Earthquake in Haiti

**gazhekwe** · January-16-10, 09:13 AM

We need to stop giving the clowns so much credence. And I LIKE Danny Glover but he has just about swallowed his foot this time.

**Roq** · January-16-10, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by ddaydetroit

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.

>>>>>>>>^ this

**313WX** · January-16-10, 09:22 AM

They're both two turds in the same toilet, so it doesn't really matter.

**Bobl** · January-16-10, 09:23 AM

Robertson was investing money in Chinese sweat shops long before it became standard operating business procedure, and is attempting to parlay this disaster into income for his "church".
Limbaugh, a drug abusing sex tourist who has mocked people with disabilities on his broadcast, is simply cashing in.
They are both simply pursuing wealth.

The @$$holes are those who listen and approve.

**Pam** · January-16-10, 09:31 AM

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.

Where is the Haitian government in all this? I guess they must not have the equivalent of a FEMA person or anyone else to be in charge during a disaster.

**gnome** · January-16-10, 10:09 AM

they are MIA Pam. Yesterday the Prime Minister was asking, "where is the help?".

Haiti is not like a normal country. Nothing makes sense there. The things that do make sense have been brought in from the outside. They locales love and hate anything from the outside. They are fiercely prideful of their history, yet neglectful of it. Desperate for new because they don't maintain what they have. Suspicious of anyone from the outside bringing in new ideas but arrogant in their demand for money from the outsiders. Suspicious, resentful, desperate, needful.

Haiti is more like Detroit than we'd like to admit

**Johnnny5** · January-16-10, 11:10 AM

I'd like to see a to the death cage match between Rush Limbaugh/Pat Robertson vs. Al Sharpton/Jesse Jackson

. These idiots are always jumping in front of the spotlight when tragedy strikes and almost never in a productive manner. Perhaps it could even be organized as a fundraiser for the Haiti relief effort?

**gibran** · January-16-10, 11:42 AM

tie goes to the loser

ziggyselbin · January-16-10, 12:52 PM

Why focus on this stuff? Who cares? On the Haiti thread Gnome gives us an honest and probably damned accurate picture of Haiti having lived there.From that accounting it is safe to say, I think, that what some media/religious entertainers say in the U.S means literally nothing. It will neither help nor damage Haiti.

**Pam** · January-16-10, 01:08 PM

they are MIA Pam.

To be fair, I hadn't realized a number of govt. officials have also died in the quake. I can't find a link now, but I read that since I first posted. Also their offices have been destroyed.

ziggyselbin · January-16-10, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by Pam

To be fair, I hadn't realized a number of govt. officials have also died in the quake. I can't find a link now, but I read that since I first posted. Also their offices have been destroyed.

Somehow I doubt that would have made any difference

**gibran** · January-16-10, 02:06 PM

this devesation was without boundaries...and we haven't heard about the outliers yet...The catholic Bishop was killed so I would imagine many of those who would have been able to help coordinate are hurt or have family memebers hurt...

This is a country that has a complex history and needs the world to help rebuild it for the next generations....

Retroit · January-16-10, 03:22 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.

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

Take a deep breath! First of all, just because they are using the Port-au-Prince airport does not mean they will not be using other facilities. As Jimaz said, St. Marc is 50 miles away and the road may be blocked. The runway at P-a-P is almost 2 miles long [[twice as long as Detroit City Airport) and is flat and surrounded by a clear grassy area. The ramp area is over a half mile long. Planes can tanker enough fuel into the airport that will allow them to get out of P-a-P without refueling. It makes total sense to use this airport as it will get aid there as quickly as possible. During the Berlin Airlift, 13,000 tons of food were brought in daily and that was using much smaller planes.

**gibran** · January-16-10, 03:39 PM

good points all...the good thing is that as this sorts itself out the US again demonstrates their greatness..when the world needs us we can be there...and by cooperating with others [[one example;Cuba and their air space ) we may get even more recognition...in Indonesia we gained a lot of capital there with the locals when we were there on the fronts...

Mankind can help each other when given the opportunity...we just have to keep this effort non political and unite to help ..not play politics and not..

My goal is to raise 1000 dollars this week through our university...I have already contacted churches and agencies to help.. "Remember Save Your Lunch; Save a Family" is this Thursday

a Big Mac goes along way...[[20 people)....WFP

now back to your regular programing

**gibran** · January-16-10, 03:41 PM

well if the ditto heads dont donate..i would say "hurt"...

