Read the whole thing. It’s worth it, and worth thinking about.
If You Rebuild It, They Will Come, by Paul Shirley
I haven’t donated a cent to the Haitian relief effort. And I probably will not.
I haven’t donated to the Haitian relief effort for the same reason that I don’t give money to homeless men on the street. Based on past experiences, I don’t think the guy with the sign that reads “Need You’re Help” is going to do anything constructive with the dollar I might give him. If I use history as my guide, I don’t think the people of Haiti will do much with my money either.
In this belief I am, evidently, alone. It seems that everyone has jumped on the “Save Haiti” bandwagon. To question the impulse to donate, then, will probably be viewed as analogous with rooting for Charles Manson, John Wayne Gacy, or the Spice Girls.
My wariness has much to do with the fact that the sympathy deployed to Haiti has been done so unconditionally. Very few have said, written, or even intimated the slightest admonishment of Haiti, the country, for putting itself into a position where so many would be killed by an earthquake.
He’ll get himself hated for this. But he’s largely right. Just as rebuilding New Orleans right where it was was monumentally stupid, rebuilding Haiti just as it was would be equally stupid.
44 Responses to “Awesome political incorrectness on Haiti”
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This is why I don’t give to street beggars, too. I agree with Paul Shirley. I see the same choices made in the city around me. I no longer give, volunteer, or pretend to care: they’ve never given me a reason to believe that they can take advantage of what I offer. The best guide to the future is the past, and their past is filled with failure.
I’m now getting a 403 when I use the link to the article. Did Shirley become the target of a DOS attack?
> I’m now getting a 403 when I use the link
Sucks for you. Links up just fine for me.
How come the Dominican Republic is never mentioned?
Did the earthquake stop at the border?
Maybe Haiti should change it’s name to Likey
Link works now.
“How come the Dominican Republic is never mentioned? ” As I understand it, the quake was centered far from the border. Apparently major portions of Haiti itself are also relatively untouched.
Money shot: forgetting the long-understood maxim that giving more food to poor people allows them to create more poor people.
That is exactly the root of the problem right there: Helping rebuild Haiti (Africa) (New Orleans) (etc) (etc) only strings people along, giving them a very thin illusion that living there is a sustainable enterprise.
I like his analogy with the caveman by the river: Anyone with any sense would understand that hurricanes are a way of life in the Caribbean, flooding on the great plains, cold up north, so on and so on.
Jim
The difference between Haiti and the Dominican Republic is that the D.R. is a functioning society and Haiti is not. And why is the D.R. a functional society? Because the Dominicans were ruled directly by the United States for six years (1916-1922) and thereafter by a succession of U.S.-backed dictators, most notably Rafael Trujillo. Between our guys and the dictators, all the revolutionaries, crime lords, witch doctors, and other troublemakers were killed off, usually by brutal and extralegal means. Result: the D.R. today is the jewel of the Antilles, a relatively prosperous country with an intact culture and a representative government.
The best thing that could happen to Haiti would be a French invasion and occupation, followed by thirty years or so of repressive provisional government. Let the Foreign Legion and Gendarmreie kill all the revolutionaries, crime lords, witch doctors, and other troublemakers and Haiti might become a functioning society.
> The best thing that could happen to Haiti would be a French invasion and occupation
I have doubts that *that* would happen. The French may make noises about culture and history and blahblah, but when it comes to expending blood and treasure on Haiti, I don’t see ’em all that enthusiastic. And who can blame ’em.
Plymouth nails it. Haiti is a failed state. Why? Because the political left has made it one, and fights tooth&nail to keep it that way.
A question I have yet to get an answer for is why has Cuba not sent any help? They could have put 2000-5000 policemen/soldiers into Haiti in less than 24 hours, all of whom speak the same patios and understand the local culture. And yet, nothing. Why is that?
