Reply #51: Given the conditions before the earthquake... [View All]

[jeepnstein]

I'm astonished with how well the Haitians are handling this crisis.

Gangs armed with machetes have a special meaning in the Haitian context. How do you suppose the average Haitian would react to the possibility of the Ghost of Baby Doc coming back at the hands of the Tonton Macoutes? I'm thinking swimming for it and taking my chances with the sharks and drowning would be a reasonable response.

What I want for Haitians is for them to have the opportunity to really have ownership over their own country. That was not the case before the vast majority of them before the quake and I suspect it will not be the case during the recovery. They will remain defenseless against those who would do them harm, personally and as a nation. When someone waves a machete in your face and takes your food, it's a crime. When your government takes money meant for your aid and blows it on who-knows-what, it's corruption. Either way you're still hungry.