As a New Yorker living in Los Angeles, I still cannot make sense of what the people of Haiti are going through.
I have tried to process it, and I cannot come up with anything.
Sometimes in life, there are no answers.
For those offering news analysis, you are better than me. I have nothing to offer but my own opinions. How can anybody offer news when an event we cannot explain caused damage we cannot estimate for reasons we will never fathom?
Thousands of people dead? Just because?
I may be captain obvious, but I am not captain arbitrary.
Like many, I am praying.
Other than that, my attempt to avoid anger at people who have nothing to do with this tragedy has failed.
On a presidential level, President Obama did the right thing. He responded swiftly and appropriately. I felt he was way too slow to respond to previous events such as the Christmas bomber and the Fort Hood terrorist. I am not going to criticize the President on this one. He got it right. I just hope that his new quick response time shows that he has learned how important it is for a United States President to be seen when things like this happen. He has the bully pulpit, and it is absolutely appropriate for him to use it in times like this.
I also want any nation that continues to criticize America to put a sock in it. We feed, clothe, protect, and defend the world. We are good people. We have opened up our hearts and our wallets. We are not imperialists. The best of the human spirit can be found in this nation.
Americans also know when to put aside partisan politics. We fight over health care legislation and special elections in places like Massachusetts, but we are of one mind on helping Haiti. The relief will arrive quickly because we know what truly matters. We understand what being American is about. Those who criticize us unfairly should knock it off and see how we are helping.
So far the left has not used this tragedy to bash conservatives and Christians, especially in the wake of the comments of Pat Robertson. Those paying attention should notice that every single mainstream conservative condemned the remarks. This includes devout Christians. They found the remarks as idiotic as I did. I would even argue that the remarks were sinful.
People may have their issues with Billy and Franklin Graham, but they are trying to help ina big way. Give them their due on this one.
Bill Clinton pointed out that the people need four things: water, food, shelter, and medicine. Anybody offering this should be praised, not be told “your money is no good here.”
The thing that really riles me about all of this is the fact that it was Haiti.
Think about it. Who have the people of Haiti ever bothered? What has Haiti ever done to offend anybody?
Israel fights with the Arabs. Catholics and Protestants killed each other in Northern Ireland. Even the people of Thailand, who I was told love everybody, don’t like the Malasians.
Nobody dislikes Haiti.
Which brings me to the one source of anger I have in my search for answers.
Where are the Arab Muslim nations with their petrodollars?
Look, if it was a Jewish country they would name the place Hatey. That would be short for Jew-Hatey.
There are no Jews in Haiti.
Yes, there are Americans in Haiti, but Haiti is no reflexive American puppet. It is the poorest Western nation, and it is nowhere near as Americanized as Canada.
This means that there is no reason for the Arabs to treat Haiti like Hatey.
I keep hearing that their is an outpouring of international support.
Guess which portion of the world is not stepping up in proportion to its vast wealth.
My contempt for these countries stems from the fact that they bring nothing positive to this world.
They can’t even rescue a country that they have no conflict with on any level.
At least they are not dancing in the streets firing guns in celebration.
The world should remember who is stepping up to the plate, and it isn’t Arab nations.
It is America and western nations. Israel is also contributing, as they always do. Jewish organizations worldwide are on overdrive contributing assistance.
As I woke up this morning, I asked God to remind me why the world was not going to hell in a hand-basket.
All I wanted was the slightest hint of something positive.
It may be a sign, or just a coincidence, but something positive was out there in this wrecked world.
Today is the one year anniversary of the Miracle on the Hudson.
No, not the Olympic hockey team. That was Lake Placid.
The real miracle in New York was the plane steered by Captain Chesney “Sully” Sullenberger.
Awhile back I said that the reason why he mattered so much was because people were starving for good news. As he pointed out, people need to have hope again.
Right now we need hope more than ever. We need to believe good things are possible. We need to know that life matters, and that we should not give up, throw in the towel, and say that the worst of life will win.
It is easy for me to regroup in a comfortable home in Los Angeles.
It will be much tougher for the people in Haiti.
If ever they needed a miracle similar to the Hudson, now is the time for it.
eric
“I also want any nation that continues to criticize America to put a sock in it. We feed, clothe, protect, and defend the world. We are good people. We have opened up our hearts and our wallets. We are not imperialists. The best of the human spirit can be found in this nation.”
