Canadian relief in Haiti

Minister Lawrence Cannon is on CBC now. They are sending a team immedialy and is prepared to sent the Dart team. 

The team has Doctors and Engineers. More to come. 

"Canada is preparing to deliver the full weight of its disaster assistance capabilities to quake-stricken Haiti, an effort that could include a C-17 cargo plane and two search and rescue helicopters.

Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said Wednesday morning that officials have been working all night to deploy Canada's aid resources after the powerful quake struck Tuesday.

A reconnaisance force from the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) has been deployed and is expected to touch down within a few hours to assess the situation, Cannon said."

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20100112/canada_haiti_100113/20100113?hub=TopStoriesV2

The US is making a massive effort to help Haiti - including the possibility of sending a huge floating hospital, once it determines that there are port facilities that can accomodate this floating behemoth.

the US with all its faults always comes through in disasters.

How individuals can help in Haiti....

http://topsy.com/tb/blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/entry/disaster_haiti

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/12/haiti-earthquake-relief-h_n_421... [6]

DART is the best:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/photogalleries/dart/

Sho' nuff.

MSF/ Docters without borders are already in action ..so maybe that's where people should donate..

http://doctorswithoutborders.org/

Yes, and once the disaster relief is completed, Haitians can return to eating mud pies and selling their children into sexual slavery in quiet the way we like it. Sure enough the US, and the whole western world, always comes through in a natural disaster. It is the imposed human tragedies that we couldn't give a shit about on a daily basis.

DART is already there, with additional follow on teams assembling on tarmacs now.  The victims need a rapid response now..from everyone with capabilities to do so.  This is being coordinated at a variety of levels, with politics being a distant secondary concern to the immediate tragedy.  The suffering is immense.

CBC reports there is a fully operational airport in Haiti (didn't give the location) and US airplanes will be there with massive infusions of aid this afternoon, and Mexico and Venezuela are doing likewise. Canada is loading up a massive C-17 aircraft with supplies.

BTW, that US floating hospital, the size of a supertanker,  IIRC has 3,000 beds - a CF nurse from this tiny community served on that ship for six months, and we have photos. She served in Afganistan as a CF nurse, but was killed in a car accident in Quebec City two years ago. That hospital ship is awesome - with many operating theatres, recovery units, and so on. I hope it gets to Haiti very quickly.

The suffering is immense everyday. Oddly, for many in Haiti the earthquake will be a sort of gift as they will have sufficient meals for the first time in a long time.

Everyday they are being buried alive under heaps of rubble and horribly injured by natural disasters?

Every day they face violence, slavery, rape, murder, hunger, hunger, hunger. You really think this earthquake is the worst thing to hit Haitii? Everytime it rains there are mudslides that kill poor Haitians. They live in open sewers and eat from garbage dumps when they eat at all. Haiti is hell on earth for many, many Haitians every single day.

I know, I know, this is a natural disaster and we're supposed to all unify around getting aid to Haiti, just this once, and ignore that most of the time Haitian mothers can't feed their chilfren and they live on pennies a day this day and everyday, if they work at all. And those pennies  don't even provide the absolute bare neccessities. Yes, let's forget all that. Let's forget it before the earthquake, during the relief, and after the school drives, and all the aid workers have gone home. Let's not think about it all.

Holy critical. What did you have for breakfast today FM? How about lunch? Would you prefer Canada just not help at all? Geez

Why is it people only care when there is an earthquake? That's what pisses me off.

Here:

This is every single day:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gptKcpErzW-FrR8Vu7iCG8...

This is every single day:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/19/dirt-poor-haitians-eat-mu_n_168... [18]

This, to some degree. is every time it rains:

http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/haiti/forests.htm [19]

There is the equivalent of an earthquake in Haiti every month. But now we care?

It takes a 7.0 shake up, thousands of deaths at once, and plenty of media coverage to open up a narrow window of time, where the emergency measures and western largesse that should have already been long offered in atonement for colonialism's disasters there, can be directed while the focus lasts.  Once the attention shifts as it will when a new flavour of the week takes up the airwaves, so to goes the immediacy.

