Thoughts on Haiti
ByWhile watching the devastation and suffering in Haiti, I can’t help but think how lucky I am. I’m lucky that I was born here in the United States of America. No matter how “bad” you have it here, you have it good compared to third world countries.
The United States is always the first responder to disasters around the world, and our government gives more aid than any other. That’s not counting how the American people generously open their wallets, time and again. This morning I heard that the American people (not the government) had already donated $300 million to relief efforts in Haiti. It’s no accident, or stroke of luck, that gives us the prosperity to do what we do. It’s by design.
Our Founders knew that freedom and liberty are what lift people up. They understood that no government can guarantee an outcome for every individual in society. But, when people have freedom, they have a much better chance at deciding their own fate. And ability to create the infrastructure and technology to deal with, and mitigate, disaster.
Via John Stossel, read about the Tale of Two Quakes:
(T)he Haitian earthquake killed tens of thousands of people. But the quake that hit California’s Bay Area in 1989 was also of magnitude 7.0. It killed only 63 people. This difference is due chiefly to Americans’ greater wealth. With one of the freest economies in the world, Americans build stronger homes and buildings, and have better health-care and better search and rescue equipment. In contrast, burdened by one of the world’s least-free economies, Haitians cannot afford to build sturdy structures. Nor can they afford the health-care and emergency equipment that we take for granted here in the U.S.
These stark facts should be a lesson for those who insist that human habitats are made more dangerous, and human lives put in greater peril, by freedom of commerce and industry.
Whenever we put up with corrupt government; whenever we demand more free stuff from the government; we put the very freedom that’s made our prosperity possible in peril.
When you see images of poor third world countries do you think “That can’t happen here.”? If so, why? Is it because we’ve had one of the freest economies in the world for over two centuries? If so, why would you believe that giving up economic freedom is going to make anything better?
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Where is the assistance from other countries? How about Cuba, with a medical system that, in some opinions, exceeds the United States’? What about Venezuela with the magnanimous Hugo at the helm of “Stateship Utopia”? What’s up with all the Sheiks, flush with petro-dollars not ponying up a few mil to ease some of the obvious pain and desperation? No? What was I thinkin’? So I guess it will be left up to”The Great Satin” of the West to project its torturous, greedy and unfair face on the shores of Haiti; invading and autonomously imposing its unconditional, selfless humanity on the Haitian people. Historically, time after time, it’s proven beyond any doubt that the people of our country have the best character on the planet and we are to be proud of it, I am. God bless America.
Great post, LC, well said.