Earthquake in Haiti

Rideron · January-14-10, 03:45 PM

I am sure that any Haitian pulled out from under a building, or given a food relief package, would not care whether the help came from a republican or democrat; or a liberal or conservative.

Lets just try to help all we can, if we can, and leave the politics for later.

**maxx** · January-14-10, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by Retroit

Leave it to a bunch of liberals to turn a natural disaster into a political debate.

Aren't we all a little too old for this childish behavior?

Commenting on a moronic fundie minister's fulminations is being political?

Here's charity watch. Remember Feed the Children got an F from charity watch. It must be all those tv ads.
www.charitywatch.org

**lizaanne** · January-14-10, 05:18 PM

This is a staggering amount of aid coming in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interna...iti_earthquake

I can't even begin to imagine how all of this gets coordinated, used appropriately, and not ending up in the hands of warlords and drug dealers and con-artists.

It is truly wonderful to see this much aid, honestly, but mind blowing to imagine how it will all be managed, if at all.

**gibran** · January-14-10, 06:09 PM

WFP is an agency that I have donated to...

it was reported that each .25 you can buy a simple meal for a child...so for the cost of a big Mac....

another thing to consider for those who have it...[[or educating others for those that don't) cut back one night out per week and then donate to agency of your choice...see that results as one step closer to solving a persistent problem...

**Zacha341** · January-14-10, 06:14 PM

Good point!

Originally Posted by Rideron

I am sure that any Haitian pulled out from under a building, or given a food relief package, would not care whether the help came from a republican or democrat; or a liberal or conservative.

Lets just try to help all we can, if we can, and leave the politics for later.

**Pam** · January-14-10, 07:33 PM

I can't even begin to imagine how all of this gets coordinated, used appropriately, and not ending up in the hands of warlords and drug dealers and con-artists

There are a number of groups that were already operating in Haiti before the quake, such as Oxfam. Donate to one of those.

**barnesfoto** · January-14-10, 08:49 PM

Doctors Without Borders sends medical personnel to some of the most destitute and dangerous parts of the world and encourages them not only to save lives, but also to condemn the injustices they see. The group was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999.

MÃ©decins Sans FrontiÃ¨res was founded in 1971 in Paris by a band of young French doctors disillusioned with the neutrality of the Red Cross after treating the starving in Biafra at the end of the 1960s. Red Cross confidentiality prevented them from speaking out. They organized themselves after the widespread flooding in East Pakistan [[later Bangladesh). The volunteer group has more than 27,000 personnel who are treating the wounded, the sick and the starving in countries around the world, including war zones.

Many founders of the group insist that speaking out about atrocities would help prevent them. At the time of the Nobel Prize, Bernard Kouchner, foreign minister of France and a founder of MÃ©decins Sans FrontiÃ¨res 37 years ago, said agencies like MÃ©decins Sans FrontiÃ¨res would help make massacres like Auschwitz, Cambodia and Rwanda impossible in the 21st century.

https://donate.doctorswithoutborders...?ref=main-menu

**maxx** · January-14-10, 09:24 PM

If people start shooting up Haiti, John Bolton will share some of the blame.

Bolton was criticised by the Congressional Black Caucus during his confirmation hearing in 2005 for allowing illegal arms shipments to Haiti while he served as under-secretary for arms control at the State Department.
http://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki/Haley_Barbour

**oldredfordette** · January-14-10, 09:27 PM

Heifer Project is another with an ongoing presence in Haiti. Pam is right, as usual. Give to who is already there.

**Johnlodge** · January-15-10, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by Retroit

Leave it to a bunch of liberals to turn a natural disaster into a political debate.

Aren't we all a little too old for this childish behavior?

And of course you join right into it, guns a' blazin.

**Johnlodge** · January-15-10, 11:29 AM

Angry Haitians block roads with corpses: witness

Thu Jan 14, 2010 6:31pm EST

PORT-AU-PRINCE [[Reuters) - Angry Haitians set up roadblocks with corpses in Port-au-Prince to protest at the delay in emergency aid reaching them after a devastating earthquake, an eyewitness said,

Shaul Schwarz, a photographer for TIME magazine, said he saw at least two downtown roadblocks formed with bodies of earthquake victims and rocks.
"They are starting to block the roads with bodies, it's getting ugly out there, people are fed up with getting no help," he told Reuters.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUST...0100114?rpc=60

Retroit · January-15-10, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by Johnlodge

And of course you join right into it, guns a' blazin.

Reference?

**jcole** · January-15-10, 06:26 PM

Just thank God that there are better people out there than Rush and Pat who are willing to help and do it quietly and with compassion. Hopefully some of their followers know better than to listen to their vitriol.

**Pam** · January-15-10, 06:33 PM

Angry Haitians block roads with corpses

So how is a road block supposed to speed up aid?

**gibran** · January-15-10, 07:40 PM

ok before we draw partisan lines join me in "SAVE YOUR LUNCH MONEY SAVE A FAMILY DAY" I have enlisted three Universities to join us...

my goal is two hundred plus students and faculty... what we are going to do is next Thursday instead of going to lunch I am buying pizza form my students and co-workers...all they have to do is donate what they normally would spend going to lunch...$5...this will feed 20 people through WFP World food program ...google it..hit Haiti and make a one time donation or more..

another thing my friends out east who have worked with the Haitian Community there are saying Blankets would be a great way [[drive ) find a local aide organization and send blankets...I also suggested cleaning-out you attic of old tents and collecting them to give to aid agencies..that have the ability to deliver them...

oh by the way I chose WFP becuase it doesn't have a singular perspective religious and it is already on the ground..plus you can track your donations over time..I thought my students would like to be a part of one voice..youall can donate to who ever..just a positive thought for the DYES community to join in on something together.