LOL! America! Love it or shut up about it! Good ol’ jingoism… where would conservatism be without it?
We do not feed, protect nor feed the world. We feed some of it, we protect some of it, we defend some of it. We starve some of it, weaken some of it, and attack some of it. We are what we are. we’re not perfect. We’re human beings. We’re a nation. No human being, or nation, is perfect. To think otherwise is childishly ignorant of human nature.
We are an empire. We have forces in some 140 or so countries. We impose our will on vassal states throughout the world. We dictate to states what they can and cannot do. We attack states that do not submit to our demands. By any reasonable definition we are an empire. “Superpower” is just a politically correct term for “Empire.” And so, like all the other empires past, eventually we will consume ourselves.
And, ya’ know, since you hate these Arab states so much, why is it okay for us to indulge their “petro” with our “dollars?”
JMJ
The US contributes more by far to the UN, than any other country.
Yet, we are constantly derided in the General Assembly, made up of
dictarships, criminal countries, human civil rights violators, and
of course the entire Arab League. ( Women are considered
lower than human and treated accordingly).
We have given (or loaned) generously to Africa since WW2, as well as
countries like Egypt, yet have received virtually no repayment.
We spent billions to free 50 Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan, and
are rewarded with continuing enmity by much of the world.
To this day, British leaders are having to justify their involvement ( their leader is blamed for being a stooge for George Bush ).
We give more funds to feed the world than any other country (
see IRS figures on foreign aid). We give Egyp 2b a year, to thank
them for supporting the first Gulf War..(and we forbear on billions
in loans to them, Jordan and Syria).
We have given billions in charity and loans to Israel, to aid them
in bringing in over 1m Russian Jews and their (Christian) wives.
For this, Israel is required to spend the money in the US of A. (Creating
employment for hundreds of thousands in the defense industry).
Israel, is the only country which does not have or want US troops, which
cost US 200,000 year to support. All it asks for are the weapons to
defend itself from countries which receive trillions in military hardware
(from Russia, Brazil, and US).
Israel allows nearly 1b in US military weaponry to be stored on it’s soil,
should NATO be attacked. Israel provides 50b in value to sure up
NATO’s southern flank as well as giving intelligence information to the US, from captured Migs, tanks, etc.
The US has however, made mistakes. It supports the Saudi Regime which
allowed for Al Qaeda ( see Bin Ladin ). Most of the 911 terrorists were
Saudis folks.
The US has in the past, supported Latin American dictatorships..but
this policy has gradually changed.
The US sometims feuds with European countries, but still has trillions
of dollars of trade with them.
For anyone to dismiss Eric’s statements about our involvement
in the world’s progress and benefit, is almost irreligious.
Haiti deserves all of our help and Obama is smartly coming
to their rescue. We here in California are sending teams of doctors,
other survival teams, etc., to that hapless little country.
Israel and other countries are providing support.
I am absolutley sure that had Israel suffered such a calamity, the entire
Arab-Muslim worlds would be shouting in their Friday evening sermons
that it was the “Will of G-d”. Palestinians would be rejoicing from their rooftops and handing out candy, just as they name streets after
terrorists who have killed we Jews. (Don’t believe me, read their
leader’s latest remarks).
We have spent over 1 trillion dollars to bring order to two Muslim
countries, and shed over 4200 lives. We are now deploying 30,000
brave Christian and Jewish soldiers to keep Iraq and Afghanistan free
from Islamic-fascism, while Mohammad Hasan murders 13 of our
finest.
We are keeping Pakistan from being overrun by the Taliban and other
extremist groups.
We have bases in Germany, South Korea and elsewhere, costing
billions to protect democracies worldwide.
Yet, notwithstanding our President’s current correctness he
has also failed to rid Iran of Ahmad and his mullah thugs, put pressure
on Israel to “freeze” all construction on land that Israel won in a
pre-emtive war for it’s survival, kissed the hands of a few dictators
while apologizing for US policies, has flip-flopped on trade with Canada
and Mexico, has been lax about South America, and continues
to “talk, engage” and plead with our enemies.
Haiti will go down as one of his few successes. As Eric
posted, there is not much one can say about that country’s
misfortune. All we can do is help., something no Arab country
has yet decided is necessary.
But there is a G-d folks, a divine power that watches
over all of us. He will determine the fate of the Arab world,
and it’s selfishness. While they build monuments towering
over the Empire State Building, they haven’t sent one nickel
to Haiti.
