Haitians & Taiwanese & Americans, too

Apparently some Haitians believe bringing exiled Pres. Aristide back to power will immediately alleviate their economic situation.

"When Aristide was around we found food, we had jobs," said Manouchak Louis, who is 21 and unemployed. "If he comes back the country will change."

Does this sound familiar?

Many people in Taiwan, my wife included, are convinced that Pres. Ma will be able to do the same. I'm sure there are some folks in the U.S. who think that a Clinton in the White House will bring back the glory of the 1990's economy (despite the fact the current unemployment rates during this quasi-recession is actually lower than it was in the 90's.)

I am very skeptical of these claims that the president of any free market nation can truly affect their economies for the better, except at the margins. Making the economy worse off is probably much easier to do - just nationalize some industries, raise some taxes, and develop oodles of red tape. But it is very interesting to see how people from very different cultures still have this need to personify their economic problems or successes as being determined by one man at the top.

Oh, and my prediction for Haiti would be that there won't be any magical change in that country's plight even if Jesus himself were running it.

Perhaps turning sugar cane into ethanol for export would be the best chance.