Comments on: It Wasn’t Our Fault!

By: Michael Labeit

Michael Labeit — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:19:32 +0000

Racists!

Haiti could use honest, free market overhaulers in government right now. But the best thing for Haitians now would be loose immigration laws so they can emigrate elsewhere.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 01:09:17 +0000

I don’t see the problem as a matter of intellectual capacity. Most people only use a fraction of their brain. It does not take a genius to know that theft is wrong, and that taxing the rich to pay for the poor is theft. As I indicated in the post, I see the problem as inertia, or lethargy. It is so easy to exist in the 21st century, it requires so little effort, that people can’t be bothered to take risks to establish a better society, or to study philosophy to learn what a better society consists of.

High intelligence is not necessary. Only effort, and honesty.

By: Andrew Dalton

Andrew Dalton — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:54:53 +0000

madmax -

Any explanation for Haiti’s persistent poverty has to account for why Haiti is so much worse off than even other black-majority Caribbean nations.

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MTU0MjIyMGVjNjU1ZjIyOTgyZmVhMzdiMmRhM2MwYmI=

By: madmax

madmax — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:55:48 +0000

This is altruism pure and simple. But it is also racially motivated altruism/egalitarianism. I know the race issue is unpopular with Objectivists but it is clear that when you combine altruism with a non-white (especially black) recipient then the altruism is *magnified*. This similar dynamic played out in New Orleans as well. The white population of that city left. The welfare (ie black) population did not leave and on top of that, their entitlement mindset was disgustingly displayed for all to see. Not to mention the mindless violence and theft we saw all over city. But to Leftists, when blacks are in need then whites must be blamed. White man’s burden is perhaps the *largest* single element of modern Leftism. I consider this undeniable.

I know that the answer is to say it is the welfare state that causes all this and I’m sure that is in large part true. But consider this – the average IQ of Haiti is 71 [!!]. Can this kind of population be expected to build an advanced capitalist society on their own? (The same can be said of sub-Saharan Africa.) It looks like the only way Haiti or Black Africa will ever advance is if they are colonized by White or Asian nations. I’m not advocating that, not now anyway. But there does seem to be some realities to the different intellectual capabilities of the races as a whole. I often wonder if Objectivism needs to take notice of this. How can one ignore it and be objective?

By: Fareed

Fareed — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:40:25 +0000

foreign aid should be called global altruism. the only thing it does is create welfare states like Haiti and furthers misery. Haitians are certainly to blame for this