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Split Thread Politics of the Haiti Earthquake

JihadJane

not a camel
JihadJane
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Do we have to bring in politics at this juncture? I know that everything has a political dimension but right now it seems to me that every country and international agency which has resource and expertise should be working together to get what is needed to the area and deploy it.

Maybe we can sort out historical failings after we manage a present day success?
 
Undesired Walrus said:
Sigh..
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'US Policy in Haiti Over Decades “Lays the Foundation for Why Impact of Natural Disaster Is So Severe”'


40 minute video , last 15 minutes discussing

"the situation in Haiti following Tuesday’s massive earthquake, as well as the history of Haiti, with two guests who have spent a lot of time there: Bill Quigley, the legal director at the Center for Constitutional Rights, and Brian Concannon, director of the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti."


Two articles recommended in video:

'Country Without a Net '

By Tracy Kidder

(New York Times)


'Our role in Haiti's plight
If we are serious about assisting this devastated land we must stop trying to control and exploit ithttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/13/our-role-in-haitis-plight'

By Peter Hallward

(The Guardian)



Fiona said:
Do we have to bring in politics at this juncture? I know that everything has a political dimension but right now it seems to me that every country and international agency which has resource and expertise should be working together to get what is needed to the area and deploy it.

Maybe we can sort out historical failings after we manage a present day success?
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How does discussing the politics, on JREF, of the US/Haiti relationship impact international cooperation?
 
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Well of course you are right JihadJane: it does not. So long as it does not reflect any tensions amongst those who are doing the work. So long as there are no turf wars. So long as arguments about how this mess arose in the first place does not interfere with, or determine how, aid is being delivered. So long as nobody is in any way influenced by those kinds of considerations, nor uses the disaster to gain longer term political or financial advantage there is no problem at all.

I suppose I just tend to think that what is raised here might just be in play in the places it matters. But it probably isn't. I hope not
 
ejk said:
Of course,but it may be important to educate people about the history in order to build the political will to put resources into the relief effort. Especially when you've already got people like Rush Limbaugh trying to turn it into a political issue.
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And what the heck do you think Jihad Jane is trying to do?
 
iM not sure this deserves a facepalm... I agree with the gist of those articles and I also recommend this one in the times online.

Of course, France probably takes a greater share of the blame, for obvious reasons.
 
Whatever happened in the past, this is now, and America and Canada are 100% behind the people of Haïti, and are not going to let them down.

It's really sickening to see hateful and brainwashed people trying to use this for their own political agenda. Not surprising, but still discusting. :mad:
 
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Pardalis said:
Whatever happened in the past, this is now, and America and Canada are 100% behind the people of Haïti, and are not going to let them down.
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Well there has been some positive movement on two fronts:

So there's been some good moves in the right direction and I have every confidence that this disaster will encourage those positive changes to continue. I'm especially hoping it can finally galvanize the French into forgiving Haitian debt and considering the repayment of "reparations" they charged for them ending slavery.

In any event, the worst of the great power atrocities were surely committed some time ago, but it is a little myopic to claim there has been nothing done in recent years by great powers that contributed to the woeful conditions in that country.
 
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All these America haters threads brings an image of Ralph Wiggum from the Simpsons into my mind.
 
So you're claiming that the aid we'll provide to the Hatians earthquake will be used to further bankrupt our economy?
 
Praktik said:
In any event, the worst of the great power atrocities were surely committed some time ago, but it is a little myopic to claim there has been nothing done in recent years by great powers that contributed to the woeful conditions in that country.
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What have great powers done in recent years that specifically impacted on Haiti? This is a genuine question.
 
lionking said:
What have great powers done in recent years that specifically impacted on Haiti? This is a genuine question.
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Did you read my post?

France has dragged its heels on debt cancellation and on repaying the reparations.

America's economic policies have stunted the growth of Haitian agriculture in favour of subsidized domestic production.

Others might point to the 1991 military coup and what happened to Aristide, whose return in 1994 was predicated on adopting a fairly harsh neoliberal program (the program of the defeated candidate in the 1990 elections - who got 14% of the vote) or the violation of the OAS embargo in 1991 when Clinton authorized shipments of oil to the junta. There's also this Jeffrey Sachs article from the Financial Times that describes some of the Bush policy to Haiti in the new millenium.

All that being said, as mentioned above, I am optimistic that this disaster might be the catalyst that changes things for the better in terms of Haiti's relations with outside powers.
 
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One reason why it is important to keep international the politics of Haiti at the forefront of our minds right now is that crises can be used to push through policies that cannot be pushed through at times of stability.

Noami Klein (author of "The Shock Doctrine"):

“We have to be absolutely clear that this tragedy—which is part natural, part unnatural—must, under no circumstances, be used to, one, further indebt Haiti and, two, to push through unpopular corporatist policies in the interest of our corporations. This is not conspiracy theory. They have done it again and again.”

'Naomi Klein Issues Haiti Disaster Capitalism Alert: Stop Them Before They Shock Again'



The Heritage Foundation:

"In addition to providing immediate humanitarian assistance, the U.S. response to the tragic earthquake in Haiti earthquake offers opportunities to re-shape Haiti’s long-dysfunctional government and economy as well as to improve the public image of the United States in the region."

http://www.naomiklein.org/articles/...r-capitalism-alert-stop-them-they-shock-again


Pardalis said:
Whatever happened in the past, this is now, and America and Canada are 100% behind the people of Haïti, and are not going to let them down.

It's really sickening to see hateful and brainwashed people trying to use this for their own political agenda. Not surprising, but still discusting. :mad:
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I didn't notice you objecting to DDWW's post


commandlinegamer said:
Politics can wait; starving people can't.
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Starving people are extremely vulnerable to political manipulation.
 
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