Posted on 01/17/2010 2:30:27 PM PST by B-Chan
Voodoo is part of their problem.
We 'lived through" Northridge, too, and it was by no means major. What happened then cannot be compared to what happened in Haiti.
Over a century ago a leading U.S. diplomat described Haiti as a “public nuisance on our doorstep.” His observation is still true today.
As far as whether France would do that, I doubt it! When Reagan was president, I mean, I’m thinking of Granada -
... quoting from Wikipedia ...
The Invasion of Grenada, codenamed Operation Urgent Fury, was a 1983 U.S.-led invasion of Grenada, a Caribbean island nation of just over 100,000 population located 100 miles (160 km) north of Venezuela, triggered by a military coup which ousted a brief revolutionary government. The successful invasion led to a change of government but was controversial due to charges of American imperialism, ...
—— I thought for sure it was spelled “Granada” but I guess I’m wrong! ... Maybe something like this would have happened back in Reagan’s time, but I doubt that France or anyone else will, now.
And Obama hates the idea of “American imperialism.”
Sure it can. In size, the two earthquakes were very similar. The only significant difference is that California generally builds structures that are up to earthquake code and Haiti does not. If Haiti simply built stuff up to code this would have been a significantly smaller disaster.
Furthermore, the only reason Haiti does not implement them is because it is a politically and culturally dysfunctional basket case. It's not like the technology isn't there, or the proper building techniques are not known. They simply didn't see the need to implement them even though they knew they lived on a fault, and money that could have been used to up their building standards was instead poured into extravagant palaces for their dictators...which were also not built up to code.
Sure it can. In size, the two earthquakes were very similar. The only significant difference is that California generally builds structures that are up to earthquake code and Haiti does not. If Haiti simply built stuff up to code this would have been a significantly smaller disaster.
Furthermore, the only reason Haiti does not implement them is because it is a politically and culturally dysfunctional basket case. It's not like the technology isn't there, or the proper building techniques are not known. They simply didn't see the need to implement them even though they knew they lived on a fault, and money that could have been used to up their building standards was instead poured into extravagant palaces for their dictators...which were also not built up to code.
With an average IQ of about 72, I'm sure that will be happening any day now.
There are very sound and well-understood reasons why the successes of Western civilization can't just be magically replicated in any random third world backwater.
Furthermore, the only reason Haiti does not implement them is because it is a politically and culturally dysfunctional basket case. It's not like the technology isn't there, or the proper building techniques are not known. They simply didn't see the need to implement them even though they knew they lived on a fault, and money that could have been used to up their building standards was instead poured into extravagant palaces for their dictators...which were also not built up to code.
Spot-on observation.
Their IQ matches that of the average politician.
“Nor are they related to a voodoo curse”
I still say Voodoo is the problem.
Uhuh just like it is the culture of Zimbabwe, South Africa, Somalia, Detroit, New Orleans and a whole bunch of other places...
It is just an amazing coincidence I'm sure that this 'culture' is shared in so many places.
The similarity in size to which you refer is just an artifact of the logarithmic nature of the Richer scale. In fact, a 7.0 Richter quake (like the one in Haiti) releases just under TWICE the energy of a 6.7 Richter quake (like the one in Northridge).
Otherwise, the rest of your post is spot on, in my opinion.
Only once in modern history was the government of Haiti honest and fair. This was when it was run by the United States Marine Corps.
The first United States occupation of Haiti began on July 28, 1915 and ended in mid-August, 1934.
American President Woodrow Wilson sent 330 U.S. Marines to Port-au-Prince on July 28, 1915. The specific order from the Secretary of the Navy to the invasion commander, Admiral William Deville Bundy, was to “protect American and foreign” interests. However, to avoid public criticism the occupation was labeled as a mission to “re-establish peace and order...[and] has nothing to do with any diplomatic negotiations of the past or the future” as disclosed by Rear Admiral Caperton.
For the next nineteen years, advisors of the United States governed the country, enforced by the United States Marine Corps.
Almost needless to say, the Haitians wasted no time in returning Haiti to its pristine state of violent and chaotic poverty.
“Their IQ matches that of the average politician.”
And that is the reason we have so many problems in DC.
No one wants to talk about the elephant in the room but some people are not capable of running a modern society.
So here’s an observation. Switzerland and Haiti have about the same land area if you subtract mountains. The populations are close. Haiti has 9 million and Switzerland 8 million. What would happen if all the Swiss were moved to Haiti and vice versa? I say say in one generation Haiti would be like Switzerland is today and Switzerland would have poverty and snow. So the problem isn’t the places; its the culture and people that live there that is the problem.
“It’s the culture.” says the author, and as you point out, voodoo is a big part of that culture.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.