Private ownership of business isn't necessarily worse than government, no profits, collectives or condo associations. It's about the people and the quality of stewardship.

I recently saw a video with Bernie Sanders standard augment that a small number of wealthy control the wealth while much of the rest of Americans are barely getting by. It could be true, but the majority of Americans haven't been voting to change this. Why?

I tend to think there is always going to be ownership of business whether it's government, non profits, worker coops, or private individuals. Someone is going to be taking leadership roles. It might be something owned by many, such as a condo association. I've heard that some condo associations are the "association from hell."

People don't always trust government though government leaders are elected while private owners aren't elected. What's wrong with government?

Worker owned businesses and coops might be better, but they have their issues as well. It depends on who's taking leadership roles? Not everyone is always happy. There is always majority and minority points of view as to how an organization should be run.

It seems like stewardship is more the issue; rather than whether it's private owners or not.

In some cases, private owners reinvest in the business and don't take that much out for personal profit. In other cases the owners milk it for all it's worth, ripping off the employees, customers and communities. Even with non profits there are folks, in leadership, who are bad leaders and even profiting from extravagant salaries. Non profits can be badly managed as well as coops, governments and private corporations.

Stewardship seems to be more the issue.

One wonders why we keep having bad leadership in so many cases. People don't always vote or shop, for that matter, in their best interest.

Some of the so called fat in government is good business for Elon Musk.

Elon Musk, the richest person in the world, is taking on the task of reducing government spending. Many folks have said that he could start with his own lucrative contracts from NASA for his Space X company.

Maybe, for all his billions, he could volunteer to pay, out of pocket, for the Space X resupply missions to the International Space Station.

While I am a fan of science, I've been less of a fan of the Space Station. The space station seems to provide less science per dollar spent than other missions; like for instance the Voyager Missions launched clear back in the 1970s and still sending data back from the outer edges of the solar system.

The space station has been going for a long time and costing NASA quite a bit of money. It has some interesting science, such as something called the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer - AMS-02. There is other science onboard including Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER); which I follow somewhat and basically like.

I'm one of the rare breed that follows science more than what billionaire football teams are doing on the football fields. I know more about the stars in the sky than I do about the stars in Hollywood.

I think robotic missions tend to do more interesting science, per dollar spent, than missions with people on board.

Challenges can be useful, however. In it's later years, NASA's need to keep resupplying the space station has provided funding and incentives for companies; like Space X to innovate and fill that need. That has helped to get Space X's systems going so it has now branched out as part of the accelerating private space launch industry.

I use to have more respect for Musk, but his more recent reckless thoughts on X (formerly Twitter) cause me to hear that engineers run his companies and all but ignore the kooky billionaire at the top.

Can he streamline the government? I'm not holding my breath.

Taxing McMansions could be a lucrative and overlooked source of revenue for the state of Washington

They are talking about another wealth tax for Washington State, but there is always the worry that the super rich will leave the state and take their money with them, thus reducing available revenue.

How focusing more on taxing big McMansions in the state? There are sure a lot of them. Homes tend to be exempt from these wealth tax proposals, though they do pay some taxes.

Some senior citizens get breaks on property taxes if their ongoing income is below a certain level. They still might own a home worth over a million, but their money is all tied up in the house. This break is unfair to renters who still have to pay indirectly through their rent; if not in subsidized housing. I'm fortunate to be in subsidized housing, but there is a long waiting list to get in.

Maybe the senior citizen homeowner tax break could be treated like a reverse mortgage? One could benefit from the tax break until the house sells, or gets inherited. Then back taxes could be collected.

Maybe there is already something like this in place, but I'll have to research it more. I know that taxing homes is sort of a political no no.

Taxing business is more popular because it's taxing something "other;" rather than taxing people directly.

Ultimately business is just people also. If the owners and executives make huge profits, that can be taxed. It would be taxing the owners and folks making loads of money. Tax their personal wealth and their mansions.

On the other hand, some businesses can be on a thin margin. There may be a high volume of revenue, but it almost all goes back out to expenses. A business may have lots of capital, on paper, but that's the buildings and machinery it uses to do it's business.

Taxing business, especially if it isn't real profitable, falls back on people anyway, in terms of hurting customers, workers and the economy. It can kill the goose that lays the golden egg, so to speak; or at least send the goose flying out of the state.

Picture I took of the Christmas tree in my childhood home on Christmas Eve.

