Friday, August 27, 2010

Wyclef for President!

Wyclef Jean, the rapper/musician/producer, registered to run for the president of Haiti and was recently officially barred from running because he did not meet the 5 year residency requirement.  While the outcome is correct since he did not meet the requirements to run, I'm disappointed that he was not able to run.

The reason is simple.  Wyclef has money.  He doesnt need to be the president of Haiti so he can loot the country and the earthquake aid and line his own pockets.  Without that need or greed for money, I believe he would have made a genuine effort to use the international aid to improve the situation for Haiti and its citizens.  I also believe Wyclef could have brought moderate amounts of foreign investment to Haiti, as he planned.

While unfortunately Wyclef will not run for president this year, and I hope that whoever is ultimately elected does a fantastic job because Haiti and Haitians deserve it, I believe that this sets a model for elections in third world countries.  The reality is that the persons elected to run these countries are not qualified to do so (neither was George Dubya!), so why not elect a folk hero who has a large amount of money of his/her own so that they can at least take away the element of looting, corruption and stealing that seems to be the first item on the agenda of leaders of many third world countries. 

By way of example - Manny Pacquiao (the boxer) is a living legend in the Philippines.  This year, he was elected to the 'congress' in that country.  Manny is filthy rich.  He has also shown himself to be generous to a fault and very very dedicated to his country.  What if Manny was the president of the Philippines?  Would the citizens of the Philippines be better off than they are now?  Could they possibly be worse off?

Wyclef for President....in the next election.

lightbreaksthedawn@gmail.com

Thursday, August 19, 2010

There but for the grace of god go I...

Today I overheard someone say "Im not giving money for Pakistan, I'm not funding those terrorists."  I was stunned.  While I'm sure this person isn't the only one who has this view, I was actually saddened FOR her, rather than by her.  What depraved state of humanity must a person reach to think it is NOT the right answer to provide relief for other human beings in their time of dire need? 

1/5th of Pakistan is under water.  The rain continues.  When the flooding deaths stop, the disease (cholera etc) deaths will start.  The world will lose alot of poor innocent people - children, women and men.  The majority of them were suffering long before the rains came - from poverty, from malnourishment, from illnesses, from illiteracy, from terrorists, from the corrupt governments that have ruled them for decades.  15 million people are affected - this is worse than the South Asia tsunami and the Haiti earthquake.    

The affected people in Pakistan are not all terrorists.  They're human beings like us.  Punishing millions of innocent people for the sins of a micro minority of a religion or a nationality is wrong.  It is against everything that makes this country great.  It is against everything that makes me so proud to be american.  That could me.  It could be you.  It could be our loved ones desparate for food, for shelter, for medicine, for caring, for love, for help. 

The following is a Yahoo page regarding the situation in Pakistan http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_wl3431  At a minimum, I encourage you to read it.  Afterwards, I encourage you to donate to one of the charities listed on the page if you find it in your heart to do so.  This is our chance to make a difference, to impact lives.  Literally.

There is only one race, the human race.  Let's love it like we love ourselves.  One world.

There but for the grace of god go we.  Indeed.

lightbreaksthedawn@gmail.com