Why French People Pity Haiti

“WSPA — Haiti Earthquake Relief” by WSPAInternational is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Mieux vaut prévenir que guérir — it’s better to prevent than to heal. I didn’t pay very much attention when my teacher wrote this proverb on the board. Next to it, the projected slideshow flashed through images of houses made from crumbling breezeblocks and tarp, toddlers with their skin stretched tight over potbellies. “Global citizens”, they called this unit, a futile attempt to instill compassion in the minds of middle schoolers. I…