Haiti - A Global Natural Disaster

As usual, whenever there is a horrible natural disaster some where in a poor country, it is always the US Government and the American people that come to the rescue generally like no other nation. Our Judeo-Christian values, which are the foundation of our nation, compel our government and our people to provide our military resources and our financial assistance. Haiti was a basket case before the earthquake, even with hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aide, as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Given the total devastation that has come from this earthquake, it is hard to imagine recovery in the next 50 or more years and only if other countries, including the United States, are willing to give even more.

President Obama initially has committed $100 million, that we will need to borrow from the Chinese and others, to provide disaster relief for Haiti and this is just the beginning. It was also reported today, that Americans have already donated $600 million to private charities to provide direct assistance. By the way, none of this money should be given to the Haitian government, which is hopelessly corrupt. While providing assistance is the right thing to do, it might have been better for Obama to go to the United Nations, where he is more popular than in the United States and ask for this level of commitment and even more from the top 45 richest countries in the world rather than the US always writing the check with money that we just don't have to give. Remember, the federal deficit in 2010 will be more than $1.4 Trillion. The Chinese, one of the riches countries in the world, that owns $700 Billion in US Treasuries, donated just $1 million dollars to Haiti disaster relief. And, as yet, we have not seen any donations at all from the rich Arab Oil countries. Why is it that these countries do not feel compelled to help the poor and those in need?

Sadly, while the United States and the American people are the most generous in the world of any nation, very often we get no respect, or even a simple thank you. Instead, we are attacked by left wing Socialists and Communists for our world involvement and even worse, there are Islamic Fascist Terrorists that seek to murder Americans even though it was the United States that came to the rescue of Muslims in Bosnia as they were under attack by Christians in that country.

The United States has been the greatest force for good in human history. Clearly, we are not perfect and we have made mistakes; but for the most part the United States has been a selfless defender of freedom around the world. We have sacrificed blood and treasure so that others could be free. When President Obama goes over seas and bows down to foreign leaders and or apologizes for our country, he insults all Americans; but particularly those that have died for our country and many other countries. It is pretty clear that Obama has not learned the lessons of history, which is not only sad; but very upsetting to all who love the United States.

In any case, we should learn from the experience in Haiti. If the United Nations is to have any value at all, which is questionable, it should be to organize and manage global disaster relief in poor countries. The US cannot continue to shoulder this burden any longer. We just don't have the money. And, from a national perspective, it is clear that we still don't have it right related to disaster recovery. The military is performing well; but the plan is flawed. Moving plane loads of food and water to Haiti, without the means to distribute it in place first, was very poor planning.

So now will the left wing media criticize President Obama as was done mercilessly when the Bush Administration failed to respond properly to Katrina? I doubt it. We need to learn from Haiti. First it is a global natural disaster and the United Nations and other rich countries need to get more involved in providing financial assistance. Second, the Obama Administration should have implemented a better plan to provide assistance. We still don't have disaster relief right. President Obama gets a grade of C on Disaster Recovery. Let's hope Obama gets it right before we have an earthquake or some other national disaster in the United States.

P.S. Scott Brown, the Republican candidate for US Senate will win in Massachusetts by 4 points or more. The tidal wave is coming. We will elect Conservatives in 2010 and 2012 to take back the Congress and the Presidency.