Haiti Earthquake

[Lilas Pastia]

5 days after the Haïti earthquake, I haven't seen ONE mention of the event. 

I clearly recall the Katrina and tsunami threads. This catastrophe is of similar magnitude, and much closer to (american) home. And yet, I have a feeling everybody is busy watching the birds and the clouds  .  Is it because most of the victims are Black? Or maybe they brought this upon themselves by selling their soul to the Devil?

Honestly, I have to say I'm surprised... Maybe the search engine failed to bring up the expected flood of posts on the subject?

[Keemun]

I don't think race has anything to do with it.  Most of the victims of Hurricane Katrina were black, at least in New Orleans, which received the most media coverage.  And I seriously doubt anyone here believes the Haitians brought it on themselves by selling their soul to the devil.  At least I hope not. 

I cannot answer for anyone else, but I personally was not interested in starting a thread on the topic because everywhere I turn the media is bombarding me with it, and as a result I have no interest in discussing it.  Perhaps I have become desensitized to natural disasters that do not directly affect me?  Or maybe the situation in Haiti seems so hopeless that I am more comfortable tuning it out?  It could just be that an earthquake in Haiti is not very surprising, and therefore lacks the sex appeal of an enormous wave devastating multiple nations or the city of New Orleans drowning.  I honestly don't know.

[greg]

Or maybe the situation in Haiti seems so hopeless that I am more comfortable tuning it out? 

That's kind of how I feel...

[Lilas Pastia]

  And I seriously doubt anyone here believes the Haitians brought it on themselves by selling their soul to the devil.  At least I hope not. 

Think again...http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/01/13/haiti.pat.robertson/index.html   

Or maybe the situation in Haiti seems so hopeless that I am more comfortable tuning it out?

Probably. There's a general ennui about Haiti's hopeless situation. Still, some 200000 are dead by now, and the count mounts by the hour.

It's a big story here because of the size of the haitian community. Just about every one in greater Montreal knows someone who's affected by the disaster. Because of the language, a large professional and university-educated haitian community has settled in Quebec. Doctors, surgeons, nurses, engineers, lawyers, university professors, writers, musicians, cops, members of parliament...

And the ordinary folks as well, of course - cooks, orderlies, hookers, street gang criminals. Just like us White folks...

[david johnson]

'5 years after the Haïti earthquake,'

you have a time machine?

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

That's kind of how I feel...

Me too. And speaking just for myself, I find natural disasters boring, at least from a discussion POV. There's no one to blame (except God, or the Devil, as some people are saying).

[Szykneij]

And I seriously doubt anyone here believes the Haitians brought it on themselves by selling their soul to the devil. 

Think again...http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/01/13/haiti.pat.robertson/index.html   

Pat Robertson posts here?

[Keemun]

Think again...http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/01/13/haiti.pat.robertson/index.html   

By "here" I meant at GMG. 

[Wendell_E]

5 years after the Haïti earthquake, I haven't seen ONE mention of the event. 

I clearly recall the Katrina and tsunami threads. This catastrophe is of similar magnitude, and much closer to (american) home.

Haiti's closer to "(american) home" than New Orleans???

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

The War Nerd's take on Haiti, from a few years back...

http://exiledonline.com/homage-to-haiti-a-war-nerd-classic/#more-16946

[Lilas Pastia]

Haiti's closer to "(american) home" than New Orleans???

Haha! Of course...  Although you wouldn't have guessed it from the snail's pace of the governmen't response to the disaster. New Orleans could have well have been in Patagonia - relief might have come sooner  I hadn't intended to bring in Katrina in my post, that's why. But I figured it might help dig a hole in the thick skin of indifference. Looks like nothing can...

[Lilas Pastia]

The War Nerd's take on Haiti, from a few years back...

http://exiledonline.com/homage-to-haiti-a-war-nerd-classic/#more-16946

Some of the posters on that site have colourful nicknames fuckniggas, OrangePlus   . In any case, I fail to see what's the connection between the country's turbulent history and its present plight.

Because of its terminal state of poverty and despondency, Haïti has been the goodwill outlet of thousands of individuals and organizations eager to put their energies to good use (home is always so blah...). There are more religious missions, relief, training and assistance teams from the world over than in any other country. 'Doing Haïti' is chic. And you can expect that it will be in the same situation in 20, 40, 100 years. So reassuring.

