What word hasn’t been used for the awful aftermath in Haiti?
The usual suspect, Pat Robertson, waded in with his signatured insulting, tone deaf rantings of a mad old man (video), this time invoking some Satanic pact, who even with Joe Scarborough’s compassionate tweets, couldn’t be saved from himself. However, Robertson got company when Rush Limbaugh reduced the tragedy in Haiti to a voting block exercise for Obama.
White House Deputy Director of Political Affairs is Haitian-American, Patrick Gaspard, and as Ben Smith wrote about yesterday, there is a significant number of Haitians in SEIU, with a real effort going on in Miami to give undocumented Haitians TPS (temporary protected status), which is being led by Miami Republican Reps. Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.
I’m not sure why Politico chose not to cite the Obama administration in their title, also choosing “scrambled” to describe the Administration’s efforts, even when reviews have been all good for their quick efforts and immediate reaction, including Secretary Clinton, but this is what they did.
The Obama administration scrambled to face its first overwhelming international disaster Wednesday — the devastating earthquake in Haiti — and emergency relief experts gave the White House high marks for its initial steps. With the prospect of more than 100,000 people dead in an impoverished nation bedeviled by natural disasters and political chaos for years, the administration was quick off the mark on multiple fronts. …- U.S. responds swiftly to help Haiti
It’s just overwhelming to look at the carnage.
Surprised about the Republico? The Politico (Republico) appears a right wing funded rag. The major Reporters appear conservatives posing as Reporters. Those people get regular exposure on CSPAN. Bleah.
I think it’s incorrect to paint a broad brush over Politico. Like all media orgs, this one is run by traditional journalists, they get things wrong sometimes, as do we all. But they also do major, accurate, and important reporting.
It appears that their commenters are in large part conservative. I can’t read past two or three comments on any of their articles because they are always so mean spirited. It depresses me that there seems to be so many mean people online.
I would like someone to write about the history of Haiti. I would like to understand the reasons for their poverty. I know they have had unstable governments for a long time but how is it the DR does so much better on the same island?
It appears that there have been many NGOs and the UN and many missions going on down there for years. Why have they not made some improvements ,I wonder?
Max:
http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2004/07/16/haiti_coup/index.html
Bill Clinton devoted serious capital to Haiti, which is why he’s special US envoy, but he took a lot of heat for doing it. Linked to his op-ed in the last line of the post.
The Obama administration is doing an outstanding job in response to the disaster in Haiti. I applaud everything they are doing. Americans are leading the way and it makes me proud. This generous, giving spirit is who we are.
I don’t know but I think Pat Robertson is getting senile. How else to explain the outrageous, mean spirited statements that he has made about this tragedy? I know times are hard for many including myself but I am going to reach deep and send a cash donation (that’s what is needed most)to one of my favorite charities:
http://www.foodforthepoor.org/
Please consider giving to a reputable aid organization if you are able.
This is beyond horrendous.
All I can do is send a small donation and quote Gandhi, on behalf of the Catholic millions in Haiti:
“In the secret of my heart I am in perpetual quarrel with God that He should allow such things to go on.”
Thanks so much for the link to the informative piece by Max in Salon. It explains alot. It also reinforces the old maxium “elections have consequences”…I’m talking about US elections.
Yes, Robertson is senile, and I wonder why his big money organization cannot muzzle him. Of course there is no muzzle large enough to silence Limbaugh.
I always donate through World Food Program and the Salvation Army. One of my former students runs a medical mission in Haiti, which thankfully escaped destruction in the earthquake. It seems that there are many small missions in Haiti.
Let me counter the Pat Robertson story with an anecdote from the Reagan days. I had a Reaganhead student, a truck driver with a bad back, who liked to do religious rants whenever he could. Nice guy really, but he had just been saved. One day he brought up Satan worshippers who, it seemed, were responsible for all sorts of crimes. A young woman spoke up, telling us that she had been on a church mission to Haiti. They were surprised with the lack of crime and violence in the neighborhood where they were working. The “natives” kindly explained that they might worship Satan, because he certainly is all powerful, but that did not mean they did not value moral behavior. She was indignant that anyone would think badly of them, not even having met any.
A happy memory.
It became increasingly, brutally clear: Port-au-Prince is a tomb
A few survivors were being dug out of the ruins – rare moments of joy amid the worsening horrors that are overwhelming rescue workers
http://bit.ly/5d0SOx
Haiti quake aid effort hampered by blockages
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8460574.stm
Frantic race against time to get clean water to Haiti quake survivors
• Up to 200,000 are feared dead
• Obama promises ‘sustained help’
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/16/haiti-water-crisis