The human suffering is tragic and I agree with FM it is not only tragic today because of the natural disaster but tragic every day in that hell hole of a country.  I wonder how many of the buildings that collapsed were built by Canadian construction companies and how much "steal" actually went into the  concrete forms. Haiti is another failed capitalist state run by thugs backed by the Canadian military.

I hope we send every bit of help we can since our country has been so complicit in the ongoing misery.

Slightly off topic, but since Harper and his minions cater to the religious right, it could be somewhat peripherally relevant.

Pat Robertson blames Haiti's "pact with the devil" for catastrophe.

I thought I would give a personalized update.  Many have been devastated but I have been working in Haiti each year over the last five years.  So to one small aspect to this story...

The guest house where our group stays is called St. Joseph's Home for Boys whose work involves rescuing street boys and others to escape abusive homes.  It's work has been ongoing for 25 years and they just finished new renovations in celebrating this.  It was a very structurally sound building in Petionville, part of the capital city.  Communication is very difficult but our latest update from St. Joseph's U.S. network is that the house has completely collapsed.  Bill Nathan, the young director there, was on the sixth floor when the house collapsed underneath him.  Bill came to the house when he was eight and developed into a world class drummer and now in his early twenties took over the directorship of the house operations.  He managed to jump to a neighbouring roof and is injured but stable.  The other boys are safe and everyone has been accounted for.  However most of the houses in the neigbouring community are built into the surrounding ravine with floors stacked on top of each other.  One can only imagine what has happened to them. 

We've no contact as yet with our school project in cite soleil and since the quake struck around 5:00pm the students would not have been there.  We had just started investing in the second floor last May and the community there were carrying on construction as much as they could over this last year.  We still plan to go in May this year and will continue building or re-build as necessary.  The Haitian people have tremendous will and spirit and do not defeat easily. It is terrible that new reports are only reporting chaos in the streets when I know from experience that there are thousands of community members coming together to help each other since that is a common necessity of life in Haiti. Especially in Port au Prince.  Relief will be slow which is the lesson we keep learning from other disasters.  A lot of money promised for the tsunami in 2004 never arrived or was used for other purposes.  Our charity has received offers of help but we can't ship large quantities of food, medicine or clothing.  It is better to take time to reflect where help should go and how it is delivered.     

It must be mentioned as FM has that this is a horrific blow to Haiti.  Canada has contibuted to the suffering there having essentially backed the coup d'etat and helped install a dictatorship for two years.  Canada has boasted that it has helped invest in disaster relief and prevention yet four years after Hurricane Jean in 2004 Gonaives, one of the largest cities, still had not recovered completely by 2009.  If Canada's complicity in Haiti was off most media and Canadian's radar before then you can count on the fact that it will be knocked off forever after this.  One of the great losses in this recent tragedy will be the truth of what happened five years ago.  Canada now, and more repulsively, the conservative government will get to go in and play hero. It will be played up as just more Canadian compassion responding to disaster. 

Canada is not a hero in Haiti.  It owes Haiti every cent of recovery money and human effort.  All Canadians who donate will do so out of genuine compassion but the Canadian government is not.       

Thanks for that report mimeguy.  My wife is from China.  Reading the news from Haiti has brought back memories of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake that killed at least 70,000 and left hundreds of thousands homeless.  The death toll was much higher than it would otherwise have been because many of the buildings (including official buildings, schools and hospitals) that collapsed were very poorly constructed.  Official corruption, bribery, greed etc... all contributed to what the Chinese call flimsy "tofu" buildings, and hampered relief and reconstruction work.  Sounds a lot like Haiti, although Haiti seems to be even worse.  Canada's complicity in the Haitian disaster is a disgrace.

the death toll, according to the haitian authorities and some others, may be as high as half a million. port au prince has a population just under 1.1 million, iirc. this is a 50% loss of life in the city and its immediate region. the poor will suffer. the tragedy is immense beyond words. given that the true damage of the earthquake comes in the hours, days, weeks, and months afterwards...this natural catastrophe is only just beginning, exacerbating an already terrible human directed tragedy.

http://www.cjc.ca/2010/01/13/la-communaute-juive-du-canada-se-mobilise-p...

Geologist Warned of Risk of Haiti Earthquake in September 2008

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=16939

Not always.