See more of my images about Christmas.

Advent of heat pumps can lead to increase use more areas using air conditioning.

Map I found from a few places online. Darker areas need more air conditioning.

I'd add that increasing use of heat pumps for heating will increase use of air conditioning in cooler cities such as Seattle and Bellingham as air conditioning is an easy add with heat pump technology.

Heat pumps are good, but they may add their own increase in use of air conditioning beyond the increase due only to climate change.

This can effect estimates as to who is likely to get air conditioning in future years and how much energy savings heat pumps will provide.

Cascadia High-Speed Rail project may not be the best way to improve rail service in Washington State.

Money being spent to study high speed rail in Western Washington.

The most difficult part of the project would be procuring the right of way through Western Washington's built up environment. High property values, multiple road crossings, lots of neighborhood and environmentalist objections are likely to be deal breakers.

Maybe speed isn't as important as most of mainstream society thinks. When I travel, I enjoy the scenery along the way as well as conversation with other passengers on the train. The trip itself is as much part of the experience as the destination.

I think money would be better spent extending passenger rail service to underserved areas of the state; such as the Yakima Valley. There could be more convenient service to Spokane besides the only train arriving late at night.

Some of those areas already have underutilized right of way for rail such as the double track rail line that carries only an occasional freight train over Stampede Pass from Seattle area to the Ellensburg and Yakima areas. This could connect Yakima Valley to the Tri Cities thus connecting with existing Spokane to Portland passenger route. Money might be better spent to improve service east of the Cascade Mountains.

Double track rail line crossing near Snoqualmie Pass between Seattle and Ellensburg.

There is already a double track rail line over Stampede Pass just south of Snoqualmie Pass. I took this picture during a bike trip along yet another rail right of way crossing Snoqualmie Pass; the old Milwaukie Line now a bicycle trail. Trains can still use the Stampede rail route while bicycles use the old Milwaukie line; now called Cascades to Palouse Trail. No need to take out a bike path.

Around 2004, this below cartoon appeared related to a Highway 9 Transportation Corridor Study. Yes, improvements could help alternative transportation, but I guess residents of the Acme area worry that it comes with more mainstream development and traffic.

On a personal note, someone drew this cartoon for the front page of this little newspaper, while my letter to the editor, holding out hope for improvements along Highway 9, was inside. The Sun is no longer published, but I keep it as a fun keepsake. I like to chuckle thinking about these planning meetings. That Transportation Corridor Study is basically now collecting dust, as far as I know.

Today, much of highway 9 is still a dangerous road with no shoulder along many stretches with increasing volume of truck and car traffic. I now refuse to ride on most of Highway 9 for my own safety.

Easier for politicians to promise more from Social Security than to increase the taxes to pay for it.

It's easier for politicians to promise benefits than it is to take away benefits. Even enough Republicans went along with this, in spite of worries about Social Security's long term solvency.

Since they did this, next step should be to raise the cap on income that is subject to the Social Security tax. This would return the Social Security fund to more solvency, but it's harder for politicians to propose any increase in taxes.

Passed in the Republican House and in the Senate. Biden will likely sign it.

A reason why federal debt is hard to reduce.

Whether Republican, or Democrat, politicians get elected by promising things to the voters. Delivering bad news, such as big cuts to things like veterans benefits, Medicare or disaster relief doesn't play well for getting reelected. Promising tax cuts is also popular. Even the recent bill increasing Social Security benefits to former federal workers who opted for a lower amount due to their already existing pension plans did pass the Republican dominated House. It may not pass the Senate, however. Delivering unpolular news about tax hikes or real budget cuts is not a formula for getting relected.

The US economy outperforms others, but money doesn't always buy happiness.

The US has grown three times as fast as its largest comparable economies in the G7, which include Japan, Germany and the UK. In the 1990's the US was 40% of the G7 pie; today it's more than 50%; according to Economist's Simon Rabinovitz on the Indicator podcast.

Still, Americans are not the happiest which indicates that money doesn't always buy happiness.

Wealth inequality is one part of the problem; not only inequality between the super wealthy and everyone else, but also inequality between those thriving in the middle class and those struggling with housing insecurity and so forth.

Still, most people seem to think that increasing overall wealth, in the economy, will fix the problems. The general feeling that the economy is not doing well is a factor leading to Trump's victory, but some of Trump's policies may undermine success of the American economy.

