Just before 5:00 p.m. on January 12th, a massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck in Haiti, just 10 miles from the nation’s capital of Port-au-Prince. As of this writing, the death toll has been listed as 170,000 however officials have said that the true death toll may never be known, as bodies still lay under the rubble. In the aftermath of this terrible tragedy, countries from around the world rushed to start a massive relief effort. The United States has led the way, with President Obama promising the people of Haiti “You will not be forgotten”. To date, the United States has donated $394,395,253 to the Haiti relief effort. This staggering number reflects the United States government aid, and does not include individual donations raised through foundations such as the Red Cross, Yele Haiti, or UNICEF.
The United States has a long history of extending a helping hand to people oversees who are struggling to make a better life, recover from disaster and/or live in a free/democratic country. Spending less than ½ of 1% of the federal budget, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided economic, development and humanitarian assistance around the world since shortly after WWII. According to the USAID website, this assistance “supports the foreign policy goals of the United States”.
Helping people out in their time of need seems like the right thing to do. So how has it become so controversial? It light of our own economic problems, some feel the money should be spent right here at home. In addition, many question how the money is spent and to whom it is given. Some of the countries the United States gives aid to might just surprise you: Iran, Libya, Yemen, Sudan, Cuba, Afghanistan and North Korea. This causes people to wonder whether the money actually reaches the people who reside there, or if it is given to the governments, many of which we do not politically support.
So my question to you this week is, “Do you think the United States government should continue to provide economic, development and humanitarian assistance around the world? Why or why not?” Answers are due no later than Thursday, February 4th, 2010. Be sure to sign your name and designate your class to receive full credit.
This particular issues I have had mixed feelings on for a long time. Other countries view the United States as very wealthy, and therefore, selfish with that money. Yet, we do provide so many countries with aid and help- how does that make us selfish? On our own soil, we have people still in poverty and huge amounts of debt that need help as well. Sometimes I feel like the United States is more eager to help others and not its own people. I want America to fix the people here before sending aid elsewhere. A natural disaster strikes and I think, "Well, we are better off here. We are more blessed than they are. We are safe and healthy." Of course I want our country to help others but I want it to help its own people just as much. I think the U.S. should be choosy on who it helps and to make sure the people see benefits from that help, not just the governments.
ReplyDelete~Kyndall, Friday night
I believe that the United States should help out across seas.I dont like the idea of this terriost states getting ad from us.We dont know where are money goes. It could be going to there goverments, instead to the people.We need some one on the ground at this places to make sure they go to good programs instead of weapon.I would also like to see other rich country have there hands in it.At least the same amount as we put in.We are always the first to respond than the rest. Other countrys needs to step up to the plate,so we can take care of some of the problems we have at home. When Katrina hit us, why couldn't the England help out. We helped them out when they had terriost attacks. Whats up with that!
ReplyDeleteWhile I believe it is completely necessary for us to assist other nations in their times of needs, we also need to focus on our country. Our lack of response to Katrina in comparision to Haiti is astonding. The fact that a natural diaster that we did not know was coming had a quicker response than the hurricane we knew was going to hit is staggering.
ReplyDeleteThe United States needs to continue to aid other countries. However, we also need to help ourselves. We have a large population that lives on the streets starving. This should become a priority, much like the diaster in Haiti.
Sarah Cason Friday Night
Although we didn't suffer from a 7.0 earthquake in Jan. Our country is not like it used to be. We have an extremely high unemployment rate, people are loosing their houses left and right, debt is taking over every American life right now and our dollar isn't worth nearly as much as it used to be worth. I do have a heart and I do feel for the people of Haiti, however just because some one needs help doesn't mean you always have the means to help. $394,395,253... wow! Do you know how many Americans that money would have helped? I believe that until you fix the problems in your own country you have no right trying to fix problems in other countries. I was blessed to be able to travel to the Dominican Republic two years ago and while I was there the Dominicans made it very clear to the Americans not to cross over into Haiti. We were told that it wasn't safe for us and that Haitians did not like Americans. Hmmmm.... They don't like us and don't want us in their contry but they have no problem taking our money! That money should have stayed in our own country and helped our own people.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn Carden Friday night
Anna Wilson Friday Night
ReplyDeleteI feel that it is good to help others out because you never know when you need help in return. Others have been turning to America for help for years, however, we could end up turning to other countries for help. I do not agree in overspending or spending more on others than we would spend on ourselves, but I do believe that lending a helping hand is a good idea. It kinda goes along with the saying "Do unto others as they would do unto you".
