Thursday, January 21, 2010

HAITI AND USA ARE ALIKE

That sounds like a far out thought until you note that both countries have shifted away from an agrarian base into a pseudo- industrialized society, whereas a small percentage of the population produces food and not too many more produce goods.


The Haitians lived prior to 1960 mostly on small farms or large plantations and

as such were largely self -sufficient. Westerners in a desire to help them

showed them modern ways and started a migration into the towns and cities,

notably Port-au-Prince. They had the information, but not the capital; since they were previously a French colony, wealth had been siphoned off to Europe.


What was needed , reasoned the PTB, was financial aid--some charity, but mostly loans (that couldn't be paid off), hence self perpetuating poverty, crime festering slums and tyrannical dictators.


The recent earthquakes have focused on how easily natural disasters can

cause havoc and epic disruption of civilized life. But with government agencies at the ready can these disruptions be avoided? Our not too recent experience with Katrina should give us the answer. You cannot depend on government to take care of anything except government.


During the Great Depression of the 1930's, A large portion of Americans still lived in rural areas, and had not become dependent on civil utilities, super markets or neighborhood Wal-Marts, thus they were able for the most part to survive the dust bowl and depression.


Our life in America today, however, has become so sophisticated and fragile, an event as simple as a sun based radiation storm could disrupt the whole financial and service system. The recent snow storm in the East resulted in many supermarket shelves being cleaned out. A power outage or even a brown-out can cripple a whole area. We can not produce enough oil, minerals, food,etc domestically to satisfy our national needs. We are dependent on foreign aid in the form of the sale of Treasury Bonds.


In the event of a national disaster including a financial crash, a credit card

won't be of much help. If your bank's doors are closed and the ATM won't work

how will you manage? Prudent people will be prepared to provide for their own security, food and survival needs.


With Love and Kindness,


THE HATMAN

1 comment:

  1. i cant beleave that happend at haiti and all the people that died

    ReplyDelete