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Offline bijou

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Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt
« on: January 30, 2008, 04:13:55 PM »


Quote
Judi Lynn  (1000+ posts)      Wed Jan-30-08 12:45 AM
Original message
Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt
Source: Miami Herald

Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt
Posted on Tue, Jan. 29, 2008Digg del.icio.us AIM print email
By JONATHAN M. KATZ
Associated Press Writer

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- It was lunchtime in one of Haiti's worst slums, and Charlene Dumas was eating mud. With food prices rising, Haiti's poorest can't afford even a daily plate of rice, and some take desperate measures to fill their bellies. Charlene, 16 with a 1-month-old son, has come to rely on a traditional Haitian remedy for hunger pangs: cookies made of dried yellow dirt from the country's central plateau.

The mud has long been prized by pregnant women and children here as an antacid and source of calcium. But in places like Cite Soleil, the oceanside slum where Charlene shares a two-room house with her baby, five siblings and two unemployed parents, cookies made of dirt, salt and vegetable shortening have become a regular meal.
(snip)

Food prices around the world have spiked because of higher oil prices, needed for fertilizer, irrigation and transportation. Prices for basic ingredients such as corn and wheat are also up sharply, and the increasing global demand for biofuels is pressuring food markets as well.

The problem is particularly dire in the Caribbean, where island nations depend on imports and food prices are up 40 percent in places.



Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/915/story/398193.html

 

Long thread lots of this:
Quote
babylonsister  (1000+ posts)       Wed Jan-30-08 12:56 AM
Response to Original message
1. Gawd, this is sick. Not even rice for these people? The mighty US 
 can't afford it? Or anyone??

How about corn? Are we killing people with ethanol?
  a bizarre discussion as to whether fast food is worse than eating dirt
Quote
DUlover2909  (118 posts)      Wed Jan-30-08 04:51 AM
Response to Reply #6
17. I hear what your saying, but...
 that food isn't nutritious either and would kill the people of Haiti as fast as dirt too.

Moonbattery:
Quote
sfexpat2000  (1000+ posts)       Wed Jan-30-08 01:38 AM
Response to Reply #1
8. Haiti is starving because the US has made war on their democracy.
Quote
Demeter  (1000+ posts)       Wed Jan-30-08 06:12 AM
Response to Reply #1
22. Haiti Is the Bush Whipping Boy
 The damn fool nation objected to being sold to the highest bidder when Bush was collecting campaign donations. So of course the people must be punished for their revolt....I hate that man and everyone who supported him in any way, shape or form.
and the odd bit of common sense:
Quote
Mike Daniels (1000+ posts)      Wed Jan-30-08 12:26 PM
Response to Reply #1
46. Well, how about any other country putting forth an effort?
 Haiti is an independent country not a US territory.

Why can't the greate hero Chavez send some food over?
 

link
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Offline Lord Undies

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Re: Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt
« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2008, 04:24:29 PM »
Quote
U.S. Assistance to Haiti

The U.S. Government is Haiti’s largest donor. The U.S. is working with the island nation to reduce poverty, illiteracy, and malnutrition. U.S. aid also promotes the rule of law and respect for human rights. In spite of Haiti’s deteriorating economy, social indicators clearly show improvement in the areas of intervention.

During fiscal years 1995 to 2003, the U.S. gave Haiti more than $850 million in direct bilateral assistance, and the U.S. is seeking $55 million for fiscal year 2004, to provide the following:

Food Security ($24 million sought): for food assistance under P.L. 480 Title II, for nutritional well-being and food security, particularly for nursing mothers and for children under age 5.
Health ($21.8 million): A U.S.-supported network of over 30 local organizations serves 2.5 million Haitians. In U.S.-assisted areas, child immunization rates are nearly double the national average, and have increased by 85% in some areas. Thanks to U.S. aid, child malnutrition rates fell from 32% to 22% in 1995-2000; the national percentage of women seeking prenatal consultation increased from 68% to 79%; and the national contraceptive use rate increased, as part of the expanded AIDS prevention program. Haiti may also benefit from United States support for the Global Fund against AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.
Democracy ($2.9 million): U.S. programs increase political party professionalism, strengthen independent media and civil society organizations, promote judicial reform and human rights, and support independent election observation groups. U.S. public diplomacy programs bring Haitian Government officials, journalists, and academics to the United States to learn about public policies and programs.
Education ($2.5 million): U.S. aid resulted in a pass rate increase for third and fourth grade students through improved training for 4,000 teachers and school directors; radio education in math and Creole; and books, teaching aids, and curriculum guides.
Economic Growth ($1.75 million): Income for the poor through small business loans to urban micro-entrepreneurs is on the rise, due to U.S. aid. Programs also offer assistance to small farmers in marketing valuable export crops such as coffee, cacao, and mangos; and help Haitian artisans to find niche export markets. Beneficiaries include small entrepreneurs (80% women), 25,000 hillside farmers, and 2,000 artisans.
2003/1297
Released on December 29, 2003

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2003/27564.htm

The kindest aid to Haiti would be carpet bombs and then make it a US territory.  It is a stinking hellhole.  No amount of aid has ever made a difference there.
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Offline ReardenSteel

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Re: Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt
« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2008, 04:27:35 PM »
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"When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion - when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing - when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors - when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don't protect you against them, but protect them against you - when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice - you may know that your society is doomed."

- Ayn Rand
http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=1826

Offline bijou

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Re: Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt
« Reply #3 on: January 30, 2008, 04:33:33 PM »
Quote from: ReardenSteel on January 30, 2008, 04:27:35 PM
Hey. We are hurting in America too.
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/jeff-poor/2008/01/30/cnn-gives-unemployed-woman-pass-buying-flat-screen-television


Hey!  :angryvillagers: She deserved that TV. She has a Constitutional right to a flat screen TV.
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Offline DixieBelle

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Re: Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt
« Reply #4 on: January 30, 2008, 04:35:29 PM »
^where the heck is mine then??? :-)
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Offline Crazy Horse

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Re: Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt
« Reply #5 on: January 30, 2008, 04:57:37 PM »
Great country Hati is


Quote
Travel Warning
United States Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Washington, DC 20520


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This information is current as of today, Wed Jan 30 17:54:53 2008.

HAITI
August 31, 2007

This Travel Warning is being issued to remind American citizens of ongoing security concerns in Haiti, including frequent kidnappings of Americans for ransom.  Travelers are strongly advised to thoroughly consider the risks before travel to Haiti, and to take adequate precautions to ensure their safety if traveling to Haiti.  This Travel Warning reinstates and updates the Travel Warning issued January 10, 2007.

U.S. citizens traveling to and residing in Haiti are reminded that there is a chronic danger of violent crime, especially kidnappings.  Most kidnappings are criminal in nature, and the kidnappers make no distinctions of nationality, race, gender or age; all are vulnerable.  As of the date of this travel warning, there have been 12 Americans kidnapped in 2007, most in Port au Prince. Past kidnappings have been marked by deaths, physical and sexual assault, and shooting of Americans.  The lack of civil protections in Haiti, as well as the limited capability of local law enforcement to resolve kidnapping cases, further compounds the element of danger surrounding this trend.

U.S. citizens are also reminded of the potential for spontaneous protests and public demonstrations that can occur at any time, day or night, and may result in violence.  American citizens are advised to take commonsense precautions and avoid any event where crowds may congregate.  Visitors and residents must remain vigilant due to the absence of an effective police force in much of Haiti, the potential for looting, the presence of intermittent roadblocks set by armed gangs or by the police, and the possibility of random violent crime, including carjacking and assault.

Travel is hazardous within Port-au-Prince.  Some areas are off-limits to embassy staff, including downtown Port-au-Prince, after dark.  U.S. Embassy personnel are under an embassy-imposed curfew and must remain in their homes or in U.S. government facilities during the curfew.  The embassy limits travel by its staff to areas outside of Port-au-Prince and therefore the ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens outside of Port-au-Prince is constrained.  The UN stabilization force (MINUSTAH) remains fully deployed and is assisting the government of Haiti in providing security.

