As food distribution improves, Haitians want U.S to 'take over'

Washington Post ^ | 2/1/10 | Peter Slevin

[Nachum]

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI -- International relief organizations backed by American soldiers delivered hundreds of tons of rice to homeless residents of the Haitian capital Sunday, laboring to ease a food shortage that has left countless thousands struggling to find enough to eat.

But even as food-aid workers enjoyed their most successful day since the Jan. 12 earthquake, the increasingly prominent role of U.S. troops and civilians in the capital is creating high expectations that the Obama administration is struggling to contain.

The needs are extraordinary, and the common refrain is that the Americans will provide.

"I want the Americans to take over the country. The Haitian government can't do anything for us," said Jean-Louis Geffrard, a laborer who lives under a tarp in the crowded square. "When we tell the government we're hungry, the government says, 'We're hungry, too.' "

[TheMole]

It’s Haiti, Haitians, and Caribbean. Pedantry aside, I totally agree with everything in your post.

[wardaddy]

lol...bless their hearts...hell, the whole developing world wants us to take over at least nominally

but we can’t...unfortunately

the Dems would love it....more minorities would ensure a Dem majority block for forever and then some

[wardaddy]

Most powerful man in Haiti used to be a Jewish-Israeli feller named Gilbert Bigio. He is why Israel has such strong commitments there in my time there, he was the premier go-to guy. I knew him briefly years back.

[MaxMax]

Where did they get their food before the earthquake? Good grief this isn't going
to turn out good for anyone.

[wardaddy]

well said...I am with you and unlike most here...I know Haiti...it’s a pitiful place and has been since the slave rebellion and it deserves our charity as a peoples

no one short of nutty Dems would ever think of annexing the place

most kids here forget we occupied the place 70 years ago and built most of the old infrastructure they would have never had otherwise

[Forward the Light Brigade]

Haiti could be made a Commonwealth like Porto Rico. They can keep their elections but let America police and make sure their leaders are a bit more competent. In return we should get something—Like a navy base for 99 years, or an air base. They should let American Companies in to build resorts and casinos—to employ Haitian people. let Haiti be as Cuba was in the 1950s! A place to relax and spend money. As long as it trickles down to the poor people it sounds good. They could set up universities to offer cut rate education to Americans—maybe some medical schools. The good thing is much of this could be done with private funds.

[wardaddy]

Maybe they're just in a snit because a British sparkling wine beat French champagne in a blind taste-test?

you got a link for that?..I can't see a sparkling wine mixed in a vat in England with grapes they imported from somewhere else except maybe Champagne region of France beating out a dry Krug or Tattinger

[wardaddy]

They imported all except for the tiny bits they grow in small plots.

I used to ship food there in my own freighters in the late 80s/early 90s till Clinton invaded and installed psychopriest

[oldenuff2no]

Thanks. I'm retired military and I've seen nasty situations and hungry people here and there all over the world. I always feel for them but I don't want to bring them all home with me.
I have friends who were born in Mexico who think that the US should invade Mexico and make it a territory like Puerto Rico and Guam. Their idea kind of left me flat footed. For us “evil white guys” to even consider invading Mexico is beyond comprehension. They insist that it is the only way that the Mexican people will have any security, peace, and rule of law. People all over the world would give about anything to have the security and opportunity we have in out country. They are literally dieing to get in. I live in a community that is 60% hispanic. What we are hearing about the bloodshed in Mexico in the American news is far from complete. We have access to newspapers from northern Mexico and what they say is going on is much worse. Today, there was a football team of high-school boys executed while celebrating a win at a private home. 13 high-school boys, unarmed, murdered in cold blood. Over three hundred young ladies have been found in the last 3 years, within 25 miles south of our border, raped and murdered. There are another couple hundred missing it appears that they just haven't found them yet. So, what are we going to do with Mexico?? There is no easy answer but the time is coming when all of this violence is going to explode on our side of the border and it will be front page news. The time is coming when we will have to do something. Haiti is just another entry on that list that we have to figure out. This earthquake has put it front and center in the news and now we can't ignore it either.

[PureSolace]

We should help them rebuild and insure we create a useful ally in the region along the way.

[piytar]

LOL, don’t know what happened last night to the part of my brain that knows how to spell...

[Oceander]

I do:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7094055/English-sparkling-wine-beats-French-champagne-to-top-title.html

The story states: English sparkling wine beats French champagne to top title An English sparkling wine has captured first prize in an international competition, beating the leading French champagne producers including Bollinger and Louis Roederer.

By Richard Savill Published: 7:30AM GMT 29 Jan 2010

Nyetimber's Classic Cuvée 2003 which is made in Sussex was crowned Champion of Worldwide Sparkling Wines in the competition run by Italy's wine magazine Euposia.

Now in its second year, the competition Bollicine del Mondo attracts sparkling wines from around the world. The wines are tasted blind by a panel of judges including winemakers.

....

[wardaddy]

that's amazing ..I had no idea they even grew grapes in Sussex anymore.

Eric Hareema, the owner of Nyetimber in West Chiltington, Sussex, said the success of the wine was due to the hot summer of 2003, which produced the winning grapes.

says they first planted the grapes in 88.

I'm not a wine drinker much but I am sort of a heavy taster a with a decent knowledge for many years. I don't think the French dominate totally but they do more often than not offer the most complexity and nuance in their Bourdeauxs and Burgundies and white Burgundies as well but in Champagne I figured they were untouchable.

I guess that assumption was wrong at least for this vintage..."they beat Bollinger"...quite an accomplishment...

thanks