We Are the World is Redone to Benefit the Earthquake Victims in Haiti

We are the world is a song written by Lionel Ritchie and the late Michael Jackson that would become a multi-star project. It was released in 1985 as part of a USA for Africa project to help all of the starving people on the continent of Africa. The single was a huge success not just in terms of sales, but also making people aware of all the famine that was going on in Africa and the people dying over there. Several stars from different music styles were involved in the recording including Lionel Ritchie, Michael Jackson, Kenny Rogers, Dion Warwick, Bruce Springsteen and Willie Nelson. Over 50 million was raised for countries in Africa from the results of the single and private donations that were made after people became aware.

Quincy Jones, who produced the original, and Lionel Ritchie had planned to do another recording of We are the World for the 25^th anniversary of the single prior to Haiti being hit by the earthquake on January 12, 2010. It was decided to donate the money to Haiti as opposed to the original plan or more aid to African countries. There were 75 musicians involved in this, some were not even thought of when the original was done. It is set to be shown during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games. I have heard some samples though and it seems good, but nowhere near as good as the original.

While I think it is nice the world came together to help their fellow man in Africa and then Haiti, I am not as enthusiastic about these endeavors as many other people are. For one thing there were reports that much of the money that was supposed to go to Ethiopia ended up in the hands of the countries dictator. This also happened in other countries were the aid was supposed to go as well. There was over 50 million raised at the time. This is lots of money for that area compared to what they had. They also had additional aid roll in since then until the present. Haiti also has gotten lots of aid from various countries over the years. Let's examine this a bit further. This is not to put anyone down. These are all facts wee are dealing with here. Further let's look at the possibility of actually doing something for our own country.

Now the reader really needs to be open minded here. I am very aware of history. I am also very aware of what colonialism and the slave trade did to various nations in Africa. That does not give a free pass as an excuse for the conditions of that country as well as countries like Haiti. Basically if you look at any list of poverty and poor countries in the world none of them, for the most part, are European nations or the United States of America. A large chuck of foreign aid from the United States goes to African nations. So do the dollars from various other countries. With the exception of North Africa the continent is almost like being the world's welfare state. Haiti was "the first independent black nation" and it has been a basin of corruption and suffering since it started out. While I realize people need help it seems that these countries get donations and hand outs from other countries, but nothing changes. Large sums of money have been sent to Africa and still majorities of the people have no food, live in mud huts made from straw and caw manure. People live like animals. I have seen footage of bathing in cow urine and washing dishes in it. As much money as has been sent over there you figure a good bit of the people would be living a much higher standard of living. This is just not the case. The hell of it is they keep having kids they can't take care of that they need the world's welfare to take care of them. AIDS runs rampant over there and other diseases do to the way people live. I was once told they won't use birth control because of their religion. That is funny considering in many parts of Africa young girls are victims of a procedure that is female circumcision (basically their privates are mutilated) in the name of the same religion. They have learned nothing in the time we have been giving them money except to breed more, so we feed more. That seems almost like a slap in the face. We should be sending condoms and Norplant. With all the money hardly anyone is in a better standard of living over there. We have just helped the population grow into more famine and more people that need hand outs. At least in the USA some people who get government subsidies can go to college and make a better life for themselves.

In the United States of America we have about 10% unemployment and underemployment rates. We have record deficits, a huge trade gap with china, and we have huge debt to various nations including china. In addition we are still in a bit of a housing crisis with the banks just starting to recover. There are various other problems in the country now as well including a President who does not know what he is doing in Barack Hussein Obama. What I am saying here is that we have lots of problems here in the United States. We have people with no food, homeless, and all the same problems as crap holes we send money to like African nations and Haiti. We could better lives for many American citizens and our own countrymen. There are elderly people who eat dog food and don't have heat and freeze to death in the winter. I am not saying that what is going on in Haiti or Africa is ok. It is not, but I do think we need to take care of our own first. After hurricane Katrina people in New Orleans did not see help for a couple days yet we rush right to Haiti. That makes me sick. This has nothing to do with race as people in this county of all races could use help and I think they should get it first. What is left we could use to assist other countries in learning how to fish instead of just giving them fish for eternity. Sooner or later there will only be so much fish and lots of people and the people we have been feeding might end up being enemies of ours.

Hands across American actually came out a little while after We are the World. I actually like the message in it much better as it is about helping our own country. Most people and politicians would rather send money to crap holes instead of taking care of ourselves. This makes me sick. It should make any red blooded American sick. Wake up people. We need to put America first and quit giving hand outs to countries that are not capable of self governing and don't do anything with the aid we give them anyway except breed more so we have to feed more.

Thanks for reading.

God bless and save America.