HuffPost: Haiti’s Suffering Was First “Made in America”

NewsReal Blog ^ | 01/15/10 | Rhonda Robinson

[Rhonda Robinson]

It only took a few days for the Left to come crawling out from under the rubble and blame the U.S. for Haiti’s suffering. Stopping just short of blaming U.S. policies for the actual earthquake, Bill Quigley, in The Huffington Post portrays America as the evil master that holds the life of the poorest countries in the palm of its hand and squeezes.

“Part of the suffering of Haiti is indeed “Made in the USA.” While the earthquake would harm any country, actions by the United States have absolutely magnified the harm from the earthquake in Haiti.”

“How? In the last decade alone, the U.S. slashed humanitarian assistance to Haiti, blocked international loans, forced the government of Haiti to downsize, ruined tens of thousands of small farmers, and replaced the government with private non-governmental organizations.”

[Army Air Corps]

I can’t think of anything more ANTI-American that, can you?

More than just anti-American. Let's us try just plain immoral. Prior to the UN mismanaging Haiti (much like the ham-fisted way the UN makes a charlie foxtrot of everything they touch), countries poured aid into the country only for it to vanish into the quicksand of Haitian corruption.

[Army Air Corps]

If these progressive suddenly cared sooo much about Haiti, then were the hell were they before this God awful earthquake hit.

They were busy telling us not to judge to harsly the slovely, skeevy "governments" (i.e. thugocracy of the week) that have bled the country for decades.

[Rhonda Robinson]

They are gone. The “elected” president replaced them with murderous gangs.

[Army Air Corps]

You have my vote when you run for elected office.

[hedgetrimmer]

Yes its clear that the UN is an immoral organization. The proof is everywhere!

Why should America support them when we all know that the freedom of man rests on the shoulders of the just and moral? America is the republic which can’t be kept in the words of Benjamin Franklin, if we stoop so low, to support the venal and corrupt globalists.

[Rhonda Robinson]

You nailed it. It is the typical leftist agenda, victimize those who you pretend to be helping. They always do more harm than good.

[Rhonda Robinson]

Not sure who you’re talking about. But obviously you didn’t read the article if you’re referring to me.

[jwalsh07]

U.S. Budget

Politics Summaries

U.S. Foreign Aid Summary

HERE is a summary chart of United States Foreign Aid payments. Data is listed by major recipients, for the 6 years from 2001 to 2006.

. United States Foreign Aid Summary Chart All figures in millions of US dollars (rounded off)
	Top U.S. Foreign Aid Recipient Countries
		2006	2005	2004	2003	2002	2001	Notes
	Israel							These 2 countries receive one-third of the total  aid, the majority of which pays for armaments.  Yet, neither is a "developing" country.  One-third of ALL US AID goes to Israel and Egypt.
	Economic Aid (ESF)	240	1,537	477	600	1,080	838
	Military Aid (FMF)	2,280	1,448	2,147	2,100	2,040	1,975
	Israel Total	2,520	2,985	2,624	2,700	3,120	2,813
	Egypt
	Economic Aid (ESF)	495	530	571	615	775	693
	Military Aid FMF)	1,300	1,289	1,292	1,300	1,300	1,297
	Egypt Total	1,795	1,819	1,863	1,915	2,075	1,990
	.
	Columbia	558	567	574	538	381	49	Drug abatement
	Jordan	461	457	559	452	230	228	To leave Israel alone
	Pakistan	698	537	387	305	893	3	To chase terrorists
	Peru	133	152	156	189	197	89	Drug abatement
	Indonesia	158	135	122	131	124	120	Oil reserves
	Kenya	213	159	101	52	44	38	Free money, if you are Christian
	Bolivia	122	132	133	137	126	89	Drug abatement
	Ukraine	115	93	113	166	163	182	Irritate, weaken Russia
	India	94	92	87	152	79	59	-
	Haiti	163	125	101	26	31	48	-
	Russia	52	91	101	157	165	169	-
	Ethiopia	145	114	74	52	47	40	-
	West Bank/ Gaza	150	74	74	75	72	70	Token response, to "balance" Israel aid
	Liberia	89	44	202	7	5	5	-
	Bangladesh	49	55	61	65	66	59	-
	Bosnia	51	45	64	53	68	86	Reparations

[happinesswithoutpeace]

Talking smack about this earthquake seems to be a growth industry.

