Stephen;I don't at all believe that it's not worth working and even fighting to make the world a better place. But in a world where resources are limited, I have come to believe that we should do the most good that we can with those limited resources. It's the same sort of logic when an alcoholic on the UNOS liver transplant list is placed at very low priority or even taken off the list entirely...if the disease that ails you is by your own hand and is a condition that you can't control, then we first help those who have not engaged in self-destructive behavior and who are likely to actually recover from the disease when given the benefit of those precious limited resources.My world view, after seeing a lot of the worst of that world, is to put my charity dollars and hours towards problems that are likely to be fixed, and to first help people that are not largely responsible for their own afflictions. I believe that Haiti's chronic problems are not likely to be fixed (based on decades of well-intentioned efforts by thousands of people and governments from around the world) and that my limited charity money is better spent looking for a cure to leukemia, ALS, breast cancer, etc, and helping the thousands of severely wounded American kids coming home from two long-term wars against islamic terrorists. Maybe someday Haiti will rise to the level where I can put them on my personal charity priority list, but there are a lot of other causes where I feel we can actually see results and where the victims aren't suffering at their own hands.Frank and unemotional discussion of high-level priorities when responding to tragedy like this is difficult and often misinterpreted as cynicism. The human urge to do something--anything--often leads us to try against all odds...nothing wrong or ignoble with that, but we generally don't go back after the smoke clears and consider the greater good we might have done elsewhere with that money. With regards to Haiti relief, I really believe that six months from now, those charitable contributions will be long gone with no lasting good to show for it. Someone, somehow has got to hit the reset button there.Anyway, thinks for the kind words and for lightening up the rhetoric.RegardsBob ScottColonel, USAF (ret)ATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-VColorado Springs, CO

This reflects my personal opinion,as well...Well said,Colonel ScottLou

If I may, here is a brief analogy of the situation as thus far expressed...Ancient wisdom holds that it is better to teach a man how to fish than to simply give him a fish...However, what can anyone do if the man can not or will not learn how to fish?Simply to continue giving the man a fish everyday will ultimately do nothing except to reinforce the man's dependency behavior...Simply to continue one's efforts to teach a man to fish will ultimately accomplsh nothing except the man dying from starvation...

Stephen;I don't at all believe that it's not worth working and even fighting to make the world a better place. But in a world where resources are limited, I have come to believe that we should do the most good that we can with those limited resources. It's the same sort of logic when an alcoholic on the UNOS liver transplant list is placed at very low priority or even taken off the list entirely...if the disease that ails you is by your own hand and is a condition that you can't control, then we first help those who have not engaged in self-destructive behavior and who are likely to actually recover from the disease when given the benefit of those precious limited resources.My world view, after seeing a lot of the worst of that world, is to put my charity dollars and hours towards problems that are likely to be fixed, and to first help people that are not largely responsible for their own afflictions. I believe that Haiti's chronic problems are not likely to be fixed (based on decades of well-intentioned efforts by thousands of people and governments from around the world) and that my limited charity money is better spent looking for a cure to leukemia, ALS, breast cancer, etc, and helping the thousands of severely wounded American kids coming home from two long-term wars against islamic terrorists. Maybe someday Haiti will rise to the level where I can put them on my personal charity priority list, but there are a lot of other causes where I feel we can actually see results and where the victims aren't suffering at their own hands.Frank and unemotional discussion of high-level priorities when responding to tragedy like this is difficult and often misinterpreted as cynicism. The human urge to do something--anything--often leads us to try against all odds...nothing wrong or ignoble with that, but we generally don't go back after the smoke clears and consider the greater good we might have done elsewhere with that money. With regards to Haiti relief, I really believe that six months from now, those charitable contributions will be long gone with no lasting good to show for it. Someone, somehow has got to hit the reset button there.Anyway, thinks for the kind words and for lightening up the rhetoric.RegardsBob ScottColonel, USAF (ret)ATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-VColorado Springs, CO

Colonel, you are the kind of guy I would have loved to crew for years ago and kind of remind me of the XO (instructor pilot) of another squadron that I really enjoyed flying for and with. I will say I have to agree with ya on your assessment of what will happen as it has happened before and not just Haiti.

I agree with Bob Scott, There is a coalition of the willing in Haiti right now to provide the basic needs for the people. This is a humanitarian mission. There comes a point when to draw the line as I find it is better to allow some of these nations to find there own way rather then medeling in there affairs.There are many domestic issues that go unsolved at home and we need to take a good look at the problems in our own nations rather then getting too involved in other nations affairs.Many Haitians migrate to Canada, USA and other places in the world and use their new opportunities to improve the issues they left behind. For them this is a worthy cause. I have never been to Haiti and I don't beleive that would ever happen in this lifetime. I would rather support the issues to improve my country as a priority. I do support this current releif mission in Haiti but there will come the point when you need to pull out and allow that nation to move forward on its own.

I do not, as a rule, take part in controversial posts, but there are always exceptions. Overall, I agree with Bob's assessment of the reality of poor countries such as Haiti, and the inevitable course of humanitarian missions that slowly peter out without much durable change.Yet, I also agree with Stephen's attitude and the (forced) optimism that we must always maintain when facing human tragedy of any sort. It is true that the principal culprits in the tragedy that is Haiti before the earthquake are the Haitians themselves who have consistently shown themselves incapable of organizing their society in a productive and peaceful manner. And yet, any student of history will find the exact same faults in the past of any highly-developed society, perhaps even the U.S. and Europe. These are common human failings, not limited to small impoverished nations. And yet, with time and effort, any society can lift itself out of the misery and make a better life for itself, as history has also shown. So, it is easy to be pessimistic in the short term, yet in the long term we can be positive and optimistic for the future of this country and of all other poor and miserable people throughout the world.In addition, negative attitudes do not accomplish anything, they neither gain results nor allies. The only way to move forward on any problem is with a positive, productive approach coupled with appropriate means that address the true issues. And the true issues in Haiti are vast and include everything from civic education (so that they and their children learn to respect each other) to re-forestation, technical training, infrastructure development, health care, and much more.You can both feed the poor and teach them to feed themselves; these are not mutually exclusive courses of action. And the Christian attitude (and I suspect that it is the same for all religions) is to be charitable, generous, and dedicated to the cause of the most needy.Best regards.Luis

You can both feed the poor and teach them to feed themselves; these are not mutually exclusive courses of action. And the Christian attitude (and I suspect that it is the same for all religions) is to be charitable, generous, and dedicated to the cause of the most needy.

Excellent reply, Luis...It bears keeping in mind that -on the day of Hatian Independence, January 1, 1804 - there was not one single Haitian citizen with more than a high-school education...

Excellent reply, Luis...It bears keeping in mind that -on the day of Hatian Independence, January 1, 1804 - there was not one single Haitian citizen with more than a high-school education...

Ask also- What is the alternative to helping rebuild & restore Haiti? There are two nearby radical socialist countries who would no doubt be happy to to do that job if we don't. One of them is only 50 miles away. And then there is Al Qaeda which thrives on failed nations. Failure in Haiti is not an option.Alex Reid

Ask also- What is the alternative to helping rebuild & restore Haiti? There are two nearby radical socialist countries who would no doubt be happy to to do that job if we don't. One of them is only 50 miles away.

Oh ? Then why had they not done it before ? The country was poor and corrupt long before the Quake hit..What can be done is what is being done, help get them through this disaster.Then send some funds to help them start to rebuild some of their infrastructure. Maybe hopefullyby a pool Nations, the IMF etc.If they go back to being the same old corrupt state (fairly likely), those funds will dry up very quickly.Who's going to be willing to put hundreds of billions of dollars into a counrty for the purpose of restoring it back to its former poor, unstable, and corrupt state ?

And then there is Al Qaeda which thrives on failed nations.

You mean failed nations with mostly Muslim residents. How are they going to thrive in a french speaking mostly Catholic nation ?

Failure in Haiti is not an option.

And if wasn't a failure before the Quake ?Bob is right, that place has to change first. Regards.Ernie.

