1 The One asked, as Allah calls him, The Cause of All of America's Problems to co-head the relief fundraising effort. He accepted, of course.

That sound you hear is Hoppy and Bob taking a bath.  Plunge. Up. Plunge. Up.

2 I'm lost. Is it Allah we don't like anymore or LGF or what's the score on that.

3 I'm getting right on this, as soon as I'm done campaigning for Coakley.

4 He looses 50% credibility because he has Shep up underneath. Shep and disasters do not go together.

5

I've been home a lot this week and I can no longer turn on my tv. I can't imagine what people are seeing and living through. It turns my stomach.

To me, some things are not political. That will come later. As people are still clinging to life and waiting to be rescued, we've got talking heads. Later for that bs. I don't care if it's Rush or Olbermann. I can't deal with the political infighting on this one. I just pray.

6 Well of course George Bush should help.  It's his fault there was an earthquake there  in the first place.

7 So, a la Katrina, does Geraldo fly down there tonight and make them shove the girl back in to make it look like he's helping save her with one hand while holding his mic and reporting with the other?

8 Haiti needs a small leaky boat, a camerman, a bodyguard, Sean Penn, and a shot gun.

9 'Any really smart people here that can tell me why Haiti is such a mess, and has been for decades, even when compared to the rest of the Caribbean?

10 So, just to recap: The Dims blame W for everything that went wrong in New Orleans during and after hurricane Katrina, and then Chicago Jesus taps him to head the relief efforts for a country that basically got wiped off the map.  I love the sweet smell of vindication in the morning.  Zero is an idiot, but this falls under the 'broken clock - twice a day' rule.  Thanks.

11 Any really smart people here that can tell me why Haiti is such a mess, and has been for decades, even when compared to the rest of the Caribbean?

Socialist dictators.  Encouraging, eh?

12 Brush clearing?  Aw hell.  I moved off the ranch so that work was over.  KARL!

13 The One asked, as Allah calls him, The Cause of All of America's Problems to co-head the relief fundraising effort. He accepted, of course.


 Thank goodness The Won didn't turn to one of those ex-Presidents that screwed up the response to a disaster.....

14

'Any really smart people here that can tell me why Haiti is such a mess, and has been for decades, even when compared to the rest of the Caribbean?'

Dark-skinned people with Negro dialects.

15 So let me get this straight... The Dems *pound* Bush for Katrina for years on end. POUND him. George Bush hates black people. And the first fucking guy they ask, even before the UN Special Envoy, Clinton, is George Bush. Assholes.

16 "speak French?"  Creole is the basic language of Haiti--did this ever cross the CNN dolt's mind?  I suspect French is fairly rare amongst most Haitians.

17 #10 joe - beat me to it!

18 'Any really smart people here that can tell me why Haiti is such a mess, and has been for decades, even when compared to the rest of the Caribbean?

According to a few studies, it is remarkably simple.  Former French Colonies that still use Napoleonic Law for their legal system are basically shit holes.  Former French Colonies that adopted English Common Law are relatively stable.

19

"Haiti needs a small leaky boat, a camerman, a bodyguard, Sean Penn, and a shot gun."

Don't forget my favorite part, body armor with the ballistic panels removed.

20 Didn't they ask billy clinton to coordinate all the efforts?  That was the rumor last night?

21 1. Emotional Rescue- Rolling Stones 1980.

22 If the relief effort goes badly, who do you think will get blamed? Obama or Bush? Bush will be a handy scapegoat.

23 We all surrendered to 'isms.

It's in our culture.

24 Jim - In it's history Haiti has had 32 coups.  It's been a mess for centuries, not decades.

25 Obama was right to do this.  W was also right to accept.

Katrina was a stunt, and they all know it, but this isn't a partisan issue.  Katrina shouldn't have been either, but now isn't the time to settle that kind of score.

It's hard to even accept the gravity of this.  It's like every hurricane that has ever hit the USA, at once.  It's worse than 100 Katrinas.

26 Didn't they ask billy clinton to coordinate all the efforts? That was the rumor last night? Posted by: curious at January 14, 2010 06:44 PM (p302b) I thought they asked Billy Carter, but then they found out he was vacationing with Y Arafat.

27 I'm lost. Is it Allah we don't like anymore or LGF or what's the score on that.

Posted by: 48%er at January 14, 2010 06:31 PM  

Yeah, and all this "Allah says" or "Allah calls" stuff keeps making me think I accidently Googled AlQaeda.  (I know who Allahpundit is, I'm just being a smart ass.) 

 

28

And in case you didn't read, The One asked, as Allah calls him, The Cause of All of America's Problems to co-head the relief fundraising effort. He accepted, of course.

Countdown until Obama blames him for something not going perfectly...

29 "Any really smart people here that can tell me why Haiti is such a mess, and has been for decades, even when compared to the rest of the Caribbean? Posted by: Jim in San Diego"

Obviously politics is a problem.  And this wasn't a place touched much by Brits (generally good places were, at some point, British places). 

But really, this is like any town in America.  Once there's a bad part of town, good folks tend to leave, and the bad part gets worse.  And then worse.  And then worse.

30 She was one of the last.  Face it: you've got about 48 hours.  What they needed in minute 1 was heavy equipment for rescues.  Now they need it for clean up.

There might be another miracle or two from the dust, but the rescue effort is basically over.

31 Boy did I **** up.

32 I respectfully request my sockpuppeting privileges be suspended for my own good.

33 I look forward to Barack Obama using his messianic charisma to head a similar relief effort sometime in 2013.

Me too.  I think Obama actually will make a pretty good former president.  He is charismatic, and in small doses, without real power, I bet he'll project a good picture of America to the world if he's acting as a spokesman for worthwhile causes like this.

