David Gewirtz | BIO
AC360° Contributor
Director, U.S. Strategic Perspective Institute
First, I'd like to send a good thought to all those suffering today in Haiti, and all their family members here in the United States.
No one can look at the horror of Haiti and not feel both a deep sense of sadness and a desire to help. It seems almost mean and selfish to suggest that we need to do something other than provide our full support to this devastated nation, but that's exactly what I'm about to do.
Over the next few weeks, there's going to be a crucial decision-making point when policy makers will have to decide whether to move from a perfectly valid emergency response policy to a potentially disastrous nation-building policy.
Since the 1960s, we have operated under President Kennedy's mandate of moral obligation:
"The answer is that there is no escaping our obligations: our moral obligations as a wise leader and good neighbor in the interdependent community of free nations - our economic obligations as the wealthiest people in a world of largely poor people, as a nation no longer dependent upon the loans from abroad that once helped us develop our own economy - and our political obligations as the single largest counter to the adversaries of freedom."
But times have changed since JFK was President and Dr. King gave his great speech challenging us to "let freedom ring" from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Today, we're again dangerously in debt, this time to "adversaries of freedom" like China. Many of our own people are desperately hurting.
Foreclosures rose by 21 percent in 2009. Nearly half of all Americans owe more on their homes than they're actually worth. As we've all come to know, millions of Americans over-reached and bought homes they knew they couldn't afford. But Americans need to live somewhere and the lack of affordable housing (whether to rent or own) is a huge problem in America.
Millions more Americans will lose their homes in 2010. Our bridges and levees are crumbling and at least one out of every ten American adults is out of work.
After more than four years, there are still people who haven't been able to return home from the damage inflicted by Katrina. Cities like Detroit and Chicago have unemployment rates above 22% and thousands of abandoned homes due to the damage inflicted by bankers and the financial industry.
America needs to get its own house in order.
Before we decide it's our responsibility to rebuild all the lost homes in Haiti, let's remember that it's our actual responsibility to make sure our own people have roofs over their heads.
Haiti isn't our problem alone. China and Germany and other economically powerful countries also have a "good neighbor" responsibility to less fortunate nations like Haiti. In fact, Haiti's not really our problem at all.
Our "good neighbor" responsibility today is to our actual neighbors here in America, the mom in Milwaukee, the dad in Detroit, the grandparents in Grand Rapids, and the brothers and sisters in Baltimore and Cincinnati - not the huddled masses of Haiti, horrifying as their situation might be.
Sure, for a few weeks, it makes sense to send American forces into Haiti to help them recover from the initial shock of the crisis. But with two wars already stop-lossing our troops to the breaking point, we can't afford to adopt another country as a matter of national policy.
Until we can make sure that the kids in Kentucky can get medical care, or the millions of uninsured Americans can have access to the drugs they need to stay alive, we can't commit to sending a never-ending supply of free medicine to another country while at the same time blocking lower-cost medicine from entering the U.S. at our borders - with the blessing of the U.S. Congress - simply because Big Pharma wants to make an even greater profit.
In the past week, we've seen cabinet members and the First Lady ask Americans to give $10 to the Red Cross by texting "HAITI". Perhaps, instead, these leaders should ask, nay, demand that all those bankers who bungled billions and stole millions in bonuses directly from taxpayers, send some of it to Haiti. Or perhaps, even, to the newly homeless in Houston.
I hesitated to write this article because those in Haiti are in a world of hurt and they truly need our help. Unfortunately, American policy makers tend to make long-term strategic mistakes in the name of compassion and good PR. We're already stretching our resources too thin. Taking on yet another long-term responsibility for yet another nation may mean we have to abandon more Americans in more American cities.
Once we fix our own problems, then we can muck around in other nations, trying to prove we still have the chops to be a "wise leader and good neighbor". But until we can take care of our own, we have no right trying to fix the ills of the entire world.
Follow David on Twitter at @DavidGewirtz.
Editor’s note: David Gewirtz is Director of the U.S. Strategic Perspective Institute and Editor-in-Chief of the ZATZ magazines. He is a leading Presidential scholar specializing in White House email. He is a member of FBI InfraGard, the Cyberterrorism Advisor for the International Association for Counterterrorism & Security Professionals, a columnist for The Journal of Counterterrorism and Homeland Security, and has been a guest commentator for the Nieman Watchdog of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. He is a faculty member at the University of California, Berkeley extension, a recipient of the Sigma Xi Research Award in Engineering and was a candidate for the 2008 Pulitzer Prize in Letters.
