HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

3 Reasons the US MILITARY Should NOT Fight Ebola

Views:1032
@ReasonVids

President Obama is sending thousands of U.S. troops to West Africa to fight the deadly Ebola virus. Their mission will be to construct treatment centers and provide medical training to health-care workers in the local communities.

But is it really a good idea to send soldiers to provide this sort of aid?

Here are 3 reasons why militarizing humanitarian aid is a very bad idea:

  1. Militarized Aid Erodes Humanitarian Principles

Humanitarian aid must be perceived as neutral and not driven by political or military objectives. Using the military in a humanitarian crisis works against that and potentially instigates further unrest.

Attacks against humanitarian personnel have been rising in the past decade precisely because of a perceived blurring of humanitarian, political, and military goals.

And our track record in Africa warrants such skepticism. In the past six years, the U.S. military has expanded its troop presense in Africa via humanitarian missions specifically designed to establish points of entry for future military missions.

Local communities face a hell of a bind: if they don't accept help from the military, they run the risk of missing out on much needed humanitarian aid. That erodes the trust needed to establish a working relationship between aid workers and local communities.

  1. Militarized Aid is Ineffective in the Long Term

Militarized aid is often backed by huge budgets that are supposed to be spent quickly.

Indeed, the Department of Defense has already allocated $1 billion to fight Ebola.

The pressure to spend massive amounts is often coupled with pressure to achieve short-term political goals.

That in turn translates into an ineffective use of funds. Accountability and follow-up are in short supply, too, meaning the same mistakes get repeated over and over.

  1. Militarized Aid Diminishes the Supply of Civil Aid

Many politicians who support militarized aid claim that the military is the only institution capable of handling the humanitarian crisis at hand.

If this is true—and too often it is—this highlights the neglect of civilian-led programs that are more likely to get the job done.

By constantly relying on the military for humanitarian efforts, we're stifling efforts to grow civilian-led organizations that can handle the complicated logistics necessary to address large-scale humanitarian crises.

About 2 minutes.

Produced by Amanda Winkler and co-written with Nick Gillespie, who narrates. Camera by Jim Epstein with Anthony L. Fisher.

Go to http://reason.com/reasontv/2014/10/14/3-reasons-the-us-military-should-not-fig for downloadable versions, full text, and links to all claims made above.

Subscribe to Reason TV's YouTube channel and get automatic notifications when new material goes live.

ebola (disease or medical condition)
,
ebola virus (disease cause)
,
united states army (armed force)
,
reason (magazine)
,
amanda c. winkler
,
nick gillespie (author)
,
reason foundation
,
west africa (location)
,
foreign aid
,
united states armed forces (armed force)
,
humanitarian aid (literature subject)
,
united nations (membership organization)
,
liberia (country)
,
infection (disease or medical condition)
    Thumbnail for Strawberry Cough: Biography of an Award-Winning Cannabis Strain6:29
    Strawberry Cough: Biography of an Award-Winning Cannabis Strain
    ReasonVids
    925 views
    Thumbnail for Tweets are gay. Original video is better0:29
    Tweets are gay. Original video is better
    bestofvoatxyz
    532 views
    Thumbnail for Porkers of the Month for December 2010: Sens. Lisa Murkowski and James Inhofe!0:56
    Porkers of the Month for December 2010: Sens. Lisa Murkowski and James Inhofe!
    ReasonVids
    998 views
    Thumbnail for The Power of Nazi Propaganda5:46
    The Power of Nazi Propaganda
    ReasonVids
    973 views
    Thumbnail for Repeal the 19th 3:37
    Repeal the 19th
    bestofupgoat
    477 views
    Thumbnail for Get that nigger off my plane0:45
    Get that nigger off my plane
    bestofvid8
    638 views
    Thumbnail for Justin Amash Left the GOP—Opening a New Set of Possibilities in American Politics3:42
    Justin Amash Left the GOP—Opening a New Set of Possibilities in American Politics
    ReasonVids
    1154 views
    Thumbnail for Remy: ISIS Crisis (The Rap)1:30
    Remy: ISIS Crisis (The Rap)
    ReasonVids
    1021 views
    Thumbnail for How Sugar Subsidies Ruin Halloween3:18
    How Sugar Subsidies Ruin Halloween
    ReasonVids
    988 views
    Thumbnail for The Simpsons -  Homer's Enemy -  Frank Grimes comes to dinner2:11
    The Simpsons - Homer's Enemy - Frank Grimes comes to dinner
    clips
    985 views
    Thumbnail for The Revolt of the Canadian Truckers4:15
    The Revolt of the Canadian Truckers
    ReasonVids
    943 views
    Thumbnail for Hitler Goat animation, not super great :: Animation Diff original content0:15
    Hitler Goat animation, not super great :: Animation Diff original content
    bestofupgoat
    449 views
    Thumbnail for Reactions to Sen. Rand Paul's Speech at Howard University2:56
    Reactions to Sen. Rand Paul's Speech at Howard University
    ReasonVids
    979 views
    Thumbnail for Soap0:15
    Soap
    bestofupgoat
    101 views
    Thumbnail for D.C. Apartment Building Doubles as Middle Finger to the White House1:36
    D.C. Apartment Building Doubles as Middle Finger to the White House
    ReasonVids
    1031 views
    Thumbnail for Based newly elected leader of Italy tells Macron to fuck off. 1:57
    Based newly elected leader of Italy tells Macron to fuck off.
    bestofvoatxyz
    627 views
    Thumbnail for Why It Took So Long To Leave Afghanistan: Antiwar.com’s Scott Horton1:01:52
    Why It Took So Long To Leave Afghanistan: Antiwar.com’s Scott Horton
    ReasonVids
    809 views
    Thumbnail for The Last Game Ever Of Halo 3 On Xbox 360 | Generalkidd16:40
    The Last Game Ever Of Halo 3 On Xbox 360 | Generalkidd
    invidious
    390 views
    Thumbnail for Owned0:10
    Owned
    bestofupgoat
    286 views
    Thumbnail for Wendy McElroy on The Art of Being Free4:17
    Wendy McElroy on The Art of Being Free
    ReasonVids
    815 views
    Thumbnail for Gun Rights on Trial: Brian Doherty Reacts to D.C. v. Heller5:55
    Gun Rights on Trial: Brian Doherty Reacts to D.C. v. Heller
    ReasonVids
    908 views
    Thumbnail for САМОВАРНЫЕ ДЕНЬКИ (Я_25) | Kvitan1:00
    САМОВАРНЫЕ ДЕНЬКИ (Я_25) | Kvitan
    invidious
    120 views
    Thumbnail for future dokter or acstronut0:15
    future dokter or acstronut
    bestofupgoat
    155 views
    Thumbnail for Should We Abolish Fossil Fuels to Stop Global Warming? A Soho Forum Debate1:35:36
    Should We Abolish Fossil Fuels to Stop Global Warming? A Soho Forum Debate
    ReasonVids
    783 views
    Thumbnail for but but but my 6 gorillian!!!! 6:27
    but but but my 6 gorillian!!!!
    bestofupgoat
    360 views

points

Permalink
Reply
ebola (disease or medical condition)
,
ebola virus (disease cause)
,
united states army (armed force)
,
reason (magazine)
,
amanda c. winkler
,
nick gillespie (author)
,
reason foundation
,
west africa (location)
,
foreign aid
,
united states armed forces (armed force)
,
humanitarian aid (literature subject)
,
united nations (membership organization)
,
liberia (country)
,
infection (disease or medical condition)
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle