I wonder if the US can mobilize efforts there quicker than we did in New Orleans after Katrina?

1/13/2010 2:19:21 AM

I wonder if we have any money left to do anything.

1/13/2010 2:31:16 AM

when we send aid do we take into consideration the standard of living people used to have before the disaster
cause it would be funny if the aid brought them shelter and food that was better than what they used to have
but i will pray for them, this sounds pretty bad

1/13/2010 2:37:28 AM

^^Did the money printer run out of toner again?

Terrible situation though. I used to live on the border of Haiti and know a few Haitians.

1/13/2010 7:24:25 AM

the place i always stay in haiti has collapsed but everyone is accounted for. i'm still waiting for word of some friends who are outside of pap closer to the epicenter. they are in a more rural area though so i am hoping that means they are ok.

this has the potential to have more deaths than the flooding and hurricanes, it is really a terrible situation.

Quote :

"cause it would be funny if the aid brought them shelter and food that was better than what they used to have"

the people of cite soliel live in poverty like you couldn't imagine, but i don't know what is funny about that.

1/13/2010 9:03:05 AM

I still haven't heard back about any family we still have left down there.

1/13/2010 9:24:22 AM

I have a friend doing missionary work in Haiti right now, apparently he's ok, but the damage is pretty extensive.

1/13/2010 9:45:10 AM

700B coming im sure.


Looks pretty bad on tv.

1/13/2010 10:26:59 AM

I don't think it would cost much money to make a large impact for Haiti, especially given how close they are to the United States. I'm curious though as to how long it will take assets like USN hospital ships to make it out there.

1/13/2010 10:34:58 AM

these pictures are terrible...

1/13/2010 12:22:59 PM

coast guard ships, cutters and the uss vinson will arrive today and tomorrow

1/13/2010 12:41:14 PM

Text "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross.

OR

Text "YELE" to 501501 to donate $5 to Wyclef Jean's Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund.

1/13/2010 1:22:40 PM

Quote :

"^^Did the money printer run out of toner again? Terrible situation though. I used to live on the border of Haiti and know a few Haitians. "

youre a fuckin drug dealer i knew it

1/13/2010 1:37:34 PM

anyone know of a group or aid organization that is actively looking people to go down and help?

Im thinking of going down if I can find anyone/any group that is moving now

1/13/2010 2:52:47 PM

^I too am down for going there to help if I can find somebody that will ship me down there.

1/13/2010 3:03:08 PM

In knoxville, people are burning thier Lane Kiffen shirts. So a store there is giving people 20% off a new shirt if they bring in their lane shirts and they will send them to Haiti. Great idea, imo.

1/13/2010 3:04:51 PM

Red Cross has exhausted the medical supplies they have down there

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1YT219/www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/01/in_haiti_american_red_cross_ex.html?ft=1&f=103943429/r:t

1/13/2010 3:54:40 PM

Haiti earthquake deaths may reach 500,000
A desperate hunt for survivors is under way as fears grow that the powerful earthquake which struck Haiti may have left left up to 500,000 people dead.
13th January, 2010



The presidential palace in Port-au-Prince lies in ruins after the earthquake. It was built in 1918 after two other palaces on the same site were destroyed.

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/808912-haiti-earthquake-deaths-may-reach-500-000

Whoa.

RIP

1/13/2010 6:27:45 PM

Quote :

" Pat Robertson: Haiti 'cursed' by pact with devil Evangelical broadcaster Pat Robertson says Haiti has been "cursed" because of what he called a "pact with the devil" in its history. The Associated Press VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Evangelical broadcaster Pat Robertson says Haiti has been "cursed" because of what he called a "pact with the devil" in its history. His spokesman said the Wednesday comments were based on Voodoo rituals carried out before a slave rebellion against French colonists in 1791. Spokesman Chris Roslan says Robertson never stated that Tuesday's earthquake was God's wrath. He says Robertson's Operation Blessing group is sending millions of dollars in medication and relief workers to the country. Robertson has angered opponents many times before with comments on current events and criticism of other faiths. He once said American agents should assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and said Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was divine retribution for withdrawing from the Gaza Strip."

Stay classy, Christian right.

