Haiti

[Masherbrum]

I guarantee same thing would (and has) happened in the US if the infrastructure suddenly disappeared and the prisons were emptied.

You got that right.   

[Vulcan]

someone from AMERICA would help, be honest, how many 3rd world countries helped america when katrina hit? or the twin towers collapsed? none. so we donate millions of dollars to help them, when we have veterans - people that fought for our freedom, begging fr food on the side of theroad

Quite a lot you ignorant fool...

"The State Department or country officials have said offers of help been received from:
Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, China, Columbia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Greece, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Philippines, Portugal, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom [Note: includes Great Britian, see first list above], the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela."

[Tac]

Mexico is considered borderline 3rd world/2nd world and guess what? Their relief and rescue forces were on site at the disaster area before any US federal response was.

In any case, I agree that for a disaster of this magnitude international aid is needed. I disagree however with what seems to be a policy of handing out charity rather than showing them how to get things back up and running themselves. Same situation in the african nations, they become addicted to foreign aid and never get their toejam together.

With the financial hole the US is in the last thing the gov. should be doing is giving out taxpayer cash like candy to other nations. (again, in disasters like haiti, ok for a limited time, but not the decade-long donation of hundreds of millions that should be used at home to fix the economy).

[Masherbrum]

Mexico is considered borderline 3rd world/2nd world and guess what? Their relief and rescue forces were on site at the disaster area before any US federal response was.

In any case, I agree that for a disaster of this magnitude international aid is needed. I disagree however with what seems to be a policy of handing out charity rather than showing them how to get things back up and running themselves. Same situation in the african nations, they become addicted to foreign aid and never get their soup together.

With the financial hole the US is in the last thing the gov. should be doing is giving out taxpayer cash like candy to other nations. (again, in disasters like haiti, ok for a limited time, but not the decade-long donation of hundreds of millions that should be used at home to fix the economy).

Excellent post.   

[MORAY37]

The first and last Haiti thread will die tomorrow....due to careless stupidity by so many in it.   

So IN.

It's amazing, some of you.  How some of your posts can make me disgusted in this proud country's people.  We sit in our 2 story homes, with grocery stores filled to the brim, making 1000x a day than most country's workers earn in a month....and complain about gas.... while people kill each other in a foreign nation over bread after a disaster..... and we still cry "where's ours?" 

When will the greed end in this nation?  It's simply sickening.

[MORAY37]

I can't find this video - link please or are you making it up.

BTW did you advocate dropping a nuke on new orleans as well?

Yes, he did.

[Vulcan]

Yes, he did.

Well, schools back soon isn't it?

[68ZooM]

Moray  you may sit in your 2 story home all fine and dandy but did you ever think theres many many Americans who have lost it all? or are on the verge of it, wheres your compassion for them, granted what happened in Haiti is a disaster which was compounded by inadequate building practices and poor infastruture to begin with, is that our fault? how much more would you like the taxpayers to burden , All the countries have pledged help lets see how many do as they say, I'm having enough trouble keeping me and my sons home after losing a job Ive had for 7 years, i pay enough in taxes as well as most of us do, like i said most Americans can see the homeless people here in America, and just walk past them not giving them a thought or making a snide comment like "go get a job" what jobs?

Theres alot of us im sure that would help a neighbor or a stranded motorist anyone that needed help, why do we care so much about other countries but care so little for there fellow Americans?    Hopefully Haiti will recover and go about there bussiness but thats going to be years and at what expense to the American Taxpayers?

[Killer91]

I understand helping the Haitians after the earthquake but at the same time I wonder why our American government doesn't spend that amount of money to help the homeless and needy people here.

Do we really need to be spending millions of dollars over there when it could have gone to the people here in our own country?

[ZetaNine]

I have a friend who I've know since the mid 70's.. he was naval ROTC in high school...and I was a stoner who wanted to someday get into the entertainment industry......complete polar opposites...yet we got along great right from the 'git go.  after high school he ended up going to the naval academy...and after that..although I always heard from him...I heard less and less about him and what he did....yet there was always the perception...even in the mid to late 80's...he was doing things and going places the likes of which he could never talk to me about.  we're both retired now......and to this day I don't actually know what he's retired from.  that said..when we talk...it's wide open...and during the course of our conversation two days ago...haiti came up.  while he and I both agree that we are there for purely altruistic reasons...he also stipulated in no uncertain terms that we had to take over the airport and the air traffic quickly for other... more sinister reasons...primarily....china.

apparently..and this may be no secret to you although it was to me...china would love nothing more... than to make their own "Taiwan" issue right off our shore as well....because it's such a point of contention for them...and they hate us for the taiwan situation.  apprenelty....they have been trying to do just that more covertly with haiti for years.  one of the first aid planes in country by the way was in fact chinese...long before we had boots on the ground.

anyway...I though this was interesting as hell...and it does make good sense.

[Jayhawk]

Here is an another perspective that makes it interesting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F5TwEK24sA

I know, I know, I said I was done, but I'm just here to drop off this URL, not getting back involved. 

[Masherbrum]

I'm glad I was raised to treat others how they treat me.   I feel bad for the Haitians and they've never done a thing to me.   To blindly "hate anyone" you've never had a single point of contact with in life, is nothing short of pathetic.   

Some people posting should never have hit the "Post" button.   

I hope the aftershocks subside, but something tells me, that Fault is fubar and it'll rumble for a couple more months with another 7.0.   They barely had anything to begin with, but to lose most of it, not many of us can comprehend.   

[Vulcan]

I understand helping the Haitians after the earthquake but at the same time I wonder why our American government doesn't spend that amount of money to help the homeless and needy people here.

Do we really need to be spending millions of dollars over there when it could have gone to the people here in our own country?

Sometimes it doesn't matter what you throw at some people in terms of money they'll still end up on the street. NZ's a welfare state, and we still have homeless guys (considerably less than the US though).

[Masherbrum]

Sometimes it doesn't matter what you throw at some people in terms of money they'll still end up on the street. NZ's a welfare state, and we still have homeless guys (considerably less than the US though).

Exactly.   People think "money is the answer", it isn't.   <<S>> Vulcan.   

[MORAY37]