Haiti Disaster Relief: The Trend
Although this post does not offer an exhaustive list of funding provided for earthquake relief purposes to Haiti the reports featured raise questions. But that does not address a broader question on why each ‘natural disaster’ or other catastrophic event is treated the way they are. If ET were to visit the planet Earth the impression for the extra=terrestrial might be that this is the first time humans have encountered such an event.
The shock and awe reaction in the main stream media suggests we have never witnessed such an event. The wailing and gnashing of teeth expressed by those affected and interviewed by the same MSM demonstrate a universal theme. There is the expectation that someone else is responsible to return ‘victims’ to their pre-disaster condition.
No, this is not a heartless rant targeting millions affected by the earthquake in Haiti. It is an observation presented during a crisis to offer suggestions for future events. It seems little if anything is done to effectively prepare for such contingencies by those most likely to be affected. Certainly those who are least prepared to face life in general are not in a position to prepare themselves properly for extreme conditions like a quake. But that is the whole point.
Just as issues like education avoid the responsibility of the family component e.g., good parenting, and the so-called global economic crisis sidesteps greed on every level, preparation for natural disasters receives little attention between events or focus on simple preventative measures addressing those most likely to be harmed.
Most ongoing ‘humanitarian’ efforts elicit funds based on emotional appeals for money to address problems after the fact. Outside of legitimate organizations raising funds to accomplish goals like teaching the have=nots to fish in order to feed themselves rather than give them food to solve an immediate need, most ‘humanitarian’ appeals are a scam.
Here are some reports regarding the current difficulties in Haiti that illuminate the world’s curious reponse to such events.
UN Appeals for $550 Million for Haitian Quake Victims
If millions are affected it is not surprising the UN would request $550 million. If there are 3 million ‘victims’ that is less than $200 per person. But while the request receives much attention during the disaster little valid disclosure will follow documenting where the money went.
Obama Pledges Sustained Commitment To Haiti
Okay, so the UN asks for $550 million and the US offers $100 million. That’s nearly 20% of what the UN asked for and a decent percentage for the US to offer. It seems large compared to what reports show for other countries thus far.
China Sends Aid to Quake-Stricken Haiti
Purely based on the report, China claims they will do what’s necessary to help but the only specific monetary amount is $1 million from the Chinese Red Cross.
Sarkozy Calls For International Donors Conference to Help Haiti
Go figure, France calls for a conference to solve the problem.
France Calls for Cancellation of Haiti’s Debt
Okay, correction, France calls for a conference and cancelling Haiti’s debt. So what does that cost France?
Haiti Aid Pouring in Through Text Message Campaign
Some reporting has warned the public about fraudulent websites accepting donations for earthquake ‘victims’ in Haiti. The bottom ilne warns there are genuine relief sites and frauds. Let the donor beware. The point is the public may represent the only honest source of aid for this event. Are the other sources bogus and do they feed on these events to perpetrate fraud?
And of course to repeat the broader point of this post, why does there seem to be no effort to prepare humans on this planet to be prepared to handle disaster in an effective manner?
Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com
January 16th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
When people like you and I regularly rant about the waste and abuse of taxpayer money, we include the huge sums spent in the name of philanthropy and aid to other nations because we have the common sense to know that the aid never really reaches the people in any substantial way. There are so many Haiti’s in the world, all experiencing catastrophic devastation in one way or the other.
The corruption of my money makes me furious. We must help Haiti, but we also must hold accountable the people who give millions and have no clue how the money is used.
With Haiti, I guess we built and sustained the downed National Palace. It is obvious we did nothing for the people.
I see no future effort to prepare the people for disaster, because there is nothing in it for those running the show.
January 17th, 2010 at 2:06 am
I linked the image in the post to the State Dept’s webpage related to the disaster. It would be nice if money going to the Red Cross could be assumed as properly distributed. But with all the corruption these days, who knows?
There were reports indicating VPOTUS and wife were scheduled to visit south Florida and Louisiana this weekend with the expectation they would exploit the Haiti earthquake story with Katrina spin for political gain. No shame.
But a victory Tuesday for Scott Brown could make me forget this for a time. It would be a great start for correcting all sorts of problems. But I digress.
(my comments submission is sporadic lately as site updates have become more automated and my schedule dictates less frequent hands-on review.)