Steve Posted January 17, 2010 Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 Papa Doc and Baby Doc kept it f**ked and they had it that way for a very long time. No real government to speak of. They'll need a few generations to sort that out. They need their own George Washington or someone who is honest and competent and they will also need a helluva lot of money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Munchmaster Posted January 17, 2010 Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 No matter how much money you pour into Haiti it will be money down the drain. A bit like Africa in many respects, which is probably not a coincidence as many Haitians are descended from Africans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted January 17, 2010 Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 I don't know why the miltary just doesn't air drop by parachute - bottled water. Individual bottles or pallets. Certainly would at least pacify all the news people there stating that all is chaos. Air drop some crackers or something to eat. McDonalds or Burger King could set up mobile kitchens and feed them all hamburgers and french fries. This isn't rocket science or is it? Actually, it is NOT that simple at all. First off, you need to drop it where it is needed, including remote areas. Next, you need to guarantee EVERYONE has access to it, and NOT a few powerful people who will hoard the drop and use it for power/control. Next, you need to assure the people will NOT kill each other to get to the drop, they WILL! Then, the people need to know where the food is, how to open the containers, prepare it etc...right now, dropping food and water in there is like dropping $100000 into acrowd of desparate people who have bills to pay...it WILL cause problems and deaths. Proper way is you leaflet from the air, let the people know what is happening, then you drop in a security team, they secure the drop zone, next the drop and set up, then the distribution. Stadiums work great for this kind of think as you have controlled access, and secure barriers. Logistically, Haiti isn't that bad off, DR next door, Gitmo nearby, Puerto Rico is also close, so once an area is secure, and the ports are operational, then it should be fairly easy...easier anyway, this stuff is never a cake walk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh_Hoy Posted January 17, 2010 Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 OH for Director of FEMA !!! HH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted January 17, 2010 Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 No matter how much money you pour into Haiti it will be money down the drain. A bit like Africa in many respects, which is probably not a coincidence as many Haitians are descended from Africans. Although not rich, Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados as well as a host of other Caribbean islands are descended from Africans and are decent places with a decent standard of living. Not rich, but not starving either. Haiti is unique. What Haiti lacks and the others have is the rule of law. That has to be first and foremost. Societies are built on families and the rule of law. The african nations that have it do okay (South Africa), the ones that don't (too many to mention) are mired in poverty and corruption. Say what you will about the north African countries and some of the more austere middle eastern ones, they have the rule of law. Be it sharia or whatever, societies need it to function. All first world countries are steeped in it. Yes, there is corruption, favortism and neptotism on occastion but by and large whether you are the President or a pauper, the law is typically applied equally. At least the people believe it to be so and that's what is needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unit731 Posted January 17, 2010 Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 I agree. But in the short term, a single bottle of water multiplied times x100000 - with mini-parachute could accomplish this. Bottled water everywhere. The same could be done with McDonalds hamburgers or ordinary crackers. Mini-parachutes, again by the 10's of thousands. Individual packets. Tough time for the 'gangs' to pick up all. And it's more of a PR thing. It shows something is being done in the short term. Long term, the military can set up secure places for people to cue or line up for more items. Take any field. Put military down. Set up a parimeter, set up mobile food kitchens, and have people cue up. Again, this is not rocket science. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted January 17, 2010 Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 Hmmm, again, not that simple at all. Wind drift, weather, heat/temperature etc will spoil food fast. Any food dropped would have to be ready to eat, non perishable. Water? Mini parachutes? a 2 lb bottle dropped from above, could drift off intended target, landing where the people can't get to it, thus ineffective. Fuck PR here, any effort has to actually work. Additionally, anything like food and water falling from the sky would trigger riots and violence for sure, as desperate people fight for it. There are reasons this is not being done, beyond racism etc... Post WWII, the allies did do drops as you suggest, mainly in the areas of remote POW camps. But keep in mind, in that situation, there was still a social order, with rules and cooperation and "more than enough" was dropped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygye Posted January 17, 2010 Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 Twinkies never spoil! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bust Posted January 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 Cannot apply First world logic to Third world infrastructure. Aid is always slow in these situations. They don't have 6 lane freeways connecting the cities...they barely have passable roads at the best of times. Airport is basic and sea ports were damaged during earthquake. Add to that the points OH raised and it not easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted January 17, 2010 Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 Rush is telling the people not to donate to the Hati disaster. Nice guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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