The cutbacks on immigration could be bad for the growth in labor and consumer markets. If you begin to undermine the rule of law, that can undermine confidence in American markets.

We need a better paradigm for determining the purpose of our economy. Does more volume of wealth necessarily mean a better quality of life? How well does our economy do in terms of promoting health, longevity, scientific progress and stewardship of the environment? These are the bigger questions we need to be discussing. Just money, by itself, doesn't always buy happiness.

USA from a perspective of alternative lifestyles.

For years it seems like just blaming the rich, corporations and the government for our problems hasn't been working; politics of resentment.

The grassroots culture of a consumptive society is a big part of the problems we face as a society. More people need to choose the gentler scenic routes.

Modifications, even just incremental modifications, in our entire culture of consumption are needed. It's something I hope people can still do in our local lives.

Yes, the corporations and institutions have manipulated us into a consumptive society, but the people have followed.

I tend to be less influenced by advertising, movies and fashions than most people. Possibly because I am somewhat of a loner. Traditional social and family connections tend to trap people into the need for mainstream living.

I have a more non traditional life, but I still have lots of friends and connections in my life. My connections are likely not the same type of relationships that most people seek; such as on dating sites and so forth.

My lifestyle seems to work for me. I might be bias, but I tend to think that if more people lived a bit closer to my lifestyle, some of the problems of the world would be less.

The basic structure of American society, with it's openness to innovation, lifestyle diversity and even major architectural achievements could continue, but maybe with a bit less of the pressure of mainstream living.

Seattle from the perspective of a bike path.

Rather than trying to keep up with the rich, we ought to figure out how people can live fulfilling lives even if only with modest incomes.

Ideally, a political party; like the Democratic Party, would not necessarily focus on having everyone try and keep up with the rich. Even if keeping up is only partial, it's still kind of a rat race.

Instead, one ought to be able to have a life of fulfillment, safety and dignity even if their income and wealth is more modest.

The paths to creating that is what we need.

Democratic Party should focus more on alternatives to Republican planning on energy, economics, city planning, transportation and environmental issues.

There is quite a bit of talk that the Democratic Party should place less emphasis on what is called "identity politics," such as men versus women, sexuality, race, class and so forth.

I have a slightly different take, but similar. I think the goals of a more equitable society are still valid, but old strategies to achieve them seem to be at a dead end.

I would like to see more focus on the technical issues of how to make our economy greener and work better for everyone. We need to be talking about city planning, transportation, power grids, water, streets, housing and so forth.

There are lots of good ideas that are often discussed in the local level of politics, that should be more discussed at the national level. Topics such as how do we deal with lack of water in the Colorado River, for instance?

How do we juggle energy needs with, for instance, the effects of hydropower dams on salmon?

How do we integrate solar energy into the power grid? Can we develop more nuclear power and ideally hydrogen fusion? What is the future of the automobile, transit, the Interstate Freeway system and so forth?

How can we change the economy so housing becomes more affordable to more classes of people (speaking of classes "identity politics"). I think that the goals of equity are still valid, for the most part, but I think technical, planning and economic discussions could work better.

As for race and identity politics, lack of affordable housing is one of the big things that divides people. People of color, tend to be less apt, on average, to be homeowners and can be locked out of neighborhoods not necessarily due to overt racism, but simply due to price.

Do people really wish to significantly increase inheritance taxes, for instance, to create more equity? We could tax windfall homeonwer value back to the community; rather than allowing so much wealth to be passed down from generation to generation.

Zoning has a lot to do with this also. Too many popular areas are still zoned in restrictive "single family zoning." We need more mixed use zoning. Steps are being taken, in that direction, by many local levels of government; such as state, county and city governments. That is a positive sign.

Is inflation a problem? Quality of life should be the true bottom line.

Sunrise. Image from my smartphone at the end of the hallway in public housing outside my studio apartment. Hallway lights reflected on window glass to the right.

Republicans have won some elections being propelled by public concern about inflation. Some folks would like to roll back prices to pre pandemic levels, but that would be deflation; something associated with depression. Be careful what you ask for cause you might get it.

Deflation can lead to much less consumer spending as consumers postpone purchases till the price comes down farther; not necessarily always a bad thing, but be careful what you ask for. In the computer field, we have already had deflation, but consumption does continue. For decades, advancing technologies have lower prices while increasing capabilities. This trend is often called "Moore's Law."

Moore's Law has not lead to a total collapse of spending as people still buy things in order to use them. Waiting years, before buying a computer or smartphone, while waiting for a better deal, means going without the use of such devices for years. People buy anyway and then upgrade when the newer models become available.

There is still a brisk enough consumer market, in electronics, so many good phones go to landfills. Phone and internet service providers still push upgrades making their networks less compatible to older devices.

Certain things, like housing and healthcare, continue to get more expensive and deflation, in those areas, could lower the overall cost of living. Do homeowners want their home values to deflate? Deflation is usually seen as bad and leading to unemployment as well. We all need to be careful what we ask for as we might get it.

For renters and first time home buyers, dropping property values can be a good thing; if one is able to stay employeed, however.

Often it does seem like the economy is a meaningless treadmill. For every step we go forward in wages, we fall 2 steps back in prices; especially for things like housing and healthcare.

Taking a deeper look at what we are trying to accomplish, with our economy, is what needs to be done. How gratifying is life? Are we happier? Are we heathier? Is the economy making progress toward climate stability? Is our technology improving in ways that enhance civilization?

This fuels the pendulum of politics as in we have met the enemy and that is us.

It seems like when the government starts to lean a bit left, most of the pushback from the people is from the right. When those in power, in government, are right wingers, pushback from the people tends to swing more to the left. This provides hope for the left after election 2024. It's the pendulum of politics.

Those following Taylor Swift.

My 2012 picture of BC Place Stadium.

A billionaire, Taylor Swift, coming to Vancouver, BC; near Bellingham.

This is expected to have an effect on I-5 traffic to the border. I hear the tickets to see her in concert sell for around $900 (my guess $900 Canadian, maybe not quite $900 US).

I guess people on the right of the political spectrum can worship Donald Trump and Elon Musk while folks more toward the left have their billionaire idols as well. We might need the billionaires on our, more left side of the political spectrum, as in fighting fire with fire, so to speak.

The priorities I spend my money on are quite a bit different than going to live concerts like that. I don't go to football games either.

I have gone to Vancouver, BC to be among 500,000 folks in Vancouver's Gay Pride Parade, however. I bicycled to a motel in Surrey and took the Skytrain from there. No luck finding an affordable room in Vancouver, itself during that big event. The gay parade, itself, was free.

56 people killed in Guinea soccer stadium disaster following controversial referee decision.

Competitive sports can be hazardous. Here in USA, we recently had some controversy over a logo, or something, displayed in the opponents side of the field. Stirred up news headlines that I didn't fallow, but now I can't find that news.

Things have been even worse overseas as this headline was also in the news, around the same time.

56 people killed in Guinea soccer stadium disaster following controversial referee decision.

Monday's events are the latest in a long line of soccer stadium disasters over the last three decades.

I remember, in the 1980s, when a riot broke out in a stadium in Great Britain and part of the old stadium structure collapsed killing many fans. They talked about suspending the games for a while in UK back then.

The quiet time I spent while others were doing Black Friday.

Not feeling obligated to buy gifts for kids and relatives, I wasn't at the malls for "Black Friday."

I guess I did go shopping, so it wasn't "Buy Nothing Day" for me either. I biked through the quiet campus of WWU on my way to Sehome Village for some regular shopping; such as groceries. Sehome Village, near WWU, was fairly mellow. WWW wasn't in session due to the holiday weekend. Most students were out of town.

Instead of Buy Nothing Day, it was No Rat Race Day for me. Even the walk zone in Red Square, on campus, wasn't necessary as there wasn't likely to be any conflict between pedestrians and bicycles.

It's been many years since I've traveled for Christmas, or Thanksgiving.

My two sisters still live in Pullman, WA where I grew up. In more recent years, I've visited during summer months and I've traveled by bicycle. Most recent bike trip to Pullman was summer of 2022.

The old neighborhood looks similar, but some changes as well.

I have a brother in Kentucky and another in southern Oregon. I would be welcome to visit any of my brothers and sisters. If we were to sit around a Thanksgiving, or Christmas table, our politics would be similar enough that we would get along fine on that score.

Still, when I plan to visit my sisters, they often say they would love to see me, but this would not be a good time to visit. There are often problems and other needs going on that make a visit somewhat uncomfortable and inconvenient.

During my last two trips to Pullman, rather than staying with my sisters, I did enjoy a new perspective of staying at a motel in Pullman, rather than my childhood home.

