The New Dark Age

27 January, 2010

Interview: David Wilson
VICTIMS OF FREE TRADE “VOODOO”
An immigrant rights activist who was in Haiti when the earthquake hit describes how U.S. and IMF policies contributed to the suffering.
socialistworker.org/2010/01/27/free-trade-voodoo

Analysis: Helen Scott
HAITI UNDER THE EAGLE
The U.S. media’s coverage of the earthquake in Haiti leaves out any mention of an older disaster—the long and bloody record of U.S. intervention.
socialistworker.org/2010/01/26/haiti-under-the-eagle

Comment
UNION NURSES RESPOND FOR HAITI
National Nurses United put out a call for volunteers, and the response was overwhelming—despite the attitude of the U.S. military.
socialistworker.org/2010/01/27/nurses-respond-for-haiti

Comment: Ashley Smith
HUMANITARIAN AID OR MILITARY OCCUPATION?
Instead of rushing food, water and rescue teams to help the victims of Haiti’s earthquake, the Obama administration has organized an occupation.
socialistworker.org/2010/01/19/humanitarian-aid-or-occupation

Analysis: Rachel Cohen and Alan Maass
THE SIEGE OF HAITI
A ring of U.S. warships on patrol off Haiti’s coast to stop desperate people from trying to flee is a stark symbol of Washington’s attitude toward refugees.
socialistworker.org/2010/01/22/siege-of-haiti

Comment: Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
THE MEDIA’S SCAPEGOATING REFLEX
The earthquake that rocked Haiti has brought back hard memories of the racist atmosphere whipped up after the Katrina disaster in New Orleans.
socialistworker.org/2010/01/22/media-scapegoating-reflex

Interview: Jesse Hagopian
WITNESS TO A NIGHTMARE
A Seattle activist and writer who was in Haiti when the earthquake hit talks about the desperate situation gripping the country, and how the U.S. made things worse.
socialistworker.org/2010/01/18/witness-to-a-nightmare

Interview: Olden Polynice
WE ARE A FORGOTTEN PEOPLE
A former NBA player and longtime activist and advocate for his homeland talks about the post-earthquake calamity in Haiti.
socialistworker.org/2010/01/18/the-forgotten-people

Refugees from ‘nightmare’ swamp Haitian town
Saint Marc, Haiti (AFP) Jan 25, 2010 – The Haitian town of Saint Marc is sinking beneath a tide of humanity, with 10,000 refugees lodging with friends, strangers or in churches after fleeing the nightmare of the quake-hit capital. Buses incessantly pass through the town some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Port-au-Prince, loaded with earthquake victims hoping to find food and shelter from the aftershocks of the January 12 disas …

Haiti reconstruction may take a decade, donors say
Montreal (AFP) Jan 25, 2010 – Rebuilding Haiti out of the ruins left by a massive earthquake could take at least a decade, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper warned Monday as donors began to map out a long-term strategy. “It was not an exaggeration to say that at least 10 years of hard work awaits the world in Haiti,” Harper said as international leaders gathered in the wake of the 7.0-magnitude quake which ravaged t …

Shoddy, Corruption Construction Cause Of Haiti Devastation
Boulder CO (SPX) Jan 26, 2010 – The death toll in the massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti Jan. 12 is expected to continue to rise in the coming days, likely in large part because of corruption and resulting shoddy construction practices in the poor Caribbean nation, according to a University of Colorado at Boulder seismologist. The earthquake hit about 10 miles west of the capitol city of Porte-au-Prince, which has …

Rebuilding Haiti From A Snowy Swiss Resort
By Kanayo F. Nwanze
The president of the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development at the Davos summit plans to highlight the potential of small producers to redevelop Haiti.
www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/398299.html

Venezuela Cancels Haiti’s Debt, CITGO Ships 120 Tons of Aid, and …
By magbana
“In alignment with the solidarity principle of our shareholder, PDVSA, the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, we at CITGO are working very hard to offer additional assistance to the Haitian people at this time …
hcvanalysis.wordpress.com/2010/01/26/venezuela-cancels-haitis-debt-citgo-ships-120-tons-of-aid-and-albas-humanitarian-fund/

Man Found Alive in Haiti Rubble 14 Days After Quake
FOXNews
The post-quake needs of Haiti’s children have outrun available help. Some youngsters have been released from hospitals with no one to care for them — there …
www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,584013,00.html?test=latestnews

US adoptions of Haitian kids face stumbling blocks
USA Today
By Fred Dufour, AFP/Getty Images By Wendy Koch, USA TODAY The adoption of Haitian children by American families is facing increased scrutiny by Haiti’s …
www.usatoday.com/news/world/2010-01-26-haiti-adoptions-scrutiny_N.htm

