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I am so furious after hearing the phony Christian yesterday I was happy to hear about the efforts of Medical Team International, Portland based. This is a Christian group that sponsors Northwest doctars who do everything from dental care for the poor to disaster relief in the third world. This from a doctar from my daughter's office joining the team on the way to Haiti. "I will be gone for two weeks. We are meeting up with an orthopedic team and we have been given space in a burn unit that it still standing. We are going to convert 4 rooms into makeshift operating rooms. I am going to try to update my blog (www.powerdyme-blog.com) while I’m gone if I am able to get a connection to the outside world. If you would like to support the work that we are doing you can do so my going to www.medicalteams.org."
Seattle Times wrote about the orthopedic team this morning. Dr. Lew Zirkle, an orthopedic surgeon from Richland, WA will lead the efforts to set bones with a low tech technique which should make a big difference to hundreds of folks.
Zero G. - I understand. I guess I am still naive enough to think that everyone, no matter how evil and selfish, still have some goodness left in them.
Guess I am badly mistaken!
Well military is the most efficient organization of all who are used to managing rescue and relief work on a large scale - they do excercises on a regular basis to mock similar situations (lessons from Vietnam etc) though probably not on this large scale.
Private organization who have a terrible time trying to coordinate as each would try to take the leadership to promote their name for fund raising efforts leading to increasing confusion.
The news at the top of the hour just mentioned relief planes are being diverted from Port au Prince airport because of lack of room. This morning it was reported that the US military had "secured" the airport. Recognizing that this is a small facility, one can wonder about the logistical wisdom of the military footprint.
Mir, what could be shocking about the timing - Pat Robertson's comments are timed to maximize media attention. The more shocking, the more attention.
Pat Robertson Admits His Deal With Satan
Billionaire evangelist Pat Robertson admitted today that he made a deal with Satan for worldly success.
"You ask how I know that the Haitians made a deal with the devil?" he said to his radio audience, "Well it's because the Devil Himself told me. We talk every day as I report to him what I do for him.
"Didn't you ever notice I make millions from blood diamonds in Zaire, and none of my Christian flock ever objected?," he went on. "I blamed 9/11 on lesbians! The crazier the things I do and say, the more money I make. That's not how God works. Obviously I did a deal with the Other Guy."
"When I considered the Bible as the literal truth," Robertson continued. "I was sad because Jesus commanded us to give all we had to the poor. Like the young man He was speaking to, I went away sad, for I too wished to be rich.
"But then I read about Satan offering mastery of the world to Jesus if only He would do homage to the Devil, I thought 'OK, you've got a deal!'"
"So I looked again at the Bible and discovered that Satan is called the Father of Lies. All I have to do is find people who like to be lied to, and they will make me rich. I prayed to Satan, and he delivered millions of credulous fools into my hands.
"Now everyone who is listening to my words get down on all fours and bleat like sheep," he commanded, "And send me a fat check!"
http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i67092
What Pat Robertson said was neither surprising nor shocking - the shocking part was when he said it! The body count has not even started yet (could run close to 500,000) and Pat says that all these guys were killed / maimed / ruined because they (their forefathers) chose freedom from the French instead of colonial rule????
A good history lesson:
Haiti and America's Historic Debt
By Robert Parry
January 13, 2010
http://consortiumnews.com/2010/011310.html
[...]Hamilton, the first U.S. Treasury Secretary, helped L’Ouverture draft a constitution for the new nation.
Conspiracies
But events in Paris and Washington soon conspired to undo the promise of Haiti’s new freedom.
Despite Hamilton’s sympathies, some Founders, including Thomas Jefferson who owned 180 slaves and owed his political strength to agrarian interests, looked nervously at the slave rebellion in St. Domingue. Jefferson feared that slave uprisings might spread northward.
“If something is not done, and soon done,” Jefferson wrote in 1797, “we shall be the murderers of our own children.” [...]
