After much of Haiti was taken over by gangs, again, the Biden administration announced $133 million in aid.

Secretary of State Blinken, having obviously learned nothing from Afghanistan, has evacuated non-essential personnel from Haiti, while apparently leaving the essential ones behind. And that can only end well.

Before we plunge millions more and more manpower into Haiti, it might be worth asking, “Why?”

Haiti is not just a failed state, it’s a perpetually failed state. When was the last time Haiti was functional?

The Clinton administration implemented what it called Operation Uphold Democracy in the 90s and invaded Haiti to implement regime change. The entire ugly episode helped wreck whatever law and order existed at the time.

The Clintons later dived back in to “help Haiti”, but mostly to help themselves to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. Obama promised that we will not “forsake you”. Fast forward to 2024 and Haiti has been in an extended state of disaster, under perpetual TPS immigration status and incapable of doing much for itself.

In 2023, the Biden administration had directed $110 million to Haiti through the summer, followed by another $65 million to bolster Haiti’s police force.

Biden urged the UN Security Council to authorize a UN support mission for Haiti.

It’s the spring of 2024 and things are worse than ever.

Is there anything that we can do that is going to fix Haiti? History tells us that it won’t.

Historically there has been an argument for trying to fix broken nations to avoid a flood of migrants, but that’s not true here either. Nothing we do will fix Haiti or stop the flood of refugees. Successive administrations have tried to fix Haiti and failed.

In 2004, after Clinton’s appointee, Aristide, resigned, Bush sent in the Marines to bring order.

“I would urge the people of Haiti to reject violence, to give this break from the past a chance to work,” Bush urged.

20 years later we know how that worked out.

It’s time to let Haiti go.