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Dear AC360,
In viewing the CNN television coverage, we have seen death, poverty, and destruction endured by the Haitian people. Please show your viewers where the affluent Americans and Haitans reside. Were they not affected by the earthquake? If so let us see!the effects the diaster had on these neighborhoods and where did the affluent go! ( Eg. Petionville – suburbs?)
Lester Houston
Excellent post! Let's help our own before giving money we don't have to others.
Until the USA is looking after it's own the rest of the world's economies will suffer. too many are at present sitting at home counting their pennies whilst the storekeepers cannot move their stocks.stagnant stock gums up the supply chain and all prices fall. commodities will only gain on demand and that will not come from haiti but from your neighbour spending instead of saving.
Tarp does not seem to have done the job yet but renewed consumer confidence will !
I really have mixed emotions about this story. The US government does have an obligation to help our people and I agree that we should be taking care of our citizens too. That being said, if you say we should take care of our citizens first, you are saying that a life in the US is more important than a life in Haiti and I strongly disagree with that. We are all children of this world and one life is not more important than the other. I made a contribution to Haiti because I as a human being have a responsibility to help those less fortunate. Just like I give to an organization supporting food banks because I care about feeding the hungry in my community. I think the bigger issue is money is being wasted everywhere, by the government, by corporations, by civilians while our brothers and sisters in the US and abroad are starving and hurting and without shelter. We should all be giving more and consuming less.
Amen. Well said. I would love to see more Americans, namely public figures, step up and support this line of thinking. If the "famous" support a cause, the media will report it, allowing it to spread like wildfire. Imagine how much good we could do in our own country.
I agree with your article and I can see where it would have been a difficult one to write. I agree that we need to come forward to help Haiti, and other countries in similar situations; however, it is our DUTY to help our own, right here, in literally our own backyards.
I would have loved to see us raise that kind of money, that was raised on behalf of Haiti, to rebuild/save our schools, neighborhoods, cities, and children.
I wonder if we can get something going on twitter...?
So sad but true. Times have changed and our country leaders have to use common sense and come to grips that we are struggling and we need to take care of home.
Sorry buddy. I'm in Detroit too, and yes, there is abject poverty. But you're putting the cart ahead of the horse in even suggesting there is a long term plan for nation-building in place. Haiti deserves our help, we put them in a situation that caused this to happen by continually keeping underdeveloped nations down. Yes, we need to help Detroit too, yes, we have problems to fix here too. Who says we can't end these wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and get the money back from the bankers while helping Haiti as well? It's not a zero-sum game.
You know, I hear you and understand where you are coming from. But, there is something particularly biblical and I am sure prophetic about the role of the United States. We cannot stand on profound biblical truths that are the foundation on which our founding fathers built this great nation, without understanding that to to whom much is "given" much is expected.
Now you could take a holy year debating that adage from any number of view points, but we need to start taking practical and simple approaches to solve our complex problems. They are only complex because they are being approached incorrectly by intellectual idiots or the problems themselves were intentiionally constructed like puzzles to comfound and test our integrity.
The bottom line is we need to determine whether the problem has to do with improving the condition of mankind. And if it is then we need to do the right thing, being to do whatever it takes. We are at our best and most prosperous in our generosity.
Great article. Thanks David for having the guts to speak boldly and honestly in an era ruled by politically correct libs. Keep up the good work.
I completely agree with this e-mail. While my condolences go out to those suffering in Haiti; we ignore those suffering on our own soil. At the end of his presidential term George Washington stated "We should stay out of foreign affairs."
I do believe this is what he was referring too. The American government spends more time dealing with matters on foreign soil than it does it's own.
The majority of policies are all cop outs by the government to pacify the American people. It has been said "People should not be afraid of their governments, Governments should be afraid of their people."
It is time to rise up and let our voices be heard. We need to speak up and let our government know what is to be done to save our nation.
