As with other news events that generate extensive coverage, I don’t plan to do much coverage of the Haitian earthquake, other than to put this up as an open thread for those who want to discuss it, or link to their own posts in the comments.
The Anchoress has a very good post up for source links and updates, there’s little point in duplicating her excellent efforts here.
Update – a few high-resolution aerial photos taken by the U.S. Coast Guard of the earthquake damage in Haiti.
I found Fred2’s comment that you could see the border between Haiti and the DR visible from the air a bit hard to swallow.
So I went to Google Earth. And guess what? He’s pretty much correct. It’s not quite black and white, but you can definitely see that the land on the DR side is usually much greener and darker than the land on the Haiti side which appears brown and deforested in comparison.
But I guess that’s just the luck of nature, and has nothing to do with corrupt government.
I will be “donating” through my taxes, which aren’t exactly given voluntarily. I may give to Catholic Charities also. Voodoo is, to some extent a form of syncretism but there is also a sect, if I’m not mistaken, that partake in blood rituals and even cannibalism. The aid will get there, from plenty of sources, I only hope it goes to those who need it most.
Yes, we all know that stuff ET. Can you get off your high horse for once.
I sincerely doubt there are more than a small percentage of Conservative politicians who would ever (foolishly) allow their names to be linked to this site. There are indeed some reasonable conservatives posting here, and some brilliant people, but they get beaten down, figuratively, or drowned out by the usual suspects.
Let’s see. An utterly devastating catastrophe hits some of the most vulnerable people on the planet. Thousands certainly killed, and many more injured. Unimaginable suffering. A city of millions destroyed. Dead bodies in buildings and in the streets, and many people trapped and injured. Our own Canadian aid workers and police officers among the missing. It’s a crisis, and time is of the essence.
Most people’s first reaction – we need to get them some help right now. Find a way, or thousands more will certainly die.
Your first reaction – criticize Haitians, their government, and complain about corrupt organizations and government stealing the aid. Anticipate that aid will not help, and label those giving aid as naive and stupid. Sit on the sidelines, doing nothing except offering criticism of aid efforts, indeed criticizing things that haven’t even happened yet. Save the criticisms for later, if they are actually warranted.
I get the feeling you and others think compassion is somehow weak “lefty” behaviour, and thereby utterly misguided. Actually, it’s human, and to stand by and do nothing, or worse, discourage or get in the way of people who are doing something is inhuman.
I’m completely in agreement that we need to be cognizant of how we donate, and give it to agencies that have people on the ground making a difference. Check it out, and donate, please.
I’m not going to get involved in any spat between hardboiled and some others, but you’ve certainly provided him with lots of ammo. I may not agree with other comments he’s made, but I’m with him here.
Jimbo, who gains if the money good, generous people donate is given to a corrupt government? I think any thinking, feeling human being can conclude that the earthquake is a terrible tragedy and something must be done to help those in need. However, people are at a loss when there are more pockets being lined than people helped.
Just my thoughts.
Oh for G*d’s sake, Jimbo — a Freudian slip had me write Bimbo first:
No one is criticizing Haitians, so stop lying. As ET and others have pointed out more than once, we’re criticizing a completely corrupt system that has allowed a devastating natural disaster to do far more damage to the Haitian populace than it should have been able to do if the government had helped its people build houses according to earthquake standards — often as simple as using cinder blocks with iron rods down the middle, so there’s room for movement without the structure falling down. If these initiatives had been encouraged and supported by government agencies, there would have been far fewer collapses and far fewer deaths.
Did you see where the President of the country lived? In an opulent white-coloured taj mahal type building, while most of his people lived/live in hovels, tumble-down shacks. It puts me in mind of the “whited sepulchres” Jesus spoke about.