Mr. Lowther,
your position on this would be a bit more credible if you didn’t constantly ask for handouts in the form of donations yourself on your website…
Shrug. I’d rather you *buy* my stuff. But if you don’t want to donate, that’s fine… somehow I doubt Hollywood is going to host a concert fundraiser for me and try to guilt you into sending me money. Additionlly, the government is unlikely to tax you and send me your money without your consent. And nor am I going to go on a killing spree if you don’t send me money. Nor am I likely to crank out a passel of unsupportable children, and try to guilt you into paying for *those.* Nor am I likely to blame my financial woes on crap that happened 200 years ago. Nor am I likely to engage in massive corrupt practices, overwhelming graft-riddled bureaucracy, rampant illiteracy, organized child trafficking, illicit drugs, or chop down all the trees on my property.
If you think about there are a few differences between me and Haiti.
PS: Oh, yeah, and I provide a free service of sorts (aerospace info, photos and snark, mostly). Some might find that the free service is worth some minor financial renumeration (some have indeed so found). What does Haiti provide to the world for free that the rest of the world might want to subsidize?
He’s got you there, Aerospacer.
James,
personally I think begging is begging.
@2Hotel9
It would seem Cuba sent 400 Doctors, and in the UK press the US agencies on the ground very impressed by their skills and professionalism. It would seem according to Google this has been underreported on Fox and not at all or very little on other US media outlets.
It has been reported in the UK press.
Whilst Cuba has high literacy rates and skilled doctors, following the collapse of their Soviet sponsor they no longer have the global or even regional reach these days…, lets not forget the Americans are still the richest nation in the world and most able to project their power!
I think there was on this very blog a link to the putdown by US Ambassador to the French regarding the non combative benefits of a USN carrier group…
As for the general sentiments on donations, I can see the sympathy in this.
As for the intervention of the French (as discussed on the comments to this blog – the French probably don’t have the bottle for it anymore, despite their historical records.
Likewise, the ridiculous recent French suggestions that America is trying to occupy the place by the back door…. I think Iraqistan has given new perspective to the American Administration with regard to Imperialism…. Plus, can you see the headlines “black president invades afro-Caribbean country” i cant see that going down well in “the ‘hood” or “liberal America”?
What really bugs me is when Clooney or Bono(his rock band “U22 sits on a Billion Dollar Property and investment portfolio) or other mega-buck celebrities come on TV imploring you to send you money! What if for a change they dug into their own pockets first, if indeed they are so moved – and not just self serving cynical PR media types…..
> personally I think begging is begging.
Hmmm. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems that you have at least a somewhat negative outlook on “begging.” The question then becomes… how did it come to pass that you even saw this blog post? If I’m “begging” and you don’t care for that, then you would likely have taken *one* look at my blog, decided it wasn’t for you, and then moved on. Surely you would not have decided to stick around and read it/download the pictures/whatever. So what are the chances that of all the postings I’ve made so far, you just happeed to choose just this one post as your very first one to see here?
The only other realistic possibility is that you *do* take some interest in at least some of what I publish on the blog… and that you think that you are *owed* such material without the slightest compensation. Blogs aren’t like some drunken bum dashing out into an intersections and cleaning your window, and then demanding money; they are more like the stoned hippie on the streetcorner badly playing “The Times They Are A Changing” behind a soundproof curtain. You have to actually step inside, there to find a dirty hat that you can choose to toss some coins into. But the stoned hippie is at least *trying* to provide some sort of service… and isn’t forcing it on anybody
Haiti, on the other hand, is more like the broken-down crackhouse/methlab at the end of the block… partially burned to the ground from numerous fires started by the drug-addled denizens, who occaisionally stagger out onto the sidewalk to accost passersby and demand money from them. Passersby who know that if they give money, said money will be used not to fix the place up, but to buy more drugs.
I don’t think I’m “owed” anything by you, but it’s a free country (or so they say), and if you decide to put stuff out for free, I ain’t gonna lose any sleep over it. If you really thought it was worth anything, I would however expect you to run it as a pay site. Both you and Haiti aren’t forcing me to pay you, but both are asking for money. I know however less about how you would spend my money than how it would be spent in and by Haiti, to a large part because your story hasn’t hit the news yet as of now. Let me know however if your situation is as dire as that of the earthquake survivors in Haiti, and I will take it into proper consideration.