John Travolta flies aid and Scientologists to Haiti
USA Today
John Travolta arrived in Haiti today with a plane-load of aid — six tons of ready-to-eat military food and medical supplies, to be exact. …
content.usatoday.com/communities/kindness/post/2010/01/john-travolta-flies-scientologist-aid-to-haiti/1

Jessica Simpson helps Haiti with a shoe drive
Houston Chronicle
Jessica Simpson is stepping in to support earthquake-devastated Haiti – the pop star has organized a drive to send shoes to survivors of the disaster. …
www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/style/6836045.html

Jefferies, Carnival Lead Donations for Haiti: Table
Bloomberg
26 (Bloomberg) — US companies donated tens of millions of dollars to Haitian relief after the Jan. 12 earthquake that its government said left 2 million …
www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aiFwFX1sINQg

Haiti victims: US families still await word
USA Today
AP By Oren Dorell, USA TODAY Two days after an earthquake leveled the hotel where college student Courtney Hayes was staying in Port-au-Prince, Haiti,…
www.usatoday.com/news/world/2010-01-26-haiti-missing_N.htm

Clinton lashes out at critics on Haiti
AFP
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday staunchly defended the American response to Haiti’s earthquake, lashing out at foreign critics …
www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hBg2UXbiNATDP8qV6sDB6CoOPd1Q

Haiti’s ‘floating hospital’: Tough questions on USNS Comfort
USA Today
The officer, Lt. Cmdr. Mill Etienne, 34, is Haitian, fluent in Creole. He is also a neurologist, called to the intensive-care ward of this floating US Navy …
www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-01-27-1Acomfort27_CV_N.htm

83 million tune in to Haiti telethon
Los Angeles Times (blog)
More than 83 million people tuned in Friday night for at least a portion of the Hope for Haiti Now telethon, which aired commercial-free on dozens of …
latimesblogs.latimes.com/laplaza/2010/01/83-million-tune-in-to-haiti-telethon.html

US death toll in Haiti quake nearing 100
Washington Post
12 earthquake in Haiti is nearing 100. State Department spokesman PJ Crowley told reporters Tuesday that confirmed US deaths now number 60, and another 37 …
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/26/AR2010012602260.html

“Hope For Haiti Now” Raises $61 Million, Heads to Number One on …
By Daniel Kreps
Friday night’s “Hope For Haiti Now” telethon raised more than $61 million for the victims of the devastating earthquake that struck the Caribbean island two weeks ago, Reuters reports. An average of 24 million people watched the entire …
www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2010/01/26/hope-for-haiti-now-raises-61-million-heads-to-number-one-on-the-chart/

Canadians Give Generously to Haiti – The Lede Blog – NYTimes.com
By By ROBERT MACKEY
With matching funds from Canada’s government, two telethons on Canadian television last week raised nearly $40 million for victims of the earthquake in Haiti.
thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/canadians-give-generously-to-haiti/

Haiti Earthquake Disaster Photos | All About News And News
By Alex
Haiti earthquake disaster photos are available on various news papers, magazines and all over the internet. These disaster photos make a man think about the.
news.about-knowledge.com/haiti-earthquake-disaster-photos/

Magnitude 4.4 – HAITI REGION
By US Geological Survey
90 km (55 miles) W of PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti 170 km (105 miles) SW of Cap-Haitien, Haiti 1080 km (670 miles) SE of Miami, Florida. Location Uncertainty, horizontal +/- 11.1 km (6.9 miles); depth fixed by location program …
earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2010rya8.php

Marginal Revolution: Haiti fact of the day
By Tyler Cowen
There’s another, more immediate solution that can be applied while we’re waiting for Haitian government to function with some modicum of effectiveness: Western expertise. Haiti lacks trained structural engineers or construction managers …
www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2010/01/haiti-fact-of-the-day-2.html

BBC News – What is delaying Haiti’s aid?
The BBC looks at some of the reasons why thousands of people in Haiti have still receiving little or no aid in Haiti despite a massive international relief …
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8472670.stm

YouTube – Miracle rescues in Haiti after earthquake
Latest from Haiti after the massive earthquake.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-9r-55o20U

Cruise ships still find a Haitian berth | World news | The Guardian
Sixty miles from Haiti’s devastated earthquake zone, luxury liners are still docking at private beaches for passengers to enjoy jet ski rides, …
www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/17/cruise-ships-haiti-earthquake

Sniping at US Haiti Role Shows EU Weakness: Celestine Bohlen
BusinessWeek
At least, that’s what the leaders of Bolivia, Nicaragua and Venezuela are calling it: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez went so far as to claim that the …
www.businessweek.com/news/2010-01-26/sniping-at-u-s-haiti-role-shows-eu-weakness-celestine-bohlen.html