Its is always interesting to see how long it takes after a disaster for Americans to say "we need to focus on our own country". For this blog post it seems that you are implying the United States spend to much money for foreign aid, which is preposterous. The state department is going to receive an estimated 36 billion dollars in 2010, which accounts for only 9 percent of the budget for all government departments excluding DOD. Adding the DOD, the state department budget falls to a little under 4 percent. And this 36 billion budget includes funding embassy, paying employees in the department, ect. In my opinion, it doesn't seem like we are spending large amounts of money on foreign aid, when compared to the rest of the US budget for government department. And it would also be interesting to know how you propose to fix Detroit. I wonder what was your opinion when GM and Chrysler filled for bankruptcy did you want them to fail or did you want them to be bailed out. Or what is your opinion on free trade and outscoring.
My question for you Mr. Gewirtz..why can't we do both? With the efforts of individuals, corporations and the rest of the world (oh yes, there is a rest of the world out there), it can and should be done. The earthquake has opened the world's eyes to the poverty in Haiti and it can no longer be overlooked in good conscience.
I fully agree! it is about time someone spoke for the people of the US!
I understand this is a worldly point of help for Haiti however; we (U.S.) can stay and rebuild and vote on making Haiti another State or take care of our own people State side. One can only do so much. Remember, Louisiana and other States (respectively) need our help to rebuild as well; this includes the unemployed poverty-stricken families in the U.S...
I understand the United States is in debt but what nation is not? I think it is absolutely selfish and ignorant to say that we need to fix our problems before helping others. The united states has many resources and capacities to rebuild itself whether it'd be economically or not. Haiti however does not. They have lost almost everything and have no way of rebuilding itself if not with the help of other nations. We have all the right in the world to help other nations with whatever help they need. How can we worry about our country when a country like Haiti is living in ruins and has lost EVERYTHING???
Nice try David, but even with USA's present self-imposed economic collapse, when was Haiti ever on your country's to-do list? US foreign policy, always tied to trade strategy, has repeatedly helped plunge Haiti into the economic and political morass it has been in even before the earthquake. I think your country (in cincert with others) owes Haiti an apology and a hand in rebuilding.
I agree with your blog here and I know how hard it is to say something like this at this crucial time for Haiti. I believe that what we have done and continue to do for Haiti during these crucial days by way of emergency response is exactly what a responsible nation such as ourselves should have done. And I have a lot of pride that our private citizens, during our struggling economic times, have stepped up to offer charity to those in even greater need and I genuinely hope we continue to donate even when the news has moved on to other stories. Having said that, I am not a proponent of nation building. I hope one day to have a chance, as a private citizen, to do some Habitat for Humanity work and help build homes in Haiti, but our responsibility as a country is to secure our own future. We can not save someone from drowning we can't swim. So, your sentiment is felt and I do not think that you sound callous, just making a logical statement. I hope we continue to provide the disaster relief that we promised as a country, and that private citizens continue to step up and help out, but any further than that could risk both countries' futures.
Thanks!
As a Detroiter, I am so thankful that someone like Anderson Cooper recognizes the plight of our Country. There is NO was that we can help others without first helping yourself. That's like loaning someone money, and offering to build them a new house, and buy them a whole new wardrobe, and a new car... when you are getting ready to file for bankruptcy and have just lost your home and are living at home with your parents. We got to get ourselves and our minds right first. We have areas in Detroit that look like a Third World Country right in our own Country, and like Haitians...they have NO options and No hope!!
I would love to support all Haitian efforts, and think that if we have to choose between a war in Iraq and Afghanistan, Helping Haiti Rebuild, or Rebuilding the US ie Detroit, New Orleans, Baltimore, Cincinatti, Chicago, etc....I have to say we have got to start at home first!!
Typical American analysis. Or it's black, or it's white.
David, no country in the world will never be able to fix all its problems and there's always room for helping in exceptional cases – like Haiti. Before the crisis, there were already poor people in the US, more and poorer than many countries in ths world. Has the support to Haiti worsened the situation in the US? Not sure.
Also consider that the US can do something in exceptional cases to counterbalance the damage they do also in this world.
Where else the US help people? Let me know I'm curious. They don't do more than the UK, or France, or Belgium...
The US is the biggest democracy and one the richest. Your nation can do both: help their citizens and sometimes help poor countries like Haiti.
Yann, a European citizen.
Excellent article and my sentiments exactly. We don't help our own people but we are constantly helping other countries. I agree we need to help in their time of need, but not on a long time basis. WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY OR RESOURCES. I don't see any other country talking about a long time commitment and we cant afford it either. Due to the greed of our corporations, some of these countries are much better off than we are right now.
