We need to save lives today. Haitians, living in a society which does not provide for its citizens needs because of factors and systems completely outside of their control, are disproportionately affected by natural disasters, to the point that these are very human-created disasters. It, therefore, is crucial that for those living in this disastrous environment today and for the foreseeable future, for all efforts possible to be taken by individuals and organizations based in rich, developed nations. Moving forward, and this is the step that will undoubtedly not be taken, developed nations, and the influential institutions within them must change the ways that they relate to poor states throughout the globe. In a “global era,” rich nations are implicit in the human catastrophes that occur as a result of natural disasters. By creating a global economic system that can only work through the exploitation of workers and resources in developed nations, and the problems created in nations like Haiti unable to produce such an environment favorable to foreign economic investment, political and economic actors in unison in the developed world continue to create conditions disastrous for those living in the developing world. Nothing short of a complete re-imagining of relations between states is required, one that takes into account the ways in which the current global economic system distorts the idea of human kindness and sympathy.
That being said, donations of time and money in rescue efforts by individuals and organizations in rich nations are crucial in the period after such a dramatic disaster as the one seen in Haiti. Responses to human disasters repeatedly show that people in rich nations are deeply affected and moved to respond post-disaster. If only the true disasters, the systemic ones, were the ones that created wall-to-wall media coverage, potentially the magnitude of the real problems faced by individuals throughout the developed world would be more widely understood by the average citizen. As it stands, there is no indication that the people of Haiti, who will benefit from a surge of generosity in the short-term, will receive any significant larger voice in the global economic system long-term. This is the ongoing human crisis of global capitalism.
Excuse me, what I meant to write was "That's God's punishment for a wicked population." My apologies.
ReplyDeleteok thanks now I understand
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