The actress Mia Farrow had a column in the WSJ today (3-17-10) lamenting the drought in Chad while pleading for help from America.
A portion of her piece is printed here along with some responses from readers. I have included my own response.
"But the real horror, the unspeakable truth is that the babies of Mao are dying too. The numbers of starving children far exceed the capacity of Unicef's emergency feeding center. Cases of formula and life-saving nutrients are arriving, but many children are already too weak to swallow. The Chadian government must urgently take action, along with the World Food Program and other relief agencies before it is too late."
....And?
I know it sounds kinda harsh, but if babies are starving they won't grow-up to produce more babies that will be starving. It's past time for the West to understand that Africa - geopolitically, culturally - has more people than it can or is willing to support. Aiding their survival will not change any of that other than to add more people who will live more miserably and die young in poverty, filth, degradation and despair.
Decades of care, trillions of dollars of aid have resulted only in a very few success stories, a few more swiss bank accounts for their statist looters, and no change in the status quo... or perhaps a degradation of life. Rhodesia was far more prosperous than its successor, and it is not alone.
Africa needs to be left to fend for itself. As a Nigerian Finance MInister pointed-out in a column in 1985, if the West would just STOP sending old clothes (out of the goodness of our misguided hearts), a local textile and mill industry could arise, employing many, giving hope to more and creating the beginnings of a capitalist (i.e. wealth-producing) society, allowing all to move forward. It has been the constant paternalism toward Africa by the West that has created the problem.
Africa is a continent-wide case study of statism, marxism, islamism. We know what does not work: Those ideologies. We know what DOES work: Free-market capitalism and the rule of law. The truly amazing part is that the West is moving as fast and hard as it can in the direction of Africa...
Too bad. It isn't as though we can't all see the results of these policies.
And another reader responds:
It is the Republican Party and some religions that are against abortion, contraceptive devices or pills to eliminate unwanted children while expecting the taxpayers to support them for life. They only accept abstinence as control.
The church has had 500 years to help those people and has done nothing except to keep them in slavery. It's purpose is to utilize the breeders to increase the size of the flock. Add Haiti to the religion enabled poverty.
I kept mine short and to the point:
Innocent babies and their mothers dying slow horrible deaths because of drought.
And to think...all that is required to solve the problem is for god to turn on the water tap in the sky. What the hell are you thinking, god?
Charlie Sitzes
Bloomington, IN
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Charlie said:
ReplyDeleteAnd to think...all that is required to solve the problem is for god to turn on the water tap in the sky. What the hell are you thinking, god?
Charlie, Pat Robertson might say because it is to punish them for the immoral behavior which causes aides.
Jim
Charlie, Jim! I think God is going to judge Pat Robertson rather harshly over that judge not lest ye be judged, log out of your own eye thing!
ReplyDeleteGeez! Just think what he is going to do to those hypocrits who like to fornicate but believe they are God's chosen (living on C
Street in D.C.). They get rain and really nice digs and fancy restaurants too! God must REALLY like them.
Since I am on my high horse, let me add, there is help for these poor people but it is not done quickly through false means. Helping them would mean going back and educating, etc, one on one. In Haiti, historically, we took the tools away. We could try, legitimately, to restore them but that would empower them. We American christians choose to point fingers.
California Gal
California Gal said,
ReplyDelete"there is help for these poor people but it is not done quickly through false means."
It really must be through the right means and it does take time. People are usually able to help themselves if given the opportunity and proper support. Can you imagine what would happen if we spent a big part of church contributions to do that rather than use it for big buildings to show the world how great we are because we have the most magnificent buildings? If we can learn anything of the teachings of Jesus, it is that he believed in helping the poor.
Jim
A friend of mine remarked not long ago that, "You know, if you were really down and out needing help badly, you would be more likely to get that help at your local tavern rather than your local church." He and I are both members of the same church, but I had to agree with him. Tells you a lot doesn't it.
ReplyDeleteJim