Haiti is George W. Bush's fault

puryear270

Bronze
Aug 26, 2009
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I came across this outdated article (from February 2004) on Haiti while doing some research.

It begins:

The Bush administration is preparing to declare Haiti a ?failed state,? so that Washington can step in to put the pieces back together as it chooses. Creating the conditions for such a declaration has been the U.S. objective since George Bush came to power. For three years Washington and the European Union have imposed an aid embargo on Haiti, squeezing the hemisphere?s poorest nation until it screamed ? and then squeezing harder.

So there you have it: the earthquake and the cholera epidemic and the hurricane are George W. Bush's fault. If only defining the problem were that simple!

For the rest of the article: http://www.blackcommentator.com/78/78_haiti.html

This probably belongs in the Clown Bin, and I'll let the moderators do with it what they see fit.

My point for posting this is that the debate about what is wrong in Haiti has been going on for years, and no viable solution seems attainable in the near-term. But I respect and pray for all those who are there trying to make a difference.
 
E

engineerfg

Guest
Well I wouldn't say Bush, but clearly the Haitian elite benefit from the country being a toilet. And the same elite lobbied strongly in the Bush camp, and Bush 'broke the place'.

Here's an interesting summary by Professor Jeffery Sachs:

YouTube - Did the US break Haiti? (Chalie Rose March 1,2004) part 2/2

watch


By the way, that's the same congressman Foley as the psuedo pedophile Foley! hilarious.
 
May 29, 2006
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It's far more with Reagan with killing all the pigs, and destroying the sugar and rice economies. This precipitated the fall of Baby Doc, who for all of his faults at least had something of a working government. From there, Haiti went from a marginally working informal agrarian economy(with pigs as the primary form of wealth) to a completely failed urban industrial economy with no infrastructure and unskilled workers living in shanty-towns.

There is also the lunacy of not subsidizing kerosene. I wonder how many Chinese- made kerosene stoves in Haiti have been converted to burning charcoal.
 
May 29, 2006
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It was long broken before Bush came along. Even Clinton admitted that he screwed up by dumping rice into Haiti.
 

pedrochemical

Silver
Aug 22, 2008
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I do not care what they said about Dubya -
He might be lacking a bit if brain power.
He might even be a bit easy to influence if you are a neocon.
He could even be a bit of a liar about stuff like WMD.
It could be the case that corporate interests were more important to him than public interests - (no O&C they are not the same) -

But at the end of the day he looks like he would have been a good laugh to go out on the razz with.

I always thought that about him - even though he comes across as a bit evil.
 
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Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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Mr C -who is no Bush fan- once met him and had to admit he was charismatic.
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
13,368
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Has Haiti ever been unbroken?
Um...

ah...


eh...

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/otwzvzzdZKU?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/otwzvzzdZKU?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

It went down a very steep hill after that. Heck, I'll say it was not even a hill, more like a cliff.
 

puryear270

Bronze
Aug 26, 2009
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Okay, now let me throw an idea out to get your feedback on it.

Somalia is a first on the Failed State Index as published in the magazine Foreign Policy. Haiti in number 11, after Afghanistan (6) and Iraq (7).

My first cynical thought was, "the last thing we need is nation building in Haiti by the US."

But, in seriousness, is it possible that drug traffickers or terrorists could use the lawlessness in Haiti to their advantage? And if so, what would the U.S. do?

(For the record, I'm a US citizen, but I have no idea about the answers to these questions, and would love to hear others thoughts.)
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
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Has Haiti ever been unbroken?

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bRVPoxDgbBo?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bRVPoxDgbBo?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
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<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bRVPoxDgbBo?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bRVPoxDgbBo?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
Wow. 1940.

Too bad my grandparents passed away 25 years ago. I could have asked them what it was like there...
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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The site where I first saw it linked had the title 'Haiti in the 40s and 50s' - it is probably a compilation of footage from more than one period.
 

pedrochemical

Silver
Aug 22, 2008
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But, in seriousness, is it possible that drug traffickers or terrorists could use the lawlessness in Haiti to their advantage?

The coke used to go through Haiti until the UN cleaned house quite a bit.
After 2006 it was easier to send it through the D.R. - hence the current situation.
There is ironically a fair bit of law and order in Haiti - The UN would not stand for too much shenanigans and the PNH are generally pretty together these days.



Somalia is a first on the Failed State Index as published in the magazine Foreign Policy. Haiti in number 11, after Afghanistan (6) and Iraq (7).

Woo Hooo Yeah baby!!!!! We ain't in the top ten "sh!tholes of the world" any more~~~

Go Ayitiiiiiiii....bo!


And if so, what would the U.S. do?

Could be anything from a Panama to an Afghanistan to a Canada.
Terrorism just ain't their thing in Haiti.
Not proper terrorism.

Also, every other country that Haiti seems to get compared to has a war going on.
Haiti does not have a war going on.
Which means it must suck pretty badly in terms of other stuff - but number 11 baby! - Haiti Cherie!!!
 

greydread

Platinum
Jan 3, 2007
17,477
488
83
I do not care what they said about Dubya -
He might be lacking a bit if brain power.
He might even be a bit easy to influence if you are a neocon.
He could even be a bit of a liar about stuff like WMD.
It could be the case that corporate interests were more important to him than public interests - (no O&C they are not the same) -

But at the end of the day he looks like he would have been a good laugh to go out on the razz with.

I always thought that about him - even though he comes across as a bit evil.

W is not the Devil.

...but he's partied with him.


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