The news continues to grow worse out of Haiti, where U.S. observers are now saying that most of Port-au-Prince has been destroyed in the devastating quake.
CNN is reporting that the U.S. State Department expects “serious loss of life.” The only good news is that the airport appears functioning, which should speed recovery supplies and personnel in reaching the nation.
The Prime Minister has just announced that hundreds of thousands could be dead, here.
For the full story, click here.
“Although Rep. Peter King proposed giving thermos bottles, first aid kits, and hats that say “relief worker” to illegal aliens and then dumping them back into Haiti.”
That was kind of funny.
I’ve been watcching the PBS coverage. The concensus seems to be that the rebuild will require the city to spread out. I agree. Moving it down the beach would do the same thing.
The money needs to come from a financially solvent source. We’re broke. I hate to rely on others, but you can’t give what you don’t have. No matter how much you want to. Robbing Peter to pay Paul is not the answer. Since it’s not my money, all I can do is ask “the haves” to help.
Duh,
I had the same idea before I saw bdaman post it. It would be a good use of stimulus funds (or TARP funds if the GOP can get over the idea of that money not going to banks). Although Rep. Peter King proposed giving thermos bottles, first aid kits, and hats that say “relief worker” to illegal aliens and then dumping them back into Haiti.
I’m wondering if they should build a brand-new city a few miles down the beach and just herd everyone over to it. There’s too much rubble. Even if they didn’t collapse, none of the buildings there are reusable; there’s no sewer or water system; there’s nothing to leverage from this existing mess of a city.
But a LOT of people are saying we have no business spending money on non-U.S. citizens. I doubt any of this stuff is going to happen.
Don’t look now, but the “Wiki session” suggested by Mike Spindell reveals the education level in Haiti to be “extremely low”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Haiti
bdaman had a very good idea. The only real problem with this idea, for Spindell and his ilk, is that the origin was bdaman. These people need relief and they need it now. We have an available resource, wanting to work, and the idea of using them is a good one.
I’m sure the professor has enjoyed the recent “cease fire” on personal attacks. I’m sure Buddha has reluctantly bit his tongue, and should be commended for his effort. Mike Spindell should not be calling bdaman a “fool” for making a productive suggestion in an effort to provide assistance to those who need it. Spindell says that the money needs to get into the hands of the people, but fails to suggest a way to do so. Even if the Haitians did get the funds directly into their pockets, with the loss of infrastructure, how do they get the materials?
Jeremy Scahill has tweeted that he’s been getting reports from Haiti that Blackwater is “protecting” at least one major US media outlet’s people.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8460000/8460678.stm
The audio speaks for itself.
I never defended his remarks, show me where.
“Your post just seems to be a hateful rant.”
Interestingly stupid comment from someone who defends Pat Robertson’s hateful remarks.
Bdaman,
Maybe its good to build from the inside out. Both Figuratively and Literally. Except the waist line.
I think it’s a good idea, Mike Appleton and Byron thinks it’s a good idea.
Who cares whether or not you do. I don’t. Your post just seems to be a hateful rant. Get over it. Blah Blah Blah
Thanks Mike.
For the history challenged among you I would suggest a Wiki session might catch you up on Haiti’s misery and how it got that way. Good old American imperialism, protection of exploitive corporations and clandestine support of dictators who looted their country. Also, not so curiously Dominicans are generally lighter skinned than Haitians and denigration of Harry Reid to the contrary, this makes a difference to many American’s. Both the DR and Haiti were ruled by more than ruthless dictators for so many years with US aid.
As for Pat Robertson, he is scum and incapable of a decent thought or action. The words for him are unctuous and hypocritical. Finally, we have the troll clown, attempting another thread hijack simply because his compassion and empathy indexes are so low. Also his less than brilliant idea of sending unemployed US Construction workers there to rebuild things is so beyond dumb as to be astonishing. The people of Hait, believe it or not fool, are highly intelligent, competent and fully capable of rebuilding their own country given finacial assistance that actually get to the people and not the pockets of the corrupt. Thereby, they would garner the income from doing the work and gain some financial assistance to deal with their poverty.
Haiti is impoverished because of a corrupt governmental system, fostered by the US and resembling the regime the Bush/Cheney Crime Family was trying to install in the US. B man, who goose steps to the B/C drumbeat either lacks the insight to understand this, or believes that he would benefit from such a regime
Then when you fast forward to Climategate we work this into the equation. The solar correlation became a lightning rod of more than a dozen e-mails from the Phil Jones group to discuss how to discredit Soon and Baliunas. Ultimately, the group decide to compile a new paper to counter the conclusion made by Soon and Baliunas.
Detailed in an e-mail from Dr. Scott Rutherford dated the 12 March 2003. Dr. Rutherford does not go head-to-head with the data presented in the Climate Research paper, but he seemingly wishes to “cook” other data to counter the honest work of Soon and Baliunas, as stated by the following e-mail.