(correction: That should have read: freed 50 million Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan and are aiding Pakistan’s democracy against it’s extremists.
Dan, we haven’t “freed 50 million Muslims” anywhere. Life for the majority of those folks hasn’t changed a bit, and in many cases has gotten worse. We did help a good portion of them, and that’s great, but let’s not get silly about it. Speaking of silly… “For anyone to dismiss Eric’s statements about our involvement in the world’s progress and benefit, is almost irreligious.” Now, that’s silly. And on a few levels! First of all, for anyone not to criticize anything is anathema to an ostensibly free society. Secondly, saying that a critique of America’s often blatantly regressive and detrimental interferences around the world is somehow misplaced is again just plian ignorant. Finally, your use of the word “irreligious” shows just what a jingo you are.
There is no God, and even if there is, he/she/it has never done anything tangible with the world around us. We make God in our own image and so only we can make ourselves into a better image.
JMJ
Oh, and the GOP had a cozy relationship with Papa Doc. We OWE the Haitians.
JMJ
“””Dan, we haven’t “freed 50 million Muslims” anywhere. Life for the majority of those folks hasn’t changed a bit, and in many cases has gotten worse. We did help a good portion of them, and that’s great, but let’s not get silly about it.”””
Jersey, even though (because of the SOFA) things have deteriorated since the surge, you can’t honestly claim that things have not got better over for Iraqis or Afghans. Nine year old girls are going to school rather than becoming the fifth wives of paedophile terrorists, Iraqi and Afghans alike have had the opportunity to vote and Saddam is mouldering in the ground rather than gassing, raping and torturing anyone who dare to critcise him.
Also, if Saddam was still in power we would have by now two regimes close to developing WMDs – and no chance of stopping either of them.
Note: I meant that things have deteriorated since the surge ended, not since the surge began.
“Dan, we haven’t “freed 50 million Muslims” anywhere. Life for the majority of those folks hasn’t changed a bit, and in many cases has gotten worse. We did help a good portion of them, and that’s great, but let’s not get silly about it.”
Life for 50 million Muslims in the middle east has definately changed for the better but you wouldnt know that if you had to believe anything far left activists will tell you today. As many times as they’ve launched this asinine and baselss claim is as many times as I’ve supplied documented examples and extensive lists of the progress Iraq and Afghanistan has made since at least 2006.
Iraqis refugees have been returning to their homes since Bush launched the surge, Iraqi towns and provinces have been becoming more self reliant, secure, building fucntional infrastructures both civic and industrial.
Hospitals, schools, media have all made astounding leaps in progress for the last couple of years and its certainly not a result of anything the left has contributed.
If they had it their way they’d all still have us believing that were pillaging the oil and raiding villages in the night reminescent of Ghengis Khan until Obama came along.
“There is no God, and even if there is, he/she/it has never done anything tangible with the world around us.”
Maybe, maybe not. But for one to believe that the presence of man is stricly an act of science giving no purpose other than to see evolutionary change for the sake of evolution. I would never be as arrogant as to say that I know definately what powers stand behind our creation and purpose but I would also never be so arrogant as to say that I’m sure there is no purpose behind mans creation.
Anyone who loooks around and cant see that theres defintely and intended design and purpose is simply an intelect thats lazy and dares not exercise the thought it takes to concieve such a possibility and also puts themselves in a position of convenience not having any standard of morality to answer to besides their own personal creation of what is right and wrong.
We owe the Haitians ?
Hmmm..
When the billions Clinton gave them shows up maybe that statement will make some sense
“We’re a nation. No human being, or nation, is perfect. To think otherwise is childishly ignorant of human nature.”
More false arguments, no one claimed or said any such thing to the contrary.
“And, ya’ know, since you hate these Arab states so much, why is it okay for us to indulge their “petro” with our “dollars?”
Its not okay, but as you yourself have said before we only recieve about 20% of our oil from these nations and had we not contracted out the other 80% to the rest of the oil producing nations we’d be contributing to you’d actually have a valid complaint.
Maybe all those green jobs and technological advances in energy production you guys are raving about could aleviate us of this dependency ?
Oh, wait, thats right, it’ll be another 20 years until any of that crap is worth a damn which will bring evergy costs to levels rendering us to living standards of freaking Eskimos