Open your eyes. All of us here are going to help out, we want to help out — does that make us “naive” and “stupid,” as you allege we view those who want to help — but we are going to be very selective about to whom our contributions are made. We want to make sure that whomever we entrust our money to ensures that it’s the people most in need who will benefit, not the government, not corrupt agencies that, so far, have shown no concern for the average Haitian.
What is it about this approach that you fail to understand? Or is it just willful ignorance?
I utterly resent your statement, “I get the feeling you and others think compassion is somehow weak ‘lefty’ behaviour.” What a pile of garbage. I lived for years in a Caribbean country, where my family and I were part of a local community to which we were able to contribute our time, treasure, and talent out of a sense of compassion — and I’m no lefty. That’s a conceit of people like you.
Jimbo:
I’m just curious – why all the attention on Haiti? The Philippines gets pasted by nature regularly – earthquakes, typhoons, volcanoes, mudslides, etc. – and thousands of people die but I don’t ever recall a single person here urging people to send aid to the Philippines. Why is Haiti so different?
I mean, is the Philippines, which is about 95% Roman Catholic and has an almost functioning democracy, somehow unworthy of our attention but Haiti, a corrupt dictatorship populated by people who worship chicken entrails, is specially dispensated to deserve our sympathy?
I’m searching for comments from you and hardheaded pleading for us to send aid to Zimbabwe, another country where mostly innocent people are beaten down (literally) into poverty and death by a filthy and corrupt government, but I’m having a hard time finding them. Maybe you could help.
Here’s my point: I find it easier to agree with people whose hearts bleed for everyone, or with people whose hearts bleed for honest, hardworking people who have suffered a tragedy, than I do to agree with people who only seem to get exercised when bad things happen to countries governed by the venal and corrupt, and who suggest we send official aid that almost invariably ends up in kleptocratic hands. Some posters here have suggested sending money to particular agencies that do not go through government channels; OK, that’s an option. Personally, I’d rather see the whole place collapse into such a mess that the people rise up and overthrow the dictators.
Was Wiebo Ludwig in Haiti?
When batb, or anyone else, notes the widespread corruption in Haiti, and suggests – from personal experience, in batb’s case – that donations to faith-based organizations are more likely to help those in need as opposed to being siphoned off to corrupt officials, that’s *NOT* an insult to Haitians, or an indication of indifference to suffering – not in this world or in any alternate universe. If X is starving, for example, and someone points out that if you donate food to Y, Y will not deliver the food to X, how is that an insult to X?
I just don’t get it. Batb, I’m going to donate to faith-based organizations, as per your – entirely sound – advice. Thank you. I want my help to go where it’s meant to go.
1 billion dollars in aid went to Haiti last year from the United States alone…to a country of just under 9 million people. It’s obvious the money is not reaching the people in need, not the hospitals, schools or shantytowns. Where’s the money?
My problem is when people like OZ bring up Voodoo, homosexuals, intravenous drug abusers, the spread of HIV, the influence of French culture, and armadillos relationship with leprosy as reasons not to donate money.
I donated to Medicins Sans Frontiers. They have people on the ground now. They’re making a difference every day. That’s the most important thing.
And as for the following:
“Jimbo:
I’m just curious – why all the attention on Haiti? The Philippines gets pasted by nature regularly – earthquakes, typhoons, volcanoes, mudslides, etc. – and thousands of people die but I don’t ever recall a single person here urging people to send aid to the Philippines. Why is Haiti so different?…”
Fair question. It’s the magnitude of the disaster and the urgent need. If the pictures on the news doesn’t move someone to action, they have no heart.
And, for what it’s worth, I regularly donate money to organizations in the Philippines, and more often directly to Filipinos I personally help out (we’re trying to help someone start up a small business. If it can break even, I’ll be ecstatic) primarily in the Bicol region. They do live in similar circumstances. In fact the volcano has been erupting recently, and that can get very bad, very fast.
I don’t see what Roman Catholicism (which you mention) has to do with that, though. But someone might mention that fact to Pat Robertson.
