Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire All out humanitarian effort to Haiti?

Beyond emergency aid to Hati, this pretty much sums up my opinion.

http://www.escapeartist.com/efam27/Haiti.html

If the people, after all these years, can't get there collective heads out of their azz's, then maybe they should be allowed to rot. These little country full of ignorant savages are like ticks on a deer, they both suck the life blood out and poison the host, and we are the biggest host.

Countries are not unlike species, if they can not adapt and grow, they go extinct. It should be allowed to happen. Plucking welfare country, as far as I'm concerned, wean it off the teet, it either thrives or dies.

Lets help them through the current crisis, but not to rebuild their city, and tell them that's it, not another nickel from the U.S. Government. lets stop propping up these savage nations.

Good article, and right on point. Unfortunately, much of what he's saying happened in Haiti, is happening here in the good ol' USA.

Regardless of the Haitian situation at large, we should help out as best we can. They are our neighbors and it's simply the right thing to do.

Besides, I don't want China or someone else giving lots of "aid" in return for business deals. I'm thinking of oil drilling, military basing, etc.

Who would "move" Hatians to the D.R? It's not two nations on the same island, it's two nations on the same island. Think Scotland and England.

Too late. They're already there along with the Brazilians and others as part of the UN "Peacekeeping" force.

I suppose printing up a few billion more FRN$ to help our neighbors won't amount to a hill of beans in the overall scheme of our budgetary excesses, until the day comes when we have to sacrifice everything just to service all of the obligations we've incurred. Then I wonder how many will be as understanding and as helpful as we have been through the years. Damn few I expect.

Me too---I already do though various child funds but will now up the ante. Godspeed to the country of Haiti and the valiant efforts to the volunteers and military assisting with yet another natural act of Mother Nature....

I take back what I said about the Cubans,....guess there was a mob of their aid people there before the quake,....Doctors, etc.

God Bless em'

GTC

Is that a trick question?

Seriously people need aid.

I do wonder what percentage will be skimmed off the top? 50%, maybe more.

I'm all for immediate aid in food/water/medical supplies and rescue.

I'm not for pouring in money for years/decades (like we already have) to "rebuild" a country that wasn't built in the first place.

How about all of the federal lands, buildings, equipment, military equipment, mineral rights, etc... I am not suggesting that we sell any of those, but it is equity when you are analyzing debt for bankruptcy purposes.

Our current debt to GDP ratio is a little over 82% by last measure. This isn't the highest in our recent history. We have been in excess of 120% of debt to GDP in the mid 1900's. Japan, while not strong, has been running in excess of 200% debt to GDP for quite some time. They haven't gone bankrupt, have they?

You bring up gold reserves. Can you name any country in the world that has their currency back by gold? Where are you coming up with $112 Trillion in debt? Did you ad an extra 1?

When a natural disaster strikes like this then we need to do what we can to save lives and get them out of their immediate crisis. Incurring long term obligations, now that's a different story. I don't view it as a choice between helping foreigners in crisis vs. helping those at home in need. We have very, very few people in the U.S. in true need. If someone in the U.S. tells you that they don't know where their next meal is coming from then most likely they're lying. What we do have is a lot of people in "want" who our government has blown uncountable sums of money upon. Our government's unconscionable debts aren't the result of helping truly needy people, they're the result of trying to buy votes with the taxpayers money. Therefore it isn't a choice between spending on helping Haitians in crisis vs. Americans who need it. There aren't very many Americans who need it, but there are plenty who want it.

yep & yep

Mike,

Here is another analysis that you may be interested in. The average global credit rating of all countries is approximately 45 on a scale of 1 to 100 with 100 being the highest. Switzerland (no surprise) has the highest rating at 94. The United States is at 88 with puts us number 15 down from 13 as of March of 2009 according to Institutional Investor.

Saudi Arabia is at 72.4. Their estimated debt to GDP ratio is approximately 15% of GDP. One must ask why Saudi's "credit rating" is less than the United States when it appears that they are relatively debt free when you compare it to GDP. It must mean there is more to it than that. Right?

You wouldn't think they would have any debt, but they do. I have never cared for analyzing debt to GDP. I would rather analyze debt to tax revenues. That would be more akin to a person's personal debt load to their income. Which would help avoid a bankruptcy situation.

To analyze whether a person or entity is bankrupt, then you consider their debt to equity which leads back to my original post on this subject.

