What to do about post-quake Haiti?

[hellbilly]

If you choose to live in shanties built on a hillside in a quake zone..

I don't feel cold-hearted about the victims.. not exactly. But I have had some thoughts about the disaster and the millions of aid (and temporary sorrow) that will be doled out to rebuild... shanties on a hillside in a quake zone?

What has Haiti contributed to modern society? What does it offer in exchange for being rebuilt by others?

[blackie]

The USA has been fucking with Haiti for a long time. They wouldn't have so many problems if the USA didn't cause those problems.

[hellbilly]

So the USA causes the timid natives to believe in voodoo and live in shanties. Noted.

Historically, you'll need to include France and Germany for their parts in treating the former slaves unfairly. And then, you'll need to blame everyone who ever landed there, including the former slaves, for eradicating the natives who occupied the land before them. It's also likely that there were people there before even the "natives" took over. So how far back would you like to go to discuss Haiti's troubles?

But what's new? Third World/developing countries exploited by global champions of commerce. Same old story. You'd think that in time individuals would learn to act in their own best interests, even if they are being treated unfairly by outsiders.

Not sure if you're just trolling again or not, but as usual your post is pretty vague. If you know of specific problems that the USA caused that directly relate to the failure of Haitian natives, do tell.

[anarchir]

That specific fault hadnt done anything in 200 years...I dont think they could see this coming. And they arent all shantys.

[hellbilly]

That specific fault hadnt done anything in 200 years...I dont think they could see this coming. And they arent all shantys.

Is that a before quake or after quake photo?

There are plenty of images like that online, and I suspect as more post-quake photos come out it will become more difficult to figure out the difference. Sure there are pretty places in Haiti- that would be natural considering where it's located. Unfortunately, in it's current, or pre-quake condition actually, it's appearance due to the current occupants lifestyles is/was completely unnatural.

I'm not without compassion on the tragedy. Instead, I think that I'm far too jaded on how this will play out, and am bored of it already. It's today's big headline, tomorrow's forgotten party. Already I can hear the words coming from the mouths of Hollywood's sad mouths, requesting pledges of money from their (much less wealthy) fanbase. Every headline will repeat the latest dramatic death toll up to the minute! Individuals will flock to the rescue and pat themselves on the back for having pitched in to go down and help construct new housing and facilities that in a few years will reach the same appearance of an outdoor flea market.

It doesn't seem too far fetched to imagine a future where every tragedy has a logo slapped on it, forms a PR and marketing division to back it, gets tax-free status, and of course, a Hollywood spokesperson. Then perhaps a movie and a line of Happy Meal toys.

[anarchir]

That first one has to be before. Nobody is going inside buildings currently due to collapses and after-tremors.

[Diogenes The Cynic]

Total free market.

Haiti as a nation is worth a lot in terms of a vacation nation. If businesses engaged in buyouts of the country where they bought land from people on condition that they move out of the nation, the people in poverty there would benefit from the opportunity to move, and the investors would benefit from proper exploitation of the nations natural resources.

[ForumTroll]

Sell the bodies quickly at auction to cannibals to help pay for cleanup.

[Harry Tuttle]

Give blood and donate money at the red cross - and for FSM sake, don't let the US Government help.

[fatcat]

So the USA causes the timid natives to believe in voodoo and live in shanties. Noted.

Historically, you'll need to include France and Germany for their parts in treating the former slaves unfairly. And then, you'll need to blame everyone who ever landed there, including the former slaves, for eradicating the natives who occupied the land before them. It's also likely that there were people there before even the "natives" took over. So how far back would you like to go to discuss Haiti's troubles?

But what's new? Third World/developing countries exploited by global champions of commerce. Same old story. You'd think that in time individuals would learn to act in their own best interests, even if they are being treated unfairly by outsiders.

Not sure if you're just trolling again or not, but as usual your post is pretty vague. If you know of specific problems that the USA caused that directly relate to the failure of Haitian natives, do tell.

USA has FUCKED Haiti by artificially inflating food prices through ethanol subsidy.