Retroit · January-16-10, 03:43 PM

And how about the a$$holes that thought Bush and Cheney caused Hurricane Katrina and dropped bombs on the levees, or the a$$holes who thought 9/11 was an inside job and that there were bombs planted in the World Trade Center?

Political commentators will always see things through their own biased perspective. There probably is some truth in what Robertson and Limbaugh said. Haiti has been cursed, in a sense, and they have not been able to successfully rule themselves. And Obama will undoubtedly use Haiti for his own political purposes, just like Bush was accused of using 9/11.

Stosh · January-16-10, 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by Retroit

Take a deep breath! First of all, just because they are using the Port-au-Prince airport does not mean they will not be using other facilities. As Jimaz said, St. Marc is 50 miles away and the road may be blocked. The runway at P-a-P is almost 2 miles long [[twice as long as Detroit City Airport) and is flat and surrounded by a clear grassy area. The ramp area is over a half mile long. Planes can tanker enough fuel into the airport that will allow them to get out of P-a-P without refueling. It makes total sense to use this airport as it will get aid there as quickly as possible. During the Berlin Airlift, 13,000 tons of food were brought in daily and that was using much smaller planes.

Not to mention any overland route from the Dominican Republic airport in Santiago. It's a haul , but getting the relief there in a timely manner would be important.

**Detroitej72** · January-16-10, 05:47 PM

One thing I've wondered is since they seem to have limited airport space, why not send aid an supplies by ship? Are the port facilities that poor?

Stosh · January-16-10, 05:59 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitej72

One thing I've wondered is since they seem to have limited airport space, why not send aid an supplies by ship? Are the port facilities that poor?

Sadly enough, ships take an inordinate time to load and travel. While the volume of materials would be greater than in a plane, the immediacy of need is what is important now. Resources on the ground NOW. The ships later will be filled as well.

**Jimaz** · January-16-10, 06:07 PM

I'm sure they'll use St. Marc and the airport and whatever other options available to their full capacity. My hat's off to the people who have to solve these things for a living. I couldn't do it.

One report said they were handling air traffic control on laptops. Egads!

**gibran** · January-16-10, 07:52 PM

yes Obama has really used this ...maybe when he asked BUSH to help...that's it...
there is bias in everything we do..^^^^^^...

the key of research and life is to recognize your own...and sort it out to use your knowledge to help others...I really don't think Rush has any iota of truth.

Robertson is wrong ...you can't rationalize his mythology to reality...yes it seems they have been cursed...cursed by a world that has turned a blind eye to their plight for years...except for the UN [[whose help/existence is always a matter of debate for some on the right) and other Missions and relief agencies...whose contributions have been a presence there for a long time...
I didn't hear them all playing guitars ...at their crossroads..

Rush is playing to his I hate Obama base...and yes those who said the US bombed levies were equally as wrong and had their own "bias"...

not wrong retroit but our bias is showing ..including my own...

**Jimaz** · January-16-10, 07:52 PM

A Google advanced news search for "Haiti" with "articles added last hour" and "newest first" seems a good way to monitor this issue in nearly real time. Does anyone know of a better way? Use the F5 key to refresh.

US Navy en route to Haiti seaport to assess damage, help build temporary pier facilities

**lpg** · January-16-10, 07:53 PM

Read the miliary record of Robertson. He sued another Marine for libel, who, by the way, had earned several medals for heroism, for saying that Robertson's well connected father got him out of harms way during the Korean war. He had to pay the other guys court cost because he did not appear in court.
He gets my vote.

**Sstashmoo** · January-17-10, 12:53 AM

The bigger one is whoever watches, listens or pays attention to either one of them.

**ejames01** · January-17-10, 02:37 AM

There is no such thing as "cursed".

Originally Posted by Retroit

And how about the a$$holes that thought Bush and Cheney caused Hurricane Katrina and dropped bombs on the levees, or the a$$holes who thought 9/11 was an inside job and that there were bombs planted in the World Trade Center?

Political commentators will always see things through their own biased perspective. There probably is some truth in what Robertson and Limbaugh said. Haiti has been cursed, in a sense, and they have not been able to successfully rule themselves. And Obama will undoubtedly use Haiti for his own political purposes, just like Bush was accused of using 9/11.