> if your situation is as dire as that of the earthquake survivors in Haiti,…
Ah, but there are better metrics to use when deciding charity and whatnot than “how bad off are they.” Such as… “what will my money be used for?” For example, New Orleans after huricane Katrina was bad off. But sending money to some organization that promised to build it back Just The Way It Was is not only a waste of your money, it’s arguably malicious on your part, as you’re simply setting peopel up for a future disaster. Same goes for donating money to Democratic mayoral candidates for D.C. or Detroit.
In my case, however, I can assure you that any money sent my way won’t be used for criminally stupid enterprises.
Alms are traditionally given based on need, not based on merit, especially in situations of immediate disaster relief. As for what they are ultimately used for, please forgive my skepticism, but I have to admit your blog posts give me precious little confidence that any money flowing your way really won’t be used for criminally stupid enterprises.
> Alms are traditionally given based on need, not based on merit
Traditions oftentimes suck.
> I have to admit your blog posts give me precious little confidence that any money flowing your way really won’t be used for criminally stupid enterprises.
Well, it’s been fun having you here. I hope you find fulfillment elsewhere, since this clearly isn’t the blog for you.
Glad to hear you enjoyed my electronic company so far. I hope you don’t mind though if I stick around a bit – I really like free entertainment :).
“Glad to hear you enjoyed my electronic company so far. I hope you don’t mind though if I stick around a bit – I really like free entertainment :).”
Observe the mentality of the consummate socialist; perfectly happy to collect the benefits created by the work of others, but indignantly horrified if asked to contribute even a dime to the fund that makes it all possible. I may not spend much time clicking on the pay button myself (though I may have to fix that if only to tick Aerospacer off), but at least I’m not such a Left-leaning moron as to think it’s okay to walk into someone’s house (nobody MAKES you visit this site), eat all their food, make a mess of their things, whine about what a horrible time I’m having, and then accuse the host of being a jerk when he points out that he’s gone to considerable effort to prepare the house for my stay and that I was perfectly free to find a hotel if I didn’t want to be there.
Meh. As per net-usual, the point has gone a tad askew. The purpose of the original post was not to disparage donations/charity/begging/whatever, but to point out that sometimes reflexive, knee-jerk bleeding-heartism is unwise. If you send medical supplies and doctors and such to Haiti… good for you. If you *rebuild* Haiti without any thought towards what made Haiti fall-down/go-boom in the first place, then you’re a schmuck.
I defy anyone to come up with a rational reason why putting reasonable conditions on charity (“if you want my money, do this“) is immoral, unethical or unwise. In the case of Haiti, such conditions should include, at the very least, proper building codes, and preferably something to wipe out their governmental corruption and replace it with something far less corrupt.
>perfectly happy to collect the benefits created by the work of others, but indignantly horrified if asked to contribute even a dime to the fund that makes it all possible.
As Pink Floyd put it so succinctly :-
‘Money, it’s a crime, share it fairly, but don’t take slice of my pie’
>”if you want my money, do this“
This is the classic scenario, you see a bum on the street, begging for money, because ‘I haven’t eaten for days’. If you give him money, you know he’ll just spend it on booze, so you take him to a diner and buy him a meal, and watch while he eats it.
London Calling, I have only found one reference to Cuban doctors, and no detail of any other assistance from them. Though, I find all kinds of complaints about America “invading” Haiti, and yet the same people screech and wail that America is not doing enough(giving money to leftist governments/movements) to help poor people around the world, even though we are the #1 source of help throughout the world. Imagine that.
Aerospace? If you are so offended by Scott “begging” then why are you here?
Brianna,
it’s actually a time honored capitalist tradition to be perfectly happy to collect the benefits created by the work of others (that’s for example how the stock market works, in case you weren’t aware of it), so your characterization of such behavior as socialist appears somewhat confused, to put it mildly :). I’m also not indignantly horrified to be asked to contribute – it takes far more to horrify me, just like you won’t tick me off by donating, since you can waste your money any way you want. As for your analogy of walking into someone’s house, eating all their food, and making a mess of their things, this web site is a public venue, not a private sanctum, and all the resources on the site are still there, intact and available to anybody else (information is not reduced by sharing, and only hacking does actual damage to a site), so your analogy is at least as far off the mark as your misconception about socialism above. I also never whined about what a horrible time I’m having – setting people like you straight is actually kind of fun :), nor did I ever accuse anybody of being a jerk, while you were the first who felt they had to give in to the urge to go personal by using the term moron. I hope this helps clarify things for you a bit.
