Haiti shame

[Sir Bandelot]

You know what bugs me, how this recent disaster in Haiti is being whipped up in the media. Now the UN is asking for money, another reason to start distrusting their intentions. As their spokesman just said on the TV news, this disaster is an opportunity. If its an opportunity to improve life in Haiti, why did we wait until an earthquake destroyed their capital?

Headlines screaming Haiti is like a war zone. Footage of people dressed in dirty rags, roaming about the devastated street scenes aimlessly, scavenging for food. They should show us the "before" footage, the way it looked before the earthquake. Not too different, just a bit worse than before.

Don't get me wrong about the plight of Haitians, those people need immediate help. But it certainly appears a lot easier to drop in teams of reporters, than it is to bring in useful supplies and real help.

"No rescue workers, or aid have arrived" - Lloyd Robertson, CTV Newsnet, 5 minutes ago.

Lloyd continues with "The graphic pictures out of Haiti have caused Canadians to give generously, and some have given VERY generously".

Haitians, Habeas Pecunium?

We are being warned to be wary of con artists acting in the guise of charities. Seems to me the bigger con artist is the one that Haiti needs to be wary of. And thats us. Haiti is probably one of the worst countries in the world in terms of its poverty. Ignored. Manipulated and abused, by Canada even.

After the coronation of Baby Doc, American planners inside and outside the U.S. government initiated their plan to transform Haiti into the "Taiwan of the Caribbean." This small, poor country situated conveniently close to the United States was instructed to abandon its agricultural past and develop a robust, export-oriented manufacturing sector.

From the standpoint of the World Bank and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Haiti was the perfect candidate for this neoliberal facelift. The entrenched poverty of the Haitian masses could be used to force them into low-paying jobs sewing baseballs and assembling other products.

http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=16985

"The current situation in Haiti, for which the Canadian government bears much responsibility, is characterized by political assasinations and imprisonments, the murder of peaceful protesters by police, the destruction of limited social programs and health care, and the repression of democratic activity.

The evidence shows that at every turn, Canada has declined every opportunity to uphold democracy in Haiti, while taking the lead in overthrowing the country's democratically elected government and legitimating a power grab by Haiti's wealthy elite.

Consequently, Canada finds itself in league with a grim roster of alumni from Reagan's murderous interventions in central America such as Roger Noriega, John Negroponte and Jesse Helms and on the wrong side of a war against Haiti's poor majority."

Canada out of Haiti

The 2004 Haiti rebellion was a coup d'etat that happened after conflicts that occurred for several weeks in Haiti during February 2004. It resulted in the premature end of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's second term, in which he left Haiti on a United States plane accompanied by U.S. military/security personnel. Controversy remains regarding the involvement of the U.S. in his departure and whether or not the departure was voluntary. Aristide described his departure as a kidnapping. An interim government led by Prime Minister Gérard Latortue (brought back from the US) and President Boniface Alexandre was installed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Haitian_rebellion

What happened on February 29, 2004?

Thats why Haiti descended into the craphole it became, before the quake. So now lets feel good about how much we really care and want to help them. Keep in mind, during this critical first 36 hours almost nothing of any real value has arrived to help rescue them. Except reporters, camera crews, and lots of media footage asking us to give with our wallets.

Edited January 16, 2010 by Sir Bandelot

[Smallc]

Canada and the US have done a great deal of work in Haiti for a long time. The US gives almost $300M per year in assistance. Canada gives over $110M per year. They are our second largest recipient of foreign aid after Afghanistan. We do a great deal for Haiti, and it seems that we'll be doing even more going forward.

http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/how-generous-are-we-to-haiti-two-bucks-a-person/

It's not like the world has been ignoring this place.

As for the 2004 talk...well...things were getting better there after 2004. They aren't better now, but it has nothing to do with 2004.

Edited January 16, 2010 by Smallc

[bush_cheney2004]

I think this is a wonderful opportunity for the Canadian GG to make Haiti a territory or province. Can she get that ball rolling?

[Sir Bandelot]

Canada and the US have done a great deal of work in Haiti for a long time. The US gives almost $300M per year in assistance. Canada gives over $110M per year. They are our second largest recipient of foreign aid after Afghanistan. We do a great deal for Haiti, and it seems that we'll be doing even more going forward.

