Haitian disaster and what the U.S. ought to do about it, I’m hearing, at
, the shockingly hard sound of people who are mad as hell and aren’t going to take it any more.
Reply 3—Posted by: LouInTexas, 1/14/2010 7:18:05 AM
I’m sorry for the fix these people are in, but this time around it’s going to have to be handled without any help from my pocketbook.
A year from now, we’ll be hearing reports of graft, fraud and abuse; some percentage—usually in the 60% range, that never got to the “people,” but rather, ended up in the pockets of thugs.
I can’t remember a “crisis”—foreign or domestic, in my lifetime when that was not the case.
I might even feel differently if the Halfrican hadn’t been all over the airwaves yesterday, telling me to send my contribution to the White House website.
Not a chance, baby. Not a chance.
Reply 6—Posted by: ZurichMike, 1/14/2010 8:11:36 AM
One Spanish newspaper is blaming … colonialism!
This despite the fact that Haiti has been independent from France since 1804, have several revolts, a US-imposed constitutional system for 20 years which was then dismantled for a series of dictators.
Yeah, it’s colonialism, not a culture of corruption and stupidity.
Reply 7—Posted by: MamaD, 1/14/2010 8:21:47 AM
Thousands of our fellow human beings are dead. Thousands more are dying, injured, and missing. Frankly, I don’t care if their government is corrupt, whether Muslims help, or if anyone in the world recognizes our generosity. Do some of you really think we should just ignore their suffering and not help?
Reply 8—Posted by: maypole, 1/14/2010 8:32:29 AM
All countries under the U.N. umbrella should be helping with food, supplies and money and safe harbor. It always falls to the US and we cannot be the sole savior. I believe in helping them. They are industrious when they come to the US but we simply cannot take in an entire country. The O will certainly do this though.
Reply 9—Posted by: Northern Bandit, 1/14/2010 8:33:22 AM
Reply 7:
Whatever happened to the Judeo-Christian foundation of our society? I look at the comments from so many “conservatives” these days and I despair. To be quite honest, the comments re Haiti on the left-wing sites are far less callous and disgusting.
Reply 10—Posted by: dooalba, 1/14/2010 8:45:12 AM
In 1971 I had to do a geography report (5th grade) on Haiti.
It was poverty stricken, corrupt, despairing. The hopelessness, even to an eleven year old was striking.
Billions of dollars and forty years of political change and promises later it is worse.
Culture is destiny.
Reply 11—Posted by: The Patriot Code, 1/14/2010 8:50:18 AM
On the late local news last night, after the story about the terrible Haitian earthquake, the reporterette mentioned that a Haitian group in our community is asking for cash donations and will make sure they are put to good use.
It took me a little while longer to fall asleep because I was still amped up from laughing.
Reply 12—Posted by: barnbat, 1/14/2010 8:59:03 AM
yesterday, the haiti posting brought out the worst in humanity. frankly, i was hoping there would not be another one today. lucianne, seriously needs to do a reset on this website because it seems to be a refuge for the intolerant and the inbred. it was not like this two years ago.
Reply 13—Posted by: Red Jeep, 1/14/2010 9:03:02 AM
“Do some of you really think we should just ignore their suffering and not help?
No. But for many of us our “compassion button” is broken. In the last few years it seems we are the most evil nation in the world, and that we should grovel and apologize for our very existence, that is, until a disaster happens. Then the rest of the world starts pushing our compassion button.
Let’s equally share in the misery.
Let’s get the rest of the world involved in this disaster. There are about 190 countries in the world. Maybe if each one send a million dollars in aid to Haiti, it would be a good start to helping that country.
Reply 17—Posted by: Zarin, 1/14/2010 9:36:14 AM
Haiti’s problems run deep. The culture has little or no tradition of self-help, virtue, or honor in government. They have been run by dictators for so long that brute force & terror are the foundation of the relationship between ‘citizen’ & the government. Recall that in the US we have been locally self-governed for hundreds of years. If a school needs to be built or a road patched our citizens know how to work together to get it done, rather than relying on the state or federal governments. In Haiti there is no such bedrock concept inculcated into the people. A problem is always somebody else’s or the government’s fault. Kind of like the Dem’s view or in our inner cities.
Reply 18—Posted by: maypole, 1/14/2010 9:42:45 AM
# 17 is right on.
Note that the Haitian president was concerned only about where he might sleep last night. This is how that country has been “run”. No amount of money poured into this island will change it. The money, blood, sweat and tears will be borne largely by the US govt and religious groups but the culture will not change. Another disaster and the same pictures will appear. Very sad!
Reply 19—Posted by: mercedes6, 1/14/2010 9:48:13 AM
Without our permission Haiti is about to become the 58th state.