2Hotel9,
I’m not offended by Mr. Lowther’s begging, I was merely admiring his beautiful glass house and the impressive stone collection inside.
> I was merely admiring his beautiful glass house…
Wow. You continue to miss the point ENTIRELY. At this stage I can only assume you’re doing so intentionally for the purpose of trolling.
Mr. Lowther,
you can certainly assume anything you want, but the premise of your argument that Haiti would be rebuilt exactly as before rather than substantially improved is mere conjecture at this point.
> mere conjecture at this point
Really? OK, with the numerous fundraisers and such that have been happening (rock stars and former Presidents), where have the claims been made that reconstuction will only be funded if it comes with fundamental cultural and structural changes in Haiti?
My “conjecture” at this point is based on the long, sad history of individuals, charities and governments simply throwing money or food at a problem, and not actually trying to get rid of the root causes of the problems. New Orleans is being rebuilt right where it was, under sea level. Flooded homes along the Mississippi are rebuilt right along the shore. Detroit keeps re-electing Democrats. Thousands of tons of food send to Ethiopia and the like were left to rot in warehouses or simply stolen by the local government, with minimal effort expended on birth control and evacuations for the starving. People hand over cash to drunken bums (but enough about the Kennedys).
The point remains that besides your assertion, which is most likely colored by understandable self interest, I have no objective indication whatsoever that my money would be spent more wisely (or less foolishly) by you than in Haiti.
> I have no objective indication whatsoever that my money would be spent more wisely (or less foolishly) by you than in Haiti.
That’s fine. But the POINT is, and always has been, that throwing money wildly at Haiti is throwing money down a rathole… you’ll help the scammers and the government (but then, I repeat myself), but not the *people.*
Why this has been difficult for you to comprehend, I’ve no idea.
Help is reaching the people of Haiti as we type. The logistics are certainly woefully inadequate and crummy (I guess marines are after all better at shooting than distributing food), and the scope of distribution at this point is nowhere near where it should be, but even with the “losses” associated with unscrupulous opportunists it’s certainly a whole lot better than nothing at all, so your claim is simply incorrect.
> so your claim is simply incorrect
Given the complete lack of reading comprehension you have so far demonstrated, I have precious little confidence that you even understand what my “claim” is.
Your latest claim was that any donations would not help the people of Haiti. Even a cursory review of current news easily disproves that assertion. There is a basic difference between “not enough” and “nothing at all”. And any speculation of what the situation might be in the future is just that.
>Even a cursory review of current news easily disproves that assertion.
No, it does not. The help *currently* hitting Haiti is not the Hollywood charity, but actual professionals doing *emercency* first response. Taht’s not where your donations will go. Those go later to prop up whatever kleptocracy is formed.
> any speculation of what the situation might be in the future is…
… based on historical precedent.
I would like to see solid proof for your unsubstantiated claim that no part of present and future donations will reach their actual target. And as far as predictions based on historical precedent go…
“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.”
“There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.”
“While theoretically and technically television may be feasible, commercially and financially it is an impossibility.”
“Radio has no future. Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible. X-rays will prove to be a hoax.”
“With over 50 foreign cars already on sale here, the Japanese auto industry isn’t likely to carve out a big slice of the U.S. market.”
“There is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be obtainable. It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will.”
“Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value.”
@2Hotel9
If you use the new fangled thing call the internet you will ind many references…. even CNN report on the work of Cuban doctors
Cuba currently have 30,00 doctors and medical staff around world undertaking various humanitarian roles. I dont have an axe to rind or a left wing agenda just stating the information presented. My politics are actually to right of centre.