Maybe he'll embrace a younger version of Jimmy Carter's bitter nastiness, but I don't really think so.

34 Things will probably get much worse there before they go back to being really bad there, but for a moment, I'd like to imagine that George Bush leads an effort to make things better and they ask him to stay and run things for a while...

35 Maybe he'll embrace a younger version of Jimmy Carter's bitter nastiness, but I don't really think so.

Posted by: sandy burger at January 14, 2010 06:50 PM (MT+0i)

Or maybe he'll just be another bitter dictator in exile in Saudi Arabia.

36
Haiti and the USA have something in common..

37 According to a few studies, it is remarkably simple.  Former French Colonies that still use Napoleonic Law for their legal system are basically shit holes.


Hey!

38 Why isn't Caterpillar sending over equipment?  They can get together with UPS or FedEX and use their planes and have that equipment on the ground very quickly.   then they can leave it there so the world can fix this country once and for all.

39 Any really smart people here that can tell me why Haiti is such a mess, and has been for decades, even when compared to the rest of the Caribbean?

Some scrunt at the NYTimes says they're being punished for attaining their freedom.  Freudian.

Otherwise, dictators.  I wouldn't say "socialist" because that implies some level of people getting gov't support--it's an African-style kleptocracy.  The U.S. gets involved every few years; I'm only half-joking when I say we should annex them (with their permission) and treat them like Puerto Rico.  

40 There should be an "American Redneck Rescue Patrol" ready to roll.  We have tractors, dozers, backhoes, logging chains, common sense, and guns for security.

2500 hilljacks from Tennessee with all their shit could save a lot of lives.

41 so the world can fix this country once and for all

It'll only be fixed until the U.S. pulls out, then it will go to hell again (see Iraq, 1990s).  The only time they weren't broke as hell was when they were under U.S. occupation in the early 20th century.  Imperialist bastards that we are.

42 Ace you are taking us through all the emotions today.  That little girl makes you cry but the mother who lost her four children and then her fifth, had to turn that report off.

43 There should be an "American Redneck Rescue Patrol" ready to roll. We have tractors, dozers, backhoes, logging chains, common sense, and guns for security. 2500 hilljacks from Tennessee with all their shit could save a lot of lives. Posted by: Herr Morgenholz at January 14, 2010 06:55 PM (RgXpA) Gee I'd pay to watch that

44 I have a Atlas from 1950.  Back than Haiti exported, bananas,coffe, cocoa,and sisal.  They also had minerals/ores that were mined.   Must be before the commies took over all industry.  There isn't even a forest left in Haiti. 

45

Lot's of good theories on my question.

Thanks!

46 "'Any really smart people here that can tell me why Haiti is such a mess, and has been for decades, even when compared to the rest of the Caribbean?"

Three main drivers:  1) The French bankrupted them in exchange for freedom from those Frogs, 2) the sugar cane market ain't what it used to be, and last but not least, 3) what Harry Reid said in #14 above.

47 Seriously, how does this disaster impact upon the election on Tuesday?  In other words, does it make the typical MA viewer feel more inclined to like Obamao, or less?  I can see it going either way, but would be interested in other views.

48

I respectfully request my sockpuppeting privileges be suspended for my own good.

All right from now on, you can only sockpuppet this way:

49 Why do these administrations keep giving money to crooked governments where they know it isn't trickling down to the people?  It is so ridiculous, if you read about it in a novel, you wouldn't believe it.  It should be you get the money, in little snippets and if you use it correctly we give you more.  Sort of how you increase a kid's allowance.  Instead of adding to the corruption and aiding and abetting it, we should be using this as a teaching moment.

50 There is a legitimate National Security Risk Assessment that has yet to be discussed anywhere in the media, at least that I have seen. The annual immigration season from Haiti to Florida by sea usually begins in February every year. If it has historically been easy for Haitians to choose the risks of sea immigration when they have a home and family, how much easier is it for a Haitian to risk the dangerous journey when their home is destroyed or family is dead? This is a critical point, because the US is in big trouble if 100,000 people, or potentially a lot more, attempt a massive migration at sea following this catastrophe. The Obama administration is going to have to spend money - potentially many billion dollars - to keep three million homeless people in Haiti. This a serious problem that will directly impact you and me unless you are somehow stupid enough to believe the US is ready to absorb the cost of a mass immigration of a population with a high illiteracy rate at the same time the government intends to pass National Health Care to protect the poorest in our country.
That excerpt was taken from INFORMATION DISSEMINATION.

51 Here is the link for the entire article on Information Dissemination and Haiti.  Real good read.
http://2a2n.sl.pt

52 Let's be serious here.  These people would probably laugh and dance in the streets if this had happened to us.  The corollary to "don't bite the hand that feeds you" is "stop feeding the mouth that bites you".

53 Michael Savage just addressed this on his show.  He said he doesn't think Florida can absorb all the haitians who will come.  But he never mentions all the somalis that are legally allowed to come, way more than the haitians.

Think it is in everyone's best interests for us to fix haiti so they won't want to leave.

54

And the Carl Vinson, a nuclear powered carrier is on its way.

A carrier, that can distill thousands of gallons of potable water a day, that has a vast flight deck for helicoptere operations, that can carry many days of rations in its holds and in its hangar deck, that has a large hospital.

Will this be disparaged like GWB sending a carrier after the Indian Ocean tsunami?

Hah!  I crack me up.

55

Jim - Haiti is much more like a part of Africa than the Caribbean.  There is no infrastructure and there was no emergency plan for them, even though they've had so many tragedies, there isn't anything in place to help them immediately. So very sad.

56 Ace, unsurprising you're the sort of low-quality prick to use a disaster to attack O. Seems to me not long ago when we had a similar disaster here and GW was running the show, the real disaster was that a bunch of swarthies bellyached about their refugee status.

