. I feel the leaders just end up plundering it for their own personal gain... be that big mansions or their own gerrymandered districts for elections.
As far as money going to Haiti, I think compassion is the main reason we send money there... and the main reason you see many of our own people going there to help. To make sure it actually gets to the people who need it.
I too would like to see where it all goes (money from our government to them that is) but I doubt we ever will.
But I guess my complaint is, where is the compassion for struggling Americans? I, for one, don't need millions to ease my plight; a mere $100,000 would do for me. And there are many more who are MUCH worse off than I am. There are tent cities in some places in CA. Why didn't anyone throw a little cash at those people? We view homeless people in this country like a dirty secret, a scourge. I have a real problem with charity becoming trendy, as I think donating to Haiti has become. Remember the horrible earthquake in China about two years ago? People were buried and many died, yet there was no telethon for those people. What's the fascination with Haiti all about? Makes my corruption nose smell something awfully suspicious....
I think the main difference in the media's focus on it. If the media focused on the tent cities in Cali more I'm sure you would see more charity going that way. Sadly though, it seems that something sensational has to happen to get the media's attention... and unfortunately the media seems to no longer be willing to tell the people everything that they need to know... aka about tent cities, and the real costs of certain "green" policies (I'm thinking specifically about the requirement for using florecent mercury laden lightbulbs starting in 2012... what would we rather have, a little higher electricity usage or a potentially HAZMAT level mercury mess when a light bulb breaks?).
I think in general the populace in not made aware of the things that they really need to be working to fix... instead they are continually distracted by things like PETA etc. Don't get me wrong, animals are important, but shouldn't all that effort also be afforded to the homeless etc.?
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