Humanitarian Aid vs. Social Reform

If the United States can afford to send food and medicine to other countries, why can't it eradicate poverty and hunger at home?

That's the question Foxnews.com readers asked in this week's email, prompted by Wendy McElroy's column on the United Nation's policy of imposing social reform along with the humanitarian aid it provides to struggling nations.

Readers offered many individual opinions and ideas on how the UN should go about implementing social reforms, but most agreed with McElroy that the UN does not have any business forcing changes in Afghanistan's cultural and social climate and should stick to providing the necessary rations for the upcoming winter.

Here's a sample of this week's mail:

— I liken the leaders of the U.N. to communist dictators, considering they spend the "common man's" money to enforce their own view of social correctness.  What especially sticks out in my mind is the way they pander to  immoral, extremist groups.  These are the same groups who pretend to be human rights activists yet wish to force everyone to submit to their beliefs.  It seems to me the U.N. is nothing more than an elite group of people who seek to rule the world and dictate the actions of every living soul.

— It's the Catholic church that's directly responsible for duping poor ignorant third world  people into having large families that they can't possibly care for and then making others pay for their social policies; THAT'S THIEVERY!!!

— The Pope has no business being involved in this either.  Isn't he supposed to be the head of the Catholic Church?  I doubt many Afghan women are Catholic.  The UN should gIve the people food, shelter, and medical care and stay out of their private lives.

— If  (western nations)  feel that it MUST NOT impose its culture upon another nation, then one cannot demand that other nations change "improper" cultural behaviors.  Seeing cultural criticism as imperialism leaves you unable to tell Thailand that whoring out their 12-year-old daughters is bad, since, culturally, they have done so for a long time. It leaves one unable to tell the Taliban that killing unbelievers is wrong. To pick and chose when we should impose our cultural rules is to be deeply hypocritical. 

— Freedom is the answer for the refugee problem in the world.  Show me one democratic nation that has a refugee problem!!!  When was the last time you saw a boat heading for Cuba?  Socialism, communism, fascism, and all the other isms are the root of the problem.  These people do not have the freedom to create their own wealth.  As long as these oppressive governments rule, there is no amount of money you could dump into these nations that will solve the problem of hunger.  The change has to be social first, then everything will fall into place.

— This is all just the tip of the iceberg.  It's anti-Catholic and anti-Christian agenda is even more disturbing and must be stopped. At any rate, women still deserve to be treated much better all over the world.  I don't think they should be denied health care that includes reproductive information.  I don't think they should be forced to have babies (Romania pre-revolution), nor should they be forced to have abortions (China).  I believe they should not be subjected to rape and torture.  I think they should be able to work and be productive.  I believe they should be able to vote and express themselves.  I think this is long overdue.

— I don't quite understand your view on the UN suggesting a morning after pill for rape!  To me, that would seem to be of benefit for women.  Your statement reads as if it wasn't.  I personally would want my daughters to have that available to them, if they were raped.

— We have worked so hard to have freedoms so that we can believe what we wish to and have the right to uphold our morals.  Why do we let a group such as the UN push their beliefs upon us when they conflict with our morals?  The rights of people should coincide with their morals, but we should remember not every culture has the exact morals as others. There should be a respect for those who disagree due to their beliefs.  These issues should be brought out into the public more.