There is a time we need to admit we can't do it and now is that time.
New year, new problem!
Thank you for this article. I pray for the people in Haiti. My heart goes out to them. This earthquake devastated many lives all over the world. However, the people of Mississippi, New Orleans, Chicago and throughtout the US need our help more. We cannot keep helping other people internationally more than helping our own nationally!
Cooper I totally agree with you. At first I felt guilty thinking this way and then when I started to express this emotion that "we have out own Hati situation going on in our own backyard, with job loss and forecloser" mostly everyone I talk to about it agreed. It's said we can text millions of dollar to over seas help and hold fund raisers were celebs give millions, but there not willing to do it for the own american people. Maybe they should have had Kanye West on the Help Hati's telethon, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't had a problem expressing this...Lol. We need to hold a telethon and community service gathering for our own community. We need to have more televised food drives for those without and for those barely making it. The goverment is always so willing to help those who aren't willing to help themselves (welfare). But what about those in Detroit and Ohio who are trying to kick there head above water.
I've never read anything so unrealistic.
I can tell the American way is truly capitalistic, based on greed and the almighty dollar sign.
Take a page from Canada Mr. Gewirtz..please!. $9.5 million raised so far from Canadians for Haiti, $67 million overall in a nation of only 33 million people, who have been repeatedly hit just as hard as Americans over the past several years, and as a single Mom, unemployed I know first hand.
It is definitely the responsibility of the World to come together during difficult times and assist those in need. That's right, there are many more countries assisting in this effort outside of the US boarders just for the record. As a matter of fact, there is a meeting of dozens of foreign minsters today in Montreal to start the basis of a plan that will see proper management of the relief dollars and long term rebuilding of Haiti.
I forgive you for your narrow minded comments. It is this type of arrogant thinking by those of power and authority that has led the American people down the garden path to a place I feel it's founding fathers had never intended.
This article sounds to me like you want cake and eat it too. You want to be recognized as a caring leader of the world but without the commitment and hard work it takes, especially if it affects the pocketbook. Having lived Stateside I know the American people are capable of giving far more than what you give credit for.
It really is time that the US start making decisions that benefit the vast majority of its citizens instead of only the top few percent, and take its place as it once was...a true World Leader.
Thankfully you offer a rational perspective. While I appreciate all the goodwill that is going out to Haiti, Americans need to attack our own needs in this country with such fervor. As a resident of the Detroit Metro Area I can attest to the fact that this area could use a HopeforDetroit celebrity fundraiser now. I think you've hit on what our new political mantra should be: "fix our own problems"
This breaks my heart. If we weren't spending $ on two wars, going green, an expensive healthcare program, giving our $ to bankers and trying to make every move a political, we would be able to really help Haiti (not nation build). There will be an even higher price to pay for this neglect.
Can't we do both?
Seems to me we could help nation build in Haiti AND clean up our own mess.
Perhaps Congress should just pledge 10% of the monies they get from lobbyists. That alone should help rebuild Haiti.
I don't think it's a matter of us not having the resources available, I think it's how those resources are utilized. So much waste here in the states , so much money thrown around without really making a dent in the problems of our cities.
We ARE a talented nation if we would only prioritize better and make each penny really count.
As a native Detroiter who has observed the plight firsthand, I applaud this blog.Truth sometimes like medicine doesn't taste good going down, but in the end it helps to heal your ills.
i concur...brilliantly perspective and encompasses the scope of all of these UNITED STATES.
having been disabled recently for the last year...i can empathize wholeheartedly in the suffering of Americans who are literally forsaken by their government that they VOLUNTARILY pay taxes too and support without question!
Uncle Sam and Uncle Scrooge Mc Duck both need to take off their short focus lenses and look at the Family situation of their own people.
Voluntary payment into a system that dehumanizes the citizens asking for assistance back is only comparable to human rights violations in China and other overpopulated socialist and communist countries.
These United States of America should look inward to its core values and citizens and ask...Whom DO we serve? Or are these citizens to Serve US without question!
being a single fulltime father of an amazing 5 yr old boy living in a house that at anytime a sherrif could knock on my door and asked to leave because my landlord didnt use my rent to pay his mortgage... Or the fact that im living in a state with 11% unemployment and growing and cant find a job for the last year and a half... Or living in a country that doesnt recognize a single father the same way they do a single mother... I could use $10 myself... Its just not right!