57 Unfortunately, based on my experience, the level of destruction, hours of exhaustive research and bad voodoo, I can predict what will happen next in Haiti:  "Left 4 Dead".

58
The Cause of All of America's Problems to co-head the relief fundraising effort. He accepted, of course.

I did what, now?

59 the sugar cane market ain't what it used to be

I'm sure the US quotas on imported sugar and subsidies of corn syrup had no effect. 

/

60 Think it is in everyone's best interests for us to fix haiti so they won't want to leave.

Posted by: curious at January 14, 2010 07:03 PM (p302b)

I don't know if that's possible without first eradicating Haitian culture. Short of going all Stalin on them, for a few generations I don't know how you could do that. Any money and effort spent on places like that just seem to evaporate. I have concluded that the third-world is a hell hole because third-worlders made it that way.

61 "Ace, unsurprising you're the sort..."

It's "levees", dumbass.

62
Ace, unsurprising you're the sort of low-quality prick to use a disaster to attack O.

This is rich, eggmcmuffin. And by rich, I mean hackneyed.

Damn your shtick is getting long in the tooth.

63 It's "levees", dumbass. Posted by: Coach at January 14, 2010 07:11 PM (61d5d) Is that from the tribe of Levi?

64 A friend pointed out to me that Savage may be wrong since the haitians are Christians and would fit in well with the large hispanic population.  He said maybe the Somalis that were let in by executive order would clash with the hispanics.  anyone know about this kind of stuff?

65 Heather, I was thinking about that. Don't suppose this is going to change anything, though.

66 As U.S. soldiers (you know, those tea-bagging, redneck, future threats to Nat'l security) drop everything and race to rescue tens of thousands of Third World "minorities", I wonder what the moralizers at Acorn, CodePink, MoveOn, HuffPo, etc. are doing. Oh wait, I know, they're looking for a way to turn the misery of the Haitians into political gain for themselves.

67 >>56 Ace, unsurprising you're the sort of low-quality prick to use a disaster to attack O.

Obama is a natural disaster.

68

#34 Mama AJ:

All you need to make things better is the US Coast Guard and the US Navy.  And the Corps of Engineers and Seabees.

This thing is right up their alley - so to speak.

69 the haitians are Christians and would fit in well with the large hispanic population.

Did he ask them what they think?

70

I don't know, Mikey, it's pretty bad short term:

Some 60 aid flights had arrived by midday Thursday, but they then had to contend with the chokepoint of an overloaded Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport. At midday, the Federal Aviation Administration said it was temporarily halting all civilian flights from the U.S. at Haiti's request, because the airport was jammed and jet fuel was limited for return flights. The control tower had been destroyed in Tuesday's tremor, complicating air traffic. Civilian relief flights were later allowed to resume.

Those which did land then had to navigate Haiti's inadequate roads, sometimes blocked by debris or by quake survivors looking for safe open areas as aftershocks still rumbled through the city. The U.N. World Food Program said the quake-damaged seaport made ship deliveries of aid impossible.

That's from an AP article.

But mid- or long-term, how do you get them at all self-sufficient, esp. if they weren't to start with?

71

...This a serious problem that will directly impact you and me unless you are somehow stupid enough to believe the US is ready to absorb the cost of a mass immigration of a population with a high illiteracy rate at the same time the government intends to pass National Health Care to protect the poorest in our country.
Posted by: CDR M at January 14, 2010 07:00 PM (F9LAD)

And don't forget disease riddled.  Haiti has a very high rate of both HIV and tuberculosis.

72

#38 curious:

You have to have port facilities, sea and air.  You have to have traffic control for those ports.  You have to have food, water, housing, and sanitation for the relief.  You have to have coordination to use the crews and equipment.  You have to have fuel and maintenance for the equipment.

Where are you going to get that?  The US military.  It isn't that easy - Louisiana was CONUS, and that means land transport, road and rail.  Haiti is on an island, and that means sea and air.  Katrina, New Orleans, could stage from Baton Rouge.  Haiti has to stage from ports much further away than Baton Rouge is from New Orleans.

73 Dumping a hundred thousand Haitians in Florida would sure go a long way toward keeping those crackers from electing Republicans next November.

Just sayin'

74 The outskirts of Port-au-Prince will be one huge tent city/refugee camp for years to come

75

A nuclear bomb? No. If it was a nuke no one would be left in Port au Prince. They'd all be dead.

I still think the death toll is likely to skyrocket due to an inability to get water and food into the area. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that lots of people have already died from a lack of essentials. Throw in unattended injuries and roving packs of escaped thugs and you've got a recipe for a serious escalation in death and further destruction.

76

"I look forward to Barack Obama using his messianic charisma to head a similar relief effort sometime in 2013."

Not a prob- bitter clingers,,  I've already got that set up!!

 

OsamaHusseinIslamObama 2012'

(the terrorist-Uighur-ACORN-media choice)

-It's never too early to campaign-

77 The outskirts of Port-au-Prince will be one huge tent city/refugee camp for years to come

Posted by: beedubya at January 14, 2010 07:25 PM (AnTyA)

They'll never beat the palis record

78

As U.S. soldiers (you know, those tea-bagging, redneck, future threats to Nat'l security) drop everything and race to rescue tens of thousands of Third World "minorities", I wonder what the moralizers at Acorn, CodePink, MoveOn, HuffPo, etc. are doing.

I was just talking about this over dinner. Obviously we're so racist and irredeemable that nothing would do but that we pump thousands of aid workers and millions upon millions of dollars into the area. And that's not counting the thousands of missionaries and other aid givers already in Haiti.

Who turned on the bizarro world machine? 