Who gave what to whom? Is that why Haiti is the great place to live that it is, even up to a week ago? No! Anyone who knew anything about Haiti before last week knows that its one of the poorest nations in the world.

But somebody gets the money, I don't doubt that. That money is to prop up the puppet rulers, to run their pissant army and keep them in our pocket. Why do they need our troops, where's their own army now? The facts on the ground, the appalling poverty speak for themselves.

[Smallc]

Who gave what to whom? Is that why Haiti is the great place to live that it is, even up to a week ago? No! Anyone who knew anything about Haiti before last week knows that its one of the poorest nations in the world.

I know a great deal about Haiti, and I didn't say it was a great place to live. I said that things were improving. Apparently, all over Haiti, you see signs with Canadian flags denoting specific projects that we've paid for. We've done a great deal there, but there's only so much that we can do.

[blueblood]

Who gave what to whom? Is that why Haiti is the great place to live that it is, even up to a week ago? No! Anyone who knew anything about Haiti before last week knows that its one of the poorest nations in the world.

But somebody gets the money, I don't doubt that. That money is to prop up the puppet rulers, to run their pissant army and keep them in our pocket. Why do they need our troops, where's their own army now? The facts on the ground, the appalling poverty speak for themselves.

Unfortunately what you stated is one of the problems with getting free money. It's the same problem with other crapholes throughout the world, and is a problem on FN reserves in Canada. Hordes and hordes of money being thrown around and nothing of significance happening.

The only net help the hatians will get out of this is whatever the people actually going get done. And how long is that going to last, a month? a few weeks? a couple months? The biggest travesty is all that money being raised probly won't do much if anything.

That's one of the problems IMO of the left, they think throwing money around will solve problems. Unfortunately it's people that solve problems. If George Clooney wants to help the hatians so bad, instead of asking for money to throw around, he can ask for volunteers to fly to Haiti once its secure and see what actual work can get done.

[Smallc]

Significant things were happening in Haiti. Rome wasn't built in a day....Haiti certainly wasn't going to be. There was nothing free about the money going to Haiti. You make it sound like they were sitting waiting for their welfare cheque.

[Smallc]

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/story.html?id=2447109

As can be seen through the examples here, things were getting better...now we have to keep it from getting worse.

[jbg]

You know what bugs me, how this recent disaster in Haiti is being whipped up in the media. Now the UN is asking for money, another reason to start distrusting their intentions. As their spokesman just said on the TV news, this disaster is an opportunity. If its an opportunity to improve life in Haiti, why did we wait until an earthquake destroyed their capital?

You ask an excellent question.

This may be the one chance we have, when the incompetent, thieving government can be elbowed aside, to restructure some things. Clearly self-determination and independence have not been kind to Haiti.

One great mystery of life has been how the peoples of so many countries can be content to do nothing, live in misery, make no effort to improve things and demand nothing. That place and many other Fourth World nations have needed to be transmogrified in the worst way.

[August1991]

I know a great deal about Haiti, and I didn't say it was a great place to live. I said that things were improving. Apparently, all over Haiti, you see signs with Canadian flags denoting specific projects that we've paid for. We've done a great deal there, but there's only so much that we can do.

And what, at the end of the day, has been the result? Has this Canadian money made any difference whatsoever? Indeed, has it made things worse?

Singapore and South Korea, to name two examples, were about as poor as Haiti 60 years ago. Tens of thousands of dogooder Canadians did not fly to Singapore or South Korea to help the poor souls there. And yet, Singapore and South Korea are now as wealthy as parts of Canada. Haiti clearly is not.

----

IME, the people who go to Third World countries to help the poor are self-interested: they do this because it makes them feel better, they feel richer and they can claim a higher moral plane. They don't help anyone other than themselves.

I did some grocery shopping tonight and at the Provigo, the cashier asked me to contribute to the "Soutien Haiti". (That's what he said.) What could I say? No? In public? I answered: "Je l'ai déja fait." I didn't explain that politicians have spent my money on this.