Let’s see. An utterly devastating catastrophe hits some of the most vulnerable people on the planet. Thousands certainly killed, and many more injured. Unimaginable suffering.
~Jimbo
You know, Jimbo, a passing acquaintance brought up Haiti today on an elevator and unbidden said, “The survivors would be soon eating better than they had in years, no more grilled rat for them for a while.”
The minions of the Haitian President will certainly be in disarray.
They were already living in unimaginable suffering, suspended in that purgatory by my taxes which the Haitian President used to insulate himself from that purgatory and keep his people down.
I think you should look up the September 2006 Haitian election and think about what you learn from reading about it.
OZ I’m sure you can come up with all kinds of reasons not to care, and not to donate. Stick with the armadillo/leprosy angle. It’s working for you.
And adding to my comment regarding the Philippines and other areas in need – this thread is about Haiti, and a crisis going on right now. Wanting to help there, and mentioning it in this thread, doesn’t mean we don’t care about other places. And I’m not a particular “bleeding heart”, but no individual can do it all, everywhere. Because I can’t donate everywhere doesn’t mean I shouldn’t donate anywhere.
I urge people who can afford it to help out where they can.
I had a Barbara Bush moment this morning, while watching video from Haiti. I turned to my son, and said that Haitians are used to poor living conditions, so this hardship shouldn’t be that hard to get through. Then I started hearing casualty estimates, and remembered that earthquakes kill people.
I wish there were more trustworthy aid organizations. The best way to get aid to those who need it will be US and Canadian military. UN staff will be negotiating with organized criminals for a cut of the proceeds, as usual. The Red Cross will be giving the bulk of their stuff to whoever can pay the biggest bribe. The Haitian “government” will hoarde everything they get their hands on, and pick through it. What’s left will be auctioned off, with a cut to the UN people.
I feel as bad as anyone else, but I know those poor buggers aren’t going to see much of the aid we’re sending. I hope they pull together, because it’s the only way they’l survive.
Unfortunately dp they had nothing to pull together before the earthquake, so what exactly are they supposed to pull together now?
So how is the armadillo angle “working for me” when a crank line you is they only one who has mentioned it, Bimbo?
I have my causes, and Haiti isn’t one of them.
I’m sure that the Canadian government is going to scoop up as many of those 6000 people with “Club Canada” cards as they can a la Lebanon.
I’m equally sure you’ll give freely to Haitian charity, patting yourself on the back until your arm is nearly broken so as to be able to avoid having to think of yourself with a phrase that involves using the word anus, as you do of others, while climbing to your idea of heaven upon their broken bodies, giving thanks all the while for the stairs and the opportunity to elevate yourself in your own esteem.
I’d like to know what you were doing to help Haitians yesterday, Bimbo, you know, before the earthquake.
OZ – If you don’t want to donate, that’s your choice. I’m not patting myself on the back, and I’m under no illusion that everything’s ok now thanks to my small contribution. Criticizing people for wanting to help takes it to another level. But then, nothing you say makes any sense anyway.
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to predict the disaster, so I wasn’t able to help out with disaster relief efforts in advance of the actual disaster.
I apologize if I characterized others on this forum by lumping them in with this particular piece of work.
And I sincerely thank anyone who helps out, now, for this, and in other circumstances, in any concrete way. I know a few of you do, regularly.
I’m donating $0.00, but they certainly have my best wishes. If they can pull together some semblance of society, during this catastrophy, it might turn a page on their horrible mess of a country. If not, it’s just back to business as usual.
batb – thanks for the info. re. the Red Cross. I nearly donated to them yesterday but (luckily) instead chose Sgt. Lejaune’s Charity – partly because of what ET said @3:50PM – and also the one most prominently endorsed by the Anchoress, because she’s no fool.
The thing about catastophies I suppose is that you need to get aid out ASAP, and there’s not much time to research charities.
hardboiled in general, and esp. @6:20 – I’m aware personal insults are strongly discouraged, but I want you to know that I honestly, truely think you might be mental.