Due to the current security situation in Haiti, the Department of State reminds U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Haiti to remain vigilant with regard to their personal security; they are strongly advised to register either online at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ or with the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince.  The Consular Section can be reached at (509) 223-7011, fax number (509) 223-9665, or e-mail address acspap@state.gov.  Travelers should also consult the Department of State's latest Country Specific Information for Haiti and Worldwide Caution Travel Alert at http://travel.state.gov.  American citizens may also obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States or Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from overseas.  In Haiti, citizens can call 509/222-0200, ext. 2000.

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Quote from: Rebel on July 29, 2008, 06:11:02 PM
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt
« Reply #6 on: January 30, 2008, 05:00:05 PM »
Folks, if the UN and its nipple-suckers would allow genetically altered corn and wheat to be grown and used, no on in the entire WORLD would go hungry. 

Instead, those effeminate racists would rather people DIE -- MILLIONS -- than allow a perfectly safe product to be used just because they don't understand basic science.
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Offline CactusCarlos

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Re: Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt
« Reply #7 on: January 30, 2008, 05:03:32 PM »
Quote from: bijou on January 30, 2008, 04:33:33 PM
Hey!  :angryvillagers: She deserved that TV. She has a Constitutional right to a flat screen TV.

"Let dem touch those tings!"  </Celine Dion>
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Offline Rebel

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Re: Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt
« Reply #8 on: January 30, 2008, 05:04:34 PM »
...I'm supposed to feel sorry for'em? They live on a f'n island surrounded by waters inhabited by some of the tastiest fish in the 7 seas. If they can't fish, or refuse to do so, hey, Darwin comes into play.
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There's a reason why patriotism is considered a conservative value. Watch a Tea Party rally and you'll see people proudly raising the American flag and showing pride in U.S. heroes such as Thomas Jefferson. Watch an OWS rally and you'll see people burning the American flag while showing pride in communist heroes such as Che Guevera. --Bob, from some news site

Offline BEG

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Re: Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt
« Reply #9 on: January 30, 2008, 05:08:47 PM »
Quote
Bacchus39 (1000+ posts)       Wed Jan-30-08 10:30 AM
Response to Original message
39. the UN has an on-going mission there, what have they been doing to address
 this issue? 

 
Quote
41. The UN has been in distress
 coping with the additional burden of all the crisis situations created lately by US imperialism.

There are two to three million Iraqi refugees, there close to a million people starving from the Somalian US funded Ethiopian campaign, Pakistanis and Afghanis refugees are in dire need.

Then you have all the refugees all over the world still suffering from huge number of this year's natural disasters.

The UN has been screaming for funding help. The US is telling the UN tough, not our problem.

The UK is first on the list for humanitarian relief support. The US way down on the list.


Quote
Bacchus39 (1000+ posts)       Wed Jan-30-08 11:12 AM
Response to Reply #41
42. UN has been in Haiti several years, US is largest donor
 UN participation in relief and peacekeeping efforts is dependent on individual member countries willingness to participate.
See Darfur.


Quote
Robbien  (1000+ posts)       Wed Jan-30-08 11:30 AM
Response to Reply #42
43. US is largest donor to Haiti all right. US donates to NGOs
 many of those NGOs are private security firms. We need to make sure our guy in charge is safe and the people are contained. Many other US funded NGOs are those that use most of the money to preach abstinence and anti-condom christian memes.

Little if any of the money actually goes to the relief of the common people. 


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KillCapitalism  (374 posts)     Wed Jan-30-08 03:03 PM
Response to Original message
55. Appalling!
 We should be spending our money feeding Haiti instead of killing Iraqis.
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Offline RedTail

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Re: Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt
« Reply #10 on: January 30, 2008, 05:15:36 PM »
Fvck.

That.

Noise.

Do they know of all the $$ going into Haiti coming from the US? And it isn't just from the UN for "private security firms" as the jackasses on the DU contend, either. It's charity cash, it's direct aid, it's missionaries both Catholic AND Protestant (that'll get the Christophobes happy) and other things.

You want to know 40-60% of the reason why Haiti is still poor? Haiti itself. That place has had more turnovers of government/coup d' etat  than some of you guys have had new cars in the past 10 years. It's fvcking corrupt, and the UN isn't helping, and we were told to stay out of it after Aristide was (re)installed.