Edited January 17, 2010 by August1991

[Smallc]

And what, at the end of the day, has been the result? Has this Canadian money made any difference whatsoever? Indeed, has it made things worse?

According to the Prime Minister and the Governor General, things were getting better. You say that Harper is honest. Do you believe him on this? I do.

IME, the people who go to Third World countries to help the poor are self-interested: they do this because it makes them feel better, they feel richer and they can claim a higher moral plane. They don't help anyone other than themselves.

Yeah, well, the reply I want to give here isn't approved for public viewing.

I did some grocery shopping tonight and at the Provigo, the cashier asked me to contribute to the "Soutien Haiti". (That's what he said.) What could I say? No? In public? I answered: "Je l'ai déja fait." I didn't explain that politicians have spent my money on this.

Again, I don't thin that the response I want to give here is allowed.

You're a cold hearted individual. That's all I have to say.

[Moonlight Graham]

IME, the people who go to Third World countries to help the poor are self-interested: they do this because it makes them feel better, they feel richer and they can claim a higher moral plane. They don't help anyone other than themselves.

What a ridiculous thing to say!! First of all, anything anyone ever does can be called "self-interested". Name me one act a human can do that isn't self-interested, and i will gladly spin your same logic back at you.

The majority of people who help the poor do so because....they want to help the poor. Does it make them feel good to help a another person? Yes, it's supposed to. It's called being a decent human being.

If there were a lot more "dogooders" in this world, instead of people driven by money/greed, power, intolerance, revenge etc. then this world would be a much better place. You are lost.

[Cameron]

That's one of the problems IMO of the left, they think throwing money around will solve problems. Unfortunately it's people that solve problems. If George Clooney wants to help the hatians so bad, instead of asking for money to throw around, he can ask for volunteers to fly to Haiti once its secure and see what actual work can get done.

Agree. Why dump bags of rice into a country when you could send people over to teach the local population to grow it year after year.

Hint! World Vision...

Edited January 17, 2010 by Cameron

[Moonlight Graham]

You know what bugs me, how this recent disaster in Haiti is being whipped up in the media. Now the UN is asking for money, another reason to start distrusting their intentions. As their spokesman just said on the TV news, this disaster is an opportunity. If its an opportunity to improve life in Haiti, why did we wait until an earthquake destroyed their capital?

I have to saw that i agree with you somewhat. On one hand I am proud of Canadians and seemingly all these people in the West who are donating money to Haiti and seem genuinely concerned about the situation and want to help. I'm a bit surprised how strong people's reaction to help has been. The last time one a big natural disaster hit a developing country, i believe it was a tsunami somewhere in south Asia several years ago, and people donated to the Red Cross and it was a big deal in the media, but it didn't seem quite this big of a deal. Maybe it's because Haiti is closer and hits closer to home?

On the flip side, i'm wondering where these people have been? As my signature refers to, about 9 million children under the age of 5 die every year of preventable causes (mostly from malnutrition, disease, and lack of clean water/proper sanitation). A billion people in the world live on less than a dollar a day. Why does it take a flashy disaster to get people to care, when horrors are happening to a tragic amount of people every day? I wish more of the worlds' brilliant minds were concentrating on helping solve the many problems of development rather than how to make themselves more money or how to build the next deadliest killing technology.

[August1991]

The majority of people who help the poor do so because....they want to help the poor. Does it make them feel good to help a another person? Yes, it's supposed to. It's called being a decent human being.

But do they in fact help the other person?

---

Imagine. If rich Chinese or Arabs arrived in Canada to help poor Canadians, would they have any effect? (What do Chinese and Arabs know about Canada?)

Edited January 17, 2010 by August1991

[Sir Bandelot]

I have to saw that i agree with you somewhat. On one hand I am proud of Canadians and seemingly all these people in the West who are donating money to Haiti and seem genuinely concerned about the situation and want to help. I'm a bit surprised how strong people's reaction to help has been. The last time one a big natural disaster hit a developing country, i believe it was a tsunami somewhere in south Asia several years ago, and people donated to the Red Cross and it was a big deal in the media, but it didn't seem quite this big of a deal. Maybe it's because Haiti is closer and hits closer to home?

