Word of the Day Online

U.S. to Buy Haiti

Written by WOTDO

Thursday, 14 January 2010

The earthquake in Haiti is a tragedy of epic proportions. We don't know the number of dead yet but it could reach the tens of thousands. Haiti doesn't have enough land to bury that number of dead - certainly not all at one time. In this poorest of western hemisphere countries seeing the pain and misery these people have to endure on top of what they're already used to is enough to turn off the television - it's impossible to absorb that type of grief and not feel inadequate.

But alas, riding to the rescue is our beloved United States - we're sending a few thousand troops as well as commiting $100 Million in aid. That, added to the $10 Million in aid already sent by the United Nations which we know is primarily funded by the U.S. taxpayer. So that's $110 Million in aid you and I have doled out so far. That's OK - I don't have a problem with it.

$110 Million sounds like a lot though, right?

Sure - but not compared to $1 Billion.

$1 Billion Dollars.

The amount of aid the United States has given to Haiti over the past five years.

In this poorest of countries in the western hemisphere how does $1 Billion over 5 years not raise their standards of living and promote prosperity? What is being done with that money? SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON CAN YOU ANSWER THIS PLEASE??????

According to the IMF, the top 162 countries in the world have GDP's over $1 Billion. I know - I verified on Wikipedia. Coming in at #132 is Haiti herself. With a GDP of almost $7 Billion, that $1 Billion sure is a bonus.

OK, back to my question for Ms. Rodham, what is Haiti doing with this money? How does $1 Billion not improve the standards of living of Haitians? Despite the close monitoring the Feds have done in regards to the bank bailouts, they seem to have no control over how U.S. taxpayer funded aid is spent when it is wired overseas. Clearly no one on E Street even cares.

But I do.

Everywhere I turn I am being asked to give to Haiti - and I want to. But why do I feel like I already have?

And that's the word of the day - WOTDO

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