79 Haitian Prime Minister George W. Bush . . . Nice ring to it.

80

#70 Mama AJ:

Self-Sufficient?  I don't have an answer to that.  But immediate rescue and restoration of basic public health?  See the services I listed.  That is right up their alley.  Roads, ports, airports, camps, water, food, medical, sanitation - they can do that - and have done it well.

81

Saw Anderson Cooper squatting on top of a pile of debris as people worked around him to look for survivors. How about you put that microphone down and fucking help, douchebag? And if you can't do that, GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE WAY, ASSHOLE!

I don't know about you guys, but if I was down there I'd put the microphone down and help people. I'm a human being first, for God's sake.

82 Didn't Bo just overturn the rule which said you could not emigrate here if you had HIV?

83

Haitian Prime Minister George W. Bush . . .

I'm picturing MacArthur in Japan...and it's not a bad picture. They could do much worse.

84

I don't know about you guys, but if I was down there I'd put the microphone down and help people. I'm a human being first, for God's sake.

Posted by: Dack Thrombosis at January 14, 2010 07:33 PM (P33XN)

I think it's pretty clear the MSM renounced all their humanity a whle back, probably when they sacrificed their souls for the golden calf of journalism.

85

Meanwhile...

What happened to the girl???

86 Savage asking "Where is the UN?   Why is the 82nd airborne being sent there?  This is a misuse of the military by Obama, in my opinion.  Why isn't the UN sending the peacekeepers who are trained to do this?"

I must say he is the only one wanting to know where the troops are coming from and where the corrupt UN is with all the money they have squirreled away. 

87 Hell, King William (Clinton) the First would be an improvement.

88 Link for #87 above.

89 Savage declaring that BO is a "pharonic figure"

90 I'm picturing MacArthur in Japan...and it's not a bad picture. They could do much worse.

Yeah, Mama AJ, that's not bad.  Go in, set up the roads and stuff Mikey mentioned.

Problem is our current leaders aren't going to think of that, and I'm not sure their government will accept.  You can't trade roads and hospitals for luxury goods.

91

Maybe Anderson Cooper can donate an entire year's salary to a charity helping in Haiti. He doesn't need it, not really, and it might go a ways towards mitigating the fact that he was standing on top of a collapsed building while people toiled away around him to save lives.

Yeah, I know. Fat chance.

92

OT: Charlie Brown and Peanuts gang come out as gay lovers in NY play.  Courtesy of WeaselZippers.  Is this sort of thing really helpful to the gay community?

http://tinyurl.com/yd7wuob

 

93 Bush has been badly treated re Katrina

http://tinyurl.com/ygd9jdf

94 >>"Where is the UN?"


The rapes come later.

95

Problem is our current leaders aren't going to think of that, and I'm not sure their government will accept.

Yeh, there really isn't a chance that our gov't will ever stop seeing these people as victims, is there?

 

96 "The more I read, the more I think the only difference between this and an atomic bomb being dropped is the absence of radiation."

Before and After

97 Savage:  80% of the population is Roman Catholic, the rest Protestant.

98 If Savage is correct then what is Pat Robertson talking about?

99 Bush is such a chump. He should've said "Dad and I have already been on this for the past several days, but it's nice to have been asked."

100

A top Roman Catholic official in Haiti was among thousands killed during the earthquake that struck Port-au-Prince, and there are unconfirmed reports of hundreds of priests dead.

Monsignor Joseph Serge Miot, the archbishop of Port-au-Prince, was found dead among the ruins of the archdiocese's office in the Haitian capital. Miot was 63.

``Port-au-Prince is totally devastated. . . . The archbishop's office, all of the big churches, all of the seminaries have been reduced to rubble. The same luck for the ministry buildings, the Presidential Palace, the schools,'' Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Vatican's top diplomatic official in Haiti, told the Vatican's Fides news agency.

The Port-au-Prince cathedral, a large 18th-century building with stained glass windows that was popular with tourists for its architecture, also collapsed during the earthquake.

``The parish priest of the cathedral, who was spared, told me that the archbishop of Port-au-Prince would have died under the rubble, together with hundreds of seminarians and priests that are under the ruins,'' Auza said.

101

That was from the Miami Herald.

http://tinyurl.com/y9sghgv

 

102

It's my understanding that the UN already has a significant number of peacekeepers in Haiti. Maybe 9000? Thought I saw that somewhere. I heard more than a few of them died in the earthquake.

The real problem here is that doing anything more than handing over huge wads of cash and goods with a smile is considered racist. Demanding accountability is racist. Threatening to remove a corrupt government is racist.

103 101 I have concluded that the third-world is a hell hole because third-worlders made it that way.
Posted by: Jim in San Diego

kinda like the ones holding office here?

Posted by: sTevo at January 14, 2010 07:49 PM (eA3tl)

Kind of, but as bad as Obama may be, he's no Papa Doc Duvalle.

104 I saw some Haitian dude on CNN yesterday and he blamed the Haitian government for the problems. Couldn't believe it. I figured they'd dub in "George W. Bush" somewhere in that statement.

105 Why isn't Caterpillar sending over equipment?  They can get together with UPS or FedEX and use their planes and have that equipment on the ground very quickly.   then they can leave it there so the world can fix this country once and for all.

Posted by: curious at January 14, 2010 06:54 PM (p302b)

No amount of fixing can do the trick in that hell hole, and "the world" has no real interest in doing any fixing.  What we're seeing is a temporary spate of pity for their well publicized wretchedness.  Hell - the Haitians won't/can't even do it for themselves.  They'd steal everything not nailed down and consume the proceeds like a plague of locusts.  They don't know how to do things properly, and likely don't care.  When you see the rubble of all those concrete structures that fell in, how many rods of rebar do you see sticking out?  Those buildings were built improperly, and the replacements will be too.  There's nothing there that can rightly be called culture - that's the root cause of why they have no infrastructure, no education, no trees, etc.  It's a hopeless case and trying to fix it will be nothing more than throwing good money after bad.  The government there, a natural outgrowth of the population, is so corrupt that it will sink any effort to make lasting improvements.  For all the money that the US and others have pumped into that rat hole they could have paved the streets with gold by now.

