Big Names Visit Haiti - More Harm Than Good

This thread is more for discussion and eye-opening than to prove or disprove a theory. The information is first hand.

I recently had the privilege of speaking with an Air Force Para-rescue member, shortly after his return from Haiti.

He, and others like him, were embedded in teams consisting of search and rescue, security, and structural experts. They used local guides to find their way around the destroyed city of Port Au Prince while attempting to rescue Haitians from collapsed buildings.

I have great respect for these military members, as they did a fantastic job, and surely did their part in restoring some semblance of faith in the US that our Government has relentlessly destroyed in recent years.

This is the disheartening fact that was revealed to me:

Throughout the rescue operations in Haiti, access to vehicles was a limiting factor.

Each time a politician, or high-profile personality, flew into the makeshift airport, they would require as many as 16 vehicles for an escort around the local area.

While these visits were certainly viewed as humanitarian on MSM, the fact of the matter is that the lack of vehicles left rescue teams ineffective. If you look at the big picture, I'm sure you would all agree that the political "face-time" actually cost an unknown number of lives.

One name that was dropped, specifically, was Hillary Clinton...

Even if the politicians and famous people had the best of intentions, do you think that they are still personally responsible for these lives that were possibly lost due to their visit? What about on a karmic level (if you follow that sort of logic)?

I see where you're coming from. But you're getting too specific, too bitter. Look at bigger picture. Stop pointing fingers at the pieces of the game, and instead at the game itself. Ought we be upset with these politicians/famous people for wanting to be associated with a positive image? Like you said, the US Military, in doing what it did, represented the US in a positive light, easing some of the recent damage done by the US (you said). I feel you should instead be pointing your finger at the concept of "idolization". Fact of matter is, 16 cars are used for these, as others would say, more important high profile individuals - MORE people would be upset and wanting someone hung (not literally of course) for their lacking in providing 16 cars for them than a few Haiti's lives, straight up. If Hilary Clinton were to die, believe there be more news/headlines, donations, concerned people, and attendees for her funeral by a LONG shot. Be mad that we place more emphasis on our "idols" than the injured, struggling, almost dead Haitian (spelling?) who COULD have or MIGHT have been saved by use of these cars. Go to store and see what's on the front page of most of those magazines. NOTHING about helping or donating or SOMETHING to fund raise some money or research methods of helping over seas, so why would you expect it to be otherwise? I see your frustration. The number of people out there with more than a billion dollars, but they go make a speech about how sad it is and how much it sucks and donate $10,000? The whole "system" they have everyone operating by is one BIG scheme. Be mad at that. Don't blame these comfortable, life given to them individuals for playing the part GIVEN to them. Instead, you WORK and take what's necessary to fix this situation and societal distortions.

Is frustrating, I know. Gotta keep on keeping on. Keep it pushing. YOU be the purity you wanna see in the world. If everybody gave more than they took, we'd have a LOT to take.

Sorry, didn't really answer your questions. If they went knowing/hoping to use up excessive resources or to otherwise cause damage then I don't feel they are responsible or at a karmic loss. You'd probably save money and have better time just chilling back at home.

[edit on 11/19/2009 by RadiatorOfTheLight]

I can see how that would prove to be a logistical challenge.

the same thing happens anytime one of the company bigwigs stops by where I work. The entire days resources are wasted on fulfilling every split-second-of-thought-whim that may come to the people in charge, leaving the underpaid over worked people who actually have a detectable impact on the office scrambling to complete the most basic of tasks.

Let the people who know what to do- DO THEIR JOB. was there ANYTHING gained by having Hilary there that couldn't have been accomplished without her being there? I can imagine it was more of a photo op, hey, were here, we care, sort of thing.

One image that keeps overplaying in my head is a picture of a News Cameraman drinking from a bottle of water while taping people standing in line to get water.

This isnt like a missing person report where the whole county needs to make a search team. this is a situation of where first responders need to be able to do their jobs without having people milling around getting in the way of what needs to be done.

The individual I spoke with also told me how horrible it felt to have to pull a tarp over the back of his vehicle just to take a drink of water...

The fact of the matter, though, is that the rescuers require nourishment in order to be effective.

On that same note, cameramen and reporters also play a key role. They may seem superfluous, but without them, the need of the Haitian people would not reach the US or other wealthy countries, and donations and aid would not be as plentiful.

The reporter in question should have been a little more thoughtful, and retreated to somewhere private to take a drink.

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As far as looking at the bigger picture, I am well aware that there is much more wrong with the world, and that these idols are only as important as we make them. However, they still have a personal responsibility to be judicial with the "power" that we give them. The fact that we make them important does not give them cause to be selfish, or ignorant; the opposite is in fact true -- with great power comes great responsibility.

This is of course idealistic, but what other way should we be? If we could all stop being realistic for a moment and be idealistic, imagine what might happen...

In light of our current political fiasco, I think this old thread might be relevant.

This took place back during the Haiti earthquake.

Now let me state that I'll not be voting for the doofus on the other end, either, so this only serves to educate voters on your true candidates.