Visited my sisters during the day and also did much sighseeing on my own around town.

A new perspective looking over downtown with WSU campus in background from the Cougarland Motel.

The old high school across the street.

Memories from my freshman to Junior years in high school. My senior year in a new building in another part of town.

This old high school is now "Gladish Community and Cultural Center" named for a former principal of the school, Oscar Gladish, who was a neighbor across the back fence as I was growing up.

My most recent visits to Pullman were by bicycle in 2022 even at age 67 and then in 2023. In 2023 it was by car.

2023 was for the 50th high school reunion. I rode, by car, with a classmate who lives in the Bellingham area. We had a good visit going across the state. I didn't bike in 2023 as the reunion was in August when temperatures, in the middle of Washington State, can climb into the 100s. My 2022 trip was in June, a relatively cool and lush time in the Columbia Basin.

I still do some bike / and now transit combo tours to other areas. Pullman is still a possibility, but mid summers might not be a good idea.

I still have memories, from Christmas visits back to Pullman, during my college years in Bellingham. I grew up in Pullman where WSU is, but still did go away for college.

Taking the Greyhound Bus with transfers in Everett and then Spokane was the way to go for Christmas visits. Trying to do it in one day with snow on the mountain passes and in eastern Washington would cause delays. We usually made it, but sometimes got in real late; like next day after midnight. By bicycle, it usually takes around a week to get to Pullman, but it's a scenic trip; warmer months that is.

I live car free so maybe the most pragmatic way to get to Pullman is by air. Pullman has recently completed an airport upgrade that can accomodate jet service.

One memory, from my college Greyhound Bus days, was the lunch stop at "Martha's Inn Truck Stop." That stop was in the town of George, Washington.

Martha's Inn is only a faded memory, but the old sign is still there, faded by the years of hot sun and cold winter winds.

Image taken during my 2022 bike trip.

I did take the bus back to Bellingham, from Pullman, in 2022 as I planned. Bus and train has returned me from many a bicycle tour.

In 2022, I shipped my bike back to Bellingham using a service called Bike FLights.

It would be better if Greyhound style buses didn't require bikes to be boxed for shipment. County transit buses have bike racks, but service is very limited in Eastern Washington. From what I hear, Flix Bus might work to Spokane without the complexity of finding a bike box.

I had a good local Thanksgiving.

It started with ecstatic dance, a Thanksgiving morning tradition at Presence Studio in Bellingham. Then a potluck turkey dinner downstairs in the dining room of the building I live in. Then another potluck turkey dinner at the Unitarian Church.

Then a nap. Then I dropped by Betty Desire's place. I got there by evening so the place was all lit in Christmas lights. They plan to have 25,000 lights; like in the movie National Lampoon Christmas. They are almost to the 125,000 mark. These days, LED lights.

Over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go, but we are not out of the woods yet.

This seems to happen every year. Of course, the holidays happen during a season of harsh weather. Glad I have no plans to travel a long ways to family. A community potluck at Unitarian Church in my neighborhood is more my speed. Photo from Yahoo News.

Possible effects of tariff on natural gas from Canada to USA.

A 25 percent tariff on Canada might mean more expensive natural gas in the Pacific Northwest. We get our gas, for heating and much of our electricity, from Canada. Not much, if any natural gas produced in the Pacific Northwest. It comes from Canada by pipeline.

Picture above: Steam rising from cooling fans of a natural gas fired powerplant on Bellingham's waterfront. Amtrak Train on its way from USA to Vancouver, BC.

Trade with Canada and Mexico is good for the economy.

I the long run we still do need to rely more on greener energy, however.

Today, on Canadian Radio, I heard some interesting takes on the tariff proposal from Canadian politicians.

One commentator, who happened to be from BC hoped that it would spur more security at Canadian ports which he said were bringing fentanyl into the country. Apparently some ports up there have no port police and lots of containerized cargo comes through shipping ports.

He said that local police often have to get permission to enter port district property and that process is cumbersome for the police. He thought they need to have more control of the flow of drugs through shipping ports.

Then, on another topic, I heard, a few days ago, that some people, in the Alberta oil patch, found the proposal to be devastating to the economy. Oil and natural gas sales to US customers play an important role in many pocketbooks.

The missing middle of attention span for political discussion.

To read a whole book takes too long for me.