You can say that again. The US Military and CIA have been to Haiti five times to help Haiti's handful few elite put down various popular rebellions against intolerable US-backed regimes or another. During one visit to Haiti, the US Military arrived for a goodwill visit and didn't leave for 20 years, 1915 to 1935.

Don't worry the US is sending in the Marines yet again.  

Passing this along.

...............................................................................

Canadian Haiti Action Committee and Toronto Haiti Action Committee are
preparing a list of ways you can donate or raise money to donate for immediate
assistance to people there.  Meanwhile...................

THAC has channeled money through Partners in Health  
http://www.pih.org/home.html [32]

Haiti has a famous “model” clinic practicing ‘a preferential option for
the poor in health care’ associated with Paul Farmer.

Click on the above site and it will walk you through and your charitable
receipt is applicable to Canada.


We support a community school where people will be needing money for food,
water and medical care.
                      http://sopudep.org/ [33]

SOPUDEP School: Donate via Canada Helps http://www.canadahelps.org/ [34]
The Sawatzky Family Foundation has been granted charitable status allowing us
to issue tax receipts. if you would like to donate to SOPUDEP School you may
pay through the PayPal Donate link or the Canada Helps Donate Link, or you can
send a check or money order to:
 To
The Sawatzky Family Foundation,
PO Box 626, 25 Peter Street North,
Orillia, ON. Canada,
L3V 6K5
Phone: (705) 345-5593
Fax: (705) 323-9251
E-mail: sawatzkyfamilyfoundation@gmail.com [35]

Another very good organization, which has been generating solidarity with the
peoples of Haiti, Honduras and opponents of oil and mineral extraction
companies in Central America, is
Rights Action          http://www.rightsaction.org/ [36]                I’ve
included their appeal below

Haiti Earthquake Report-Appeal #1

7.0 EARTHQUAKE DEVASTATES HAITI

EMERGENCY FUND-RAISING

On January 12, 2010, an “apocalyptic” earthquake, 7.0 on the
Richter scale, devastated Haiti, the epi-center 10 miles southwest of
the capital city, Port-au-Prince, a city of close to 3,000,000 people.

With the highest levels of poverty and exploitation in the Americas,
Haiti has long been one of the most devastated countries in the
Americas, beset regularly by political and natural crisis and
disasters. After the initial earthquake, 27 aftershocks followed, up
to 5.0 on the Richter scale.

Major buildings have collapsed – hotels (the Christopher, the
Montana), the National Palace, UN buildings, the Cathedral, etc; let
alone the uncountable numbers of shacks that a majority of the
population live in.

Fires rage in Port-au-Prince. Screams for help echo through the city
and affected regions. People are digging through the rubble with their
bare hands.

BELOW: 2 news reports.

WHAT WE WILL DO WITH FUNDS

In 2004 and 2005, Rights Action raised and distributed emergency
funds to various community based groups in Haiti in response to the
dual crisis of the military coup against the government of President
Aristide and then a series of hurricanes and tropical storms that
devastated Haiti through 2004 and into 2005.

Initial funds will be used directly and simply for food and water,
health and shelter relief. Later, we will raise funds for community
re-building efforts.

TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS FOR "HAITIAN EARTHQUAKE RELIEF"

Make check payable to "Rights Action" and mail to:

 UNITED STATES: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
 CANADA: 552 - 351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8

CREDIT-CARD DONATIONS: http://rightsaction.org/contributions.htm [37]

 Please redistribute this information
 For more information: Grahame Russell, info@rightsaction.org [38]
<mailto:info@rightsaction.org [38]>
, 860-352-2448

UPCOMING EVENT - TORONTO

Finally earthquakes kill very few people; mostly they are killed by falling
buildings.  Building collapse is caused by poor construction, made possible by
absent or inadequate building standards, corruption and governments unconcerned
about the welfare of the building’s occupants.  The quake’s death toll is
usually compounded by inadequate emergency preparedness. Both are political
matters.

January 28 at OISE there will be a report back on the current political and
Human Rights situation in Haiti.  More news soon................

...........................................................................................

They need socialism, and to boot the Yanks and their elitist friends the hell out of the country once and for all.

