graeme
So. How are things iin Haiti?
Posted on: 07/12/2010 13:32
There was a time when Haiti was front page news. Then, quite suddenly, it stopped. There was a magic moment when it appeared just for one day on the front page of The Globe. The story was a very misleading one about how the Haiti schools are helping the children deal with the tragedy. It neatly failed to point out this was one school, for rich kids, and that most Haitian children have no schools at all.
There has been almost no dicussion of why the US aid (and some others) consisted so largely of soldiers.
Now, in today's news, a brief return to Haiti. And we find that very little has been done. Billions have been spent - to whom and for what isn't clear (though I'm willing to bet you'll find much of it went to high-priced American consulting firms.) Meanwhile, millions of people on an Island so close that Sara Palin could see it, are sleeping in rubble, starving, lacking anything like adequate and drinkable water, and with no incomes. And there they wait for the first hurricane of the season.
Of course.
Haiti is not going to be rebuilt to anything beyond the slums and filth and low wages people were living in before, and have lived in for almost 90 years of American control. It's even worse than the indifference, incompetence and corruption we saw in the case of New Orleans. Haiti is cheap labour. That is all it will ever be allowed to be. And much of the "aid" will, as always, end up in private bank accounts.
This is one hell of an immoral world. And we're right at the heart of it.
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Azdgari
Posted on: 07/12/2010 14:51
North American slavery never did end. It was merely outsourced.
MikePaterson
Posted on: 07/12/2010 15:03
Got a new Canadian commander...
stardust
Posted on: 07/15/2010 17:24
Hi graeme
I haven't been keeping up with the Haiti news on CNN until last night briefly. The oil spill has gained prominence.
Well....my gawd.....it seems most of the billions pledged to Haiti has never arrived. Nobody knows what the problem is. Clinton is going to investigate. Haiti shipped some of the city people out to a desert stretch of land some miles away still living in makeshift tents. The only jobs are digging ditches for whatever ....?. It showed a model wooden house as an example of their future housing. A big wind storm came along, blew the house away and demolished it . A security guard inside it was injured. The people are living there in desperate circumstances worse than ever, the birth of a major slum. I couldn't believe my eyes! I turned the TV off. I'm going to google and see what I can come up with.
Your quote:
"This is one hell of an immoral world. And we're right at the heart of it."
Your assessment is too mild.
ROTTEN TO THE CORE addresses it better.
stardust
Posted on: 07/15/2010 18:37
graeme:
Your topic: So, how are things in Haiti? Why, just terrific of course! What did you expect? Update from CNN. Are you sure you want to hear it?
Cooper reports that the US has given $0 so far, out of a promise of $1.15 Billion.
Other dead beat donors are Venezuela with a pledge of $1.32 Billion given $0.
Canada pledged $378 million, given $0.
France pledged $170 million, given $0.
World Bank has pledged $266 million and given $0.
Australia pledged $8.64 million, given $8.64 million.
Brazil pledged $163.5 million, given $45 million.
Norway pledged $107 million, given $31.2 million so far.
Red Cross received $468 million, they've given out $148 million.
Doctors without borders received $86 million, given out $85million.
Hospitals in Haiti to be shut down due to lack of funds
The largest private hospital in the city, which serviced the small percentage of Haitians that could pay for their health care, has chains on the doors and is shut down for business. Six months later, the need is still here, and in many ways, things are worse than ever.
It is true that clean water now exists in many places, and the predicted widespread outbreak of disease hasn't happened. There are food distribution stations in many of the larger camps, and even schools that are starting up this summer. It is also true that many amputees are now walking around the rough roads of Port Au Prince with newly obtained prosthetic legs. But, too much has remained the same.
I saw a 6 month old girl, born just before the earthquake, who lay dying at Bernard Mevs hospital. She developed an infection, that untreated, turned into meningitis. Her head became large, as fluid had started to build up inside her brain, a condition known as hydrocephalus. She didn't receive antibiotics in time, and now she was beyond treatment. The same stupid story. Six months later. Needless deaths, despite the generosity of millions all over the world.
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/12/hospitals-in-haiti-shut-down-due-to-lack-of-funds/
Rebuilding Haiti - Model camp with no jobs, no schools, no hospitals
Video: Why is Haiti relief cargo being blocked?
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/15/video-why-is-haiti-relief-cargo-being-blocked/
http://andersoncooper360review.blogspot.com/
Quote:
graeme
Posted on: 07/15/2010 19:27
That's why I wrote the angry column in religion, despairing at the silence of our churches. And the results of that attitude are coming our way. They are already hitting in the US, and it's going to get far, far worse.
It's important to understand there is a moral position behind alll this - the gospel of Ayn Rand. Do nothing for anybody except yourself.