HAITI AND THE HATED YANQUI

Disaster has once again struck this tiny ill-governed and impoverished Caribbean nation.
And once again the devils incarnate, the hated monsters from the north, are mobilizing a rescue effort.
And if the effort is too slow, if anything goes wrong, and in such situations things will go wrong, the devil of the north will be blamed in a variety of condemnations.

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t is the phrase which has and which will apply to the role which the United States of America will play in the unfolding drama.

Gramma and others used to and do say from those to whom much has been given, much is expected.
This is a hard truth, a tough act to carry out. A costly act.

The United States is the only means by which significant relief can be delivered to Haiti.
The prediction is easy: the relief will be delivered; there will be glitches and the relief will take effect; the nation will eventually achieve some sort of recovery; thanks will be given; and then, very likely while the relief is still being given, the attacks on the great satan will continue and/or resume.

Such is the way of the world.

Such is the way of nations, of people, even of individuals.

Help must/will be administered – and reactions will follow, by no means all favorable.

As Kipling said, it matters not whether you win or lose – but rather how you play the game [quoted loosely].

Perhaps being respected is, after all, more important than being loved, at least in the complex world of reality.

But it is nice to win a few too.