Indy @8:10 and EBD – yes. J/Bimbo is not rational.
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to predict the disaster, so I wasn’t able to help out with disaster relief efforts in advance of the actual disaster.
~Jimbo
Haiti was a disaster zone 48 hours ago.
Haiti was a disaster zone 72 hours ago.
Haiti was a disaster zone 96 hours ago.
You didn’t care then, did you Jimbo?
Haiti had TB rates 10Xs as high as those in other Latin American countries before the earthquake.
One third of all Haitian children died before their 5th birthday before the earthquake.
Over 80% of Haiti’s people lived in abject poverty before the earthquake.
Nearly 50% were illiterate before the earthquake.
Less than 45 percent of all Haitians had access to potable water before the earthquake.
The life expectancy rate in Haiti was only 53 years before the earthquake.
Ninety percent of all HIV and AIDS infections in the Caribbean were in Haiti before the earthquake: over 300,000 infected people have been identified and deaths from HIV/AIDS had left 163,000 children orphaned before the earthquake.
Is this “piece of work” getting through to you?
Haiti was a disaster zone with people dieing lie flies and living a horrendously brutal lifestyle BEFORE the earthquake and it didn’t even register on your radar, Jimbo, and now you’re jumping on the “Oh, those poor Haitians!!!” bandwagon because it’s the flavour of the day and you think it makes you look good to pretend to care TODAY.
I don’t think Haiti is any worse off today than it was last week.
The only difference is that some of their brutal tragic lives are a lot shorter in the last day or so and I don’t care more about them today than I did last week, just as a couple of weeks/months from now neither will most of the people who didn’t care last week who are pretending to care today just because there was an earthquake.
How many people who peed themselves over the Indonesian tsunami are caring about Indonesia today?
Are the people in the tsunami zone better off today than they were before the tsunami?
No.
Has the Indonesian government improved it’s emergency response capabilities?
No.
I sincerely doubt that the Haitian people will be better or worse off next year than they were last year.
They’re certainly not going to have significantly changed percentages of illiteracy, TB, HIV/AIDS, or brain damage due to malnutrition and protein deficiency in the population.
Why don’t I care?
Not because I’m a “piece of work” but because Haiti has been a disaster zone for my entire life and, unlike some people, I’m not going to lie to myself and pretend that, short of NATO invading Haiti and running the place properly for the next half century, things are going to change in Haiti.
The same goes for Indonesia.
(and it’s Oz with a lower case “z” if you don’t want me calling you Bimbo whether you think I’m “disgusting and ignorant. Predictably so” or not, Bimbo)
The children of Haiti are as valuable and worthy of aid as any child in the States. My children are fortunate to be Americans and enjoy a society that has stable social institutions. Haitian children are born into into a society that has struggled with corruption and violence for many decades; surely they cannot be held responsible for the failure of their ancestors to create a stable country?? FYI, about half of Haiti’s population is under 25! Now their suffering has increased ten-fold. To suggest withholding aid would be barbaric. However, to insist on proper accounting of aid monies is responsible and necessary. And Oz, I don’t think it’s fair to characterize today’s overwhelming concern for Haiti as the ‘flavor of the day’; you are minimizing the horror of the situation and denigrating people’s sincere desire to help. While we can disagree and debate about the best ways to manage this scenario, suggesting that the only reason, or the overriding reason, for people’s deep emotional response to this natural disaster arises from a desire to ‘look good’ is cruel and NOT TRUE. People want to help because they feel a connection with the Haitians; that connection is our common humanity and our ability to imagine, in our climate controlled, electronics filled, pantry full lives, what it would be like to be in Port Au Prince tonight, or what we would do if in a similar situation. God Bless.
Yes, EBD, faith-based organizations are on the ground, know the people and their needs, and use very little of donated monies on admin.