I'm gonna take a "level belief" viewpoint by just observing the facts and not stating a concrete belief...just a mind experiment to see how hard it is to not let the mind grab onto a belief. The U.S. definitely sends a lot of money overseas, especially in times of disasters. If we can come up with all this money for other countries, can't we come up with it here in the U.S. to fix our problems? (Hopefully that wasn't a belief, just a question) Maybe the money sent from U.S. just goes into political agendas rather than to build communities and better conditions for its people. Haiti Earthquake was devastating. There's been a ton of "Help for Haiti" ads on tv, internet, etc. The money donated is hopefully going towards the people directly who need help there. And the bulk money sent by U.S. is hopefully being used to fully better conditions there and not being set aside for other agendas. That was kinda difficult not being able to say "I believe" or "I disagree with" but it felt freeing not having my own mind/ego's instinctual need to grasp a belief.....cool.
ReplyDelete-Grant Monson
Friday 6pm
I think that our country should help out the others in need, but also should the other Country’s around the world. There is also a time to say ‘stop’, and pull out the ad when needed. If the United States keeps leaving troops and ad help in the poor nations that we are helping those nations will become depended on the United States. Instead of giving them “stuff”, we should show them how they can use skills they already have to buy or trade to get that “stuff”. In the long run, those Country’s that we help grow and make a better nation, could help out the Untied States in the long run.
ReplyDeleteErica Williams Friday Night
I'm somewhat torn on the issue. I feel the United States is struggling to help it's own country in times of need, yet provides so much help when another country is in crisis. Yes, it is great to help out others. But with the United States slowly becoming the model of the perfect country, we need to start working on our own problems (crime, unemployment, etc) before we can really help others.
ReplyDeleteNicole Welty - Friday Night
Well you give the number in your question almost 4 hundred million donated and that doesn’t include the George Clooney’s or Brad and Angelina’s of the world. I’m sure I’m not the only one to say “what about us”. The last time I checked we were fighting a recession, our job market is in the toilet, and New Orleans is still a mess. In my opinion we need to fix our house before we start trying to go and fix other country’s houses so to speak. Now I’m not heartless by any means I would just like to see someone else help chip in as well like maybe all the representatives of the United Nations. Now with the U.S. being a part of the U.N. we would still be helping with aid and it wouldn’t have to be over 4 hundred million out of the U.S. pocket. It’s called chipping in. I’m sure if everyone tried it, it would make a difference.
ReplyDeleteThere are several reasons we as the United States should keep on supporting other country's that are in need of help. One of the main reasons that keeps popping up in my head is the fact that a lot of other countries receive a bad taste in their mouths when the US is mentioned. If we keep on showing support then people should realize that we are not that bad of a country.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason we should keep on helping out other countries is treating others like you would wish to be treated. If we show a lot of support to other country's then maybe when we get into a time of crisis and 200,000 die in less then 12 seconds on our land I would hope that others would lend a hand for us.
Dave Brown
Saturday Morning
I believe the United States should give money to countries who need aid. We cannot as a Nation expect for underdeveloped/devestated countries to completely help themselves out of turmoil. If that was the case, then every country on this planet would be at the top of its "game" so to speak. We must help underdeveloped/struggling nations survive to ensure not only their well being but our own. If we just let a whole nation suffer and die off what does that say about our nation? As Americans we take pride in the fact that we can band together and get through tough times and we pride ourselves on being this "global" force but yet if we didnt do any good with this self righteous power, then thats an America i dont even want to be associated with.
ReplyDeleteTatjana McCart
Saturday Monday Class
I think that we should give some but not as near as much that we have been giving them. I feel that yes its good to help people in the time of need, but dont over do it!!! I never heard about our country giving to us like we do. I mean where were they whn Katrina hit and where were they on 9/11. If they did donate anything i guess it wasn't much cause the media nor did any one else talk about it. We have enough economic issues goin on right here in the U.S. People hear are starving, homeless, and jobless!!!!
ReplyDeleteRadine Smith
Saturday Morning
I dont completely disagree with our helping other countries. I just feel like sometimes we get so hung up on how these other countries feel about us that we're just saving face all the time, trying to make the U.S.look good in their eyes......we should continue to aid the other countries, but also work a whole lot more on fixing our own country.
