emotional response

The quake and devastation in Haiti has fueled a charity drive of immense proportions. It is too bad that we did not feel the same way towards the Haitian people before the disaster struck. Other than use the country's many orphanages to ensure a steady supply of adoption babies, most people in the US did not care much for Haiti or the fate of its people.

Haiti is a prime example of a poor country that was raped and destroyed by Western powers. At the root of Haiti's problems lies an environmental disaster that was fueled by greed and over-exploitation all inflicted by its former colonial rulers and later trade partners. Haiti is used as a prime example of how not to do things in Jared Diamond's famous book, "Collapse." The story of Haiti, the poorest country in this hemisphere, is contrasted with that of the Dominican Republic, a nation that shares the same island real estate but fared rather well, even by absolute measures.

There is another thing I would like to point out at this time. It was first highlighted after the Sept 11 attacks, when it became apparent that the Red Cross was using charitable donations given on that occasion for other purposes. Clearly the Red Cross was doing the sensible thing, albeit in a somewhat sneaky manner. Unfortunately, common sense is not a quality that characterizes many Americans, who would rather go for the gut.

The actions of the Red Cross, deplorable as they may have been to many people, were actually very reasonable and ensured a maximal bang for the buck. When it comes to helping people, it is often better to stay cool and rational and apply funding where it can help, rather than be overly emotional and waste money. And wasting money is something we Americans are very good at, especially in times of disaster. The majority of funds raised on such occasions never reach the intended victims. But god forbid that these funds should be used to help others. Isn't it so much better to just throw the money out? Or buy trailers that sit around in Arkansas while the people in New Orleans beg for shelter? Because that is what happens in the real world.

But then again, you could argue Americans do not just want to help any random person. If they did, clearly we would have better social programs in this country. It appears Americans mostly want to show the world how generous they are, or maybe they feel the need to something to get rid of that little bit of guilt they experience when watching poverty in their cities and around the globe. I am not sure, do you know?