Haiti
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Haiti
| Fri, 01-15-2010 - 4:56am |
Regarding the disaster in Haiti-- why isn't emergency food, water and basic medical being parachuted in to the people until it can be more properly distributed? --- This has been done in other countries and the air craft need not even land.

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http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/05/golfgate.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2008/05/14/BL2008051401929.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/15/georgebush.usa
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/15/AR2008051503538.html
But, oddly, as liberals have been bashed for ignoring news, the conservative channels must have missed this story because I can't find it on any of their sites, even "fair and balanced" ones. And, whether Olberman was the one to break the news or not, it's on video.
http://finepolitics.blogspot.com/2008/05/bush-lied-about-giving-up-golf-video.html
An earthquake is not going to change the government, politics, ruling gangs, or poverty of Haiti. All it's done is made bad matters worse. It will take tremendous amounts of money to put this country back to even the pathetic shape it was in before the disaster.
If another country has offered the people of Haiti a second chance, then by all means they should be airlifted or put on a ship and taken there.
I hope I didn't come off as putting down Senegal's offer because it really is generous for them to open their doors like that. And, if someone can get there, it would be a great opportunity to start again. Logistically, I'm wondering how it can happen to people who are destitute, especially now. Is there anything in the works to help with the flight, looking for a place to live, etc. There seems to be so much they need, just to survive for now.
I'm hoping this will set into gear something that might help change the government there. The world is watching. It would be a shame if it went back to same old, same old.
< I don't know how time spent on the golf course became the litmus test for amount of vacation time taken.>
It isn't. In his younger days, my DH used to get up at the crack of dawn to go out and play 9 holes of golf BEFORE work. He could get to the office by 9:30 then. Plus, he also regularly worked until 7 or 8 p.m. The fact that he played golf doesn't mean he was on vacation. It meant that he was wise enough to recognize that recreation is important to a balanced life. Additionally, he belonged to a Friday evening bowling league. Did it mean he was on vacation because he was bowling? Nope...it was part of living a normal life and having recreation and socialization.
Except Bush forgot that he gave up golf and played golf:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/16/bush-lied-about-giving-up_n_102138.html
I don't care whether Bush played golf every day after the invasion of Iraq. It just isn't important. But, lying about having done so in order to bolster his warrior-supporter bona fides is important. It is about his character. Why bother lying? What was the purpose?
I'd be interested in seeing the dollar amounts per capita rather than simply per country.
My country also frequently comes to the rescue (incl. in Haiti). Who says that the US isn't recognized for aid?
Keep in mind, too, that much of aid that's supplied and intervention offered is in great part to the benefit of those doing so (ex. political stability which benefits us in terms of safety and economy, continuing access to resources for our corporations, etc.).
Re: Haiti, of course you will probably be contributing more and involved more, it's pretty much next door to you ... would you rather Haiti end up being controlled by forces who may be a threat to the US?
Oh sorry, I thought that you realized he *didn't stop playing golf when he said had.
At any rate, golfing certainly isn't the only way to take a break... ask Bush :) so your argument was moot from the get-go.
Kate
Are you under the impression that Americans don't also criticize the rest of us often?
As the most powerful country in the world, intervening in all sorts of ways (incl. initially helping Saddam's regime to kill their neighbours) you are bound to receive criticism as well.
As an aside, I've heard American conservatives ridicule my country's military while at the same time we were contributing more per capita militarily in Afghanistan than was the US... for years.
~is it not the American government sending it's military, money, time, and supplies over to Haiti to help those people~
Yes, as well as the governments of various other countries including mine. You'll note that doesn't exonerate any of us from criticisms at times.
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