The best "solution" to the Haitian problem is containment.  Blockade it and wait for the inevitable.  Their typical behavior upon arrival in Florida is to get on welfare and struggle to find ways to not work.  If we insist on "saving" them, we certainly don't need to do so by bringing any more of them here.

It's a sad story, but they never really had a chance.    

106 99 If Savage is correct then what is Pat Robertson talking about?

Vooooodooooo.

Pact with the devil.

And so on.

107 ""Ace, unsurprising you're the sort..."

It's "levees", dumbass."

"Drainage and industrial canal walls" actually (not counting St. Bernard Parish).

108 The US has already fixed Haiti several times. Doesn't seem to take for some reason.

109

I'm a cold hearted prick like the rest of you but my reaction to watching that video wasn't to be a cold hearted prick.

Did anyone mention the girl in this thread??  Sad.

Yuck.

110

Wrong thread but it's too good not to check.

"Yes, it sucks. You have to vote Coakley"

111

No amount of fixing can do the trick in that hell hole, and "the world" has no real interest in doing any fixing.  What we're seeing is a temporary spate of pity for their well publicized wretchedness.  Hell - the Haitians won't/can't even do it for themselves.  They'd steal everything not nailed down and consume the proceeds like a plague of locusts.  They don't know how to do things properly, and likely don't care.  When you see the rubble of all those concrete structures that fell in, how many rods of rebar do you see sticking out?  Those buildings were built improperly, and the replacements will be too.  There's nothing there that can rightly be called culture - that's the root cause of why they have no infrastructure, no education, no trees, etc.  It's a hopeless case and trying to fix it will be nothing more than throwing good money after bad.  The government there, a natural outgrowth of the population, is so corrupt that it will sink any effort to make lasting improvements.  For all the money that the US and others have pumped into that rat hole they could have paved the streets with gold by now.

The best "solution" to the Haitian problem is containment.  Blockade it and wait for the inevitable.  Their typical behavior upon arrival in Florida is to get on welfare and struggle to find ways to not work.  If we insist on "saving" them, we certainly don't need to do so by bringing any more of them here.

It's a sad story, but they never really had a chance.    

I wish I could disagree with you.  But I definitely cannot.

You analysis could be applied to almost every nation in Africa as well.

Sad, but true.

Sucks when a Metallica song becomes real life.

112 I'm sure Bush was invited to lead the efforts so he could be blamed for anything that goes wrong.

113 Kind of, but as bad as Obama may be, he's no Papa Doc Duvalle.

Posted by: Jim in San Diego at January 14, 2010 07:52 PM (F09Uo)

It's not for lack of desire, that's for sure. The Precedent is more damaging than Papa Doc, since most third worlders only screw up their worthless shithole countries. The Precedent is destroying the greatest nation the world has ever seen - all because he's a total retard with a third world chip on his shoulder.

And, if he could, The Precedent would put Papa Doc to shame with the abuse and idiocy he would unleash. Look at what he's been trying to do to Honduras.

114 when the levies broke at January 14, 2010 07:05 PM (QO2mA)

So, what...you split your britches or something?

115 Bush will make a convenient scapegoat for all the millions that will go missing.

116 We bring the surviving Haitians to the US, set them up in a house now owned by fannie/freddie, give them welfare to pay the rent to their new fan/fred landlord, they vote for Obama forever. 

What is not to like? A win/win.  I can see it happening as I write this.  If you disagree, you are a racist.

117 I'll be your savior, steadfast and true..

118 112

Wrong thread but it's too good not to check.

"Yes, it sucks. You have to vote Coakley"

Wow, that's some powerful endorsement.

119 I thought W hated black people?

120 If we took everyone in Haiti that wanted to come to America, and resettled them in Detroit, would that improve both places?

121 The video says the little girl got rescued, but the end of the video says they're still working on it. What happened to her?

Seeing FN war correspondent Steve Harrigan break down was really sad, too.

122 Where are Slick and Dhimmi Carter?

123 Mother Jones is blaming Bush for Haiti, now.

I heard on CNN yesterday that the 9,000 UN Peacekeepers were "missing." 

124 I saw some Haitian dude on CNN yesterday and he blamed the Haitian government for the problems. Couldn't believe it. I figured they'd dub in "George W. Bush" somewhere in that statement.

We're on it!

125 I heard on CNN yesterday that the 9,000 UN Peacekeepers were "missing." 

Posted by: Thea at January 14, 2010 08:11 PM (/3dGX)

Ah. The old missing troops con.

Who's been cashing the checks?

126 If we took everyone in Haiti that wanted to come to America, and resettled them in Detroit, would that improve both places?

Posted by: Jim in San Diego at January 14, 2010 08:08 PM (F09Uo)

I know that was in jest, but please don't give anybody any ideas.  Detroit is a bad enough shit hole without throwing in a bunch more Haitian welfare cases.  What I think is a far better solution is this - take all the welfare scum in Detroit and move THEM to Haiti.  They'll fit in better in Haiti since they're a cultureless batch of layabout thieves, and will likely be better educated than the locals.  They'll have opportunities to aid in the rebuilding and perhaps make something of themselves.  Michigan will be rid of a bunch of leeches, and Haiti will gain skilled people to replace some of their losses.

127 ""Drainage and industrial canal walls""

But "Drove my chevy to the drainage and industrial canal walls but the drainage and industrial canal walls were dry" just doesn't have that same catchiness, does it?