I'll be brief with this, but the one thing I disagree with you on is that these people have absolutely nothing. It is the same as anything else. If you care about your fellow man and realize you're in a position to help then you should. As bad as a situation as the US is in right now, its a million times better than what Haiti has ever had. So do we just tell the Haitian people to take their money and figure it out themselves?
I will assume that you also support us leaving Iraq and Afghanistan. Though we've "occupied" them for more than four years, they're also not our long term responsibilities. If we can afford to "hang around" and "restore democracy," as we like to call it and waste a few billion dollars with nothing to show for it in those countries, certainly we can spend a little in Haiti. Or, at least aid the effort in canceling it's debt.
Haiti did not become a poor nation on it's own. History shows (and I don't need to tell you because Haitian history been reiterated countless times these past few days) that it's the United State's political and moral obligation to help Haiti out. Of course, we should not be doing it alone. France and many other countries should be helping too. But we certainly owe it to them.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
I respect your point of view, however, I greatly disagree with the selfish overtones you present. Yes, we a living in a recession, and yes people are losing their homes. I don't quite know about the 22 percent unemployment statistics concerning Chicago and Detriot and we know unemployment is high. The infastructure does need to me maintained as we've been knowing for years, and I am sure that was brought into consideration with the local and national city planners when things were being budgeted. So, what I am saying is that, there has to be some funds that were set aside a long time ago for maintaining our levees and bridges, etc.
You seem concerned for the Haitian people and nation, but, you also seem brutally cold towards them as well. If they were Swedish or German looking, I wonder if you, personally, Mr. Gerwitz would have even motioned to write such a bitting article! Just, a clear thought of mine.
You don't seem to have any spiritual perspective in this rant, so that's why I provided one at the top of my post. "Give and it shall be given unto to you." God, my dear sir, in his infinite wisdom and glorious grace and provision, knows how to touch the spirits of Giving and loving, and fearless Americans of all ethnicity's to give to the nation of Haiti until it hurts, if they have to. God, our heavenly Father, also knows how to bless those who have given. Yes, even those facing forclosers, those who have been unemployed for sometime, and the like. God knows how to provide and to create jobs and ways to stop and to help the great people of our nation, when they give to Haiti sacrificially. The sacrifice is a step of faith. Faith, which you don't seem to have my dear sir.
omg! this is so true! I totally agree b/c I'm from new orleans and our people are still struggling! we got to fix our home first!
Thank you so much for actually putting into words what I have been feeling. I am so sick of bailing every country out of their problems. I am one of the 22% in the Chicago area that are unemployed. I have no health insurance and I live day to day by taking what money I had saved out to pay the mortgage and monthly bills. My home is going up for sale the minute the cold, snowy weather in Chicago is over. I live in a south suburb, nice neighborhood but homes up and down my street have been for sale for over a year....and they aren't selling. The United States needs to take care of their own people...we are suffering too. I feel bad for the people of Haiti, they lost so much but we are still suffering in the US with Katrina victims. When does it all end?
much classier way of saying the truth. I know people are going to come at you for this. I heard this plenty of time before, but it is the bittersweat truth. I'm passionate about Haiti because I'm west indian, but I also wonder how is that we raised so much money, I just think that we should take things into our own hands. I don't know how, I don't have the answers, but I think we have so many states who are suffering. Not to this extent, but Detriot is really suffering.
Anderson,
Thank you for writing this. As an ex-CEO from the Detroit area, Thank you. I am completely compassionate about the people in Haiti. However, I feel it is not our responsability to FIX them. I pray that President Obama wakes up and recognizes that Americans need HELP. I am 38 years old. I recently had to close my business due to the economic downturn here in metro detroit. My husband who has been working in the automotive industry for 20 years was laid off 2 years ago. He recently returned to work making 1/2 what he was making before. I lost my income altogether and now we are in debt, with an upside mortgage we cannot afford. We have been working class, paying our bills. We did not buy a home we couldnt afford. We used the equity in our home to finance our business that has now been closed. Where is our bailout? I am now faced with having to walk away from my home, file bankruptcy all because the economy took a turn for the worse. Not because of anything we did wrong. IS this fair? I don't think so. So what is the governent going to do for us? Give us water? Give us food? Give us money? Will there be a nationally televised "help for working middle class who cant find work" telethon? The banks are not helping with loans, or loan modifications. The credit card companies did nothing except raise their rates and fees before the new bill came into affect. Didn't congress see that one coming? With the interest rates soo high on credit cards that we have had and have always been able to stay on top of, are now so out of control with interest rates that they have made it almost impossible for us to ever pay it back. I am sick about this whole situation. Maybe we would be better off if we moved out of the country, then we would finally get some help from the us government.
