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Rebuliding Haiti

Should the U.S. Government commit to and add to the national debt to rebuild Haiti?

  • Yes

    Votes: 7 35.0%
  • No

    Votes: 10 50.0%
  • Other (explain)

    Votes: 3 15.0%

  • Total voters
    20
  • Poll closed .

Ockham

Noblesse oblige
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The rebuilding efforts of Haiti will be massive and will take "years".

MSNBC said:
After rescue efforts, Haiti needs a continuing international presence, many said.

Vivens, who moved to the U.S. in 1994 to study business and economics, said he hoped the Haitian government would accept guidance from world leaders to help rebuild its infrastructure.

"We can help the Haitian community begin to prosper," Vivens said.
LINK

Yes we could, but can we really? Let's play this out. We're in a deep recession. Our government has now been spending money faster than ever and has committed 4 Trillion dollars in various forms in the past year. The US is still in two active Middle East occupations. We're printing money without much backing and we're in hock to China up to our ears and it's getting worse not better.

While International attention to Haiti right now is key and the devesationin Haiti is only now starting to be realized, how can the United States in our current economic condition pledge money we do not have to rebuild? We're not going to rebuild their dirt floor hovels with rusted tin roofs either. Not only that, an entire infrastructure of business has to be rebuilt; telecommunications, networks, roads, electricity, water systems, I mean the whole thing has to be done from the ground up.

My view here is we American's can't afford it, and while we'd like to just run up our debt to rebuild Haiti over the next 4-5 years and pledge hundreds of millions of dollars maybe billions of dollars (these people have to eat, have clean water, get medical care, get an education while the rebuilding is going on), I think it should be up to the American people, directly, to pledge money for Haiti. Not the government putting our country in deeper debt, but individuals who have the means to help can. How? One way is the IRS tax forms we get each and every year, a direct withdraw of money from an account of any amount of dollars can be submitted. That money goes directly to a management fund which spends the money for Haiti. Those who do not have the means or wish not to or already have donated, can opt out. Our government shouldn't spend the money, but we the people should if we can. And those American people will need to pledge often and for years to come.
 
If Haitians knew how much people here were fretting about a deficit and 10% unemployment, I don't know whether they would laugh or cry.
 
I voted "no".

Of course, I don't think the US should add to the national debt at all, at any time, for any reason. Cut costs somewhere else, via budgeting or legislation of some sort, but don't go further into debt, except perhaps short-term (a few years).

Edit: Which is not to say I think the US government should not under any circumstances assist Haiti.

Just don’t increase the debt to do it.
 
Last edited:
If Haitians knew how much people here were fretting about a deficit and 10% unemployment, I don't know whether they would laugh or cry.

Add to that list pretty much every country in Central America and Africa.
 
Of course not.

We owe them nothing. France is their mommy. Let France pay for their errors.

So long as we're borrowing money to fund Constitutional programs while spending balls-to-the-wall on unconstitutional socialist programs, we don't have money to waste on Haiti.

Here's an idea:

Everyone that votes yes sends all their paycheck after taxes to Haiti, and we'll see how much good all that money does, without wasting a single taxpayer dime.
 
The rebuilding efforts of Haiti will be massive and will take "years".


LINK

Yes we could, but can we really? Let's play this out. We're in a deep recession. Our government has now been spending money faster than ever and has committed 4 Trillion dollars in various forms in the past year. The US is still in two active Middle East occupations. We're printing money without much backing and we're in hock to China up to our ears and it's getting worse not better.

While International attention to Haiti right now is key and the devesationin Haiti is only now starting to be realized, how can the United States in our current economic condition pledge money we do not have to rebuild? We're not going to rebuild their dirt floor hovels with rusted tin roofs either. Not only that, an entire infrastructure of business has to be rebuilt; telecommunications, networks, roads, electricity, water systems, I mean the whole thing has to be done from the ground up.

My view here is we American's can't afford it, and while we'd like to just run up our debt to rebuild Haiti over the next 4-5 years and pledge hundreds of millions of dollars maybe billions of dollars (these people have to eat, have clean water, get medical care, get an education while the rebuilding is going on), I think it should be up to the American people, directly, to pledge money for Haiti. Not the government putting our country in deeper debt, but individuals who have the means to help can. How? One way is the IRS tax forms we get each and every year, a direct withdraw of money from an account of any amount of dollars can be submitted. That money goes directly to a management fund which spends the money for Haiti. Those who do not have the means or wish not to or already have donated, can opt out. Our government shouldn't spend the money, but we the people should if we can. And those American people will need to pledge often and for years to come.

I suppose we could look at it like this: The American government is going to waste our money as often as it can. At least in Haiti it may help some people.

Now a better answer: No. We should not be in the business of rebuilding Haiti. We should contribute as long as the rest of the world continues to contribute a somewhat equal share to helping Haiti. But that's it. At some point, and soon, we have to stop spending money. I know that sounds callous, but our government has a Constitutional obligation to our citizens, not the citizens of Haiti.
 
Of course not.

Here's an idea:

Everyone that votes yes sends all their paycheck after taxes to Haiti, and we'll see how much good all that money does, without wasting a single taxpayer dime.

While I agree with you on this point, I must point out that we can say the same thing about all government spending. For example: "Everyone that votes yes sends all their paycheck after taxes to Iraq and Afghanistan, and we'll see how much good all that money does, without wasting a single taxpayer dime."

If we're going to have a "pay as it suits your ideology" government then I'm all for it.


:)
 
While I agree with you on this point, I must point out that we can say the same thing about all government spending. For example: "Everyone that votes yes sends all their paycheck after taxes to Iraq and Afghanistan, and we'll see how much good all that money does, without wasting a single taxpayer dime."

