Haiti: Obama's Katrina

[bamacre]

The cost of Katrina to the U.S. is supposed to be in the $200+ billion range. You want Mr. Obama to authorize spending on that level to help a foreign nation?

He just asked for another $33 billion on top of an already $700 billion for war. And that's just for one year.

 

[bamacre]

Clue for OP :

Haiti is not a United States territory, and hence not under the auspices of FEMA or other standard federal disaster relief infrastructure.

To equate Obama handling of Haiti with Bush handling of Katrina is ludicrously off the mark.

Yup.

 

[sandorski]

Obama is continuing both of Bush's wars. New Orleans is still complaining the problems aren't fixed. Spending under Obama has tripled. The incurred debt over the next 8 years will be the same as all the previous Presidents in the history of this country. Healthcare is even MORE expensive than it was last year. The Muslims still hate us.

Obama is taking 8 years of Bush's mistakes and making them seem like minor issues. What exactly has Obama fixed? He is GWB on steroids. He just sounds more intelligent as he's fucking us.

Fail on Dude, Fail on.

 

[kage69]

Agreed, except for the one thing: Brown. A stronger, more competent director could probably have bullied or shamed Blanco into not being a total horse's ass and gotten aid in faster. Even in an age of cronyism, that was a particularly bad appointment. Even if I accept Bush's statement that "Brownie" was doing "a heck of a job" at moving aid toward the stricken zone - and I have no particular reason to think that is true - the point of FEMA is not to move aid to stricken Americans once their politicians stop being ass hats, but to move aid to stricken Americans as soon as possible. It's hard to imagine a Mario Cuomo or a Rudy Giuliani waiting around while Blanco dithered and people suffered. Also, a department like FEMA pretty much runs by itself most of the time, without any "help" from its politically appointed boss, but a situation like this, with a recalcitrant governor trying to keep aid from getting in, is precisely when some extra political muscle might come in handy.

A particular aspect to that debacle which continues to make me ill to think about. I think of it as an additional layer of wtf on top of the stellar decision to roll FEMA under DHS. How long did those trucks from Maine take to get down there? When you compare that kind of response to those of earlier presidents to similar disasters, it really makes you wonder how others can downplay it so much.

 

[Craig234]

I'm tempted for this to be its own thread, but watch the following video at 20:45 for a story on the incredible issue Haiti faces on another matter. Hint: theys lost 98% of their trees.

http://worldfocus.org/blog/2010/01/14/full-show-january-14-2010/9247/

It's a moving video that gives some idea of why it's not that simple to 'provide aid'.

A lot is needed to stablize the society (free market libvertarians, go fix it without any government).

 

[Zorkorist]

I haven't seen the video, Craig, but, hint, they didn't lose their trees...

If you are trying to blame Haitains on their poverty for not being GREEN, well, you are sick.

-John

 

[Craig234]

I haven't seen the video, Craig, but, hint, they didn't lose their trees...

If you are trying to blame Haitains on their poverty for not being GREEN, well, you are sick.

-John

Watch the video. To be clear, "lost" means "desperate, starving people chopped them as the only way they could live". It increased their poverty and suffering but the people saw lttle choice. Cool it.

 

[Zorkorist]

Of corse poor, desperate, people live off the land.

To bring up your green agenda during this tradgedy is sad.

Don't ask me to cool it.

-John

 

[Craig234]

Of corse poor, desperate, people live off the land.

To bring up your green agenda during this tradgedy is sad.

Don't ask me to cool it.

-John

This is not the same as the normal, it's far worse. It has nothing to do with a green agenda, a comment you make in ignroance before even watching the video.

When you say something as offensive as some possibly point you are guessing I might have made means leads you to say 'you're sick', "cool it" is far nicere than you have any right to get as a response.

But I'll switch it for you. Shut the hell up with your baseless, offensive crap, or we are not gong to be talking further, AND it's now two strikes. Better? Watch the video and be civil, or don't.

 

[Zorkorist]

I won't be ignoring yours.

-John

 

[Craig234]

I won't be ignoring yours.

-John

So, which is it going to be. You have't watched a six minute video and responded civilly in the last hour?

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

So, which is it going to be. You have't watched a six minute video and responded civilly in the last hour?

The ignore feature is an awesome invention, just put him on ignore and forget about him.

 

[Zorkorist]

I know what I am going to see in your video, Craig... deforestation.

OMG! Deforestation.

Meanwhile, most of us are trying to discuss what has happened in Haiti.

-John

 

[Craig234]

I know what I am going to see in your video, Craig... deforestation.

OMG! Deforestation.

Meanwhile, most of us are trying to discuss what has happened in Haiti.

-John

Well, Karnac, you're wrong - and being too much an idiot to waste more time on, with your not watching but assuming you know. your baseless obnoxious behavior based on speclation.