ReplyDeleteMichelle Sykes, Saturday morning
Alex Linares, Friday night
ReplyDeleteI feel that we are doing great helping Haiti in their time of need. However I agree with Sarah. We need to try to fix our country first. I just learned today that we are not only on the brink of falling in the toilet but we are actually being flushed. How can we support other countries and give them the money and supplies to build back up if we can't even help our own?! We need to try to focus on helping ourselves. I guess my answer is 50/50. Our government is not wrong for helping and we are not the only country helping Haiti in this time of need but we seem to be the country putting the most time, money and effort into helping them and giving them their necessities. Also, what Sarah said about how we took so long to help our country in the time of need with Katrina. She is right. It literally took the government a week to finally figure out what to do to help them and get them back on track. I went to Louisiana in the summer of '09 and there was still a lot that needed to be done. Not saying nothing had been done because going there you couldn't tell there had been a hurricane. However, we need to focus on building our economy before we can even consider building others.
I absolutely think America should continue to provide assistance and aid to the rest of the world. If they discontinued this positive involvement in the rest of the world, well, what does that leave? Either we're feeding the rest of the world or we're bombing them... If we stop feeding them maybe there will be less of them to bomb later, but there's more of them than us, and... well...
ReplyDeleteBasically, America is already admired for its martial prowess but simultaneously scorned for its warmongering. Technologically, sure- we've got a few novelties. But highschool and university students around the world are doing the very same work that elite DARPA researchers and prestigious schools are doing. -basically i'm saying America is competing with the REST OF THE PLANET to try to be the best. That's hard. Even harder to do if you're gonna be cut-throat about it.
Demian Stevens Saturday Morning
Helping out...
ReplyDeleteThis is common sense, yes I think the United States should continue to help around the world whatever they can. Why not? If we were in the exact same situation as Haiti, I would hope that other countries would do the same for us. When we all come together and help each other out we are building a stronger community. There is not much more I can say it's pretty much straight forward.
Taylor Northam
February 4,2010
10:37 p.m.
i dont think that we should be helping out everyone all over the world because no one will help us when we are in trouble. I think that it is funny that people were complaining about how we were dropping food in to the city of port a prince and that it was not humanain for us to do that, but it is ok for us to do that to any other country like the middle east when we were air dropping food to them. Plus i dont think that we should be spending our money on this and i now that it is bad to say because they are poor but we have our own poor people here in our own country and we also have are own starving children here too. I think this comes into a racial thing as well but that is a different subject.
ReplyDeleteI know that a lot of people argue that it is our duty to donate money to others in need, and that it is "the right thing to do", but honestly, I disagree. I'm not trying to say that the events in Haiti aren't terrible, but it just doesn't seem right to be attempting to help other people when we can't even seem to help ourselves. I think we seem to get too caught up in trying to maintain our image when it comes to helping other countries in need, when what we really need to be concerned about is those in our own country who are in poverty and whose lives are in shambles.
ReplyDeleteI think it is fine and noble to donate some money and to promote fund-raising for the Haitian people in their time of crises, but almost 400,000,000 seems a bit excessive when our own economy is in shambles.
Carina Street, Friday Night Class
I don't think we should be helping anyone. Do they ever help us? I dont think i remember other countries helping us when hurricaine katrina hit. I feel like we are just tossing our money out to these people when we really need it here. There are plenty of schools that need more funding, i just saw on the news that one school was going to have to cut art and music because they couldnt afford to pay the teachers. Or companis have to keep cutting jobs because they can't afford them, maybe if we used the money on our country we wouldn't have as many issues. Some people say we give them money so they will protect us, is Iraq protecting us? Do they help us when we are in situations that need assisting? I never hear about it. I just think that we should keep the money for us and work on our own country and now worry about theirs.
ReplyDeleteJessie Buechler friday night
In an era of economic turmoil, it may be hard to understand why America would sacrifice - in part - it's own well being in exchange for the support of a nation who has virtually never done anything for us. Our country spends valuable borrowed money that could very well be used to enhance schools or assist our own families in need as the majority of the world watches on, unwilling to contribute to what some call a global tragedy, and rightfully so. Each country has the right to do nothing. A parent's primary responsibility is to take care of his or her own child, not the orphan downtown. To be completely blunt, Haiti has always been a proverbial toilet of sorts. This nation needed an extreme level of development long before any earthquake hit. However, with everything said, the fact remains that Haitians bleed just like we do. Thought not of the same heritage, we are deemed siblings through our humanity. It's easy to get absorbed in the details and "necessities" of an overly-comfortable American lifestyle, but the world is bigger than I am. If we could all feel the pain this world has to offer, it might change the way we approach life and the concept of giving. Even Jesus himself got on his hands and knees and cleaned the muddy feet of his own disciples once. Our borders may have been man-made, but selflessness knows no boundaries. What would you do if it was your family?