I'm from Detroit I've been living in Nashville but would like to go home again now that my parents are gone. But home to what no job market I can't sell my house in this economy but if I could I guess I could get a deal in mi but still no work and most of the people I know ther are close if not in crisis
At first I thought I wouldnt agree...and most of me still doesnt but I can see the valid point in the article and appreciate it. All that rings in my head is why cant Americans realize that they live in a country that CAN provide help and assistance to them. It is their right as citizens of this great nation to receive the benefits. Many people in America take advantage of those opportunities, even when they dont need to. However, there may be "work" that has to be done on their end to receive those benefits. Yes America, you may have to stand in a long line for hours to fill out paper work and possibly take a class in order to qualify for assistance. You may have to take a crappy job to make ends meet. You may feel like you are wasting your time. But think about impoverished Haiti when you start to complain about your "this is a waste of my time" circumstances. While I do agree that America has a obligation to its people – I think America has done a good job of providing opportunities to Americans. On the other side of the coin, Americans in need; need to stop being lazy and if you need help, ask for it. More than likely its out there for you.
Amen!
THANK YOU!!! I'm from Detroit and I've had a couple people ask why we're not fundraising for Haiti, then I remind them that there are starving people right here in our city, if we're going to do a big fundraising campaign it's going to help our own that are desperate and hurting. I'm SO glad someone said this, thank – thank YOU David!!!
While it does seem inhuman and even selfish to suggest what Mr. Gewirtz suggests, that we need to take care of those in our own country who are hurting, jobless, and without health care and needed drugs, I agree with him. We can not take on the burden of another countries problems, unless we can first take on our own. There are plenty of Americans living in poverty, that can't afford to feed their families, that are jobless, that are not able to get the needed healthcare. Why isn't there a telethon for them/us?!? We are stewards of more than just the world, we are stewards of our own country as well.
You hesitated to write this? That should have told you something. We should just leave these people to starve and die b/c we have bigger fish to fry at home? Are worst problem didn't compare to their best even before the hurricane. There aren't words for how disgusted your post make me.
Americans (not the Govt) have always taken the lead when it comes to helping. Agreed that the US Govt should not spend money it does not have to help other countries, however the Govt should send resources and encourage the people to give or go. In terms of Detroit; Can we really help them when they are not helping themselves?
Great points in this article! The U.S. needs to fix itself before it can build up and fix other nations.
I totally agree with you Anderson. I feel that for far too long the problems of cities like Detroit have been swept under the rug. Detroit was the car capital of the world, it is no longer cause people in Washington simply did not care.
I have no insurance, even though it is offered at my job it is way too expensive, plus it doesn't cover anything. I think that the people in Congress should give Americans the same coverage that they themselves receive.
This definitely needed to be said. America is in crisis as well, yet no drastic measures are being taken here to make sure our orphans are getting new homes, our homeless have a place to live, and our hungry and sick get food and water. Yes, we need to help others in need, and that includes Haiti, but not as a long term responsibility when the same needs to be done for our own country. Thank you, Mr. Gewirtz.
David Cameron should donate profits from the $500 million dollar waste of money that was Avatar to help our national deficit. It is unconscionable to think that that amount of money was spent on a film when the things that are happening in this world are happening.
It looks like America is heading towards an economy that will eventually rival Haiti's economy, leaving America's wealth in the hands of just a few greedy bankers, politicians and entertainers and sports heroes. It seems like a rebellion by the working class will be our next Civil War if enemy countries don't destroy us first. How sad for our children.
I cannot agree with this thesis. It is lame and greedy. Yes we have huge problems of our own, but the people in Haiti are in orders of magnitude greater crisis than we are. Abandoning Haiti is not a reasonable option.