The Mark 2010

The U.S. is in a unique position to assist Haiti in recovering from the earthquake and help reform its society in the process.

American forces are moving into Haiti in the wake of the devastating earthquake there, providing emergency aid and support to maintain public order. And, for the moment at least, the image held in some parts of the world of Western forces as war criminals and occupiers fades a bit as disciplined leathernecks move ashore to help people in desperate need.

As the shell-shocked Haitians hear of the “swift, coordinated, and aggressive" operation by the U.S. military, they will welcome the troops not with rockets and insurgent tactics, but with tears of joy and gratitude.

The troops on the ground will have heavy responsibilities. In coming days, they may be called on to act in ways they had never expected – perhaps in ways that the locals won't want, but which they do need.

America's ability to respond to these kinds of emergencies all over the globe is a reminder of the world's sole remaining superpower's unique capability to act for good or evil – particularly when compared with other geopolitical contenders.

Some are convinced that China will soon overtake America as a superpower (there are even those who suggest it has already happened). But no one is expecting the Chinese navy to drop in and take a leading role in a relief effort in what is essentially America's pond. Yet, you'll recall that in the wake of the 2004 tsunami that devastated Southeast Asia, the Chinese military response was extremely limited. It's unclear whether they lacked the logistical ability to provide far-ranging support, or whether full-scale Chinese intervention might have raised the hackles of neighbours already nervous about the longer-term "China threat." Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy was only too eager to deploy in typical gung-ho style.

A robust application of military power in these kinds of situations is not to be feared or fought. The American effort is being welcomed with open arms. Indeed, people around the world would be shocked if the U.S. didn't take an active role in helping Haiti.

That said, it must also be acknowledged that it took a major natural disaster to drag America back into Haiti, when other types of disasters that have plagued the country for years ought to have been higher up on the U.S. agenda. The past decade has seen the island nation endure a living hell of abject poverty, corruption, gangsterism, and political instability.

When one thinks of the resources spent and wasted in Iraq through mismanagement and corruption, it's incredible to think what might have been accomplished in Haiti with more focused attention and a diversion of resources to America's own sphere of influence.

Indeed, America can help Haiti in more far-ranging ways compared to other countries that avoid interference in another country's internal affairs at all costs. America didn't break Haiti like it broke Iraq, but there will still be pressure for a long-term American presence to help the country become notable for something other than being the poorest place in the Western hemisphere. Any economic aid, however, should come with conditions to stamp out possibly the worst aspect of Haitian culture: child slavery.

It may seem incredible, but what the BBC reports is true: “Haiti was the first country in the Americas to abolish slavery, when it won its independence in 1804 after a struggle led by Toussaint Louverture. But thousands live a life of near-slave labour because of poverty and social breakdown."

Child slavery in Haiti is not a new phenomenon, though the relatively recent development of child slaves serving the slightly less poor has certainly put horrific spin on this perverse practice. Haitians reportedly defend the practice as a part of their indigenous culture. But child slavery is one of those things that neither cultural relativism nor poverty can properly excuse. It is a crime and a violation of human rights.

With the U.S. and other countries now flooding Haiti with resources and putting boots on the ground in the wake of earthquake, we have an opportunity to remove a terrible exception to the freedom that the rest of the region takes for granted.