Help Haiti: The Unforgiven Country Cries Out

http://www.chris-floyd.com/component/content/article/1-latest-news/1900-...

"The relentlessly maintained, deliberately inflicted political and economic ruin of Haiti has a direct bearing on the amount of death and devastation that the country is suffering today after the earthquake...

Yes, there will now be a great outpouring of immediate aid, as there always is after any spectacular disaster.

But unless there is a sea-change n American [ and Canadian] policy, unless there finally comes an end to the curse that has been laid on Haiti - not by God or by the Devil, but by the hard hearts of elites following blindly in the cruel traditions of their predecessors--then this flurry of caring and attention will soon give way again to callous disregard, brutal repression and inhumane exploitation..."

The US comes through? Like in New Orleans? In proportion to its wealth, it comes through a lot less than most countries. It only has the logistical capacity to transport stuff, but sometimes that kind of help comes with a steep price tag. Once the US used to help out a lot more, although even in earlier efforts, the aid provided guaranteed US influence. 

Yes also, once the aircraft carrier is done, it will stay a while and provide justification for the open provocation of the newly reactivated 4th Fleet.

Thank you so much for taking the time to write that mimeguy.

The only reason the US and Canada are sending warships to the Caribbean is to prevent any of them from attempting an escape. They really don't want rafts full of poor people washing ashore in Florida.

Kady O'Malley reports: 

UPDATE: PMO has apparently assured reporters that there is no reason to recall parliament to deal with the situation in Haiti, but that doesn't really answer the question of what it can and can't do during a state of prorogation, does it? At least, not until we know what the plan is, as far as assisting in recovery, and how much money it has at its disposal to do so. (On that note, I'm still waiting for a response from CIDA, but given what kind of day they're likely having over at departmental communications, I'm willing to cut them a little slack in getting back to me.) 

Would  Rabble as a community do fundraisers for any of the emergency relief funds ?

Boom Boom

If you are waiting for CIDA, you are going to have a long wait.

Yes - Kady made that point in her article.

I think probably the best thing to do is to just donate directly to Doctors Without Borders (MSF) or Red Cross.  Money is what they really need.  Fundraisers always take planning time and cost money for supplies - whereas now is when the money is needed, and every penny is needed - I think people should just flood MSF with donations instead.

Agree re: MSF.  It's a good organization and happens to run the only hospital left intact in Port-au-Prince.

I thought that CIDA was part of the problem, actually. Maybe mimeguy or someone else who's watched Canadian activities in Haiti could give us more detail, but ever since we helped to oust Aristide, our ways of helping in Haiti have been highly suspect I believe.

Somewhere back in the archives, thwap and a few other people and I started to do a reading of Fenton and Engler's Canada in Haiti: Waging War on the Poor Majority (2005?), which is a shocking book -- very interesting background on the role played by the then-trendy doctrine of R2P and Michael Ignatieff's part in selling it. My memory now is very rusty, but it would be wonderful to have more testimony from people who've worked there and seen outside interventions first-hand.

I agree that channelling money through the NGOs is the most important thing to do in the short term, but as usual, there's a lot of political questioning to do beyond that.

I can't even get onto the MSF Canada web site - which is a drag, because I'd really like to highlight them in In Cahoots today.  I guess their server must be overloaded with people wanting to donate - I keep hearing them mentioned all over the radio and everything.

Just volunteered to go- hope I get accepted.

In case this hasn't been posted yet.... I just stumbled on it: Our role in Haiti's plight

Good for you, P4!  Did you apply to go with Doctors Without Borders?

No through the military, I wish I was in a position to go through Doctors without borders. My cousin is in france and she's involved in DWB and is heading there in 2 days I'm pretty friggin proud of her!

It's sad that it takes disasters like this to make the world come together when people suffer every single day but it's times like this I have hope for this planet.

MSF Canada website is probably overloaded. Just taking a long time to log on...

Yes, I finally got on, and posted one of their articles about Haiti on the front page of rabble - and at the end of the article there's a donation button.

CF has 4 C-17's. They need more and if more were ever bought, would be great if some people/some politicians didn't complain and call it a waste of money.