Just a tease....
For a great summary of what Pat Robertson said listen to this YouTube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59NCduEhkBM
Colonialism was always led by the transnationals, since begining of colonialism. The only difference is - earlier the rulers (kings) used to 'own' the armies and the trans-nationals used to kiss up to them to 'borrow' the forces, now they themselves own a huge part of the 'armies' (the war industries and mercenary forces) and the rulers kiss up to them!
Haiti Disaster Capitalism Alert: Stop Them Before They Shock Again
By Naomi Klein - January 13th, 2010
Readers of the The Shock Doctrine know that the Heritage Foundation has been one of the leading advocates of exploiting disasters to push through their unpopular pro-corporate policies. From this document, they're at it again, not even waiting one day to use the devastating earthquake in Haiti to push for their so-called reforms. The following quote was hastily yanked by the Heritage Foundation and replaced with a more diplomatic quote, but their first instinct is revealing:
"In addition to providing immediate humanitarian assistance, the U.S. response to the tragic earthquake in Haiti earthquake offers opportunities to re-shape Haiti’s long-dysfunctional government and economy as well as to improve the public image of the United States in the region."
from: http://www.naomiklein.org/articles/2010/01/haiti-disaster-capitalism-ale...
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We should be very clear that G. W. Bush should have no part in humanitarian relief, we need not the help of war mongers and causers of humanitarian disasters.
We should be also weary of Bill Clinton's neo-liberal b.s. forcing itself on Haiti.
Return Aristide and Democracy to Haiti!
@Ronald Rutherford - Did you REALLY write the phrase "... President (GWB) was elected twice and has ... Congress and the Press to keep him honest unlike an individual that decides to be a scorpion on society..."??!!
Hmmmm - where to start?
1) "elected twice" - Well, appointed by the Supreme Court once, and with the help of a buddy in the voting machine business, stole a 2nd election.
2) "honest" - I have neither the inclination nor the time to list, or even estimate the number, of the lies GWB was CAUGHT telling while in office. NOBODY can be "kept honest" by a kowtowing, subservient, partisan Congress, or Press Corps that values access to the powerful over the truth.
3) "scorpion on society" - What a PERFECT description ... of DICK CHENEY!!!
When Thom was mentioning where his tax dollars went, he left out one of the biggest payouts of our money: Israel!
However I realize he can't really touch this topic very often. A lot of people are scared of the topic, or as Jeff Halper of ICAHD (icahd.org) says, many good people run scared of AIPAC and the U.S. involvement with Israel. They choose the easy route - to stay silent instead of engaging in the dialogue and fight. It (the Israeili lobby) is a very powerful adversary which can bring a business, show, or person down.
Pat Robertson & Rush Limbaugh....Gas bags!
I'm sure all of you Truth Seekers out there in cyber space have heard the gas emanating from two of the biggest gas bags around, Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh, regarding Haiti.
Robertson said that the earth quake in Haiti occurred because the Haitian's had a "pact to the devil"! Their "pact", helped rid colonial France from Haiti! Oooo...sinful and devilish to boot!
Well, would one not think that Rush has a "pact to the devil"? Recalling Rush's brush with indigestion, (faux heart attack) while on vacation in Hawaii, one would think that Rush would be off gassing from the grave, using the Robertson analogy!
The common thread? Robertson, Rush, (and their ilk), and fascist corporate media, all gas bags!
Really??? Someone here is actually surprised or "stunned" by what Pat Robertson said? THAT actually surprises (and disappoints) me! This has been a regular occurrence with him and as Thom mentioned this morning, it is not the first time he has made comments along these lines. And sadly, PR has a great deal of support.
I just called CBN's prayer line and asked the counselor if she would please pray for Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh. It wasn't a very long conversation.
Regarding Robertson and other so called 'Men Of God' may I refresh the memory of Matthew 7:15 and the first part of 16: "Beware of false prophets that appear in sheep's clothing, for inwardly they are ravening wolves. By their fruits, ye shall know them."