“First, I’d be willing to handle the data and the plotting/mapping. Second, regarding Mike’s suggestions, if we use different reference periods for the reconstructions and the models we need to be extremely careful about the differences. Not having seen what this will look like, I suggest that we start with the same instrumental reference period for both (1xxx xxxx xxxx). If you are willing to send me your series please send the raw (i.e. unfiltered) series. That way I can treat them all the same. We can then decide how we want to display the results.”
Dr. Rutherford goes on to suggest that Soon and Baliunas should be dealt with severely:
… “there is nothing we can do about them aside from continuing to publish quality work in quality journals (or calling in a Mafia hit).”
As I said it’s all connected Mav. the truth has a way of working it’s way to the surface no matter how far one tries to bury it.
Hey Mav, read this
http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/press/pr0310.html
In 2003, two Harvard-Smithsonian Professors, Willie Soon and Sallie Baliunas, published a peer-reviewed paper in the scientific journal Climate Research which identified solar activity as a major influence on Earth’s climate. This paper also concluded that the twentieth century was not the warmest, nor was it the century with the most extreme weather over the past thousand years. These two scientists reviewed more than two hundred sources of data. The paper specifically examined climate variations observed to coincide with solar variations. One of the more notable correlations cited in this paper is the well-documented coincidence of the Little Ice Age and a solar quiet period, known as the Maunder Minimum, from A.D. 1300 to A.D. 1900. Soon and Baliunas asserted that the lack of solar activity resulted in cooler temperatures across the globe. The evidence they compiled also indicated that as the sun became more active global temperatures began to rise and the Little Ice Age ended.
Thanks Mav, it’s all connected. I haven’t done any real reading on the history of Haiti. I do know that the island was once a hub for sugar. Thats how blacks got there, against there will as slaves to work in the cane feilds. From what I’ve learned the Haitians are so poor that they chopped down all their trees over the years for firewood which in turn increased the chance for mudslides.
Hispanola during tropical storm season this past year was hit by an unusual large number of systems. It seemed that every system crossed over or near the vicinity this past year. Haiti itself suffered again with major mudslides killing many.
Byron, I have know idea but here is the real question to ask. Why is it or why does it seem that no matter where we are, the blacks suffer the most. Think about that for a moment. I’m sure others will chime in and say bullshit, but think about that.
Also Pat Robertson made a stupid comment, it happens, I’ve done it a few times as a commenter here. Think about this, his club was one of the first to have millions of dollars worth of aid on the ground. His club had boots on the ground yesterday before 5 pm ready to unload the aircraft that brought it. His club has been in Haiti for years helping the Haitian people. For those of you who wish to bash the man for what he said, go ahead, but he is and has been doing more for those people than what you will ever do.
bDAMAN:
I have only dealt with the government on a couple of jobs, they actually paid within 30 days. But you are right there are a lot of hoops to jump through. However the people were very helpful so the experience was not negative.
But once you have the dance down, it isn’t so hard. They would save themselves a good deal of tax payer dollars if they tried to streamline procurement and threw out the lowest bid requirement. Although I think they qualify it as lowest responsible bid.
What is your opinion on why Haiti has such a hard time and DR doesn’t?
“I have also been following sunspot and the magnetic activity of the sun. There is a correlation between the suns activity, earthquakes and volcanoes.”
This is when I realized I was reading a post from you, bdaman.
Your activity in this thread deserves commendation though.
As far as the difference between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, it has to do with deforestation. Look at Hispaniola on Google Maps- http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=haiti&sll=37.341725,-121.992841&sspn=0.01201,0.027874&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Haiti&ll=18.734704,-71.312256&spn=3.661736,7.13562&t=h&z=8
Look at how much greener it is on the right side of the border. There are actually national parks. The environmental policy on the DC side was actually put in place by a dictator (Trujillo) who cracked down mercilessly on unauthorized logging and settlements.
I have been switching back and forth to different stations and watching their coverage of this monumental human disaster.
And fox (small f)they were showing beck interviewing palin.
And she was talking about why the french gave us the statue of liberty.So let me see o’rielly,beck and I guess hannity tonight will be interviewing her.
I never thought I would see a”TRAIN” being pulled on television .
Byron, FEMA is a bunch of crooks and another example of government failure. Do you know how many private business men/persons went out of business waiting to get paid by FEMA after Katrina, after Ike. I don’t know if you ever had any government contracts in your line of work but the government is slow to pay. Not to mention all the hoops you have to jump thru to get it, go it? Crooks I tell you, nuttin but crooks.
Mike it sure would be better than giving money to second or third parties such as the United Nations or the government of Haiti for that matter to redistirbute the charities. If your going to give money for the relief campaign, choose wisely.