Underlying racism infects Haiti crisis response: study

What other ships would Canada send?...The Newfoundland ferry's Atlantic Vision and Caribou?..or fisheries patrol vessel Leonard J Crowley?...or how about an icebreaker?

The armed forces has a record of helping in natural disasters. That includes it's personnel, aircraft, and SHIPS.

You got that right. I'm calling Obama right now and telling him to stop sending any aid to Haiti immediately, no food, no water, blankets,medicine, aid money...stop it all! I'm telling the US elitists to F Off the hell out of Haiti right now, they're not needed!!

Thank you for your thoughtful contributions to this thread, Eastwinds, in a time of crisis.

The Haitian earthquake is a terrible tragedy. Tv reports and pictures cannot measure the scope of death and suffering the people are going through.

I would have said it earlier but I had to wade through a couple of other "thoughtful" contributions.

Sometimes people get caught up in day to day politics ....you go  Eastwinds..thanks for bringing the thread back on topic!

Hopefully this crisis will engage the Americans attention fully. people all over the world would be thankful.

There is an immediate humanitarian crisis in Haiti that needs to be dealt with.

But, at the same time we can't forget the two centuries of western colonial oppression that the Haitians have suffered through that has turned this crisis into an absolute catastrophe.

We need to assist Haiti in a spirit of solidarity and not out of charity.

I agree, however, if it gets a blanket to a shivering Haitian I really don't care what motivates my neighbour to donate.

Quite true.   But while we have people's attention...because over time people tend to forget, we have an opportunity to ask the questions as to why this disaster became the horrific catastrophe that it is.

And if we take at least a little bit of time to look beyond the immediate catastrophe...towards the future, we might be able to prevent future catastrophes.   For instance, after the Asian tsunami, particularly in Sri Lanka I understand, real estate speculators used the crisis to drive the local fishing industry off the beaches so they could build mega tourist hotels.

If people have to depend on their oppressors for aid then perhaps oppression isn't a good thing! Obviously principles aren't as precious when there are corporeal needs to be met, but let's not lose our critical bones over this!

Oh I agree totally.  I'm just saying is all.

I'm sure that's exactly why we send WAAAAAAAARShips to the Caribbean Jingles. They are going to make WAAAAAAAAR against the homeless displaced and sick down there.  I think they already have a few videos on youtubes of the WAAAAAR ships shooting rafts of fleeing people who were aiming for the sunshine state.  Nice catch!

Geez

My mom just told me someone was arrested utside of her work tonight. He was taking taking donations for the earthquake she said he lied about being a part of the red cross and was pretending he was a worker collecting for the relief stuff.  That really pisses me off!

As being reported on most media outlets, govt is considering easing immigration rules to allow in Haitians devastated by this tragedy. Both federal and Quebec provincial govts considering this, the latter since so many Haitians live in the Montreal area with family in Haiti. The article does not say if they are considering shooting rafts filled with people(sarcasm)...

http://www.globalsaskatoon.com/world/story.html?id=2441168

It was meant as sarcasm to the person I quoted. The US may not be right in everything, but I think they are doing a good job in this disaster and their efforts will only get better over the next days and weeks.

If this person's mother was trapped under rubble, I would only hope he wouldn't mind a yankee elitist rescue team getting her out.

I find the fact that there is hostility towards critical positions (whether or not they are deemed equivocal) and that posters manifest the desire to support immediately pragmatic and substantive solutions to this humanitarian crisis without acknowledging the critical issues (or being critical of them) is very off-putting. This is a public forum for the presentation of ideas; we are not mobilizing anything immediate and material here, so what is the problem with being critical?

I certainly hope that people are finding ways to help with immediate needs (if they can) but spare the hostility towards ideas just because they don't feed, shelter or clothe people or are critical of the politics behind aid or behind aid agencies and states that aid.

Yes, your message might be agreeable, but it is myopic and done in a way that is also a dig at Fidel. I acknowledge that if a US rescue worker helps, give credit for that act. The problem is that the argument lacks context; it's not just about what the US is doing right now, it is about what they have been doing and continue to do. Also, why does discussion revolve around this imaginary that the West is the hero coming to intervene in the crisis?

