Kevin Myers: I can say Americans are lazy and boorish morons. That’s fine. If I say the same about Nigerians, I’m jailed

The most fascinating aspect of the debate about the future of Haiti is its absence. All “discussion” consists of assertions that “the west” must rebuild the country. “The west” is a useful term. If things go very well, the Haitians will get the credit. If they go moderately well, the EU — but probably the French — will claim the kudos. If they go badly, the US will be universally blamed (because that’s what Yanks are there for) and everyone will be happy.

To suggest that the best thing that outsiders can do once the immediate rescue work is finished, and the water is flowing, is to leave the Haitians to rebuild their own country is merely to invite shrill accusations of racism. However, you might have forgotten that the Chinese were hit by an earthquake two years ago. It killed 68,712 people, left 17,921 missing, with more than 374,000 injured and at least 15 million homeless.

Even if those figures are invented — and I suspect they’re not — they bespeak the existence of a government that can count, which is more than Haiti has ever had. (Cue hisses of “racist!” at this irrefutable truth). Yet the two earthquakes rather conveniently bring together the two extremes of foreignness. The Chinese — who probably had the worst 20th century of anyone save the Jews — do not naturally attract pity, yet without it, have largely rebuilt Sichuan. The Haitians have been cursed by pity throughout their existence, and now are probably about to be suffocated by it. In 10 years’ time, I bet, outsiders will still be rebuilding Haiti, while the Haitians will continue to do whatever it was they were doing before the earthquake struck, back when George Hook went to build houses for them. It must be Stephen Hawking’s turn soon.

Pity is the most human of emotions. It is also one of the most ruinous. It robs its subjects of responsibility, initiative, independence, courage, self-respect and will: hence the fate of so many African countries. Yet no pity rescued Poland or Italy or the Ukraine or Germany or Japan after the Second World War. Their peoples alone did.

Moreover, uncontrolled pity can damage those who feel it, sentimentalising judgment and elevating emotions. It makes an intellectual assessment of any problem almost impossible, for to use your brain equates with “heartlessness”.

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Kevin Myers: I can say Americans are lazy and boorish morons. That's fine. If I say the same about Nigerians, I'm jailed
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