At last count, 130 UN troops have disappeared, buried alive under the debris of their Headquarters. About 1000 Canadians have either died or disappeared. One of my friends who had just arrived 2 hours earlier was in a backyard garden taking a drink with his haitian friend. His host went in to fetch something - and never came out. His house had come down on him in less than 10 seconds. My friend is back since yesterday. He only survived because he stayed outside. I don't know about the USA, but I'd imagine it's anywhere between 4000 and 8000. On top of the 200000 natives of course. 25000 have hastily been dumped in mass graves on the outskirts of the capital.

Right now, rescue teams are discovering destroyed cities and villages outside of Port-au-Prince. As many as 1 million are homeless. The capital's harbour has been heavily damaged and will not be of any use for at least 3 months. That leaves ONE airstrip as the single way of receiving aid and personnel. The challenge is to bring them out and into the areas they are most needed. A hard task, as roads are either damaged or littered with debris.

The US response seems to have been prompt and adequate. US army forces have taken hold of airport operations (as per a standing treaty) and operations seem to have improved. Hopefully they will be able to pull out as many corpses as could be. Yesterday's night news showed trucks loaded with corpses heading toward the garbage refuse site, where they were quickly dumped. Heads, hands and feet protruding from the dark mass  .

We all have the option to zap channels and watch Biggest Loser or some other reality show. Suffering is so annoying.

[Sergeant Rock]

Finally have some good news (on a personal level): my brother-in-law and his group were evacuated yesterday. They were holed up in an Apostolic mission compound about 100 miles from Port au Prince. The State Department told my sister that they couldn't send help but would try to get them out of the country if they came to the capital. But they had no gasoline for travel and dwindling supplies of food and medicine. A Methodist missionary group came to their rescue. They flew in a couple of small planes and took them to Nassau. My borther-in-law should be home tomorrow.

Sarge

[karlhenning]

Excellent, Sarge.

[Lilas Pastia]

Rescue efforts are very difficult. Amputations are performed by the hundreds every day. But amputees are not looked after, as there is a constant stream of people needing immediate care. Wounds get infected fast. Gangrene is a major hazard. Spine injuries abound, but there are no wheelchairs.

Only one hotel in the capital has been spared (The Plaza), as it stands above the city on a hilly side (elevated constructions suffer the least from an earthquake). Everything is in working order. The whole hotel - rooms, conference rooms and all facilities - has been bought out by the big networks (CNN, ABC, NBC, Reuters, RTL, RAI). Journalists can sleep, shower, have their laundry done, eat and communicate as if nothing had happened. The Netherlands Marine Corps mounts guard (Source)
.
The non-existant haitian Government wants to move out 400000 people from the capital into makeshift camps. Latest estimates are 200000 dead, 250000 injured and 2000000 (2 million) homeless,

Meanwhile, geological surveys figure 'the next Big One' should occur in LA, Tokyo, Tehran, Oregon or Indonesia. There should be good hillside hotel locations to accommodate journalists. Nothing to worry, CNN will still stream in.

[owlice]

Barak, please know that just because there isn't a thread about something on GMG, it doesn't mean that something isn't important, thought about, talked about, acted upon, etc. by posters here. You have NO idea what GMG members may be doing in their personal lives in response to this, or any other, disaster, and to assume that people don't care about something simply because they aren't talking about it here is silly. So, too, is suggesting that people are racist because they aren't conforming to your posting expectations.

Sarge, I'm glad your b-i-l and his group are okay!

[Lilas Pastia]

Sorry, Owlice, but you're sooooo off the mark....

[Andante]

'5 years after the Haïti earthquake,'

you have a time machine?

I am equally puzzled, no one else has said anything, is it really 2015 

[Lethevich]

Sorry, Owlice, but you're sooooo off the mark....

I dunno how making a thread about it keeps you out of the "asshole" category. How much have you donated?

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I dunno how making a thread about it keeps you out of the "asshole" category. How much have you donated?

I think you're underestimating the charity value of moral grandstanding on an obscure forum devoted to classical music.