Obama pledges ‘aggressive’ relief effort – CNN.com
President Obama pledged Wednesday that the US government would lead “a swift, coordinated and aggressive effort to save lives” in Haiti after that country’s …
www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/01/13/haiti.obama/index.html

26 January, 2010

Michael Moore on Haiti, the Supreme Court Decision on Corporate Campaign Financing, and Why He Calls the Democrats “Disgusting”
Filmmaker Michael Moore joins us for a wide-ranging interview about Haiti, the Supreme Court decision on corporate campaign financing, President Obama’s first year in office, the Democrats, and much more. “The Democrats] don’t have the guts. They don’t have the courage of their own convictions. They’re disgusting. I’m embarrassed,” Moore says. “I want really nothing to do with them. And if they don’t find their spine, well, they’re in for a huge surprise in November.” Tags: Michael Moore Haiti Supreme Court campaign finance Obama Il…
salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Tqc9BaJaaI5cDBy%2FCPbYGQJ1P4XroxZs

Fighting Starvation, Haitians Share Portions
Maxi Extralien, a twig-thin 10-year-old in a SpongeBob pajama top, ate only a single bean from the heavy plate of food he received recently from a Haitian civic group. He had to make it last. “My mother has 12 kids but a lot of them died,” he said, covering his meal so he could carry it to his family. “There are six of us now and my mom.” For Maxi and countless others here in Haiti’s pulverized capital, new rules of hunger etiquette are emerging. Stealing food, it is widely known, might get you killed. Children are most likely to return with …
salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=PqxTYzE2kxX%2BvkWiGQ2T5wJ1P4XroxZs

No respite for Haiti amid fresh aftershocks
salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=OB9KqtpPpEuUObGdc5jzwAJ1P4XroxZs

Haitian quake toll could hit 300,000
salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=xY4M4fs%2BcFg2WumJbvGwEQJ1P4XroxZs

Tè Tremblé: Journey to the Epicenter of the Haiti Earthquake
salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=4KhRhs%2BwuHA0%2FQQGXAqQVwJ1P4XroxZs

Haiti hit by another earthquake, 6.1-magnitude
salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=yULpq4Pjaf06wCAtfLqH4QJ1P4XroxZs

Clinton ‘deeply resents’ foreign criticism on Haiti
AFP
Leftist allies Venezuela, Bolivia and Cuba have criticized the United States for its response to the quake, accusing US forces of occupying the country …
www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5is6iqy37igL698JZY8RS6GG6Gv5Q

US Navy anchors one of its secret prisons in Haitian waters 25 Jan 2010
While the deployment of 10000 US troops in Haiti has been qualified by a number of Latin American political leaders as an invasion and occupation under the guise of a humanitarian relief operation, the arrival of the USS Bataan in Haiti raises even more questions. Over recent years, this amphibious assault ship has been converted into a floating secret prison, forming part of the CIA network of “black sites” used for so-called “enhanced interrogation techniques”. The ship’s flat hold bottom, designed to accommodate troops for disembarkment, has been equipped with cages. Prisoners are subjected to the same experiments as in Guantánamo.
www.islamtimes.org/vdcbs5b8.rhb9fpe4ur.html

“UN must look at why the US sent troops to Haiti” – Castro 25 Jan 2010
The leader of the Cuban revolution Fidel Castro is questioning why the U.S. and other countries sent soldiers to quake-ravaged Haiti. According to RIA Novosti News Agency, Castro wrote in an article on Sunday that “without anyone knowing how or why, Washington dispatched troops to occupy Haitian territory and other nations followed suit.” Castro said that “neither the United Nations nor the government of the United States has offered an explanation to the people of the world” for sending soldiers. Castro noted that “several governments” complained that the troop presence kept them from landing aid flights in Haiti, saying it “complicated international cooperation.”
rt.com/Top_News/2010-01-24/haiti-us-military-occupation.html

Don’t cut off aid, warns Haiti PM —Dispute over relief effort follows Italian criticism of ‘pathetic’ US coordination 26 Jan 2010
Haiti’s government is ready to lead the relief and reconstruction effort after the devastating earthquake which killed as many as 200,000 people and left an estimated 1.5 million homeless… Even as the Montreal meeting was starting, Italy’s foreign minister, Franco Frattini, found himself mending a diplomatic rift after a cabinet colleague dispatched to Haiti spoke disparagingly of the relief effort in general and of the role played by the US military. Guido Bertolaso, the civil protection minister, said that the US intervention had been “pathetic”.
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/dont-cut-off-aid-warns-haiti-pm-1878816.html