Whilst some of the sources may seem a bit liberal and left for some of the audience of the this site. Le Monde and the BBC are generally accepted as
http://mondediplo.com/2006/08/11cuba
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4792071.stm
well these are american sites, if you dont trust foriegn news sites
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2010/01/19/darlington.hatiti.cuban.doctors.cnn?iref=allsearch
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2010/01/28/2010-01-28_us_cuba_tensions_take_a_quake_break.html
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/story/1441144.html
ok, ok – I concede there is nothing on FOX news…, but thats what youd expect isnt!?
also
even helping out poorrt US districts it woudl seem?
http://www.cubaheadlines.com/2009/08/05/18143/cuban_doctors_look_a_new_begining_us.html
…of course, it could not just be Google in China censoring web content – maybe Google also censor teh webcontent avialble in the US too?
> your unsubstantiated claim that no part of present and future donations will reach their actual target
Once again, your well-demonstrated lack of reading comprehension strikes again. Or you are simply a trol. In any event, it’s clear that you’re not a serious contributor here.
Note for anyone else playing along: if I shoot you in the face and then hand over a band-aid and a half-used tube of Bactine, it is not accurate to say that I did not help at all. But it is fair to say that my aid did not help, in the grand scheme of things.
Charitable Giving?
In the UK there has been a lot of concern over the years about the percentage of donations that actuall go to the end user or how much cash is delivered at the “sharp end” amidst concerns of “fat cat Charity Chiefs” creaming of the funds to invest in fancy advertising campaigns or central London offices.
As a result (Charities in the UK are quite highly regulated anyway as the tax man is keen to spot any tax avoiding regimes!) Charities publish the ratio of donations and revenues into how much is eaten up in costs and “adminstration” vs “helping” people.
This means you can make an informed decision on “IF” and “how much” you give to Charity “A” or “Charity “B”
Of coruse the biggest scandal in my eyes are the “profession charity collectors” often called “Chuggers” (a play of words on”Charity Muggers”)! as there is established (and legal) pratice of teams of “Chuggers” setting up in Malls or Main Streets (often with young attractive men and woman – a bit like the mormans but more “hip”) and trying to ebgage you in conversation and apply moral or peer pressure into getting you to sign up to a donations plan !
What most people in the UK do not realise is that these are not “Volunteer Collectors” put are paid either a salaries or commission basis – so are effectivel “Salesmen” akin to selling Insurance or Encyclopedias!?
I dont have a problem giving to charity, playing the lotto or drinking or eating their money away! Or, if they think I have paid my taxes, and therefore a that goes into the foriegn aid budget – fine by me too!
I think people object to the moralising and the guilt trips people try to place upon you. I will give my giving or support in the appropriate way at the appropraite time.
>Charities publish the ratio of donations and revenues into how much is eaten up in costs and “adminstration” vs “helping” people.
On top of that there’s the less easily calculated problem of just how helpful the charities help actually is. Again back to Ethiopia: I recall a great deal of wrangling over the issue of overhead… but beyond that, the money that did in fact get turned into direct food aid often turned into food that simply went to waste.
Any money that gets sent to Haiti that gets used to simply rebuild things the way they were is not just useless, but malicious. Imagine if the Marshall Plan was used to rebuild Germany after WWII… Nazi party and Gestapo and all.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hHlcOP7FSJwwUw-nv2kbKCqHm2vg
Haiti Must Learn To Live With Earthquakes: Experts
It will be difficult to convince Haitians to spend extra money and rebuild their quake-ravaged country with structures able to withstand another powerful earthquake, experts said Friday….
….It will be difficult to explain the importance of proper building codes to a population that overwhelmingly lives below the poverty line….
….According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), which tracks earthquakes around the world, Haiti’s quake could represent the beginning of a new cycle of earthquakes after nearly 170 years of geological peace….
*laughs*
And then there’s this…
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bal-md.homeless30jan30,0,3352899.story?arc
City homeless donate $14.64 for quake victims
Donations for Haiti have poured in to the American Red Cross of Central Maryland from a range of sources. Nothing, though, has stood out like the coins and crumpled dollar bills that spilled from one envelope.
That gift – $14.64 – came from the pockets of homeless people at a downtown Baltimore shelter.
“We were all weepy-eyed,” recalled Red Cross volunteer coordinator Bobbie Jones, who was at the front desk when the donation arrived.
Bum-to-bum sharing, it would seem.
London? You appear to have quite the leftist agenda, as does aerospace, and yet your ideology has only damaged the human race, never helped. Why is that?