I think decades of US policy — under Democratic and Republican Presidents — is largely to blame for Haiti’s situation. And before that, the colonial mismanagement/exploitation of the French. So what if people do the right thing and help because it’s 1) fashionable for the moment 2) good PR 3) their publicist tells them to 4) they want to keep up with Brangelina? Unless we are Mother Theresa, most of us do things for ulterior motives. (And who’s to say the Sainted Mother wasn’t just gathering brownie points for Heaven?) At least, if only temporarily, the right thing was done. So hold the sneering and let’s give kudos for that.

I think a lot of criticism is misdirected here.

Haiti was already a hellhole before the earthquake. The media and celebrity machine didn’t care about Haiti then. So now, for a while, the media will cover it 24×7 while the ratings are good, to fatten the bottom line, and celebrities will lend their celebrity to the cause until there is a new shiny object in the fish tank. Then at some point, all of them will recede into the night, leaving Haiti once again a hellhole with no economy, too dependent on foreign aid to ever become a big-boy country.

So, while it’s nice that money is being raised for an emergency and it will help real people, there is a bigger picture here that is being ignored, and it dooms people to disease and death mainly because of a lack of clean water.

But don’t believe me, go ye and read Mountains Beyond Mountains by Dr. Paul Farmer. An eye-opening, inspiring, and very useful book about public health policy.

I was also surprised at the praise I got for just being there. With few chains, almost all your tourist dollars go directly into the New Orleans economy. It was an embarrassingly easy contribution to make, but it was something.

But everyone doesn’t have to make the grand effort. A small contribution, an evening manning telephone lines or maybe just cheering from the sidelines might be enough.

Let’s be clear: people made fun of Penn’s New Orleans adventure because he made a fool of himself for the publicity, as usual.

Connick, on the other hand — I never heard anything at all about Connick’s efforts, which by itself suggests he was there to do something, rather than to be seen.

I think most of the Muncho-Shoveler clan would like very much not to be slammed just because their B.S. detectors work.

Unfortunately there are always more people who would rather do nothing but criticize. It’s so much easier.

It’s when it becomes government policy that everything goes to Norway.

And I steer clear of proportional weighting: to me, it veers uncomfortably close to that “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” business. If we must be measured by the standards of Marx, let it be Harpo.

Wednesday, I suppose, I can go pick up some cake.

still more than the average TV viewer, sitting at home on a Friday night shoveling Munchos into their mouth, did to help Haiti.

I’m pretty sure the average TV viewer would have been pleased as punch to know the defenders of celebrity charity events thinks so highly of the public whose attention makes celebrities so, well, celebrated. After all, it’s the celebrity that supposedly makes the event so worthwhile, no?

Besides, how much time does Joe Muncho-Shoveler have to work to earn whatever pittance he contributed to Haiti relief, compared to Heather Celebrity’s one Friday night? And given the unemployment rate these days, how many other members of the Muncho-Shoveler clan did Joe have to pick up the slack for with his pittance?

But there I go again. Maybe Joe and his family should just eat cake.