The reaction among pundits to the earthquake in Haiti—a disaster of appalling proportions, with hundreds of thousands of people trapped in collapsing building and demolished shanty-towns—has revealed an interesting example of intellectual progress.
Two conservatives and one "moderate," old-fashioned liberal—Mona Charen (below), David Brooks, and Anne Applebaum respectively—have simultaneously come out with a true and very profound analysis of the disaster. They conclude that the enormous death toll is primarily caused, not by natural forces, but by the complete absence in Haiti of the rule of law and a functioning free economy.
This is a lesson the world has finally begun to learn over the past century: that freedom is literally a requirement of human life—as much a requirement as food, water, and air.
"Proud of My Country," Mona Charen, National Review Online, January 15
Haiti shares the climate and natural resources of its Hispaniola neighbor, the Dominican Republic. Like East and West Germany, and North and South Korea, its plight is a vivid illustration of the importance of decent government. The Dominican Republic is no Switzerland, but its per capita GDP was estimated by the CIA to be $8,200 in 2008, compared with $1,300 in Haiti.
Corruption and execrable government have turned Haiti into a sinkhole. We speak of "failed states" in the Middle East and Africa, but we have one just a few miles to our south. Those who could manage it have emigrated. According to World Bank estimates, 82 percent of Haitians with a college degree have fled, along with 88 percent of other skilled workers. The unskilled too have sought to escape, with thousands taking to open boats in shark-infested waters every year.
There is nothing wrong with the Haitian people. When they do reach better-organized nations, they thrive….
Nature unleashes its furies indiscriminately. But Haiti's tragedy is almost entirely manmade. Tyranny and corruption yield poverty, and poverty multiplies other woes. An earthquake of similar intensity struck Northridge, Calif., in 1994 and resulted in only 72 deaths. This catastrophe is a reminder of the tremendous importance of the rule of law, free markets, and an independent judiciary. Never take them for granted.
Robert Tracinski writes daily commentary at TIADaily.com. He is the editor of The Intellectual Activist (TIA) and contributor to The Freedom Fighter's Journal
Two conservatives and one "moderate," old-fashioned liberal—Mona Charen (below), David Brooks, and Anne Applebaum respectively—have simultaneously come out with a true and very profound analysis of the disaster. They conclude that the enormous death toll is primarily caused, not by natural forces, but by the complete absence in Haiti of the rule of law and a functioning free economy.
This is a lesson the world has finally begun to learn over the past century: that freedom is literally a requirement of human life—as much a requirement as food, water, and air.
"Proud of My Country," Mona Charen, National Review Online, January 15
Haiti shares the climate and natural resources of its Hispaniola neighbor, the Dominican Republic. Like East and West Germany, and North and South Korea, its plight is a vivid illustration of the importance of decent government. The Dominican Republic is no Switzerland, but its per capita GDP was estimated by the CIA to be $8,200 in 2008, compared with $1,300 in Haiti.
Corruption and execrable government have turned Haiti into a sinkhole. We speak of "failed states" in the Middle East and Africa, but we have one just a few miles to our south. Those who could manage it have emigrated. According to World Bank estimates, 82 percent of Haitians with a college degree have fled, along with 88 percent of other skilled workers. The unskilled too have sought to escape, with thousands taking to open boats in shark-infested waters every year.
There is nothing wrong with the Haitian people. When they do reach better-organized nations, they thrive….
Nature unleashes its furies indiscriminately. But Haiti's tragedy is almost entirely manmade. Tyranny and corruption yield poverty, and poverty multiplies other woes. An earthquake of similar intensity struck Northridge, Calif., in 1994 and resulted in only 72 deaths. This catastrophe is a reminder of the tremendous importance of the rule of law, free markets, and an independent judiciary. Never take them for granted.
Robert Tracinski writes daily commentary at TIADaily.com. He is the editor of The Intellectual Activist (TIA) and contributor to The Freedom Fighter's Journal
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