Better than the Canadian, Venezuelan, Brazilian or European teams?  Your imperialist biases are showing and that is why people are not pleased.  

America has been the problem in Haiti for a very very long time. The fact that they like other countries are helping in this time of need is no reason to praise them.

If they stop bombing innocent people around the world I will say nice things about them in the meant time I am really proud of the mobilization going on in Canada with many groups involved in providing what help they can.

Because the title is

Not ongoing abuse of Haiti by the west.

Agreed - well said.

Then ban nussy for beginning the thread drift.  Who needs that trolling crap in a thread about Canadian relief?

But it can be a celebration of the West's interventions? Why the silence on post number 3, which started the celebration of the US's actions?

I've already articulated this point in post #65.

Why the silence? Because it doesn't seem popular here to give credit were it's due. I was actually surprised at the few poserts who commended the US.


It's not a celebration its recognizing effort.  It rubs me the wrong way seeing criticism of relief effort when the person-is sitting in a heated house with running water food and no dead bodies in the front yard. Call me crazy.

Adding insult to injury ...

Obama enlists Bush, Clinton to help Haiti

Nothing but crocodile tears...

Being critically engaged on a forum is different than being critical of relief efforts as if one were in the field berating those participating in aid work. But your argument that we should be content with the US right now, where ever we are -regardless of the larger context -is unreasonable. I don't think you can expect people to put politics aside when many aspects of this situation (geologic processes exempt, of course) are a product of politics.

Heated house, running water? Yes, being privileged needs to be acknowledged. But why are you trying to paint people who are critical as being ungrateful? You don't have full access to everyone's actions to make such judgements.

I thought I would give another personalized update from our colleagues in Port au Prince.  It comes from a location, Fermanthe a small community, which is about a 45 minute ride up the mountain outside of the city.  There is a house called Wings of Hope that takes care of mentally and physically challenged children.  It's part of St. Joseph's Home for Boys network. We've learned that one of our regular guides who has worked with us for years is safe but we still don't have word on the others. It is continually stressful that we have no word from cite soleil and our school there. Communications are getting better but the chances of our school community members getting to a computer shortly is remote. So we'll continue to wait.  

Quote from update;

Day 2...is it really only Day 2. In 20 minutes will it really be that only 48 hours have passed since all our lives were turned (literally) upside-down. It seems like a lifetime ago.

Yesterday was shock and confusion. Today is mobilization. I went down to SJ for a few hours this morning and helped move stuff out of the main house and into the art center. The art center is damaged, but not anywhere near what St. Joseph's is like. There was a break-in there last night with people looking for food, so stripping the house was a priority. Michael and Walnes are still spending the night sleeping on the ground at a neighbors, like most of the neighborhood, but they are well.

Bill and TiPatrick are both out of the hospital and seem to be well, considering. They will return tomorrow for a check by some US doctors who were supposed to arrive today. No need now for evacuation for the states, for all those ready to try and arrange that.

Wings is crowded with all the Wings kids and now the SJ boys. Not a lot of space in the visitors dining room and the front of the house for 65+ people, but we are coping. Everyone is pitching in. KC and I moved things from our rooms that are the necessities for both our work and the kids today. The rest will be left. We are also starting to get the guys to move as many supplies from the storage rooms in the new part of the house as possible. Limited time is spent in the new part of the house, as we believe it is unstable and don't know if it will remain standing. There's a lot we don't know right now.

We were able to get a few toys out for the kids today and are trying to give them a sense of the "new" normal as we decide what to do next. There is a lot of organizing and planning to do.

PAP is a mess. There was a real difference in the feeling on the streets today too. People are more desperate for help, food, medical attention, a way out of the suffering and fear, etc.

The aftershocks continue. It is unnerving. I grew up in tornado-land and have been through several hurricanes in Haiti, but nothing is like an earthquake. At least with a tornado and hurricanes you can see them coming and know when they are gone, but with the earthquake there is a continued reminder that we don't know what is coming next and fear is rampent.

