I'm sure you and your family have been discussing the situation in Haiti and what you can do do help. Along those lines, here's a new assignment for you.
Before you do anything, READ THIS ARTICLE very carefully.
Kind of shocking right?
Okay, here's the assignment.
1. What is the author's thesis?
2. What additional points does the author make to defend his thesis?
3. Do you agree with the author's thesis? Should we really consider ending aid to countries like Haiti after sending as much immediate humanitarian aid as possible?
Oh yeah, we'll be having a debate on this subject Thursday morning.
-Ned-
6 comments:
Bret Stephens argues that all the aid sent to Haiti causes more harm then it does good. He backs up his arguments with statistics concerning Haiti's economical growth. Their output rate compared to what they're taking in through foreign aid is abysmal. most of what is sent in goes directly to corrupt politicians and gangs and is distributed from there to tribes for political favor ism or put on the black market for profit. Stephens suggestion to stop this from happening is to completely stop sending aid to Haiti once we finish assisting them from the earthquake catastrophe. His belief is that if we do this then Haiti will grow more independent and start to develop again. While this does seem like a good suggestion and Haiti may profit from our withdrawing aid, there is still the possibility that it may go the opposite way. If we do withdraw, Things will be thrown out of balance for a while and Haiti might go downhill. If this happens then will we be able to step back in? or will we even want to? these are things that should probably be considered before any solid action is taken.
Bret Stephens thesis is, that we need to stop giving humanitarian aid to Haiti in order to not destroy Haiti’s barely existing economy. Stephens says, our humanitarian aid will fail, because the people in Haiti will get dependent on it. Our help will change the system, and make it dysfunctional. Let’s take food aid; the United States send tons of food to Haiti. But where does this food end up? Well, a big portion of the corn we send, ends up in some politicians hands, and he will only give it to his people, to have better chances at the next election. Another big portion ends up on the black market. And here it’s been sold for half the price than food from local farmers. I totally agree with Bret Stephens. It’s hard to imagine, that our aid won’t help Haiti in the long run, but let’s look what humanitarian aid did in Africa. Senegal Africa, they are getting hundreds million dollars every year in form of humanitarian aid. Europe and the United States send their food surplus to Senegal, for free! Farmers in Europe and the United States even get grants if they export their food surplus to Senegal. But the free food hurts their economy, instead of helping. The food from the North countries ends up on the market in Senegal, and it’s cheap. It’s not even half the price than food from local farmers. Isn’t that awesome, that people in Senegal can buy our food for less, so nobody has to be hungry?! But the reality looks different. The local farmers are not able to sell their products anymore, because everything from the North is so much cheaper. Farmers in Senegal lose their job, and the economy goes down. Well, farmers in Senegal might lose their job, but is that enough to effect the whole country a lot of people would ask now. Senegal’s economy comprises to 80% from agriculture, farmers. So yes, farmers losing their jobs, affects the whole country. If the majority of all people in Senegal run out of business, the whole country goes down. Now people are not even able to buy the cheap food from the North, because their little income fell away. But why can’t Senegal’s government just limit the import of gods from other countries like a lot of other countries do. Well the answer is easy, Senegal is almost forced to import all of our gods. Senegal is a really poor country and needs money. In order to lend money from the World Bank, they have to open their borders for trading. Until the year 2000, Senegal had a good going chicken production. With over 10.000 chicken farmers and annual sales of 3.8 billion Euro. In 2000, the World Bank made Senegal lower their import taxes on chickens from 55% to 22%. The result; Senegal was flooded with chicken, over night. Chickens that would be considered inedible in the Northern industrial countries, will be sold in Senegal for half the price of local chickens. Within 5 years, the market share of chickens went down from 80% to 35%. At the same time the export of chickens in Europe doubled. What are the farmers supposed to do? Switch their business to growing tomatoes? Not possible, the Netherlands export tons of tomatoes to Senegal. What’s about start growing onions? Not possible either. Or how about growing rice? Well Thailand already exports rice to Senegal for so cheap, that it’s impossible to compete. If we really want to help Haiti, we shouldn’t do the same mistake we already did in Senegal. Don’t make Haiti dependent on our gods, help them to produce their own gods. Or the people in Haiti are going to end up like the people in Senegal. Their biggest dream will be to flee to a better country.
The author's thesis is that once the immediate humanitarian efforts are completed and Haiti has been stabilized we should extract all efforts and let them build their country themselves so that they do not become dependent on us, and so that they will be able to form their country the way it should be formed. The author backs this point up by explaining how it would simply be "throwing money onto a fire." I strongly agree with the author's argument. We need to do what we can to help get them somewhat stabilized and then hand the reigns so to speak over to the Haitians. This will ensure not only that we are not responsible for them but also that they will be forced to create their own working, functioning government.
When I read this article I wasn’t shocked at all. I felt that what we have known has probably been going on for years have finally come to light. I mean honestly, how can you think you can send over millions of dollars, have no results, and just assume that we need to send more? Many countries have seen the misfortune of America and other superpowers trying to step in and help. Take for example Honduras. We went in and helped them to establish a cash-crop industry of coffee and tobacco, but now the people starve because all that is grown is cash-crop. I know that we all feel terrible for what has happened, and it is indeed a horrible thing that has taken place, and we all wish that we were doing good by sending our $5 text messages for support, and buying our car bumper stickers and pins, but if wishes were fishes we would all have a fry. If you truly want to help, do what Amsterdam is doing. Help to take in the Haitians and give them shelter and support. Go to the orphanages and help the children. Do something besides buying your little nick-knacks that help you to sleep at night knowing that you “did your part.”
Anyways, the authors thesis is that by sending money we aren’t doing the county any good, because there isn’t a system in place that can distribute the money and food where it needs to be without it being touched and taken by corrupt officials, and being wasted on useless projects.
He supports this with the analysis put out stating that,” The outcome of World Bank assistance programs is rated unsatisfactory (if not highly so), the institutional development impact, negligible, and the sustainability of the few benefits that have accrued, unlikely”, and says that Haitians received ten times more aid than it did in foreign investment.
I totally support what he is saying, and think that after we have done what we can it is up to the Haitian people to take care of themselves. After all, give a man a fish and he will eat for a day but teach a man to fish, and he will eat for a life time.
-Jake Kennedy
i agree with Bret Stephens just stop sending money we've already sent billions of dollars and look at there country. they don't give the money to the people, there the ones who need it instead the government takes it and supports gorilla rebel guys who just mess with the people more or they just pocket it. Michèle Pierre-Louis stole it all. as much as were suppose to be like the mom of the world and take care of everyone this just has to end i think we have some issues in our own country that we should be worrying about
FJM
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