1/13/2010 6:31:03 PM

^ So, when will you post all the crazy remarks by leaders other than Christian? And Pat Robertson is obviously not the whole of the "Christian right."

1/13/2010 6:38:37 PM

If a secular leader makes a crazier remark in the next week, I promise to post it ITT

1/13/2010 6:44:17 PM

^ Good. But I meant other religious leaders--you do realize that Farrakhan, for example, claimed to have been taken up on some sort of spaceship, right?

1/13/2010 6:56:35 PM

Was that during the earthquake?!?!?

1/13/2010 6:57:29 PM

^ Possibly--ask Farrakhan. He believes the great ship will bring destruction down on the world.

1/13/2010 6:59:03 PM

Hooksaw, just shut up. This is hardly a first for Pat Robertson, nor is it particularly surprising coming from a "christian right" spokesman. I also suspect it won't be the only asinine comment about this earthquake from one religious nut or another.

When Farrakhan makes a stupid as fuck comment I'm sure you'll be the first to draw it to our attention. Until then how about if we keep it on topic for the time being.

1/13/2010 7:04:17 PM

If Pat Robertson is a spokesman for all Christians than I guess Usama Bin Laden is a spokesman for all Muslims.

Pat Robertson is a crazy evangelical moonbat who will say anything to get press much like the reality stars in hollywood.

1/13/2010 7:04:59 PM

Quote :

"If Pat Robertson is a spokesman for all Christians"

Who said that?


The "Christian Right" does not equal "Christianity."

1/13/2010 7:12:04 PM

It's almost like you ignored the quotation marks around christian right. No, Pat Robertson is not the spokesman for the Christian right. Unfortunately, his voice often either mirrors his followers or shapes their beliefs, much like say... Osama Bin Laden, or Louis Farrakhan. Doesn't make them spokesmen for the entire religion, but given the fact that they have a strong following it probably is safe to say that they speak for a portion of their group.

Robertson is a god damned nutcase, but so are a lot of the people who listen to him and send him money.

1/13/2010 7:13:48 PM

^^^^ I thought the topic was "Haiti and the earthquake"--not hating Pat Robertson. And I don't care for Robertson in the slightest.

[Edited on January 13, 2010 at 7:14 PM. Reason : .]

1/13/2010 7:14:05 PM

Quote :

"youre a ------ drug dealer i knew it"

Missionary. So I guess by SB standards I was an opiate dealer.

1/13/2010 7:31:33 PM

CNN interview with the Haitian President is just mind-boggling - in addition to the palace being destroyed, his home is also destroyed, so he was at the airport, the airport told him it was not safe, and so the President basically didn't know where he was going to go.

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/blog/

1/13/2010 7:36:48 PM

Quote :

"I wonder if the US can mobilize efforts there quicker than we did in New Orleans after Katrina?"

Sounds to me like New Orleans/Lousiana's and Haiti's problems, respectively.

One could argue the case for us assisting at a federal level (in either case), but we sure as hell aren't obligated to.

Quote :

"Did the money printer run out of toner again?"

I assume that was sarcasm...right? There's no free lunch.

[Edited on January 13, 2010 at 8:19 PM. Reason : ]

1/13/2010 8:18:42 PM

I can't go down there now, and don't know how much help i'd be anyway, but I might go for spring break. if people want to carpool to myrtle beach you can fly spirit airlines to pap for cheap.

right now I think i can probably be the most help by getting supplies together.

1/13/2010 8:25:55 PM

Quote :

"Evangelical broadcaster Pat Robertson says Haiti has been "cursed" because of what he called a "pact with the devil" in its history."

The timing of this stupid statement is so inappropriate. Robertson is the exact type of character that the GOP needs to jettison if they want to attract more people.

1/13/2010 9:38:28 PM

Quote :

"right now I think i can probably be the most help by getting supplies together."

as with most huge disasters in poor areas without much capacity for coordinating things like this, they say that the best thing for the next week or so would be just to give money. clinton was already an envoy for haiti, and has set up a site on the clinton foundation website where you can give directly to the relevant agencies in haiti:

http://www.clintonfoundation.org/haitiearthquake/

sidenote: i had no idea that clinton had been so involved in haiti for so long. he apparently has been going there since 1975.

