Haiti in 2010

With all the hoopla about how horrible a tragedy this situation is, I felt like airing some views on the subject. Again, it's my opinion. Of course that means that here, on this blog, I am right and you... well... ain't.

It's not a tragedy. Tragedy requires a conscious decision by an individual or individual group-entity that creates the disaster which then affects those around them. The earthquake was neither caused nor encouraged to happen by any individual. It is possible to argue that the inaction of the Haitian government to plan for such an occurrence is the tragedy; however, since the government is democratically elected that would mean its inaction caused hurt to itself - in other words the people did it to themselves.

The aid workers can only do so much. Yes, it's great to go in and help people who are a bit dazed by events they can hardly cope with. I see on the news that people are complaining about bodies lying around and why isn't someone doing something about it. Hello? Are the people really that stupid? Do they require a city to maintain stability? Where is the food grown? Isn't that in the countryside? Do they require motorized vehicles to get there? Do they not have feet? If the bodies have piled up then the people who are complaining about it should do something about it.

How soon will the food run low? How soon will the opportunists seize control of that food and what is the military going to do about it? Shoot civilians? On foreign soil? Over food? I highly doubt that. Once the scavengers have control of the food it just a short jump to control of the remaining populace. How do you suppose the warlords of the world have gained control over so many people? It isn't pretty words - that only works on well fed people with little cogitation ability (see Osama bin Laden). It is by controlling two resources: food and water. Anyone who doesn't do what you say doesn't get either. No need to kill them unless they attempt a coup because dehydration and starvation will do it for you. When the medicine does start arriving, the Haitian government will not be in control of it.

The opportunists have already struck here in the US with bogus charity scams. They've struck in Haiti by spreading danger rumors that panic the people and make them run so as to take what they leave behind. I don't doubt that the body looters started as soon as the shaking stopped.

We are dealing with a very large group of primates here. In large enough groups they stop thinking for themselves and look to anything that might lead them to the resources they crave unless they can somehow stumble upon those resources themselves. Whether it means following a river or following a nutcase, it won't matter so long as they get what they want. I give it about a week before the first armed confrontation for food happens. After that, it's anyone's guess.