 

[Nemesis 1]

Craig I am surprised that You only seen the tree being cut down by a landowner . That tree was only a sappling . Not a tree . I am also amazed that you missed the Huge corport Farms that cut down most the Trees and give nothing Back to the people . Yes that was a hard video to watch . But puzzling also . Those corperations that did Harvested the trees to prepare for corperate farming of the Land what is their responsiability to the people. That farmer you seen cutting the sappling was simply gleaning what is left.
I agree the USA has to take a major role in this , But Obama saying the USA will give a 100 million in relief is a joke. The last hurracain did 1 billion in damage nothing compared to this.

What A about France , It took 120 years for haite to pay them for their freedom is France going to step up. I hope so but it will just be a token just as the Obama promise of a 100 million in aid just a token .

Ya it was hard to watch that video , But this is just the beginning , Whos going to aid all in coming events. The tears shed will be enouch to make a river flow a 100 miles.

You watched the video but only seen a man gleaning after the Harvest, Now you know why it has come to this . Man is Blind. Money is god . its a sad sad thing. All this could have been prevented .

 

[Zorkorist]

Have I mentioned how Hefferfield, with it's cow anus logo, is so superior to Sheffield.

-John

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

Have I mentioned how Hefferfield, with it's cow anus logo, is so superior to Sheffield.

-John

Son, if that is the best you can do then just don't bother.

I wasn't suggesting that he'd put you on ignore because i dislike you, hell i don't think i've ever seen you around before, i was suggesting it because you don't seem to get along very well.

 

[Zorkorist]

Well, Karnac, you're wrong - and being too much an idiot to waste more time on, with your not watching but assuming you know. your baseless obnoxious behavior based on speclation.

You'll just have to teach me about the lessons I should have learned from the Haiti earthquake, some other time.

-John

 

[Craig234]

Craig I am surprised that You only seen the tree being cut down by a landowner . That tree was only a sappling . Not a tree . I am also amazed that you missed the Huge corport Farms that cut down most the Trees and give nothing Back to the people . Yes that was a hard video to watch . But puzzling also . Those corperations that did Harvested the trees to prepare for corperate farming of the Land what is their responsiability to the people. That farmer you seen cutting the sappling was simply gleaning what is left.
I agree the USA has to take a major role in this , But Obama saying the USA will give a 100 million in relief is a joke. The last hurracain did 1 billion in damage nothing compared to this.

What A about France , It took 120 years for haite to pay them for their freedom is France going to step up. I hope so but it will just be a token just as the Obama promise of a 100 million in aid just a token .

Ya it was hard to watch that video , But this is just the beginning , Whos going to aid all in coming events. The tears shed will be enouch to make a river flow a 100 miles.

You watched the video but only seen a man gleaning after the Harvest, Now you know why it has come to this . Man is Blind. Money is god . its a sad sad thing. All this could have been prevented .

Nemesis, thanks for watching before commenting. That's not always the case, I found.

The link is to the whole 25 minute BBC daily news, all about Haiti that day - news on the earthquake, a summary of Haiti's political history, and the report I pointed people to.

I didn't look so much at blame, as the huge issue of what the people face. A barren, polluted place the UN calls the worst in the world, with no clear way to protect the people from pollution-caused illness.

It's a big part of the story in any discussion of the ways to help them.

I didn't even get into the hstory of how colonialism has crippled them and so on - I've been typing about that for other countries in colonialism threads. ANd it's a big topic as well.

I think anyone wanting to get an idea what Haiti is going throgh would benefit from watching that report.

 

[Carmen813]

It is Obama's Katrina, except he has responded faster and better...it didn't happen in the U.S...and he didn't have a weeks advance notice disaster was about to strike.

Honestly, I made this post in jest because I'm utterly disgusted by the title.

 

[BoberFett]

A lot is needed to stablize the society (free market libvertarians, go fix it without any government).

You still believe libertarians are anarchists?

You're an idiot.

 

[Nemesis 1]

Ya Craig I did mention last night when I said 50,000 dead that number would climb big time because of water sickness starvation rioting ect ect ect.

Its a sad situation for fact. But all those things come with this type of event .

 

[ericlp]

Sadly, Haiti is already a poor to begin with. Never was a good infrastructure as in clean water, hospitals, medicine, antibiotics, food, etc...etc... Hell, you are extremely lucky if you had clean running water.

What it needs I think is air drops on clean bottled water alone. That would slow down the suffering. The country needs tons of medical personnel to treat the thousands wounded. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from Haiti. Sadly, with such a small time window to work with 1-2 weeks at best, even if you did donate money for a good cause I doubt it would go anywhere since the airport is jammed packed and no where to land. I think if an aircraft carrier makes it there that would be a big help.

I did find it pretty funny that they were saying former president Clinton was organizing air relief. Then after that one of the news casters said, maybe it would be a good opportunity for Bush Jr. I don't think he was much of a leader to begin with so... Hopefully he will just give money and lots of it.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

You still believe libertarians are anarchists?

You're an idiot.

Nah, at least arnarchists have the guts to go all the way, libertians are just trying to skip all responsibility without having to take the consequenses.

 

[heyheybooboo]

today is especially crazy on p&n lol.

i.e., a new high for lows (trolling).





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