International Politics: The Kids Are Bickering Again

Haiti has been devastated.  Almost as quickly as the earthquake destroyed the island nation, countries across the globe mobilized to help the Haitian people.  With so much devastation, it's difficult to keep chaos from taking over.  With so many nations and organizations trying to get relief workers and supplies into the country, the limited infrastructure has put a damper on the relief effort...and apparently, it has led to some short tempers.

The French minister in charge of humanitarian relief has accused the US of "occupying" Haiti, claiming that the US military is hampering relief efforts.

Because there is basically only one functioning airport in Port-au-Prince, the French apparently got their toes stepped on when one of their relief planes was turned back (the plane was able to land the following day).

This is what liberals in the US don't get: we're damned if we do, and we're damned if we don't.  Americans give generously whenever there is a natural disaster, but the "global community" will never give us any credit for it.

What Haiti needs right now is order.  The nation has (literally) fallen apart, people are dying, and relief cannot get out to the people quickly enough.  Moreover, as tends to happen when tragedy strikes, there are scumbags out there who will loot and take every opportunity they can to get whatever they can.

Haiti will come back from this tragedy, one way or another, but right now, it is of utmost importance that order be restored.  Personally, I see no problem with the US occupying Haiti, at least until the Haitian government can see to the nation's security needs.  The US military has a major presence in Haiti, and who better to ensure security?  When people are rioting and UN troops have to use rubber bullets to disperse crowds, a little security goes a long way. 

The French need to get over themselves and realize that in a chaotic disaster zone, flexibility is the key...and someone has to be in control.  As it turns out, that someone is the US military, an organization that is exceptionally good at the mission of providing relief (for an organization whose job is to blow things up and kill America's enemies, that is).

The left and the right in the US have been playing their own political games around this disaster; now it seems that politicizing natural disasters is a global game.  Yipee.