News 2020
All the latest, very early
When it eventually happens, you'll read here that we told you so
A humanitarian disaster may be unfolding in Haiti, according to reports by the Red Cross and other aid organisations. If nothing is done, says the Red Cross report, the disaster may be even worse than the disaster which took place in Haiti five years ago, or the disaster which occurred in Haiti four years before that, or even the disaster which happened in Haiti last year.
Despite over a century of intervention by US forces, Haiti remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Several attempts have been made to democratise its politics, but few democratically elected leaders have survived more than a few years. By contrast, Haiti's dictators often last for decades, despite intervention by US forces which often takes place at the beginning of such regimes.
The present disaster is the result of the devastation caused by the recent hurricanes and tropical storms, which also lashed Florida and caused considerable property damage. Residents of Florida protested recently at the US government's decision to send $60,000 in humanitarian aid to Haiti. The protesters said that the American government's first priority should be to help its own citizens.
The effects of the weather are aggravated by the fact that Haiti has very few trees. A mysterious and apparently pathological native urge to destroy forestation has caused a severe shortage of topsoil, a general lack of natural shelter and a progressive impoverishment of the ground. Food riots have grown increasingly common as the interim government, which the US imposed ten years ago in preparation for democratic elections which will be held as soon as the state of emergency is lifted, struggles to cope with the disaster.
The interim President of Haiti, Georges Crane, today issued a call for calm and a statement of thanks to the US and France for supplying 800 peacekeeping troops to help keep order. "The situation will soon be under control," said Mr Crane, who was a police chief in Haiti before becoming president a decade ago. "I know from experience that once the energetic ones have been dealt with in an energetic manner, things quieten down and the factories can work once more," he said.
Asked whether the US has any plans to withdraw from Haiti when the immediate emergency passes, the Secretary of State yesterday shook his head sadly. "There's some places in the world where you can never seem to get it right," he said. "But America will persevere, and one day - one day when they're ready, and if we all really really try - all these black people will be living in real democracies, free and prosperous and just as much like us as they can be."
When it eventually happens, you'll read here that we told you so
A humanitarian disaster may be unfolding in Haiti, according to reports by the Red Cross and other aid organisations. If nothing is done, says the Red Cross report, the disaster may be even worse than the disaster which took place in Haiti five years ago, or the disaster which occurred in Haiti four years before that, or even the disaster which happened in Haiti last year.
Despite over a century of intervention by US forces, Haiti remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Several attempts have been made to democratise its politics, but few democratically elected leaders have survived more than a few years. By contrast, Haiti's dictators often last for decades, despite intervention by US forces which often takes place at the beginning of such regimes.
The present disaster is the result of the devastation caused by the recent hurricanes and tropical storms, which also lashed Florida and caused considerable property damage. Residents of Florida protested recently at the US government's decision to send $60,000 in humanitarian aid to Haiti. The protesters said that the American government's first priority should be to help its own citizens.
The effects of the weather are aggravated by the fact that Haiti has very few trees. A mysterious and apparently pathological native urge to destroy forestation has caused a severe shortage of topsoil, a general lack of natural shelter and a progressive impoverishment of the ground. Food riots have grown increasingly common as the interim government, which the US imposed ten years ago in preparation for democratic elections which will be held as soon as the state of emergency is lifted, struggles to cope with the disaster.
The interim President of Haiti, Georges Crane, today issued a call for calm and a statement of thanks to the US and France for supplying 800 peacekeeping troops to help keep order. "The situation will soon be under control," said Mr Crane, who was a police chief in Haiti before becoming president a decade ago. "I know from experience that once the energetic ones have been dealt with in an energetic manner, things quieten down and the factories can work once more," he said.
Asked whether the US has any plans to withdraw from Haiti when the immediate emergency passes, the Secretary of State yesterday shook his head sadly. "There's some places in the world where you can never seem to get it right," he said. "But America will persevere, and one day - one day when they're ready, and if we all really really try - all these black people will be living in real democracies, free and prosperous and just as much like us as they can be."
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home