In our situation, every penny was spent on medicine, chain saws — for the rebuilding of homes in the jungle — and rice and beans, and went directly to the people who had been at the epicentre of the quake who, by and large, had been abandoned by the government. Not one cent went to admin. because all of the labour was volunteered.
Another organization that did yeoman’s service was the Mennonite Central Committee: 1-888-622-6337 or http://mcc.org/
I hope the person who runs this site takes a good long time reading through these comments. It\’s quite an accomplishment to attract such a repellant group of individuals on one site. As you read the comments from these morons you will likely be tempted to distance yourself from what they\’re saying, but they are all brought here because of you. What a rancid little corner of the Internet you have created here.
“I hope Kate pulls the chain on this one, and ends this embarrassment. Shit.”
Translation: “Don’t you know people are dead? Why are you talking about all this horrible factual stuff? This isn’t the time to think – it’s the time to feel, people, feel!”
Ugh. No wonder these sh*tholes remain sh*tholes, when there are so many western apologists attempting to use the very consequences of bad governance to shut down criticism of bad governance.
I must agree that Haiti is a corrupt place although I’ll continue to pray for them and did donate to the international red cross. The situation seems desparate.
“Stay classy, Kate”… “What a rancid little corner of the Internet you have created here.”
The left: what’s better than a drive-by smear? One that has a dead Haitian baby tied to the bumper.
Shame on you for exploiting human suffering to launch politically motivated cheap shots.
There are three separate issues here:
1. Haiti is a corrupt, ill-governed hell-hole and any money channelled to “officials” will likely disappear into guns, presidential palaces, Manhattan real estate and Swiss bank accounts, not necessarily in that order.
2. Some of the most desperately poor and disadvantaged people on the planet have just suffered a further calamity on top of the ongoing disaster they struggle to survive in their daily lives and they need whatever help we can give them now to survive this day and this week.
3. The disaster reinforces my belief that the Canadian Forces need to be equipped with Tarawa class carriers capable of moving an amphibious/airmobile relief effort to follow on a rapid reaction heavy airlift relief force.
4. If they’re on the ground my money will be going to the Mennonites.
Okay, so I can’t count. its cuz i dint doo verry well in skool.
Speaking of “classy”…Andrea just happened to show up at one of the busiest sites to make a plea for the children, and managed to get in a little free advertising in the process.
It’s not a good idea to start assigning value to children’s lives. To their families, they are priceless. To a corrupt society, they are a commodity to be used as a bargaining tool. Within a few hours of the earthquake, the Haitian ‘government’ was already inflating casualty estimates, in order to extort more aid money. Once that money finds its way into their pockets, it will stay there.
“Ugh. No wonder these sh*tholes remain sh*tholes, when there are so many western apologists attempting to use the very consequences of bad governance to shut down criticism of bad governance.”
Yes, we all know these “sh*tholes” will be utterly transformed by the sage criticism of the grumbling troglodytes at SDA.
Oh, and that natural disasters are a consequence of bad governance.
“Shame on you for exploiting human suffering to launch politically motivated cheap shots.”
Irony much, ‘Mensa Kate’?
“Oh, and that natural disasters are a consequence of bad governance.”
Collapsible cities are. So is nightmarish inescapable poverty, and a complete lack of govt. infrastructure and accountability.
Who’ve you donated to, marquis? Or are you headed there yourself?
2 things I noticed right away. The rumbling of the quake hadn’t even stopped before radio and TV here were urging – no demanding that Canadians give money “until it hurts.” Well oiled machines.
And watching the Haitian Voodoo princess who somehow got from a third rate CBC hack to the head of state of our country sobbing while she certainly maintains a cool, calm visage when greeting families of the fallen soldiers when the coffins come back.
Idiot Bill CArroll on Talk Radio feels we should open our borders and make Canada a refugee camp for millions of uneducated, violent third world folks. Has everyone gone nuts??!!