128 (Barry/OFF) I work for one of the largest food processors in the world (HQ-USA) and we have been tasked with producing 220k metric tonnes of product to ship ASAP to Haiti. We're all over it, so start looking for those USA, red, white, and blue bags on TV. (Barry/ON) You racist bitter-clingers!!!!!!!!!! OsamaHusseinIslamObama 2012' (the terrorist-Uighur-ACORN-media choice) -It's never too early to campaign-

129 Could they temporarily move some people into the Dominican Republic? 

130 I saw some Haitian dude on CNN yesterday and he blamed the Haitian government for the problems. Couldn't believe it. I figured they'd dub in "George W. Bush" somewhere in that statement.

He probably has a better case to make than our Libs.  At least in the US the government usually enforced building codes.  Also, if other nations were funneling billions into the US in aid, a lot lower percentage (prolly only 40%) would go to graft.

131 Could they temporarily move some people into the Dominican Republic? 

Posted by: Miss'80sBaby at January 14, 2010 08:20 PM (zmiSr)

The Dominicans have guns.

No.

132 131 Could they temporarily move some people into the Dominican Republic?

Posted by: Miss'80sBaby at January 14, 2010 08:20 PM (zmiSr)

I thought I heard that the Dominican Republic had its army at the border to stop any people from getting in. Might be an errant memory, though ...

It is interesting how you hear very little about what is being done through the Dominican Republic, which is where I would assume most of the early work would have taken place, as it is still a functioning country, of some level.

133 Could they temporarily move some people into the Dominican Republic? 

Posted by: Miss'80sBaby at January 14, 2010 08:20 PM (zmiSr)

I hope not.  Temporary always turns into permanent.  Besides - why should the innocent Dominicans be punished for an earthquake they did not cause?  It would be like the Texan communities that foolishly allowed the Katrina victims to live there.  They got nothing out of it but increased social costs and a huge crime wave.  Let the Haitians prey on each other, not their neighbors. 

134

Could they temporarily move some people into the Dominican Republic?

No. The Dominican Republic hates Haitians. They want nothing to do with them. If you have to ask why, you don't live near Haiti.

They won't want them in the country because they won't ever leave.

135 Someone said that all the news people flew into the Domican Republic and are staying there.

Just heard on the news that they had to stop commercial flights to haiti.  Who is going on these commercial flights?  Don't people know when to stay the heck out of the way?

136 Haiti shares the island with the Dominican Republic. I'm assuming that the Dominican was not hit too hard by this (at least I have not heard any bad news coming from there). While they are not the most developed country in the world, can't the rescue efforts be staged from there?

137 Wouldn't the earthquake have impacted the Domincan Republic too?  Maybe they are dealing with their own issues?

138 That's what I get for not reading before I post. Thanks to the posts immediate preceding mine.

139 Yes, the Katrina evacuees did cause much trouble here in Houston.

But with regards to Haiti, what exactly can you do? It seems almost cruel to give them temporary hope that things might get better, but randomly giving them provisions isn't going to help, either.

140 Has anybody gotten a statement from that fuck stick Kanye West??

141 Wouldn't the earthquake have impacted the Domincan Republic too?  Maybe they are dealing with their own issues?

Posted by: curious at January 14, 2010 08:29 PM (p302b)

From what I've heard they got a little shake, but nothing serious.  The biggest problem they have to deal with is how to keep the Haitians out.  I wish them the best of luck in that effort. 

142

Has anybody gotten a statement from that fuck stick Kanye West??

There's something coming in right now...hold on...here it is:

"It is my understanding that the white missionaries in Haiti have begun eating Haitians."

End of message.

143

From what I've heard they got a little shake, but nothing serious.  The biggest problem they have to deal with is how to keep the Haitians out.  I wish them the best of luck in that effort. 

Yeah. My heart goes out to the Haitians involved in the catastrophe, but there's no reason whatsoever to ruin the entire island because of the earthquake. That's something we'd do in the United States. Hopefully, the DR will avoid such problems.

144

Adopt Haiti as yet another endless money pit? With troops in two conflicts? With real unemployment at +20%?

With national debt approaching 90% of GDP?

Sure. We can do anything. We still have paper and ink.

145 Yes, the Katrina evacuees did cause much trouble here in Houston.

But with regards to Haiti, what exactly can you do? It seems almost cruel to give them temporary hope that things might get better, but randomly giving them provisions isn't going to help, either.

Posted by: Miss'80sBaby at January 14, 2010 08:31 PM (zmiSr)

Hope can indeed be cruel.  But if we're going to help them, which I think has dubious value, we should keep them where they belong.  Relocation will do little more than complicate the logistics situation and inflict suffering on people who are not to blame for Haitian misery.  I think it's better to have a localized humanitarian disaster than to downgrade the living conditions of people in various places. 

Of course, I must admit some selfishness.  I'd like to expatriate to the DR one day, and I don't want my chosen area crawling with Haitians.

146

Yes, some of the Katrina refugees were certainly not some of our best citizens.  Kinda reminds me of the old joke:

A little boy and his father are walking when they come across two dogs having sex.  The little boy asks "Dad, what are those two dogs doing?"  "Well," the father replies "one of the dogs has hurt his front legs and the other dog is helping him get to the hospital."  "Oh" the little boy responds "that sounds about right, you try to help someone out and they fuck you in the ass!"

147 Call me cynical, but is this to get W back in the news? He is much too quiet down there in TX for the Dems.

148 Anyone know what happened to that little girl? Holy Cow that was gut wrenching.

149

Take a good look.

This horror and human misery, along with the violence and disease and lack of resources is what letting your economy go to shit with cronyism and corruption looks like.

