Posted by Sir Four at 5:52pm Jan 19 '10This post isn't really about the earthquake. Just some meandering thoughts about the country of Haiti.
What I wonder is, how does such a country go so wrong? One has to question how a mini Somalia can exist not far off the coast of the US. Haiti's GDP per capita is $1,300, among the poorest in the world. In comparison, the Dominican Republic's GDP per capita is $8,200. You would think if nothing else, American companies would be keen to set up sweatshops in Haiti to capitalize on a cheap labor force and close proximity to the US market. Maybe political instability prevents that.
Another thing I wonder about is how Haiti and the Dominican Republic can coexist on an island when there is such disparity. I wonder, does the DR have a problem with poor Haitians crossing the border? Does the DR provide any assistance to Haiti? What's the relationship between these countries?
I think it's lucky for the DR that Haiti's main population centers are on the west coast and not near the border. Much of the border seems to be rugged terrain.
Looking around on Google Earth, the disparity between these two countries is obvious. I zoomed in on two border towns, Quanamithe in Haiti and Dajabon, in the DR. I selected a pic from the DR side:
To me, it looks like Florida.
And one mile away, on the Haitian side:
And here's the thing--I spent about an hour just browsing pics around Haiti, and pretty much the entire country looks this poor. Common features include shantytowns, crumbling buildings and garbage littered about. It's really quite a terrible situation. And that's before the earthquake.
And I wonder, what is stopping Haitians from becoming pirates like those of Somalia? The proximity of the US navy? What is stopping terrorist organizations from establishing a foothold in Haiti? No, it's not a Muslim nation, but terrorists have a way of thriving amongst desperate people and general lawlessness.
The earthquake has left significant portions of Haiti in ruins. It's clear that only foreign intervention can enable a rebuilding. Foreign security forces will be needed to keep order. And Haiti will depend completely on foreign aid for some time. This could be the chance to do actual, useful nation-building--something of a reset button for Haiti. Does anyone think such a thing is possible? Might we take this opportunity to actually invest in Haiti and create opportunities for its people?
What I wonder is, how does such a country go so wrong? One has to question how a mini Somalia can exist not far off the coast of the US. Haiti's GDP per capita is $1,300, among the poorest in the world. In comparison, the Dominican Republic's GDP per capita is $8,200. You would think if nothing else, American companies would be keen to set up sweatshops in Haiti to capitalize on a cheap labor force and close proximity to the US market. Maybe political instability prevents that.
Another thing I wonder about is how Haiti and the Dominican Republic can coexist on an island when there is such disparity. I wonder, does the DR have a problem with poor Haitians crossing the border? Does the DR provide any assistance to Haiti? What's the relationship between these countries?
I think it's lucky for the DR that Haiti's main population centers are on the west coast and not near the border. Much of the border seems to be rugged terrain.
Looking around on Google Earth, the disparity between these two countries is obvious. I zoomed in on two border towns, Quanamithe in Haiti and Dajabon, in the DR. I selected a pic from the DR side:
To me, it looks like Florida.
And one mile away, on the Haitian side:
And here's the thing--I spent about an hour just browsing pics around Haiti, and pretty much the entire country looks this poor. Common features include shantytowns, crumbling buildings and garbage littered about. It's really quite a terrible situation. And that's before the earthquake.
And I wonder, what is stopping Haitians from becoming pirates like those of Somalia? The proximity of the US navy? What is stopping terrorist organizations from establishing a foothold in Haiti? No, it's not a Muslim nation, but terrorists have a way of thriving amongst desperate people and general lawlessness.
The earthquake has left significant portions of Haiti in ruins. It's clear that only foreign intervention can enable a rebuilding. Foreign security forces will be needed to keep order. And Haiti will depend completely on foreign aid for some time. This could be the chance to do actual, useful nation-building--something of a reset button for Haiti. Does anyone think such a thing is possible? Might we take this opportunity to actually invest in Haiti and create opportunities for its people?
So, Haiti - Sir Four