On the flip side, i'm wondering where these people have been?

My view is there's been a subtle paradigm shift in western consciousness, away from material self gratification. Consumerism is in decline, leading to the economic crisis we face. But its not that people don't have money, they still do. Personal savings have increased, So people are sitting on their money, don't want to spend it on any more toys (for whatever reason, won't go into it here) yet clearly people ARE willing to give to charity when they perceive an urgent need.

However my concern is that this desire to help others could easily be exploited. Although there may have been a paradigm shift in the general public, ie. the middle class, its the same old story for the greedy elite. They are able to manipulate the media and try to persuade people to spend money on their causes. Wherever there's a billion dollars to be made, you'll find the unscrupulous money mongers looking for ways to get their meathooks into it. Of course there has to be some overhead cost in administrating funds to help the Haitians, or others the question is how much of the money has any meaningful value toward its real intent. Such funds collected voluntarily from the public, intended to help the needy will soon become the next big investment opportunity.

Edited January 17, 2010 by Sir Bandelot

[Sir Bandelot]

PORT-AU-PRINCE Sun Jan 17 (Reuters) - World leaders have stepped up to pledge aid to rebuild a devastated Haiti, but on the streets of its wrecked capital quake survivors were still waiting on Sunday for the basics: food, water and medicine.

"We're moving forward with one of the largest relief efforts in our history to save lives and deliver relief that averts an even larger catastrophe," said Obama, flanked at the White House by predecessors George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, who will lead a charity drive to help Haiti. But on the streets of Port-au-Prince, where scarce police patrols fired occasional shots and tear gas to try to disperse looters, the distribution of aid appeared random, chaotic and minimal.

"The distribution is totally disorganized. They are not identifying the people who need the water. The sick and the old have no chance," said Estime Pierre Deny, standing at the back of a crowd looking for water with his empty plastic container.

Hillary Clinton told Haitians the United States will ensure their country emerges "stronger and better" from the disaster. "We will be here today, tomorrow and for the time ahead," she said after meeting Preval at the airport.

The president of the Inter-American Development Bank, Luis Alberto Moreno, will visit Haiti on Monday and attend a donors meeting in the Dominican Republic to start analyzing Haiti's reconstruction needs, a bank spokesman said.

World pledges quake aid, Haitians still waiting

-----------

It's the new charity

Edited January 17, 2010 by Sir Bandelot

[Topaz]

As I watched the horrible sites on Haiti, I wondered how well our governments, both, provincial and federal were, if something like a earth quake happen say, in Toronto, which is on a fault line. Do you think our governments are ready for a disaster as a quake in a big city?

[eyeball]

We've done a great deal there, but there's only so much that we can do.

We've done worse than nothing where it really matters.

Canada could have done a lot more to help Haitians in the past by focusing diplomatic and economic pressure against nations that persist in aggressively interfering both militarily and economically in countries like Haiti.

Unfortunately those interfering nations are also allies of ours and judging by some of the corporations we've unleashed on the world we've been behaving more like economic rogues in some places too.

Thank Christ Diefenbaker started dismantling our military when he did or we might have even worse sins to account for.

[Smallc]

We've done worse than nothing where it really matters.

BS. We've done a great deal. Ask the Governor General.

[eyeball]

That's one of the problems IMO of the left, they think throwing money around will solve problems. Unfortunately it's people that solve problems.

Actually I think standing by our stated democratic principles would have be more helpful.

We should have been throwing these around instead.

[eyeball]

BS. We've done a great deal. Ask the Governor General.

Not where it really counts though.

[Smallc]

Really? Who are you to say that? Haiti was becoming a better place by pretty much all accounts.

[DogOnPorch]

Really? Who are you to say that? Haiti was becoming a better place by pretty much all accounts.

Again...

...getting better by what standards?

[BubberMiley]

IME, the people who go to Third World countries to help the poor are self-interested: they do this because it makes them feel better, they feel richer and they can claim a higher moral plane. They don't help anyone other than themselves.

IME, the people who complain about those who go to Third World countries to help the poor are self-interested: they do this because it makes them feel better, they feel richer and they can claim a higher moral plane. They don't help anyone other than themselves.