ReplyDeleteI agree with what some are saying in the blog. you think about it.. it seems nice an the right thing to do when someone needs help. But sometimes giving money away isnt the answer and like some one else said up top. they dont want us around them but when something like this happens they expect us to help them. like we talked about in class when we got hit by hurricane Katrina not many helped. it was wasnt as devastating as haite but none the less we wernt looked at with any considerations.but at the same time we are a nation that is blessed with what all we have and can recover from disasters.as some smaller country's dont have that privilege.
ReplyDeleteChris Zazzetti Saturday class... forgot to put it with the post up top
ReplyDeleteI believe that the U.S. is doing a noble cause in pushing itself to give money to countries more in need than us. On the other hand, there are so many people in the U.S. that are poor and/or homeless. I think that we need to help ourselves before we can help others. Once we at least get into a reasonable place, then we can start helping others. I know that it sounds selfish, but you can't help others until you help yourself.
ReplyDeleteKati Melcho Friday Night
I do thing the United States should help. My reason is the fact that the US, shows how much we care as a whole.If we didnt do this I think we wouldnt show or teach our kid to help those in need no matter what. I beilive it very important to help people.
ReplyDeleteI think is great that we help others overseas but I think we need to help this country first. you have to help your self before you help others but I understand that the US probly felt like they needed more help than we do at this moment.
ReplyDeleteI am in the middle on this one. I understand why the US does help other countries but its seems a little selfish. I mean we usually ask for something in return. Is that why we don't help our own? I mean what do we have to offer ourselves.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Friday class
Nope. Katrina ripped through us and who was there to help us out? The answer to that is NO ONE! So we shouldnt be helping others out and let them see how well they do alone. Lets see how much they hate us when they get no help from us. But of course that will never happen because people cant be mean.
ReplyDeletethe united states have many issues of their own, which must be taken care of, but honestly our country is so well off that if there is ever anything we can do to help people who have true problems, then we should definitely do so. whether or not we have the means should not be a problem, just look around at the people in the country. when situations like Haiti arise, everyone should be willing to help.
ReplyDeletei mean well off as in comparison to other countries, not that the states are doing that great obviously....
ReplyDeleteAaron Ford, Saturday Morning
ReplyDeleteI think it's wonderful that we reach out and help the world. This planet has so many problems and we are the only ones capable and willing to do anything about it. I remember a big earthquake in Bam, Iran several years ago and we flew a whole lot of food, water and support in to help. Even a country we don't get along with, we still help.
It's terrible that America gets a bad rap from other countries when we do so much to help. What would happen if say, tomorrow America runs out of money and we can't support the planet. Who will take over? China? I don't see things being so great with a ruthless Communist regime in charge.
Rachel Friday Night,
ReplyDeleteYes I think we should always lend a helping hand to our neighbors in need. I don't think just because we don't politicaly support a country that its inocent people should suffer because of it. However we do question weather the aid is going to the people or the government. I think it would help people support the aid if the media would show how that aid is being used and helping other people. The problem is once that money leaves our pocets we never hear about it again, and I think that is the problem.
Yes I think that we should still continue helping and providing for those countries that are less fortunate then ours and have been ravaged by countless wars. But I also think that we should focus on fixing own country, our country and world are in complete chaos, there are new conflicts and problems that are happening everyday, are our city streets, yet we sit idol, worrying about fixing everyone elses problems, when we cannot fix our own. I'm completely for helping others, that is one of the greatest joys and tasks that one can ever have, but how can you hope to help anyone else, when you cannot help yourself, I'm not saying it's impossible, but its a tad bit hypocritical, to try and lead others to the promise land, we ourselves are so very lost and we cannot see it. This is Howard from Friday night class
ReplyDeletePersonally I believe that until we have no more debt our government should only be giving aid to other countries in the form of people and physical items such as food, water, clothing, and building materials. However, I believe that individuals and organizations within the US not operated by the government should be allowed to aid others in any way they see fit, be it money, volunteers, donations of supplies, or other ways. The reason why I believe this is not because I think that we will run out of money; it's because we already have. The debt of the United States government at the time of this post is: $12,645,516,590,316.84 This number gets larger by roughly $4,800,000,000.00 per day. When the United States says they are sending aid to any country out there, they aren't sending their money; they are sending other countries money that the United States owes. The only possible way that the United States would be able to reach a balance of $0.00 then every citizen of the United States (Man, Woman, and Child) would have to pay $41,052.23 at the time of this post.
ReplyDeleteMichael Moore
Saturday Morning