1/13/2010 9:44:47 PM

Quote :

"And Pat Robertson is obviously not the whole of the "Christian right.""

Perhaps, but his little school for zealots did produce Virginia's governor-elect, as well as many other high-level government officials. The guy clearly has influence in Washington.

1/13/2010 9:52:34 PM

please consider giving to the redcross

http://www.redcross.org

1/13/2010 9:58:11 PM

Quote :

"as with most huge disasters in poor areas without much capacity for coordinating things like this, they say that the best thing for the next week or so would be just to give money. clinton was already an envoy for haiti, and has set up a site on the clinton foundation website where you can give directly to the relevant agencies in haiti:"

well i agree, but i have a specific place that i know of who needs help and i know how to get stuff there. i'm also donating money though.

1/13/2010 10:09:41 PM

just heard that american airlines is taking doctors and nurses to haiti for free. if you know anyone who wants to go tell them to call 212 697 9767

1/13/2010 10:52:19 PM

nvm. The texting thing's already been mentioned. You all should consider it. It's the easiest way I've ever helped anyone.

[Edited on January 13, 2010 at 11:16 PM. Reason : ]

1/13/2010 11:14:18 PM

Quote :

"just heard that american airlines is taking doctors and nurses to haiti for free. if you know anyone who wants to go tell them to call 212 697 9767"

That was just a false rumor.

I don't know of many organizations that take civilian volunteers into disaster relief this early on. Will probably be looking at at least a week or so before major volunteer organizations are ready to support large amounts of volunteers.

I'd think the only way in right now would be through the Dominican by car.

Money really is the best way you can help out right now.

1/13/2010 11:45:49 PM

I have a plane ticket credit to burn, I've floated the idea of going down there to help if I knew where/how to get involved rather than just showing up.

I still haven't heard anything about my family either. They go back and forth from the US/Haiti, so its hard to know when they're there or not.

[Edited on January 14, 2010 at 12:42 AM. Reason : worried]

1/14/2010 12:35:46 AM

1) This is awful beyond words, and I confess to spending much of today trying to avoid thinking about it.

2) Please contribute something. The Red Cross website will take anything $10 and up.

3) I worry that Haiti suffers from the same problem as Africa does in terms of getting aid. Not even racially speaking, but in terms of the fact that Haiti has endured so many disasters that it's easy to become desensitized to it. Based on the fact that when I enter "red cross" into google it immediately comes up with "red cross haiti," maybe I'm wrong.

4) I'm not going to encourage anybody to hang Pat Robertson. If someone did hang Pat Robertson, I'm not saying I'd contribute to that person's defense fund. But I'm not saying I wouldn't, either.

1/14/2010 12:36:32 AM

yeah

this upsets me pretty badly. fucking terrible. we've no idea.

1/14/2010 8:50:12 AM

Sending aid to Haiti is like sending it into a black hole. We are just enabling them to stay fucked.

1/14/2010 10:56:48 AM

^ Yeah, so give them nothing. So they can take the nothing that they have - and I do mean nothing - and build it into something.


Because I don't know if you guys knew this


but rubble, broken rocks, and destroyed lives are the new gold, diamonds, and oil


they're sitting on a gold mine, they don't need our help.






Fucking idiot.

1/14/2010 7:31:52 PM

and lets also ignore for a second the various external influences they have had and the various international policies that aren't making things easy for them

1/14/2010 7:37:32 PM

the people have nothing to do with any of that stuff.

1/14/2010 8:28:27 PM

From the news reports I'm reading, it sounds like the Haitian government has effectively lost control of the disaster stricken site, and the United Nations is unable to take control of the situation due to the blow to its command structure in the nation. The United States is becoming the defacto administrator, and from what I gather should have 800 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne there by tomorrow which will grow to around 3,500 boots plus the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and its 2,200 soldiers by Monday. We've also got a carrier battle group in place and a hospital ship enroute. It's good to see that our government has moved in quickly to hopefully restore order so that aid can be distributed.

[Edited on January 14, 2010 at 9:06 PM. Reason : .]

1/14/2010 9:06:41 PM

Good time to make it a US Territory.

1/14/2010 9:07:38 PM