At the same time I don't use X (formerly Twitter). Sound bytes are too short for me.

I prefer things like NPR round table discussions, TED Talks, short articles, thoughtful Facebook posts and face conversation about big ideas.

A need for the missing middle affordable housing can unite labor, minority, environmental and other interests.

Very interesting podcast about Washington State's new bill for affordable housing.

House Bill 1110, which legalized “missing middle” housing statewide. A conversation with Rep. Jessica Bateman.

After decades of effort by urbanists, housing has arrived as a political issue. Big environmental groups have come around to the idea that dense housing is a crucial climate strategy, support is growing from unions worried that their members can’t afford to live where they work, and polls show that the public is increasingly convinced that there is a housing crisis.

Over the last five years, a wave of good housing legislation has been building on the West Coast, spreading from California to Oregon and now to Washington state. In this last legislative session, some 50 housing bills were put forward in the Washington legislature and more than a half dozen passed, any one of which would have been historic.

One of the most significant bills that passed this session — and one of the biggest surprises — was House Bill 1110, which legalized so-called “missing middle” housing statewide. Every lot in the state will now be permitted to build at least two units of housing, four units when located near transit, and up to six units if some portion are set aside for low-income homeowners.

Podcast on Volts.

Arguing over goals not met and compensation not available fails. How about making next Climate Conference into a tradeshow for green energy technology?

Seems like COP29 climate conference at Azerbaijan was mostly a failure. Not worth the jet fuel it took for bringing the delegates there. The conference was mostly about arguing over who should pay for the cleanup; so to speak.

An elephant in the room was USA who I doubt will pony up any money since Donald Trump has won the 2024 election. Maybe the US private sector will contribute however. Wealthy individuals, non profits and corporations can make a difference.

Besides fighting in the global sandbox over money, no goals were set for reducing carbon emissions. In reality, setting goals doesn't do any good if they aren't followed. In spite of past goal setting, by elite delegates at past climate conferences, world carbon emissions continue to increase.

Might there be a better strategy to reduce worldwide carbon emissions. I got to thinking that a better conference plan could be a tradeshow to show off alternative energy technologies. A trade show instead of an argument over goals that don't usually get far from the documents they reside on. Take a page from the more optimistic and enjoyable trade shows that Las Vegas is famous for; tradeshows exhibiting new computer technologies.

Maybe there could be an uplifting tradeshow presenting solar technology where products are improving and the price of solar is going down. Other technologies, such as electric vehicles, energy storage systems and wind power would be there also. Even nuclear power and hydrogen fusion research could inspire folks about the future.

I tend to have somewhat of a cynical view about mainstream human culture versus the promise of innovation and technology. At the same time, I feel like my own personal life has some lifestyle innovations around less desire for money than most folks seem to have in this culture. Yes, money for survival and a bit more is still needed, but downsizing is a good thing. I do find that there are many people in this world who do value quality of life over personal pocketbook issues.

Should some international force invade and temporarily occupy Haiti for it's own good?

Apparently, the gang violence in Haiti has gotten worse in spite of the troops from Kenya that finally arrived to try and improve that situation. From what I hear, on CBC Radio news from Canada; the gangs are so powerful that they outgun the Kenyan Troops.

I'm a bit of a cynic. Maybe the world should invade and occupy Haiti to try fix the problem. There is talk of a powerful UN force. I'm Remembering when George Bush II lead the "Coalition of the willing;" an international force invading Iraq in 2003. That, probably didn't end well, but might have looked, at the time, as the right thing to do, according to some people at least.

After 911, in 2001, Bush II's popularity soared providing political support for invading, occupying and trying to install democracy in Afghanistan at least. It didn't really end well. It wasn't really a slam dunk. Fixing Iraq was thought, by some, to be a good thing; liberating that country, we had earlier invaded related to oil, from the dictatorship of Sandam Hussein.

I remember the pottery barn rule after the 1992 Persian Gulf War; "you break it you fix it." The second war (2003) tried to fix that. By the end of Bush's term. Democrat Barak Obama won the 2008 election.

Haiti doesn't have oil, however.

Still it might be a good idea to invade Haiti for humanitarian reasons.

Folks on the left might think it's a bad idea similar to colonization. On the other hand, the enemy is often within due to some aspects of human nature. Maybe there is a way that an invasion, or possibly call it an "intervention," as in an intervention to help some drug addict, is needed.