Haiti, Lifeboat Ethics, and priortization of planes landing.

[WeDidIt]

The priorities for planes being allowed to land in Haiti from the beginning of the US Air Force taking control of the airport was as follows:

1) Water

2) Food

3) Medical Supplies

4+) Everything else

People bitched and moaned on this site over some planes with Doctors without Borders being turned away.

I'm here to tell you now, people died because of that decision.

I'm also here to tell you that in the long run, more people will live because they stuck to the above priority.

Water was the key. Clean fresh water being moved into the island immediately did more to save lives than ten times as many planes from Doctors without Borders would have.

Clean water keeps disease from spreading in the aftermath. Clean nutritious food does more to stop infections spreading, too.

Yes, people died because of this priority, but ultimately, fewer people died than would have.

It's tragic.

It's terrible.

But lifeboat ethics demands prioritizing resources in a way to insure the most people survive.