HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle

3 Reasons the US MILITARY Should NOT Fight Ebola

Views: 949
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.
@ReasonVidsfollow
Thumbnail for Strawberry Cough: Biography of an Award-Winning Cannabis Strain6:29
Strawberry Cough: Biography of an Award-Winning Cannabis Strain
ReasonVids
845 views
Thumbnail for Half-baked: Gov't Restricts Homemade Cookie Sales1:54
Half-baked: Gov't Restricts Homemade Cookie Sales
IJvids
906 views
Thumbnail for Unbelievable! Massive Freedom Rally In Australia! Patriot Uprising!!!2:06
Unbelievable! Massive Freedom Rally In Australia! Patriot Uprising!!!
AOU
1889 views
Thumbnail for Grading the Governors in 2010: Q&A with Chris Edwards9:25
Grading the Governors in 2010: Q&A with Chris Edwards
ReasonVids
930 views
Thumbnail for Police Peddle "Stolen" iPhones, Arrest Buyers: Don't Cops Have Better Things to Do?!1:58
Police Peddle "Stolen" iPhones, Arrest Buyers: Don't Cops Have Better Things to Do?!
ReasonVids
875 views
Thumbnail for Great Moments in Unintended Consequences (Vol. 6)2:39
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences (Vol. 6)
ReasonVids
963 views
Thumbnail for Mayor of a Hungarian town demonstrates how to deal with gypsies1:23
Mayor of a Hungarian town demonstrates how to deal with gypsies
AOUisgay
467 views
Thumbnail for "America Has Ceased to Exist": Investment Guru Doug Casey on the Coming Economic Meltdown15:44
"America Has Ceased to Exist": Investment Guru Doug Casey on the Coming Economic Meltdown
ReasonVids
837 views
Thumbnail for Crackdowns on Consensual Sex, Veggies, and more! Nanny of the Year (2011)2:46
Crackdowns on Consensual Sex, Veggies, and more! Nanny of the Year (2011)
ReasonVids
978 views
Thumbnail for The Exonerated: True Stories of Innocents Sprung From Death Row4:27
The Exonerated: True Stories of Innocents Sprung From Death Row
ReasonVids
940 views
Thumbnail for What Should Have Happened at the Amy Coney Barrett Hearings5:31
What Should Have Happened at the Amy Coney Barrett Hearings
ReasonVids
840 views
Thumbnail for So you've heard of caber tossing.0:02
So you've heard of caber tossing.
voatcatbox
447 views
Thumbnail for Dumb cat puns0:35
Dumb cat puns
AOUisgay
535 views
Thumbnail for The Man Who Brought Obamacare Back to the Supreme Court: CEI's Lawson Bader on King v. Burwell5:34
The Man Who Brought Obamacare Back to the Supreme Court: CEI's Lawson Bader on King v. Burwell
ReasonVids
808 views
Thumbnail for Richard Viguerie on the Future of Conservatism7:34
Richard Viguerie on the Future of Conservatism
ReasonVids
772 views
Thumbnail for Former NYPD Chief Bernard Kerik Discusses Ferguson, Police Militarization, and Clemency25:43
Former NYPD Chief Bernard Kerik Discusses Ferguson, Police Militarization, and Clemency
ReasonVids
874 views
Thumbnail for Are Asians Going Nuts, Too?10:14
Are Asians Going Nuts, Too?
AmericanRenaissance
3591 views
Thumbnail for We’re Supposed to Fight… Robots now? | Sensei Seth Reacts10:52
We’re Supposed to Fight… Robots now? | Sensei Seth Reacts
invidious
320 views
Thumbnail for Reatrded jeets get run over on a highway filming a TikTok. 0:17
Reatrded jeets get run over on a highway filming a TikTok.
bestofupgoat
78 views
Thumbnail for Russ Roberts: Adam Smith's Surprising Guide to Happiness (But Not Wealth)1:00:31
Russ Roberts: Adam Smith's Surprising Guide to Happiness (But Not Wealth)
ReasonVids
778 views
Thumbnail for How are food truck entrepreneurs like the Buffalo Bills? They're unrelenting underdogs & dreamers.3:57
How are food truck entrepreneurs like the Buffalo Bills? They're unrelenting underdogs & dreamers.
IJvids
885 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