Oh ? Then why had they not done it before ? The country was poor and corrupt long before the Quake hit..-----------quote- Then send some funds to help them start to rebuild some of their infrastructure. Maybe hopefullyby a pool Nations, the IMF etc.* What do you think was being done BEFORE the quake?-----------quote- You mean failed nations with mostly Muslim residents. How are they going to thrive in a french speaking mostly Catholic nation ?*You would be surprised at how quickly impoverished & desperate people can be converted to radical Islam. Look no further than the streets of New York or Liverpool for examples.-----------quote- And if wasn't a failure before the Quake ? *Perhaps, but a little less of a failure than the year before.Doing nothing is a recipe for millions of boat people to hit the shores of Florida.Spend the money in Haiti or in Florida?????Alex Reid

Stephen;Someone, somehow has got to hit the reset button there.RegardsBob ScottColonel, USAF (ret)ATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-VColorado Springs, CO

Bob,Someone just did. Here is our chance to help those who are left to start all over again, right from a new beginning, from death to new life, right now.Stephen

I am generally surprised at the scale of support from people out there on this one. Goes to show we care. Our household gave to the Red Cross and I've never done that before. I will be reading about this as history documents it as I look forward to learning how the airlift operations were carried out and how the supplies, equipment, aid, personal etc were brought in. This may be as historic as the Berlin Airlift back in 1948 in size and scale, only with modern equipment. I find it fascinating as it includes many aspects of Aviation.

Bob,Someone just did. Here is our chance to help those who are left to start all over again, right from a new beginning, from death to new life, right now.Stephen

I wish I could believe that a society that has corruption ingrained at its very core can change that quickly.I was talking to a USAF general a few years ago, and he told me a story of how the US had planted tens of thousands of new tree saplings along the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic to help deal with the deforestation issues in that area. Before the last of the saplings had been planted, the first ones were already uprooted and for sale as firewood in the local markets.The kind of change Haiti needs would require a huge cultural shift away from corruption and theft as a way of life across all strata of their society. This earthquake relief effort will fade in a few months, and I just do not see how we can expect the flawed mores of these people not to kick back in and sink them right into the same hole.Donor fatigue will set it...more quickly than usual I think due to the poor fiscal health of the world's economies. As much as I'd like to see that new beginning you hope for, I don't expect to. We'll be lucky to see a return to the old status quo before it's all over.Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result each time. Unfortunately, I see nothing new or unusual with this relief effort.RegardsBob ScottColonel, USAF (ret)ATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-VColorado Springs, CO

...You would be surprised at how quickly impoverished & desperate people can be converted to radical Islam. Look no further than the streets of New York or Liverpool for examples.

You far underestimate the Catholic devoutness of the Haitons.Not gonna happen, not there.

And if wasn't a failure before the Quake ?

Perhaps, but a little less of a failure than the year before

You're kidding, right ?

Doing nothing is a recipe for millions of boat people to hit the shores of Florida.

I agree, and I did say help get them though this crisis.But for more help than that they have to change first. You can't have a society where corruption is the normand expect it to be anything but what it was.Regards.Ernie.

You far underestimate the Catholic devoutness of the Haitons.------------------------I agree, and I did say help get them though this crisis.But for more help than that they have to change first. You can't have a society where corruption is the normand expect it to be anything but what it was.Regards.Ernie.

Ernie- You left out belief in Voodoo which seems to exceed Catholic devoutness!For the record- The UN (1994)Stabilization Mission in Haiti prior to the quake had the following complement- (Nov 30 2009)7031 Troops from 17 countries - led by Brazil.2034 Police from 41 countries. (My Canada has a significant RCMP presence of which, so far 2 are dead.)488 Civilian International1212 Local Civilian StaffSo far, of the above, 61 are dead, 176 missing & 27 injured.The Duvaliers certainly left a tragic legacy in Haiti. Can you imagine the catastrophic impact on the world if we walk away after the initial rescue op.?And just as certainly- we- the other world countries, were and are, helping to bring change!Alex Reid