150 If you allowed a 1-3 million Haitians into the Dominican Republic, the DR would look like Haiti in ten years.Within twenty years all the trees would be gone.

151

Take a good look.

This horror and human misery, along with the violence and disease and lack of resources is what letting your economy go to shit with cronyism and corruption looks like.

Posted by: Dead MA voters at January 14, 2010 08:41 PM (dcKUM)

Well said!  Bad decisions, bad policies, have tragic outcomes.  fAnd no one is rich enough to fend off the consequences forever.

 

152

Take a good look.

This horror and human misery, along with the violence and disease and lack of resources is what letting your economy go to shit with cronyism and corruption looks like.

Posted by: Dead MA voters at January 14, 2010 08:41 PM (dcKUM)

Well said!  Bad decisions, bad policies, have tragic outcomes.  And no one is rich enough to fend off the consequences forever.

 

153 Oops - sorry about the double post.  Glitch...

154 I can't get it to load.  But I heard this happening on the Mike Gallagher show today on the radio.  After rescued, the girl said she was not scared.  She had heard people crying and dying all around her, but she was strong and never afraid.  Amazing. 

155 /sock suffix off

156

Maybe he'll embrace a younger version of Jimmy Carter's bitter nastiness, but I don't really think so.

(I'm going to address this because talking about Haiti is too fucking depressing. ) Not to pick a fight, sandy, but why do you think this?  The Obama I've seen is thin skinned and petty, and I don't see a guy that much in love with himself being a gracious one-termer.  I see Obama being an exceptionally nasty former President who will blame his failures on everyone but himself.

157 Ever notice how the environmentalists don't seem all that concerned about the lack of trees in Haiti?

158 CNN Tweeted that they did not have to take the little girl's leg. Thank God. She is released.

159 I think we should send all of the environmentalists to Haiti. Let's see if they can the place up.

160

see if they can clean the place up, that is.

161 Haiti will remind us that one small miracle at a time is to be savored.

162 UGAdawg, I agree with you. And evidently I have a different definition of "charisma" than others. I don't see it in Obama at all. Reagan had charisma, even that jackass Schwartzenhagger has charisma. But Obama, come on. Empty suit, empty eyes, little passion, people think he's "cool" but that's aloofness that comes from insecurity. Fear of saying the wrong thing and simply not knowing the answer.

163

Haiti will remind us that one small miracle at a time is to be savored

Yes. Imagine being a kid stuck in that mess. I remember the earthquake that hit Mexico City back in the mid 1980s, and they pulled kids out alive days after the quake.

164 Thank you, Thea. I couldn't stand not knowing.

165 I think we should send all of the environmentalists to Haiti...

Posted by: Dack Thrombosis at January 14, 2010 08:53 PM (P33XN)

Brilliant!  They could happily spend the remainder of their days planting palm trees, which would then be pulled up by the natives and turned into charcoal.  The watermellons would never run out of wasteland to plant.  Of course, the best part is we'd be rid of them.

166 Thank God she's out.  Thank God they didn't have to amputate her leg.  What horror.

167 Hannity said that the team is that dynamic duo  George bush senior and Billy Clinton.  I mean maybe George Bush senior should adopt Bill.

168 Sarah looks like Sarah tonight.  She has her hair half up and half down and she looks comfortable and like herself.  Yesterday, with the usual fox hair style she looked not like herself and uncomfortable.

169 Looks like both Clinton and Bush will be leading the relief effort:

(Jan. 14) – Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush have agreed to President Barack Obama's request that the two men help lead the United States' response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

In a slightly altered reprisal of the bipartisan effort that helped coordinate America's outpouring of support for victims of the 2004 Southeast Asian tsunami, Clinton will be joined by his former partner's son, George W. Bush, CNN reports.

Bill Clinton is a United Nations special envoy to Haiti and is reported to have a friendly relationship with Bush.

http://tinyurl.com/yarzshh

170

Brilliant!  They could happily spend the remainder of their days planting palm trees, which would then be pulled up by the natives and turned into charcoal.  The watermellons would never run out of wasteland to plant.  Of course, the best part is we'd be rid of them.

We could even put tracking devices in their bodies so we know where they are. If they step over the border or drift out about 500 feet from the coast, blast them.

171 Mare - I know. I had to start and stop that video several times. So hard to watch.

172 I bet the only reason Obama asked Bush is because Clinton told him to.  I remember during Katrina, Clinton was the only one who dared to say that the criticism of Bush was too much. Or, he said it once. Don't know if he dared say it twice.

173

39 Any really smart people here that can tell me why Haiti is such a mess, and has been for decades, even when compared to the rest of the Caribbean?"

Things haven't been stable in Haiti since the original slave uprising.  Essentailly, power has gone from one dictator to the next.  In the past 100 years, this was exacerbated by the reign of "Papa Doc" Duvalier who was a crazed mad man who abolished the constitution, and set himself up as president  for life.  He then formed a militia that went around killing people and, I kid you not, eating their organs.

After his death, Duvalier's son came into power. Known as "Baby Doc", the younger Duvalier wasn't *quite* as crazy as his father, but every bit as despotic.  Eventually, the militia revolted and he was forced from power.

After he left, there was relative stability under  Aristide, but his presidency was complicated due to conflicts over how much influence the US and UN should play in Hatian politics. He was eventually taken by US marines from his home and forced ito excile.

That leads us to today where Prevale sits as president.  The truth of the matter is that the UN is running things at this time. Prevale doesn't yeild much power, and isn't a particuarlly effective leader.

174 "Of course, I must admit some selfishness. I'd like to expatriate to the DR one day, and I don't want my chosen area crawling with Haitians." You pick this shit up in that "church" you attend?