You act as if people live in shanties because their dumb. Shanties are a sign of development. Look at India now and compare it to 20 years ago. Where there where shanty towns there are now skyscrapers.

this is no accident

Anyway, you 're taking an unnecessarily trader view of things.

Whats in it for you? Nothing. Except you get to feel good that you helped someone who's had their house destroyed and possibly family members killed.

Also whats this "what has Haiti contributed to the world" bullshit. Sounds like collectivist tripe to me.

There are individuals who do business with some Hatian individuals "Haiti" doesn't do shit, Hatian individuals do. If you haven't done any business with Hatian individuals, then of course Haiti hasn't contributed anything to you specifically, but the same can be said for hundreds of other countries.

Some people will have built their whole lively hoods on trade with Haiti. Some people won't have.

[fatcat]

also acting as if living in Shanties means you shouldn't care they got took out by an earthquake is dumb.



If the presidential Palace can get knocked down, average wage Hatians have no chance.

Its simple game theory, these people didn't do anything wrong they just got bad fortune.

Do you spend an unnecessarily high amount of your small Hatian income on having a earthquake proof house, or do you spend it on food, clothes, vehicles, tools etc.

The way you're talking about it, the only Hatians who didn't fuck up, where neurotically obsessed people who spent all their money on building an earth quake proof house, even though thats a really bad idea since major earthquakes are so rare.

You might aswell say people in 9/11 fucked up by not having a private hire helicopter on the roof at all times.

[ForumTroll]

USA has FUCKED Haiti by artificially inflating food prices through ethanol subsidy.

They don't eat fucking corn, they eat rice. Since when are we turning rice into ethanol?

And food prices are still artificially lowered by other government subsidies to farmers, so don't go blaming it on alcohol.

[fatcat]

USA has FUCKED Haiti by artificially inflating food prices through ethanol subsidy.

They don't eat fucking corn, they eat rice. Since when are we turning rice into ethanol?

And food prices are still artificially lowered by other government subsidies to farmers, so don't go blaming it on alcohol.

durrrr... I said food prices and not corn prices for a reason.

Thats not how the food market works. If you massively increase the price of one staple, it has a knock on effect on all the others.

If the worldwide price of corn goes up, that means places where they used to eat alot of corn start buying alot of rice or wheat instead, this means the price of rice goes up.

dumbass.

Now ethanol subsidies obviously aren't purely to blame for Haiti food shortages.

But Haiti was already shit poor and the increased food prices caused by ethanol subsidy had a way worse effect on Haiti than on more economically robust counrty.

[ForumTroll]

USA has FUCKED Haiti by artificially inflating food prices through ethanol subsidy.

They don't eat fucking corn, they eat rice. Since when are we turning rice into ethanol?

And food prices are still artificially lowered by other government subsidies to farmers, so don't go blaming it on alcohol.

durrrr... I said food prices and not corn prices for a reason.

Thats not how the food market works. If you massively increase the price of one staple, it has a knock on effect on all the others.

If the worldwide price of corn goes up, that means places where they used to eat alot of corn start buying alot of rice or wheat instead, this means the price of rice goes up.

dumbass.

Now ethanol subsidies obviously aren't purely to blame for Haiti food shortages.

But Haiti was already shit poor and the increased food prices caused by ethanol subsidy had a way worse effect on Haiti than on more economically robust counrty.

OMG YOUR LOGIC IS OBVIOUSLY SUPERIOR THEN MINE NOW YOU CAN GO MASTURBATE TO IT

[The ghost of a ghost of a ghost]

If you choose to live in shanties built on a hillside in a quake zone..

I don't feel cold-hearted about the victims.. not exactly. But I have had some thoughts about the disaster and the millions of aid (and temporary sorrow) that will be doled out to rebuild... shanties on a hillside in a quake zone?

What has Haiti contributed to modern society? What does it offer in exchange for being rebuilt by others?

That's why people call libertarians selfish, heartless, assholes.  Brilliant.  "Fuck them dumb folks.  Got what was coming to em."  They don't deserve help b/c they've contributed nothing to the global community that I can quantify."

 I hope most others in the liberty movement don't feel the same way you do.