Oz, you can call me what you want
“I don’t think Haiti is any worse off today than it was last week. ”
Right Oz. I won’t waste any time debating that detail. If you believe that, then you’re not all there.
“Shame on you for exploiting human suffering to launch politically motivated cheap shots.
Posted by: Kate at January 14, 2010 9:55 AM ”
Wrong Kate.The left never had or will have shame for using ANYTHING to exploit their way.
As can be seen on this post,they number 1 want to shut you down for allowing people the freedom(bad word for leftards)the right to express our views,be they right or wrong.
Number 2,they refuse to accept the fact that most of us posting here have nothing against the people of Haiti,it is the GOVERNMENT there we detest.
Number 3…like batb….I have been to Haiti and have tried to help.I have not given money,but I have given my time and experience with just simple things like a toy for a child,or helping their parents build a better home.We here do not realize what a difference it is to just HAVE a front door on your home,let alone one that will actually close or open to keep the elements out.
And all the time you have some goon from the UN or the local”cops” watching over your shoulder as you help a kid learn to read or write,instead of digging through the local garbage trying to find something to eat,not for themselves,but for their little brother or sister back at home.And meanwhile the goon is eating steak with his buddies back at the “Presidential Palace”. Make no mistake,there is nothing “presidential”about it,but this is what the leftards want for all of us,they are the “elites”and
“we” are the others.
My son-in-law just spent a wasted day at the airport in SeaTac…trying to get through security on a flight to Miami,then on down to Port-au-Prince.His crime? He is Brit and was carrying 84 teddy bears our little neighbourhood had collected in under 8 hours to send down.I myself am leaving tomorrow to get down there.And God help the first goon here in Canada,the U.S. or Haiti who tries to stop me from coming in with my chocalate coated almonds,plus my books and my hands,that are ready and able to help try to stop some suffering.And it won’t be in Port-au-Prince.It will be in some sorrounding slum,of which there are many.
Sorry for rant,Kate and others.
Good for you, Justthinkin.
“And watching the Haitian Voodoo princess who somehow got from a third rate CBC hack…”
Yow! Combine this with the other ‘homosexual’ and ‘voodoo’ stuff evoked here and we get a pretty good idea of the source of the mean-spiritedness which permeates this thread.
Who have you donated to, marquis? Are you catching the same flight as Justthinkin’, or something a little earlier?
FYI, about half of Haiti’s population is under 25!
~Andrea
Did, you miss the part where I said the life expectancy in Haiti was 53 years before the earthquake?
FYI That early mortality, before the earthquake, is going to statistically lower the average age in any population.
I’m done on this thread, most of what I’ve written isn’t even being comprehended.
Last time:
Nobody who is on this thread with so much short lived media fueled compassion cared about Haitians last week when they were living like rats and dieing like flies.
FOX news is reporting on the same theme many of us have discussed; the corruption of the Haitian govt, and that when you want to donate, don’t just FEEL but also THINK. They are warning not to send monies to any Haitian govt organization because it won’t get to the people.
Suggestions: Direct Relief and Partners in Health. The latter provides most of the health care in Haiti. Think about that; Haiti doesn’t provide its citizens with its own health care; it relies on external sources. Same with education, same with foods, same with other infrastructures. They are either missing for the mass of the population, or supplied as external aid by foreign countries.
The entrenched depth of corruption in Haiti is unbelievable – and nothing will change that until aid stops propping up the elite sector of Haiti, that 1% who live so very well, off that aid.
Just as an example of Haitian assistance to their own people; there’s no police or fire presence in the area; this is being supplied by external military and police. Where are the Haitian police? What’s going to be done about looting?
Oh – and where is the govt? The press is reporting that the Presidential Palace (ah, how nice to live that way) was destroyed and that the president, mercifully spared, can’t find any members of the current govt. Hmmm. Were they among the few who left on the last planes with passengers? Where are they?
