The Earthquake Didn't Kill Hundreds of Thousands of Haitians. We Did.

[sabotabby]

I quite frequently disagree with bradhicks' posts, but this one on Haïti is excellent. It's US-centric and doesn't go into what we did to Aristide but it's a very good summary and you should read it.

Most of you have probably heard, but Médecins Sans Frontières' plane with a hospital and staff has been blocked from landing in Port-au-Prince. The U.S. Army has taken over the airfields and is prioritizing getting soldiers in and foreigners out. Quelle surprise, le plus ça change, and so on. Anyone know if Blackwater Xe Services LLC is there yet? I made a joke a few days ago about how Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine was not a How-To guide, but I didn't expect the fallout from the earthquake to be quite so textbook.

Comments

[krinndnz.livejournal.com]

I hadn't heard that about the MSF plane, but it's part of that vile-and-predictable branch of affairs. Thanks for bringing it up.

[bcholmes.livejournal.com]

The same thing happened with two World Food Programme flights.

[ironed_orchid]

I hadn't heard either. I don't understand this thinking at all.

[seaya.livejournal.com]

Actually it did land (the 10 am one), and a second one was on its way at 3 pm.

@blogdiva on twitter has been retweeting a lot of this info.

[dmlaenker.livejournal.com]

Yet again, he wrote everything I could have and should have already written, but with the terrifically emotional iterations of language he's so good at and that I somehow can't do. Thank you.

Incidentally, this better explains exactly what sort of racism motivated Pat Robertson to say what he did, and why. I'm tired of his metaphors. I wish he had the courage to say what he meant (on the off day that he isn't smuggling blood diamonds, of course).

(Also: never, ever read Brad Hicks' commenters. They like him because he's a geek they know, not because they have any kind of conscience or soul. They're mostly Ferrettists. And also partisan Libertarians, but I repeat myself.)

[roter-terror.livejournal.com]

Haha, Howard Dean.

[retinal-strain.livejournal.com]

I would encourage people to consider donating to the following appeal for a grassroots workers organization that organizes in the fields and factories of Haiti. Solidarity, not charity.

Call for Solidarity and Funds for the Working People of Haiti!

[roter-terror.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this link -- I'll pass it around.

[faithhopetricks.livejournal.com]

That post was awesome, altho it made me fee
l sick.

[frandroid.livejournal.com]

Apparently one U.S. media organization has hired Xe for its staff's security.

[montreality.livejournal.com]

More people should know about this. Admittedly, before the earthquake, my understanding of Haiti (after the slave revolt) was murky. I need an article I can post on my facebook profile. Ideally, it would be from a reputable source, detailed enough but not too long (so that it doesn't lose people's attention span). The details can probably fill books, but I just want the most important facts to dispel any myths in people's heads as to why the country is so poor.

What do you guys think about this one? http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion/517494/what_haiti_is_owed

[montreality.livejournal.com]

(It's the one that LJ user bradhicks links to. Since most people don't protest IMF meetings, I thought it would be a good one to post to show that the IMF isn't exactly benign)

[shelestel.livejournal.com]

I see he wasn't going for sensationalism with the title.

[sabotabby]

It's like you aren't even trying.

[shelestel.livejournal.com]

I can only comment on what I've read.