Jean-BERTRAND (not Jean-Baptiste!) Aristide...
He is no man of god.
Oh brother, Thom!
I just knew reading the headline that you were going to show your extremism in partisanship but that nearly takes the cake.
After Obama leaves office maybe you will remember that in one year in office, Obama also went on vacation {golfing also} as people in the Midwest died in floods. Or maybe you will remember Clinton for bombing an aspirin factory as he got "serviced" in the oval office, No??? Or better yet his bombing of the Chinese in Kosovo?
Why not just give it a rest as he has no real power now, and just let him do what ex-presidents do best, globtrotting in public relations ploys?
Sorry it is not like the underwear bomber as the President was elected twice and has a certain level of constraints like Congress and the Press to keep him honest unlike an individual that decides to be a scorpion on society...
godknows
QUESTION-- What's up with the Dominican Republic? Are they providing assistance? Same island....any damage there?
Hi Thom,Bush represents the latest "economic-kings",to make Haiti pay for winning their revolution.Haiti today,tomorrow us.The economic-kings don`t care.(only power) They use money to "divide & conquer",we can use money to "unite".All The people boycott "to big to fail",and put our pennies in a "to small to fail"(peoples/worker-control-bank) we can put the "economic-kings" out of business like we did the "King of England"(1776) The "peoples-bank" can start the "change" that wasn`t completed in "1776"-ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY!!
Dear Friend,
As the first year of the Obama Administration concludes with the State of the Union, the White House is inviting Americans across the country to connect directly with some of the President’s senior advisors.
Through WhiteHouse.gov, these leaders will report to you on their work and answer your questions on where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re heading.
Every morning this week at WhiteHouse.gov, you’ll find a guest blog post from a senior advisor talking about the progress the Administration has made in a particular area. Then, in the afternoon, that advisor will host a live video chat with the public where you can ask anything you want, or just tune in and see what’s going on.
Here’s the schedule we have planned:
• Monday, 3:30 EST: Carol Browner, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate, discusses the President’s push to create the new clean energy economy.
• Tuesday, 3:00 EST: Ben Rhodes of the National Security Council discusses the President’s handling of national security and foreign policy.
• Wednesday, 12:00 EST: HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will talk about health reform, from how far we’ve come to how reform will benefit American families and small businesses
• Thursday, TBD: The nation’s first Federal Chief Technology Officer, Aneesh Chopra, will join Norm Eisen, special counsel to the President for ethics and government reform, to talk about all the ways in which the President has changed Washington.
• Friday, 1:00 EST: Christina Romer, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, talks about the President’s primary focus on restoring the economy for all Americans and creating jobs for the American people.
Stop by WhiteHouse.gov to read all of the posts, join the chats, and find any updates on times. As the President likes to say, this is the “People’s House,” so we want to open it up and make sure you know what we’re doing to bring the change America needs.
Sincerely,
Valerie Jarrett
Senior Advisor to the President
Thom,
I have a friend whose son is a Secret Service agent. His assignment was directly to guard Bush during his term (also papa bush and clinton). So he was with the president most of the time, even when Bush traveled. He (the agent) told me directly that during the emergency following Katrina, while Bush was vacationing, none of his aids had the cahones to disturb him from mostly playing video games to tell him what was happening at the Superdome and throughout New Orleans. They didn't want to get yelled at was what the agent told me.
Finally one of them grew a pair and insisted on interupting him long enough to show him a video they put together on the news from New Orleans.
Sad, very sad.
I agree with Thom, I don't really want to see Bush included in the PSA's etc... However, realistically it's probably reasonable to have him out there so at least it doesn't become a partisan issue for every right-wing wacko out there. Besides, he'll probably appeal to the far right disciples to help raise funds.
Epitomizes the term "Necessary Evil"