Lines of communication are getting better. I was able to talk to my Mom on the phone for a few minutes today. Thanks to all who have reached out to hear with your love and support. I just got word that the internet is working now at Wings (I'm at the Baptist Mission again), so that is good. The next step now is to get a source of power at Wings. The one plug we have is from an inverter and that probably won't last much longer. I gave the guys a bunch of money today to go and try to find a small generator for us. We don't want to run the big generators because of what the vibrations may do to the unstable house. We need one we can wheel outside when it is on, and secure inside when we are not using it. With everything closed down, shopping isn't easy, but they are resourceful!

If I can get online on my own computer I'll try to post some pictures, we'll see how the electricity and internet connection hold out.

Thank you for all your love, support, prayers for all of us. We feel your presence. end quoted update

Where did I say that US efforts were better than anyone else? I was merely pointing out to the person that the US aid efforts are commendable and quite sure many Haitians tonight appreciate it.

When that's done to deflect commentary on the hypocrisy of the US, it's very unbabble-like.  Like j.m. said (really happy you've joined j.m. and I've paraphrased) babble's not the place for US cheerleaders.

Also, look for some disaster capitalism in action. The Clintons are already licking their lips in anticipation of "adjusting" the Haitians even more while perpetuating the cycle of abuse that has gone on since Columbus set foot on Hispaniola in 1492. Indeed, Haiti was GROUND ZERO for the four horsemen of the European Apocalypse -- conquest, genocide, slavery, and disease. 

As for organizations, I would suggest Partners in Health and the Stand With Haiti Campaign. Dr. Paul Farmer is a principled doctor-activist who has been in Haiti for the long-haul.

Here's a couple decent organizations that you can donate to, meantime.

http://www.devp.org/devpme/main-eng.html

http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=000005&tid=003 [90]

Here is Canadian relief on Haiti (the kind we need for critical public forums):

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/1/14/naomi_klein_issues_haiti_disaster_...

:)  I doubt there'll be a shortage of critiques on our own role in keeping Haiti so vulnerable to natural disasters....   Another question that could be asked politically is why we're taking so much time amassing a media friendly armada of temporary relief, when we already have forces on the ground that could/should already be helping rescue the thousands buried under the rubble(?)   Their particular time line for survival may only be a matter of hrs now.  

Meantime though there's no reason we can't also make some immediate contribution$ ourselves.   

Credit Card Companies Skimming Three Percent From Your Donation to Desperate Haitians

Parasites profiting from death and misery.

'Unbabble-like'?

What's next - have you now, or have you ever been a card-carrying American?

That sort of jingoistic, McCarthy-like baiting leaves me cold.

RP - you don't have to agree with those applauding US action, but is the name calling really necessary?

Ah, Lou?  You must not be familiar with the Unified Theory of Babble (i.e., all problems are rooted in the fact that America exists).  This theory holds true even if America appears, to the average person, to be engaged in doing something positive: It's only appearance -- and there must be some evil ulterior motive to explain it.

Therefore, any kudos for any American action is strictly verboten on babble.

It's quite simple, really.

How did a thread about Canadian aid turn into a thread about how GREAT American aid is? Read the first ten posts and you'll find that the conversation veered immediately into how US aids greatly and how the West comes through. The real problem is that there are so many apologists on this board willing to celebrate hegemons' good deeds as if they were taking the week off from politics. I think the question should be asked: "why are there certain people so willing to point out the good deeds of Western states, who have engaged in exploitative relationships with of Haitian people, when: (1) many countries are making great efforts (wiki if you must); (2) there is a lot of local solidarity in Haiti that could be highlighted; (3) individuals are making contributions not affiliated with any state?" I think there is nothing more problematic than a stance that highlights the US's efforts (a country which time and time again has laden aid packages with their ulterior motives) which, intentionally or not, pushes other efforts to the margin, and remains uncritical of the political motives of the US.

Sven and Lou Arab, you are quick to attack people on a critical forum for being critical, and are so bold as to call those who point out US hypocrisy as "jingoist, McCarthy-like", or to suggest that there is some sort of "babble theory" that is dogmatic and uncritical. Why do you come here if you antagonize people who are critical - on a critical forum - and then bait arguments with these words? Babble is not CBC, G&M, or some mainstream paper where ideas that are problematic emerge without contestation.

babble: If you don't love it leave (=

I don't see Canada's efforts as different from the U.S. and I would say given the hell that has been inflicted on the Haitian people by the acts of the U.S and Canada that their aid is entirely rooted in corrupt self-interest.  I am glad that some may benefit from this help but in no way do I think they deserve any credit for helping. 

