The FAA announced it has prohibited all U.S. airlines from flying to Port-au-Prince, Haiti for at least 30 days. The action comes after three airliners were struck by bullets – two on departure, and a third on landing approach earlier this week. The ban limits humanitarian aid from reaching the country, which is widely savaged by gang-related political violence.
What a deplorable situation. The FAA made the right call. What is needed in Haiti is a political willingness to send in armed and funded forces to clean house, establish detainment centres and remove the gang problems. 30 days is a start, let’s see how long it really takes.
Turning swords into ploughshares is a grand idea… Too bad it hasn’t caught on. A quick glance around the planet would indicate that we’re moving in a different direction.
Haiti has sucked up huge reserves of money and good will over the years with no measurable improvement for its citizens. The legacy of Papa Doc, and very likely his predecessors, lives on. Maybe the best take-home message is that once corruption becomes the norm, rooting it out is nearly impossible.
Needs a strong peacekeeping force that is ready to fight and to set up a proper government.
As the US did in Japan in 1945.
I nominate Canada for Haiti.
Unfortunately, with Haiti the only realistic “solution” would be a dictatorial takeover by some massive external force prepared to both support and exercise absolute control over its ~12 million population indefinitely. The USA has managed to avoid getting involved in any such, and I pray that continues.
God bless you and your family. I am the first generation of my family born in America (thank you Lord). Most of my extended family were murdered decades before I was born and went up the chimneys at Auschwitz.