Sorry State

Haiti has a government, its just cowering in a corner, so you forget that its even there. And citizens don't trust that this weakling called "government" has the capacity to help. Its a sorry state.

In the U.S, we don't have a sorry government, in fact some might argue that we have too much government. I am reminded of the heated debates that we had in the U.S about health care, Wall Street bail outs, and the battles across this country that are still playing out in towns, cities and states over deep budget cuts.

I for one, like government services. I am a big fan of public transportation; I like the fact that roads, highways and bridges are maintained and that if there is a pot hole on my street, I can call my city councilor or mayor to get it fixed and trust that it will happen. That doesn't happen in Haiti.

What good is a government if it cannot provide basic services for its people? What good is a government if phone lines are down after a hurricane and never get fixed, two years later? Or if one can only rely on having electricity 7 hours a day? If I grew up in a country when this was the norm, I would be hard pressed to have faith in the government too.

If I had the means, I too would send my children to private schools or the US or France to be educated. I would hire a driver and I too would purchase a generator to support my business and home activities.

And so it begins.

The relationship between the Haitian government and her citizens is broken. The Social Contract which is a binding and enduring agreement in many other parts of the world has deteriorated in Haiti to such a state that it's unrecognizable. The government is seen as more of a barrier than a helper. And those without money, power or both make do and grow wary of promises.

It is the responsibility of the Haitian government to repair the social contract. They have to show themselves worthy of trust and increase transparency and accountability.