As to organizations and donations, the Red Cross will never see another dime from me.  IMO donations should go to organization that are led by Haitians.

U.S. Cheerleading has never been a part of babble, especially when it consists of uncritical approval of charity whose impetus was created deliberately by the United States. Hence, un-babble like. To call this position jingoistic and McCarthyist not only leaves me cold, it lacks the anti-imperialist analysis we pretty much take for granted around here. Lou Arab, I would encourage you to reconsider RP's posts, especially in light of Sven's enthusiastic baiting.

I don't know how I ended up following this person on Twitter, but I'm following some politician in the US, and she tweeted this recently:

Really?  You're proud of your country, are you?  Your country has "helped" Haiti right into this mess, and any "help" you give now is a long overdue repayment.

Haiti earthquake: Made in USA [101]

And that goes for Canada, too.

Hey, I'll tell you what, if you don't like left-wing political analysis, and you just want to hear, "Oh, what a tragedy!" and "Isn't the USA wonderful?  No one's allowed to be critical of the US role in Haiti now that they're helping!" then here are a couple of web sites you might want to try:

Hallmark Cards

Republican Party [103]

Imperialism is the problem.  I would be railing against the British if it was a hundred years ago because imperialist countries cause misery they do not improve the lives of others no matter how many spin doctors America employs. There is no "White Man's Burden" and there is no need for "Making the World Safe for Democracy."  Imperial propaganda doesn't change the fact that Haiti has been under the US sphere of influence for most of the last hundred years and it is the poorest country in the hemisphere. That was the situation before the quake and it is the reason that the quake killed so many.  In Haiti of course our own home grown Canadian imperialists have been part of the ongoing misery as well which is why I would never think of CEDA as an aid organization but rather a development arm of Canadian corporations.

It is so very tiring to have trolls like Sven and nussy derail discussions by telling us how disliking imperialism is wrong.  A libertarian that loves the largest empire the world has known is either an oxymoron or a moron.  Leave us alone if you don't like the babble "theory" and go to Free Dominion or some other American imperialist "libertarian" site.

Attack US policy in Haiti all you like.  It's a great big target.  I just don't care for the language of 'anti-babble' activities if someone has a different viewpoint.   And I'm not 'attacking' anyone, merely suggesting a different tone.

I don't believe Sven is a troll, and I don't believe what he was doing (in his one and only post on this thread so far) was aruging that it was wrong to attack imperialism.  My read on his remarks is that just because the US is wrong 9 out of 10 times, doesn't mean it's impossible to suggest they can occasionally do something right.

I agree with Lou, that people can post differing opinions here if they like - I don't have a problem with Sven's posts in this thread, even though he's wrong. ;)  (Sorry, couldn't resist.) 

But I do think that Eastwinds set the tone that he got back.  Doesn't mean it's okay for everyone to pile in and do the same thing, but I think this was kind of a case of garbage in, garbage out, and a predictable outcome right from Eastwind's sarcastic post that I quoted above.

So that is not trolling?  

Does that mean you think he was being malicious not mischievous when he uses the phrase "UTB" and "verboten."  I don't often publicly disagree but his comment is specifically designed to piss people off and this exact comment has derailed numerous threads on important issues.  

Just in case anyone is interested

Field Update : Haiti disaster by msf:

http://www.donorchoice.com/msf/images/emerg-header-EN-Haiti.gif

You're probably right, kropotkin.  I don't know, sometimes I feel like people are losing the ability to just skip over comments like that, or snicker at them and move on, you know?  Sure, it's not strictly in line, but it's also not that terrible either, right?  Not worth telling someone to leave, which I think it what Lou was getting at. 

Anyhow, I probably could have nipped all of this in the bud by getting after Eastwinds when he started the sarcastic tone.  I saw it when he posted it but thought that the conversation had moved on so I didn't bother.  Guess I should have.  Sorry.

Say, is this 100 posts yet?

Close enough!  I'll close it and we can continue to discuss Haiti here.