Sometimes getting the job done to save lives after a a natural disaster means doing whatever it takes. Yet somehow I can’t imagine George Bush doing this to help Haiti:
… Thursday night, the United States reached an agreement with Cuba to allow American planes on medical-evacuation missions to pass through restricted Cuban airspace, an official said, reducing the flight time to Miami by 90 minutes.
You see, reaching any accommodation with Cuba over anything would have been a political hot potato for President Bush’s brother, then Governor Jeb Bush. Considering how lackadaisical was Bush’s reaction to Katrina, which was an American city after all, can anyone imagine Commander-in-Chief Bush risking a dust up with the powerful Cuban emigre community merely to save time to save lives in a poor nation of black people?
Well, maybe if there was something in it for Halliburton …
You can find a brief essay regarding the Bush administration’s record on slashing assistance for Haiti at Huffington Post.
How? In the last decade alone, the U.S. slashed humanitarian assistance to Haiti, blocked international loans, forced the government of Haiti to downsize, ruined tens of thousands of small farmers, and replaced the government with private non-governmental organizations. […]
In 2004, the U.S. assisted in a coup against the democratically elected President of Haiti, Jean Bertrand Aristide. This continues a long tradition of the U.S. deciding who will rule the poorest country in the hemisphere. No government lasts in Haiti without U.S. approval.
In 2001, when the U.S. was mad at the President of Haiti, the U.S. successfully led an effort to freeze $148 million in already-approved loans and many hundreds of millions more of potential loans from the Inter-American Development Bank to Haiti. Funds which were dedicated to improve education, public health and roads.
For much of 2001-2004, the U.S. insisted that any international funds sent to Haiti had to go through non-governmental organizations. Funds that would have provided government services were re-routed thus shrinking the ability of the government to provide aid.
Heckuva job, Bushie!
With a friend like Bush, one needs no enemies. And, when you pick on the poorest of the poor in this hemisphere, you are completely without hope (and honor).
It’s really a shame that we aren’t evacuating injured to Cuba for medical treatment. It’s only 50 miles away and Cuba has the medical facilities and doctors to handle it. I am sure they would happily accept as many as can be transported to them.
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With the Christmas tsunami of 2004, Bush sought to form a coalition where the U.S. would have a leading role and avoid the United Nations as a political statement. He wasted time and lives …
Bush, speaking following a briefing on the situation at his home in Crawford, Texas, said the United States is “committed to helping the affected countries in the difficult weeks and months that lie ahead.”
“We’re a very generous, kindhearted nation, and what you’re beginning to see is a typical response from America.”
The president said the immediate questions are determining what must be done immediately, and what must be done for the long-term health of the region. “We’re still at the stage of immediate help.”
Secretary of State Colin Powell has forged a coalition to deal with the unprecedented humanitarian crisis, Bush said. “Based on these discussions, we’ve established a regional core group with India, Japan and Australia to help coordinate relief efforts.”
Powell, Jeb Bush to lead U.S. team
(CNN) Dec. 31, 2004 — The United States will increase its aid pledge from $35 million to $350 million to help victims of the tsunamis in south Asia.
Sen. Patrick Leahy said the initial U.S. offer “gave the wrong impression to the rest of the world, that’s about half of what the little country of Spain is spending,” the Vermont Democrat said.
Bush meets Christian Charity leaders in tsunami relief effort
Bush told the private group that an intended consequence of the American tsunami relief effort is “breaking down some rifts between Muslims, Christians and Jews.”
To help that along, Bush suggested to Messinger that her organization place its name on the side of the donated fishing boats, so the recipients, likely to be Muslims, will know where the help came from.
The bulk of total pledges are comprised of private donors with 34%, followed by the world’s traditional leading bilateral donors – Japan (18%) and the US (5%). Note, however, that while Japan has already committed or contributed all of its original pledge (US$502.6 million), the US still has 59% of its original pledge (US$352.5 million) uncommitted.
Pledged amounts as percentages of GDP
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."Tsunami ‘Core Group’ of Relief Nations Disbanded
Another Bush FAIL…
We have no trouble sending billions to Iraq and Afghanistan, countries with failed or close to failed governments.