Charity and Character, Myanmar's Disaster

It has been said that character is something you do when no one knows. What you do that others know about is your reputation. Would you spend money on expensive designer clothes if no one would ever see them on you?

I read that the United States wanted to offer aid to the victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. The United States wanted to have labels on the packages of aid that showed the items came from the U.S.

Myanmar's junta did not want to be shown as inadequate providers. It would be embarrassing to them if it was known by the starving Myanmar citizens that some other country had to help out. Power corrupts.

Of course the U.S. and other aid providers should be concerned that the junta will hoard much of the food aid. But, if the U.S. wanted to be real humanitarians, they should agree not to label the food packages, which embarrassed the Myanmar junta, and just do some air drops in unmarked helicopters over the area.

If the U.S. could not label the food as coming from the U.S. it would not get to enhance its reputation. It would however enhance its character.

Charles Tolleson