Haiti And The Responsibility To Aid
Written by Brian Garst, Posted in Foreign Affairs & Policy
As news reports continue to show just how grim the situation is in Haiti, American marines are landing to help the shaken nation. While the world has responded with an outpouring of support and donations, the earthquake and its aftermath raises important questions about just what moral obligations exist to provide support for disaster-stricken locations, as well as how much and for how long.
From a moral standpoint, Haiti is – at least for the moment – a simple case. We should provide timely supplies and labor to help free victims, offer medical assistance and protect the population from anarchy. This appears to be what we are doing. But from a policy standpoint the questions raised by such disasters can be trickier.
Haiti is also an extr
eme case, and I think most will agree that the moral aspect outweighs other considerations. But what about disasters that are a bit less severe, in nations that are a bit less poor? By responding forcefully to disasters like this one in Haiti, do we raise an expectation in other cases that we will provide similar aid? Being the world’s savior seems like it should make you popular, but no one blames other countries for not helping the way they blame us. That’s because we have given them reason to expect our help, so if it’s ever not provided, we’re bad guys for withholding it.
We also have to figure out just what it is we are obliged, or ought, to do for Haiti. If we get them just back to where they were, then they are still the poorest country in the world. Do we rebuild them to better than they were before? What about the political and social problems that have hampered their development? Do we establish some sort of government to handle things since theirs, such that it was, has been virtually wiped out? How do we distinguish that from occupation, and all the problems that go along with it?
These are not easy questions, and I do not have all – or really any – of the answers. I can only hope that someone, somewhere is at least considering these questions.
I serve as Vice President of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, a non-profit think tank dedicated to preserving tax competition and free markets. This site features my personal views, which are not reflective of CF&P.