Life of Luxury
21st January 2010, 11:10 AM
It is interesting to observe how deeply our convictions sway with the tides of fortune. By nature our emotions are continuously affected by the environment, yet tend not to diverge frequently, and are often kept tucked away in some parcel, as not to attract attention. The container is a lockbox, whose key is held in front of our hearts. It just so happens that in the aftermath, once the tremors have subsided and Gaia has run her course, the contents have spilled and the realization hits us that these things weren’t built to be earthquake proof.
Why should this be the catalyst for action? It happens all too often, that only by the affliction of others are we moved from complacency to cooperation. I call this American Health Care for the global citizen. We’ll give you that expensive bypass when we have to, but seriously, forget about those alpha blockers. Now think more earthquake proof buildings. Are we on the same page? Good.
Or not. In fact, this is very wrong. The whole solution is really a problem in and of itself. Actually it is two problems stacked on top of each other, kind of like a layer cake, but this one leaves a bad taste in your mouth. First, with the flood of aid comes the unspoken baggage of a child-parent relationship between Haiti and her rescuers. While the relief effort is commendable and absolutely necessary, it should have been treated as a last resort rather than the only resort (although certainly Haiti’s infrastructure dictated otherwise). Decades of destitution have relegated Haiti to an ignominious state devoid of any self reliance. Wealthy watchdog nations are rising to the challenge to confront the cataclysm head on and rightfully so, however this should not be considered a precedent for reliance. Our admonishing smiles and helping hands may bestow comfort but they also fortify dependency. Don’t a give a man a fish and expect him to eat for life.
Secondly, it is imperative that Haiti devotes all available resources to freeing itself from the mire. Adaptation is a hallmark of survival, is it not? In this respect, there is much to be desired. As a nation it holds the distinction of housing one of the most corrupt governments on Earth. I need not even mention its list of social problems as long as its troubled past. That is where the real tragedy lies for where mother nature is arbitrary, mankind is evil. And mankind is good. The strength of the Haitian people, now more than ever is testament to this. I hope we continue to witness this brand of resilience. That is why international assistance beyond the immediate rescue should go to constructing a strong societal foundation and nothing more. Haiti needs to do the rest, to do the work our green dollars can’t. Haiti needs to take this grim occasion to start anew and discard the mistakes of the past. Because if not, we’ll all find ourselves texting “Haiti” to 90999 in a few years.
I originally posted this on a blog as a requirement for a sociology course I am taking. Needless to say, I am interested in what you guys think. :thumbsup:
Why should this be the catalyst for action? It happens all too often, that only by the affliction of others are we moved from complacency to cooperation. I call this American Health Care for the global citizen. We’ll give you that expensive bypass when we have to, but seriously, forget about those alpha blockers. Now think more earthquake proof buildings. Are we on the same page? Good.
Or not. In fact, this is very wrong. The whole solution is really a problem in and of itself. Actually it is two problems stacked on top of each other, kind of like a layer cake, but this one leaves a bad taste in your mouth. First, with the flood of aid comes the unspoken baggage of a child-parent relationship between Haiti and her rescuers. While the relief effort is commendable and absolutely necessary, it should have been treated as a last resort rather than the only resort (although certainly Haiti’s infrastructure dictated otherwise). Decades of destitution have relegated Haiti to an ignominious state devoid of any self reliance. Wealthy watchdog nations are rising to the challenge to confront the cataclysm head on and rightfully so, however this should not be considered a precedent for reliance. Our admonishing smiles and helping hands may bestow comfort but they also fortify dependency. Don’t a give a man a fish and expect him to eat for life.
Secondly, it is imperative that Haiti devotes all available resources to freeing itself from the mire. Adaptation is a hallmark of survival, is it not? In this respect, there is much to be desired. As a nation it holds the distinction of housing one of the most corrupt governments on Earth. I need not even mention its list of social problems as long as its troubled past. That is where the real tragedy lies for where mother nature is arbitrary, mankind is evil. And mankind is good. The strength of the Haitian people, now more than ever is testament to this. I hope we continue to witness this brand of resilience. That is why international assistance beyond the immediate rescue should go to constructing a strong societal foundation and nothing more. Haiti needs to do the rest, to do the work our green dollars can’t. Haiti needs to take this grim occasion to start anew and discard the mistakes of the past. Because if not, we’ll all find ourselves texting “Haiti” to 90999 in a few years.
I originally posted this on a blog as a requirement for a sociology course I am taking. Needless to say, I am interested in what you guys think. :thumbsup: