Being unemployed I made a small donation to Haiti relief efforts then I let the pros go to work

[TwixVoy]

So I made a small donation, posted a video plea for aid from a group that was actually on the ground helping, - then I shut the fu** up and let the people who actually cared enough to be physically doing something work.

Not surprisingly Haiti has turned in to entertainment for America. Which is what I knew would happen, and why I don't watch TV but perhaps 2 hours collectively a year. Sadly it is more and more difficult to escape what the TV is saying on DU these days. I often think that it must be nice for ones mind to be able to chiefly focus on whatever the TV tells it to focus on. Americans seem to have a problem admitting that they know nothing about the world, but suddenly are experts with opinions galore after a few hours of the TV feeding them "information" on a topic and place they previously never knew existed. So much so that they feel compelled to lecture people who have actually committed their lives to actually physically HELPING.... while they sit behind a keyboard, 12 pack of coke in hand, cheetos in the other, in their nice air conditioned home with the TV on.

Just an observation.

BTW - the thread I made with a video plea from one of the groups ON THE GROUND for financial aid that I posted shortly after this disaster began dropped like a rock with about 2 responses. The "Why don't they just do X to instantly fix everything!" keyboard warrior threads rise to the top so fast I can't click "ignore" on them fast enough. Just about says it all.

[Luciferous]

1. K&R

[haele]

2. Kick

Best help the rescue and recovery organizations in Haiti can get from you right now is money. You can add all the prayers if ya got 'em and continue armchair quarterbacking, but preferably after you send the donation.

Haele

[Jane Austin]

3. Your video link didn't "drop like a rock" before

I saw it and fooled around on the Oxfam UK site before going to OxfamAmerica.org to make my donation.

I appreciate very much your posting the video.

[piedmont]

5. I also gave to Oxfam because of that. nt

[BeFree]

4. Says it all, eh?

Quote from OP:
"then I shut the fu** up and let the people who actually cared enough to be physically doing something work."

You made a donation and now you don't care enough to do any more?
That's the problem. Let someone else who cares, do it. Gawd!!

[piedmont]

6. And you are DOING what, exactly? nt

[blondeatlast]

8. Why, putting tons of effort

into bitching and moaning about something he knows nothing about all over the 'nets.

[BeFree]

11. It is not about me

It is about getting help to the people as fast as possible.
Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!!

That is old military jargon that they need to remember. Eh?

[TwixVoy]

12. Pretty much

I'm not in a position to help beyond that. BTW - sitting on a message board criticizing those who do help is worse than doing nothing.

[BeFree]

15. Well

At least you are honest.

What I want is in two months, to be able to say that what we did in the first week was the best we could do. But history tells me that I may not be able to do so. We need to do everything possible, and do it now. Am I wrong to demand that?

[blondeatlast]

17. If you'd open your mind a little, you WILL be able to say that.,

There are a lot of good threads explaining why this nightmare isn't easily overcome. Yet all I see you do is rail against the US military (it isn't just the US by any means) and deliberately fail to understand logistics. There is one functioning airport and NO functioning ports and virtually no roads (Army trucks don't need roads, but there's only so many of them to go 'round) so how do we get the rescue/recovery operations and materiel in to Port-au-Prince abnd beyond?

We're all frustrated about this, but Haiti was a disaster on humanitarian disaster on MONDAY. The earthquakle occurred on Tuesday.

[scarletwoman]

13. Huh? Are you sure you understood what the OP meant?

The OP isn't in any position to do more than donate money, and is going to stfu because (s)he doesn't feel that armchair quarterbacking accomplishes anything. I think the OP is right on.

What do you expect someone to do besides donate money? Jump on a plane and fly down there themselves?

sw

[BeFree]

14. So?

You will just STFU? Too? Sad.

All I did was quote the OP and make a comment.

Right now, Biden is on TV explaining things. The pressure is on. That's a good thing. They feel our pressure to get things done, and that's what it is all about.

When this is all over, I want to be able to say: I am proud of how the US went about this emergency. What's wrong with that?

[haele]

16. Well, it's not just our pressure, it's historical pressure to get things done -

Survival rate from earthquakes and building collapses are well known. So is the rate in which relief efforts in an unstable society remain of benefit to survivors.
What we've been seeing is a standard logistical issue; getting all the parts together before we can just go in and do something so that what we do actually has some meaning to the people who need the help.

Up until now, we've pretty much been in "bucket brigade" mode trying to knock down the few problems we could reach until we could get the heavy machinery and trained personnel in place to actually get a handle on the entire scope of the disaster. What looks like "nothing being done" was actually a lot of hard work to insure that we will be able to help without doing any more harm.

Haele

[StarfarerBill]

7. Ditto and K&R.

[blondeatlast]

9. Sadly, sanity like this needs kicked and rec'ed. Like you, I rarely watch any TV

and in this case, I can see the benefit of perspective.

Great post, right to the point. k/r

[UTUSN]

10. Thank you. Your choice of action is exactly the best, and what I contrasted here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7479877

Common sense and appropriate judgment are not available to everybody.