Haiti: Disaster beyond magnitude (America's Fault)

The Guardian ^ | July 15, 2010 | The Guardian

[americanophile]

It is all too easy, seeing the appalling scenes from Port-au-Prince yesterday, to forget America's historic debt to Haiti, scene of the first successful slave revolt, which defined the destiny of Africans in the New World. The establishment of the first black independent state had tangible consequences. It denied Napoleon his foothold in the Caribbean and led him to sell New Orleans and the Louisiana territories to Jefferson. But, for as long as anyone can remember, Haiti has been treated as a basket case where corruption, gang violence and natural disaster combine to drag the country backwards. Now an earthquake may have killed up to 50,000, and rendered 3 million homeless. No one can prevent shallow earthquakes, but the consequences of this one have been made catastrophic by Haiti's condition.

The French saddled the nation with debt, the Americans with cheap rice imports in the 1980s; 98% of the land has been deforested, destroying watersheds, creating soil erosion and impoverishing agriculture.

[driftdiver]

It went into someones pockets. Same place the UN money goes.

[ModelBreaker]

” Are you watching Bill O’Reilley? He is calling it just right. He said America has spent billions of dollars on Haiti since 1992, yet Haiti is worse off in today in 2010 than they were in 1992. He is demanding to know where all those billions of your dollars went to.”

Duh. It went into a bunch of dictators swiss bank accounts. Some of it went to buy Hummers for their henchmen. Some of it went to buy off the peasants with a pittance. Just like foreign aid to other dictatorships. None of it went into building the infrastructure of courts, land recordation, contract law etc necessary for a freer and more prosperous society.

Haiti would probably have done better without the aid.

[SkyPilot]

"My palace collapsed. ... I can't live in the palace!

*** Haiti President Rene Preval, January 14th, 2010

_{***Actual quote}

[Billthedrill]

Ah, yes, we hurt Haiti with cheap rice imports in the 80's and now the answer is...wait for it...FREE rice imports! That is, after all, what this disaster relief will entail. It's wrong if we do it but God help us if we don't. And so the great minds of The Guardian's readership will be able to blame the U.S. either way, as usual.

Frankly it isn't worth the typing time to play their little game. These people are worthless slugs sniping from the sidelines while the first team is knee-deep in mud and blood. As usual.

[AdaGray]

It’s a disasster. But let’s be honest. Most people are too pissed off right now to really care.