"The morning after the earthquake, when the Red Cross released its first estimates of as many as 50,000 dead, the Globe and Mail ran an editorial advising the international community to “rethink its efforts in Haiti”. In particular, the editors of Canada’s leading newspaper agreed “a larger focus” on garment manufacturing in Haiti “could help the economy grow”. In this, the editors concluded, “Wealthy neighbours like the U.S. and Canada have a special responsibility” and “Canada can play a leading role”.[iii]
Such talk of sweatshops might seem more than a little garish the morning after such a disaster, but this was hardly the first time Haiti had been targeted for such "sweatshop development" and foreign players are obviously eager to turn the exponential increase in the bitterness of Haitian existence into profitable lemonade."
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Has it occured to you that the Haitians want to be "exploited"?
ReplyDeleteHaiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Haiti collects less tax revenue per year than international grants. Haiti's security forces are incapable of maintaining law and order, hense the 9 thousand UN peacekeeping force.
Haiti needs all the foreign investment and trade it can get.
ZID
ReplyDelete<span><span>"Has it occured to you that the Haitians want to be "exploited"?<span> </span></span></span>
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This is the most idiotic statement for 2010 .
<span>"Haiti needs all the foreign investment and trade it can get"</span>
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You are equating <span>foreign investment with exploitation and <span>sweatshop ?</span></span>
How much lower can you sink ?
"Disaster capitalism".
ReplyDeleteThe Brits brainwashed India with all their socialist nonsense and their "licence raj." Indians going to British universities were inculcated with socialist trash.
ReplyDeleteThey (including Nehru) returned to India from British universities and ruined India with their socialist policies. The Brits manipulated other countries into practicing socialism, possibly as part of some underhanded scheme to keep them down.
However, India broke through the fog of British propoganda in 1988, when Indians went to Seoul for the Olympics; and saw how South Korea had transformed from a country poorer than India in 1953 to a rich country; through capitalism.
India elected a capitalist government in 1991 and in every election since.
Now India is rapidly becoming rich; a great global superpower. And there is nothing the Brits can do to stop it.
Today India is much richer, more powerful, more successful, more influential and more respected around the world than Britain. How the empire has fallen.
Capitalism, free trade and fee business investment has made India, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Ireland and Chile rich.
It can make Haiti rich too. The UN should stop with all the socialist policies in Haiti; stop holding Haiti back in its efforts to "help" Haiti. The Haitians are capable of achieving amazing things on their own; things beyond our imagination.
Go Haiti! Stop the socialist turnacout around Haiti! Let Haiti achieve their own success!
Hey ZID
ReplyDeleteAre there any Foreign investment in India , ie: sweat shops ????
<span><span>You're right. It's a socialist , Margaret Tatcher, who brought Britain to its knees.</span></span>
ReplyDelete<span>The Brits brainwashed India with all their socialist nonsense</span>
ReplyDelete--------------------
Ha ha..
Am I wrong. Many Indians are furiuos at the Brits for the damage the Brits did to India 1858 to 1991.
ReplyDeleteThe British big government "Licence Raj" harmed India greatly.
What exactly is so funny TGIA? :(
<span>"What exactly is so funny TGIA?"</span>
ReplyDelete--------
ZID
With this much crap , where does one start RETARD
<span>"What exactly is so funny TGIA?"</span>
ReplyDelete--------
ZID
With this much crap , where does one start RETARD
You know what is absent from all the Haiti "chatter"? A Caribbean regional perspective. You don't have to agree with us, but at least LISTEN to us. After all, Haiti is an integral part of our region.
ReplyDeleteI support the view that on this occasion the reconstruction of the country should be carried out in a way that is effective and accountable to all Haitians and assigns to Haitians themselves the responsibility for identifying their immediate and long-term needs and for creating and strengthening the structures required. I would argue strongly against an apprach that is 'security-centred'; that militarizes the relief and rehabilitation effort; and that undermines Haitian ownership, intiative, responsibility and sovereignty. Rather, it should be based on the principles of solidarity, respect for their rights and respect for their country's sovereignty. Here are some specific recommendations developed by the Canadian Council for International Co-operation, Oxfam Canada and Oxfam Québec which I fully endorse as being consistent with the above principles. International asistance should: READ ON [PDF]
There is a major flaw in your argument, Anan, which centers around the successful role of industrial policy in some of the countries you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteAn idiot asks "<span>Am I wrong?" Yes, constantly, wrong and stupid.</span>
ReplyDeleteMara, Haitian reconstruction has been organized by Haitians for 206 years.
ReplyDeleteIs the elected Haitian government capable of leading and organizing this effort?
Or should the UN and international community work directly with Haitian community groups to reconstruct Haiti? {The definition of imperialism.}
Mara, when in human history has there ever been economic progress without security and the rule of law? The first priority is to establish this. The international community has been and remains unwilling to provide "rule of law" because that would be "imperialism." The international community is willing to help with security if they have a strong Haitian government to partner with.
There is a deep reluctance to provide security except in close consultation with the Haitian government.
Mara, Haiti is getting a huge amount of international aid right now. The challenge will be to direct it in a way that increases Haiti's potential economic output.