There’s no water services; they were haphazard before. No electricity, equally unreliable before. Essentially, this country was operating as a massive scam, bleeding international aid around the world to prop up its elite class – with almost nothing going to the population.
It’s vital that aid in this current disaster NOT go to the same elite. Therefore, don’t send it to any Haitian organization.
Wow. I am shocked at the barbaric comments found here. Is it because the morons posting here have better jobs, better medical care, better lifestyles that they are so heartlessly indifferent to the plight of the Haitians? Clearly you are proving you don’t have any better education. What jerk would fault the entire Haitian population (Haiti is filled with orphaned children I’m sure who desperately miss their parents!), as being responsible for Haiti’s inability to be something more than a “shit hole,” third world country?
Haitians have long been victims of their own government and that is nothing new. But there are still hundreds of thousands of Haitians who I’m certain pray daily that they are delivered from that, desperately trying to provide for their families, receive standard education, who simply yearn deeply for a better life.
I hope those of you posting such negative B.S. about it don’t ever find yourselves in a similar circumstance, needing assistance of some sort – while people openly kick you while you’re down saying you don’t need or deserve it. What a damn poor pitiful shame. Clearly some much needed soul searching needs to take place.
All human beings are deserving of compassion in times of need such as this. To say Haitians aren’t worth even that much because their government is corrupt is indeed sickening.
Hope you don’t ever come my way starving, injured, frightened with your kids in tow…pure total desperation in your heart and soul. You’ll get a dose of your own medicine. Sheesh.
Justthinkin, good for you. I’ll say a prayer for you and your son.
I wasn’t actually in Haiti. It was another Caribbean country, not in as dire straits as Haiti but, still, not very robust. ‘Lots of corruption and fear of naming it.
THAT’S what keeps so many of these corrupt regimes afloat: the people’s fear of speaking up, of saying anything. They fear retribution/vengeance, which is an integral part of the game: If they say anything, they and their families are at risk of violence or worse.
So, claire, did you read the whole thread?
I doubt it. Most of the comments here are compassionate towards the Haitians, but find the Haitian government and other money-sucking agencies despicable.
Don’t come here spouting your self-righteousness until you’ve read every comment. ‘Care to name the “morons” and detail the “barbaric comments” — because it appears that you just don’t get it.
So, is the consensus here that no Canadian aid should be sent to Haiti because of its corrupt government?
No, Kaplan. The consensus here is that you cannot read.
Wow,nothing froths at the mouth like a lefty,which there are no shortages on this thread.Nothing like a disaster to bring out the hypocritical ravings of the left,or the willful ignorance,witness Kaplan’s post.
Well, I thought this thread was done. Guess not. I think Canada and the Canadians are donating as much as possible, “in different ways”. As for myself, I have and will give to the people in need. Just not to the sanctioned corporations whom are holding their hands out, taking their cut and more, helping very few and preaching about what they have done.
Zowie!
I think I need a shower.
(No self-righteousness intended, but may be implied.)
@ claire – After tearing a strip off people for saying that Haitians don’t deserve help, you finish off by saying that these same people shouldn’t come to you for help because they won’t deserve it.
If it’s fine for you to turn your back on people in need for reasons you deem valid, it should be fine for others to do exactly the same thing.
I have to agree with those who want to ensure that the donations go to the “man on the street”. I have asked some collegues and many suggested Doctors without Borders. Is that a good one?
I would hope that this disaster brings into question what is happening to all the foreign aid given to Haiti and others. Should we/could we make it that foreign aid is administered to some degree by our own government rather than seeing it disappear into the great abyss? Thereby ensuring it’s disposition for the good of the PEOPLE. Is that not what it’s all about, not about us “feeling” good about how much we contribute. I would rather have it cost us a million dollars more to staff such an endeavour than see the money going to those abusing our generosity and failing THEIR people.