OK, Haiti was hit by an earthquake, but why the devastation to so many people?  Why did the houses fall like toothpicks?

Haiti, a nation of 9 million people in an area smaller than our State of Maryland, less than a thousand miles off the coast of Florida and a bit under a hundred miles from Cuba has been a nation of continual turmoil throughout it’s history.  Why?

Haiti gained its freedom from France about the same time the US separated from Britain.  But from then on the the US has prospered beyond anyone’s imagination, and Haiti remains as one of the poorest.

The constitution of Haiti was molded after our own with 3 separate branches of government, a republic with elected officials.   What happened?  The principle worked for us.  Why has Haiti remained destitute?

The constitution of Haiti has been changed dozens of times at the will of the Haitian leaders, acting more like authoritarian figures than elected officials responsible to the people.  Haiti is known for it’s political corruption, the officials using the people to enrich themselves.

Throughout the history of the US, our elected officials have respected the constitution and the rule of law, who for the most part have subjected themselves to the higher authority of the constitution.  Not so in Haiti.

Haiti has a GDP of $791 compared to the US GDP of $14,441,425?   Bordering Haiti is the Dominican Republic with a GDP of $5,082.   How come?  What’s the difference?  We’re less than a thousand physical miles apart, but we’ve grown $14 million apart.

This difference is due chiefly to Americans’ greater wealth. With one of the freest economies in the world, Americans build stronger homes and buildings, and have better health-care and better search and rescue equipment. In contrast, burdened by one of the world’s least-free economies, Haitians cannot afford to build sturdy structures. Nor can they afford the health-care and emergency equipment that we take for granted here in the U.S.  Dear Washington Post.

What a difference freedom makes.  The people of Haiti deserve the kind of economic (and political ) freedom that we here in the states have had.  How will they get it?   Is it politically possible?   Throwing billions of aid money will not help Haiti in the long run.

The people of Haiti need their freedom.  When the people of Haiti are given the right to own property, to accumulate wealth, to build companies like Home Depot, Wal-Mart, McDonalds, Taco Bell, from scratch.  To operate and build grocery chains along with privately owned plumbing and electrical companies, then Haiti will see changes.  When the government builds the roads, the water and sewer lines, the electrical grids and provides a police force to maintain civil order, operate fire stations and court houses and respect and honor the rights of the people, then Haiti will see changes.  Education must be provided to the masses.  Private hospitals will spring up.  Doctors and specialists will rise out of their own ranks.  Housing will improve.  Sports stadiums will be built and the people will prosper.

Has anyone looked for oil deposits off the coast of Haiti?  Has any geologists looked in those hills for signs of coal?

Haiti cannot be fixed for the benefit of the people by throwing billions of aid dollars to the politicians.  It’ll take generations of Haitians themselves insisting that their personal freedoms must be first and foremost and that the politicians remain accountable to the people.

Sadly, we are seeing a political bureaucratic class here in America who are getting more and more authoritarian with less and less of a respect for the rights and freedoms of the people.  Our own constitution is known as “living,” bendable to the whims of judges, politicians and bureaucrats.  Their attitude has become that of “we know best what’s good for you”.

Future generations of Haitians could be sending aid money to the US.

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