175 i was drunk last night and stumbled upon the joy baher show.  wtf.  they were dissing palin from back in the camplaign about her rally in florida where they said:  she's suppose to be this family values candidate and when she came out she introduced her family and then said, oh yeah, and trig, where's trig...  bunch of cackln bitches.  as opposed to what, 57 states, an breathalizer, and inhalator... 

176 In a world where politics was Reagan/O'Neill (adversaries on the Hill, friendly off hours) it would be standard to graciously ask former Presidents to help in situations like this. Use their good will in the best way possible. Up until Carter, I was under the impression that President's generally steered clear of negative comments about past Presidents. A gentleman's honor or agreement so to speak. Carter was a small, small man. Obama close behind. Clinton knows how to fake it (he's a great liar).

177 Screw my possessives.

178 So it is GWB and not George Bush Senior.

179 Somebody please tell hannity so he can make a correction tonight.  He definitely said it would be Clinton and Bush senior.

180 Ugh, I wish Hannity wouldn't call them "Junior" and "Senior".

181 Under GWB there was a large aircraft carrier dispensing water and medical aid to the tsunami in half a day, obama is supposed to be thinking, not very likely! Is he calling to Bush and Clinton because they could make decisions?

182   176 "Of course, I must admit some selfishness. I'd like to expatriate to the DR one day, and I don't want my chosen area crawling with Haitians."

You pick this shit up in that "church" you attend?

Posted by: Russian Bigfoot at January 14, 2010 09:14 PM (eKgqT)

What church do you attend? You sound like an atheist.

183

I would like to know why that reporter and his crew are there getting in the way of the rescuers.  In the video they have to go around them.   This is one of the things I hate the media.  They are intrusive and don't care about anything but getting the story.  Everybody can die like flies around them and they act like that in itself is a good story.

  Several years ago in my town a lady dropped off her thirteen year old son at his father's service station while she went to the store.  When she came back she found her husband and her son dead.  A tire her husband was changing had exploded and killed them both.  A reporter came up to her and asked her how she felt about the tragedy.  That began my dislike of reporters and the media.

184 "Of course, I must admit some selfishness. I'd like to expatriate to the DR one day, and I don't want my chosen area crawling with Haitians."

You pick this shit up in that "church" you attend?

Posted by: Russian Bigfoot at January 14, 2010 09:14 PM (eKgqT)

I think the sentiment RB means to express is "Waaahhhh - you're being so mean to the poor Haitians!  Waahhhhhh!"

Only a fool refuses to look on reality with clear eyes - the Lord does not require me to pretend that people are other than what they are, nor to lie to myself in any other way either.  The Haitians are trouble when concentrated in any significant numbers - nobody in his right mind wants them in his neighborhood.  Nothing in the bible says I am required to move into an area plagued by theives and general social blight.  Do you plan to retire in downtown Detroit?  I want a nice, quiet place with a low cost of living, freedom from government interference, low tax, and a nice climate.    

Regardless, I suppose the risk is low.  The DR doesn't have welfare, so shiftless Haitians are not likely to find it agreeable to stay there.

185 There's LOTS of trees in Haiti out in the lightly populated countryside, just not near Port Au Prince...

186 The Navy has just under a dozen LMSR's supposedly on ready standby.  I presuming they're ramping for activation. 

AF's Air Mobility Command is already on the job.

187 You know, I like Bill Clinton more and more. I think he understands the steps W took better than any lefty, which is why he doesn't talk any shit about him, and I don't think Bill has forgotten how W (as always) was so presidential in his remarks to Clinton when his portrait was hung. Isn't it funny that the guy who "hates black people" and this racist "get us coffee" are the ones who are probably the most eager WASPs in the world trying to help Haiti.

Hillary is a regular with Greta, who also had Bill on the phone last night. Clinton also praised Palin during the campaign. There's plenty to dog on Clinton, but he looks like Reagan compared to Obama.

188

Well here's an application for that civilian force Obama said we needed, bigger than the military. Draft the street corner commandos and let them CCC around down there for a while, proof of concept. Maybe some will jump the fence and go native. Only 80 miles from Guantanamo!

I can't believe nobody has called Bob Geldof to find out how soon we're simulcasting the Concert for Hatey. You're not allowed to have a catastrophe without invoking a 'benefit' concert. It's a UN by-law.

And a pin-on ribbon for Haitian Awareness. With a little voodoo Kewpie. 

189

I just got some great news from World Vision. "Our staff on the ground report that all sponsored children in World Vision sponsorship communities and surrounding areas are safe at this time. However, we will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as we learn more. Please know that if your sponsored child is directly affected, it is our policy to notify you as soon as possible."

Just thought some here might be interested in case they sponor a child through World Vision.

190

Chris Matthews On Haiti

Black President To The Rescue

191 111

I'm a cold hearted prick like the rest of you but my reaction to watching that video wasn't to be a cold hearted prick.

Did anyone mention the girl in this thread??  Sad.

Yuck.

Posted by: Aaron at January 14, 2010 07:56 PM (pSM+3)

#85... Sadly

192 #72 New Orleans staged from Metairie, not Baton Rouge. 1.5 miles, not 60 miles.

193 And, most importantly, did the little girl make it?

194 "Under GWB there was a large aircraft carrier dispensing water and medical aid to the tsunami in half a day,"

Not that the press covered it much.

195

Chris Matthews On Haiti

Black President To The Rescue

Such freaking racism.  Fixated on race. It's all he sees.

196

Right. Obama should do nothing so you can sit back and criticize him for that.

Gorw the f--- up.

197 Tough, tough video to watch. My heart goes out to the people of Haiti and to the rescue workers.

198 It is now reported on/by Anderson Copper that this girl died later at the what could be called a hospital, in what is called a stupid death and many more will die this way. very treatable injury yet dies anyways.

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