If we're going to have a "pay as it suits your ideology" government then I'm all for it.


:)

No, everyone can't say that about "ALL" government spending. In fact, no one can say that about Constitutional government spending.....Oh....like the military financing of our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Constitution ... it never stopped meaning freedom from tyranny.
 
No, everyone can't say that about "ALL" government spending. In fact, no one can say that about Constitutional government spending.....Oh....like the military financing of our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Constitution ... it never stopped meaning freedom from tyranny.

Even Constitutional government spending comes with limits. Nowhere in the Constitution does it say "unlimited" military spending.

Everyone has spending that meets their political ideology. And that is exactly why we're Trillions of dollars in debt right now. You're saying exactly what ALL selective fiscal conservatives say. You're against government spending unless it's something you really really agree with. Then it's fine and dandy. That's exactly the reason liberals use to justify spending my tax money.
 
Surely the United States owes Haiti massive reparations for the damages inflicted on that country by US imperialism. And full amnesty for anyone wishing to flee the country. For starters. :)
 
Annex Haiti.
 
While International attention to Haiti right now is key and the devesationin Haiti is only now starting to be realized, how can the United States in our current economic condition pledge money we do not have to rebuild? We're not going to rebuild their dirt floor hovels with rusted tin roofs either. Not only that, an entire infrastructure of business has to be rebuilt; telecommunications, networks, roads, electricity, water systems, I mean the whole thing has to be done from the ground up.

We destroyed Iraq and are now in the process of rebuilding what we destroyed. If we can do that, then we can do Haiti.
 
Surely the United States owes Haiti massive reparations for the damages inflicted on that country by US imperialism. And full amnesty for anyone wishing to flee the country. For starters. :)

I think France should be on the hook this time.....;)
 
I agree we should let the Haitians rebuild their Country. I have been saving card board boxes, so they can get their dwellings back up to the standards they are accustomed to. Very eco friendly, them Haitians are.
 
The rebuilding efforts of Haiti will be massive and will take "years".

How can it take years to rebuild in a place that didn't have **** to begin with?

Oh, have we completely fixed New Orleans yet?
 
I agree we should let the Haitians rebuild their Country. I have been saving card board boxes, so they can get their dwellings back up to the standards they are accustomed to. Very eco friendly, them Haitians are.

:rofl..................
 
How can it take years to rebuild in a place that didn't have **** to begin with?

Oh, have we completely fixed New Orleans yet?

No, & Haiti will lag for the same reason.....;)
 
Absolutely not. While I have no problem helping them out in their darkest hour of need, beyond that it needs to be the Haitian government that rebuilds for the Haitian people. It's their country, they need to deal with it. That said, I would have no problem with offering low-interest or even no-interest loans, technical support, etc. for the rebuilding effort, but to put that on the backs of the American taxpayer is absolutely idiotic.
 
Absolutely not. While I have no problem helping them out in their darkest hour of need, beyond that it needs to be the Haitian government that rebuilds for the Haitian people. It's their country, they need to deal with it. That said, I would have no problem with offering low-interest or even no-interest loans, technical support, etc. for the rebuilding effort, but to put that on the backs of the American taxpayer is absolutely idiotic.

I couldn't agree more.......;)
We need to stop giving entitlements to foreign nations.... ;)
 
I think the US should help aid a rebuilding of Haiti, but better yet I think it would be beneficial if we invested in Haitian companies and helped build their economy through capitalism and trade. If the US eternally funds Haiti then people will say that we are trying to take them over, and if we do nothing people will say that we are heartless war mongerers (The US can never truly win in these situations, kinda like Italy saying we help to make us look good and Chavez saying we used an earthquake machine to destroy Haiti so we can take it over :2brickwal).

Also, we need to encourage a strong free market economy within Haiti and maybe "forcefully encourage" a good Haitian government. All the leaders they've had have been corrupt beyond all measure, it's primarily the fault of their government for Haiti being an impoverished nation. I went there in 2007 and the president was given millions of dollars from the US and Canada to build housing in Port Au Prince (definitely enough money). He put up a steel frame for the building and then ran out of money (gee, I wonder how?) Then he asked for more saying millions weren't enough.... I saw those steel frames too, they looked like an amateur built them. The Haitian government needs to be the first thing that changes, it really ticks me off with how corrupt they are and the injustice that is done towards the people.
 
I couldn't agree more.......;)
We need to stop giving entitlements to foreign nations.... ;)

#1 on the cutting block should be Israel.
 
#1 on the cutting block should be Israel.

Why? They actually act responsibly with the aid we give them. They combat terrorism and aren't politically weak like other nations who are to scared to do anything... We give tons to Palestine as well, if anything that needs to stop. Israel=responsible aid receiver, why cut funding for that?
 
Why? They actually act responsibly with the aid we give them. They combat terrorism and aren't politically weak like other nations who are to scared to do anything... We give tons to Palestine as well, if anything that needs to stop. Israel=responsible aid receiver, why cut funding for that?

It's really off-topic in this thread so after this I won't discuss it further here, but the only reason we're funding Israel at all, if we're honest, is because a bunch of delusional Christians want to keep it alive long enough for all the Jews to get wiped out in the end-times apocalypse. We have to keep them going long enough to rebuild the temple. If it wasn't for that and a bit of guilt over the holocaust, we wouldn't have been spending billions of dollars to keep them around.

If they want to survive, they ought to be able to do it on their own without clutching onto America's skirt hem. They receive more foreign aid than any other nation on the planet, it's time for them to grow up and stand on their own two feet for once in their existence.

And that's all I have to say on the subject.
 
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