Why should the Tommy Hilfigers and Reeboks of the world add to their bottom line on the backs of poor black people traumatized by one of the worst natural disasters in history?

And let's not sugarcoat it. Doesn't the image of the world colluding to pay the workers of one country far less than they should be earning move dangerously close to creating a slave nation?

The only problem with that logic is that the situation in Haiti is as far from normal as is humanly possible.

The country has stopped working. More than 6 out of 10 Haitians were unemployed before the earthquake. So where is the work going to come from now? We need to change the rules to make Haiti work.

The government isn't functioning. International aid organizations and celebrity concerts only provide a drop in the bucket of the support needed to help people who are facing futures with little or no shelter and a fast-approaching rainy season.

So the plan called the "Haiti Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act" (HOPE II) would create a cheap labor zone that would bring some economic stability to the island-nation.

It is a far-from-perfect solution to the problems facing Haiti, but if it can trigger greater economic growth, stimulate local business and instill some sense of independence to a shattered region, it is worth a try.

One way I would tweak the law would be for involved companies to put a portion of that money in to a dedicated fund for disaster relief overseen by a neutral non-governmental organization.

The tragedy in Haiti is forcing people to consider a number of difficult solutions to help end the suffering. Creating a low-wage zone in Haiti is one solution that deserves a chance.