Keep the prayers and thoughts coming..

**Jimaz** · January-15-10, 09:46 PM

The biggest recent bottleneck seems to be fuel at the airport. They lack aviation fuel to get the aircraft back out of there and fuel to distribute the supplies beyond the airport by ground. Supplies are piling up where they aren't needed.

It seems fuel should be the first thing to be shipped into a disaster area like that.

I assume they must be recruiting able-bodied survivors to help distribute supplies "bucket-brigade" style. What else can they do?

Do they really need blankets that badly? It's been quite warm there.

**Pam** · January-15-10, 10:26 PM

Do they really need blankets that badly? It's been quite warm there.

I think it would be a mistake to send any actual items, since as you pointed out, distribution is a problem. At least with cash donations, the groups can spend it on whatever they need.

**gnome** · January-15-10, 10:26 PM

The port is wrecked. Planes are circling for 4 and 5 hrs to land because there no where to park planes that have already landed, so like Jimaz sez, the planes coming in can't get out because they used up all their fuel getting in.

The airport there is not as big as City airport, it can't take C5a transports C130's and smaller.

You can't just pick a flat spot there because there are no flat spots. P au P sits in a bowl, it is surrounded by mountains. And even if you could find a flat spot, there are people camping there.

The best thing to do would be to land at St. Marc's that has a deep natural harbor with a flotilla of ships loaded with supplies, then establish a base of control there. Helicopter in and out of P au P with troops and get h20 via the Vincent's de-salination system.

Trying to establish a base of control at the airport would be like cramming a symphony orchestra in a men's room stall.

ziggyselbin · January-15-10, 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by gnome

The port is wrecked. Planes are circling for 4 and 5 hrs to land because there no where to park planes that have already landed, so like Jimaz sez, the planes coming in can't get out because they used up all their fuel getting in.

The airport there is not as big as City airport, it can't take C5a transports C130's and smaller.

You can't just pick a flat spot there because there are no flat spots. P au P sits in a bowl, it is surrounded by mountains. And even if you could find a flat spot, there are people camping there.

The best thing to do would be to land at St. Marc's that has a deep natural harbor with a flotilla of ships loaded with supplies, then establish a base of control there. Helicopter in and out of P au P with troops and get h20 via the Vincent's de-salination system.

Trying to establish a base of control at the airport would be like cramming a symphony orchestra in a men's room stall.

Gnome your knowledge is very helpful in understanding the situation and the politics of it all.......lets hope and pray that a meaningful government is somehow established in Haiti.

**gibran** · January-15-10, 10:35 PM

That was the word from an actual Haitian on the ground...people have no place to sleep...sleeping on cement..yes it is warm..but damp nights ..this is for later....also much are being used at hospitals..and when they get contaminated there use is over..but these or any material goods should be sent to experts in distribution...it's a suggestion
from a request...

any thing helps...but it is a long term vision that is needed...plenty of aide monies this week...bjut it is three months from now, that is also going to matter.

**Jimaz** · January-15-10, 11:42 PM

The port is wrecked.

All the port cranes are inoperative at Port au Prince. Saint Marc is, what? 45 miles away? Needing that much more fuel? Uhoh.

At this point I'll assume the experts are prioritizing fuel deliveries to the Port au Prince airport with Saint Marc as a backup.

**tetsua** · January-16-10, 12:13 AM

I'm leaning toward Pat Robertson, but Limbaugh is still a pretty big asshole in this case.

Pat Robertson says that the Haitian people deserved what happened to them because they asked the Devil to drive Napoleon out of Haiti. He then tries to cover himself by saying "Ohhh I thought we were talking about Hades, not Haiti". I never knew Napoleon was in Hades, and I'm pretty good with Greek Mythology.

Limbaugh is repeatedly saying that POTUS Obama is only offering help for political gain, and that it's a ploy to get in good with minority voters. He can't fathom someone just genuinely having a concern with the human suffering that's going on.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_422099.html

http://www.indecisionforever.com/201...does-it-again/

**ddaydetroit** · January-16-10, 05:24 AM

On this topic by far Pat Robertson! He is supposed to be a christian spokesman and a man of compassion. Rush he makes his money spewing hate.

**Jman** · January-16-10, 07:12 AM

and Danny Glover makes three.

**gnome** · January-16-10, 08:36 AM

the port cranes are in the harbor and have to be removed before ships can dock and be unloaded. Meanwhile the airport is defacto Central Command HQ. Doomed to failure. Watch this point. This will be the thing that sends Haiti deeper into the 9th ring of hell. Logistics is what salvation is all about and right now The West is making a mistake by making the airport at P au P HQ.

Ever try to get out of a cramed elevator when new people are forcing themselves on? That is the airport. You need elbow room to land enough supplies to save 3 million people and no airport in the world is big enough to handle that task. Add to the problem that the terminal and radar towers are crushed and you have a recipe to make a terrible situation a horrible situation.

Mark my words. All these groups, the Red Cross, Save the Children, Wycleff Jean, the Catholics, the Chinese, Cubans, Brazil, Japan, the US Marines, CBS ABC UPI NPR CNN et al, Atheists Against Evolution, Lutherians Against Luther, ... the entire alphabit soup of aid agencies coupled with hundreds of small planes are all using the exact same 1/4 mile of runway.

All those people want to help. The opposite will occur. Just going there will kill more people.

Unless they change to St. Marc's.

here is a CNN video of the PauP harbor:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americ...le+Feedfetcher