[muawiyah]

Duvalier could have been replaced by many hundreds of people just like him. Haiti was doomed.

[Army Air Corps]

The UN is a cause célèbre with people who care about others in the same detached manner that people care about characters in a novel. The UN is a nightmare of a bloated, bureaucratic morass - and that is on a good. day. It is little more than a government-funded debating society populated with effete busybodies. Defund the bally lot of them and make them pump septic tanks for a living in the worst third world hellholes that they helped to create.

[driftdiver]

Referring to Huffpo, thought that would be obvious.

[Jim Noble]

I’m surprised that no one has noted that the subject of Wright’s “white man’s greed runs a world in need” sermon, which so moved Obama that he decided to become a politician, was Haiti.

[Army Air Corps]

Thank you, for that timely reminder.

[Rhonda Robinson]

Referring to Huffpo, thought that would be obvious.

Not really, because she wasn’t the author of the piece. In that cause, you’re right.

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[Ditto]

Not entirely off base. It's not just the United States, but the entire 'wealthy West" that has done this to the 3rd world via "hand outs" that appease our ever larger Soccer Mom mentality constituency while at the same time fueling the corrupt UN sponsored NGO cleptocrat establishment.

We did in fact destroy the agriculture sector of Haiti by forcing them to remove tariffs on imported rice that protected their farmers. That was lobbied for in congress by heavily subsidized US rice farmers, being paid ultimately for the rice they 'sold' to Haiti with dollars supplied by USAID!

The rice farmers in Haiti were forced out of business because they could not compete with 'free' while a few large corporate agriculture interests in the US got tax payer money on both ends of the deal -- to grow it, and then to sell it.

The same crap goes on all over the world. The US is not alone, European politicians and special interests play the same game, but we probably are the biggest sinner because our congress and political establishment is thoroughly corrupt and our media establishment is completely juvenile to the point that they can not move past an emotional, 'Opera touchy-feely view' of any issue. That touchy-feely crap ends up killing lots of people, but they will never see or report that fact.

Similar destruction of opportunity happens domestically -- see most any depressed inner city that before government funding might have been a little shabby around the edges, but still viable. (I lived in one back in the 60s, and it only took a few million in Federal 'grants' to turn it into an absolute hell-hole.)

Once the 'free money' shows up, the politically connected hustlers make bundles while any incentive to create wealth is destroyed, productive people flee, and the neighborhood falls into ruins, because their in no way to compete with 'free money.'

Charity to an individual can be a blessing. Massive government charity (with it's attended rules, regs and hidden surprises) is a curse, not a blessing.

[driftdiver]

Sorry I thought the article was huffpo junk and I don’t read those.

Not that I read FR articles all that often.

[Army Air Corps]

Once the 'free money' shows up, the politically connected hustlers make bundles while any incentive to create wealth is destroyed, productive people flee, and the neighborhood falls into ruins, because their in no way to compete with 'free money.'

Charity to an individual can be a blessing. Massive government charity (with it's attended rules, regs and hidden surprises) is a curse, not a blessing.

This bears repeating.

[Talisker]

They're right: and Bill Clinton is the one who did it, when he made Aristide the President.

I wonder what scale of drug running assistance resulted from that little deal.

[Louis Foxwell]

They’re right: and Bill Clinton is the one who did it, when he made Aristide the President.

Absolutely correct.
Clinton’s blockade of Haiti ended all commerce. 90% of the income of Haitians disappeared overnight when US companies abandoned their efforts to run light manufacturing in Haiti. Clinton would not allow raw materials in or finished products out. In one day Clinton destroyed a growing economy and left this island nation in the pit of poverty it has enjoyed ever since.
Bill and Hillary’s love of Marxist Aristide destroyed the last best hope these people had. Guess who is still in charge?