The DU can kiss my ass. They don't give a shit about Haiti, Africa, or any where else as long as they can get a slap at Bush/Republicans/Whites/Males/Straights/Christians out of it.

dumb****s.

*TKay*
« Last Edit: January 30, 2008, 05:20:39 PM by TKayOh »
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Offline Rebel

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Re: Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt
« Reply #11 on: January 30, 2008, 05:16:50 PM »
Quote
KillCapitalism  (374 posts)     Wed Jan-30-08 03:03 PM
Response to Original message
55. Appalling!
 We should be spending our money feeding Haiti instead of killing Iraqis.

You mean you want one of those evil Capitalist countries to step up and save that place?

Kill Capitalism.  :whatever:  **** you. 
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NAMBLA is a left-wing organization.

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There's a reason why patriotism is considered a conservative value. Watch a Tea Party rally and you'll see people proudly raising the American flag and showing pride in U.S. heroes such as Thomas Jefferson. Watch an OWS rally and you'll see people burning the American flag while showing pride in communist heroes such as Che Guevera. --Bob, from some news site

Offline jukin

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Re: Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt
« Reply #12 on: January 30, 2008, 05:21:30 PM »
france's problem, why are we dealing with it?
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When you are the beneficiary of someone’s kindness and generosity, it produces a sense of gratitude and community.

When you are the beneficiary of a policy that steals from someone and gives it to you in return for your vote, it produces a sense of entitlement and dependency.

Offline Chris_

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Re: Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt
« Reply #13 on: January 30, 2008, 05:23:34 PM »
Quote from: Rebel on January 30, 2008, 05:16:50 PM
Quote
KillCapitalism  (374 posts)     Wed Jan-30-08 03:03 PM
Response to Original message
55. Appalling!
 We should be spending our money feeding Haiti instead of killing Iraqis.

You mean you want one of those evil Capitalist countries to step up and save that place?

Kill Capitalism.  :whatever:  **** you. 

Didn't Clinton already try that and fail? 

Good luck to 'em.  They've had 400 years to get their shit together.
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If you want to worship an orange pile of garbage with a reckless disregard for everything, get on down to Arbys & try our loaded curly fries.

Offline Rebel

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Re: Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt
« Reply #14 on: January 30, 2008, 05:28:12 PM »
You can feed'em until the end of time and nothing will ever change. They need governmental change the likes of what the U.A.E. has seen. Haiti could EASILY be a tourist trap. Add that to their existent sugar, coffee, rice, and mango crops and you could have a viable nation....IF they get their shit together. Hell, fishing could also be a major industry for Haiti. The problem is, like any other despotic regime in the Caribbean, South America, and Central America, is that you have a 2-class system. The haves and the have nots. They don't need aid. They need bullets. They need to rise up against their government and their murderous clans that inundate the island and install a permanent and workable Democratic Republic.
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There's a reason why patriotism is considered a conservative value. Watch a Tea Party rally and you'll see people proudly raising the American flag and showing pride in U.S. heroes such as Thomas Jefferson. Watch an OWS rally and you'll see people burning the American flag while showing pride in communist heroes such as Che Guevera. --Bob, from some news site

Offline Mr Mannn

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Re: Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt
« Reply #15 on: January 30, 2008, 05:53:17 PM »
How to put this delicately...

How does dirt and the occasional pebble... um...pass?
And wouldn't the pipes clog up then?
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Offline jtyangel

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Re: Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt
« Reply #16 on: January 30, 2008, 05:53:34 PM »
Quote from: Rebel on January 30, 2008, 05:16:50 PM
Quote
KillCapitalism  (374 posts)     Wed Jan-30-08 03:03 PM
Response to Original message
55. Appalling!
 We should be spending our money feeding Haiti instead of killing Iraqis.

You mean you want one of those evil Capitalist countries to step up and save that place?

Kill Capitalism.  :whatever:  **** you. 

Right on, Rebel. Exactly what I was thinking. Isn't this the bunch who don't want us being supercop in the world, but they want us to be supermom? And when we provide food, how long before they are insulting the capabilities of 'brown people' by thinking they need our help?  :banghead:
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