By they way, China's credit rating is at 74.1 which puts it currently at number 34 down from 33 the year prior. I think many would have thought that China was the world's financial powerhouse, but they are a greater credit risk than the good old USA. Doesn't hurt my feelings none.

SEVERAL charities have launched appeals in response to the Haiti earthquake. This is a list of some British charities.

To make a donation, people who choose to can contact any of the following organisations.

� ActionAid: www.actionaid.org.uk or phone 01460 238000

� Christian Aid: www.christianaid.org.uk/haiti-appeal or 08080 004 004

� Merlin: www.merlin.org.uk or 0207 014 1714

� Oxfam: www.oxfam.org.uk or 0300 200 1999

� British Red Cross: www.redcross.org.uk or 0845 053 5353

� Save the Children: www.savethechildren.org.uk/haiti or 020 7012 6400

� SCIAF: 0141 354 5555 or online at www.sciaf.org.uk

Also accepting cash and in-kind donations are the following sites: UNICEF (1-800-4UNICEF), Direct Relief, Yele Haiti, Partners in Health, Red Cross, World Food Program, Mercy Corps (1-888-256-1900), Save the Children, Lambi Fund, Doctors Without Borders, The International Rescue Committee, Care



In the wake of the devastating earthquake in Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010, many Americans are looking for ways to help by donating to a charity. Fraudulent charities will likely emerge trying to scam donations from well-meaning Americans.

Top 6 tips from Better Business Bureau | Top 4 tips from Oregon's attorney general

Press release courtesy Better Business Bureau

As immediate relief needs are assessed in the wake of the devastating earthquake in Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010, many Americans are looking for ways to help by donating to a charity. Your Better Business Bureau Foundation warns that -- as occurred following the tsunami in 2004 and Katrina in 2005 -- fraudulent charities will likely emerge trying to scam donations from well-meaning Americans.

"Whenever there is a major natural disaster, be it home or abroad, there are two things you can count on. The first is the generosity of Americans to donate time and money to help victims, and the second is the appearance of poorly run and in some cases fraudulent charities," said Robert W.G. Andrew, CEO of BBB serving Alaska, Oregon, and Western Washington. "Not only do Americans need to be concerned about avoiding fraud, they also need to make sure their money goes to competent relief organizations that are equipped and experienced to handle the unique challenges of providing assistance."

BBB Foundation offers the following six tips to help Americans decide where to direct donations:

Rely on expert opinion when it comes to evaluating a charity. Be cautious when relying on third-party recommendations such as bloggers or other Web sites, as they might not have fully researched the listed relief organizations. The public can go to www.bbb.org/charity to research charities and relief organizations to verify that they are accredited by BBB and meet the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Be wary of claims that 100 percent of donations will assist relief victims. Despite what an organization might claim, charities have fundraising and administrative costs. Even a credit card donation will involve, at a minimum, a processing fee. If a charity claims 100 percent of collected funds will be assisting earthquake victims, the truth is that the organization is still probably incurring fundraising and administrative expenses. They may use some of their other funds to pay this, but the expenses will still be incurred.

Be cautious when giving online. Be cautious about online giving, especially in response to spam messages and e-mails that claim to link to a relief organization. In response to the tsunami disaster in 2004, there were concerns raised about many Web sites and new organizations that were created overnight allegedly to help victims.

Find out if the charity has an on-the-ground presence in the impacted areas. Unless the charity already has staff in the effected areas, it may be difficult to get new aid workers to quickly provide assistance. See if the charity's Web site clearly describes what they can do to address immediate needs.

Find out if the charity is providing direct aid or raising money for other groups. Some charities may be raising money to pass along to relief organizations. If so, you may want to consider "avoiding the middleman" and giving directly to charities that have a presence in the region. Or, at a minimum, check out the ultimate recipients of these donations to ensure the organizations are equipped to effectively provide aid.

Ask before giving gifts of clothing, food or other in-kind donations. In-kind drives for food and clothing-while well intentioned-may not necessarily be the quickest way to help those in need, unless the organization has the staff and infrastructure to be able to properly distribute such aid. Ask the charity about their transportation and distribution plans. Be wary of those who are not experienced in disaster relief assistance.
Press release courtesy Oregn attorney general

Oregon Attorney General John Kroger is warning Oregon consumers to be on the lookout for unfamiliar organizations soliciting funds for victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti. Scammers exploit current events � from fears about a swine flu pandemic to the sale of Michael Jackson memorabilia � to defraud consumers. Scammers will seek to gain access to credit card numbers and bank accounts in order to commit identity theft. Unscrupulous charities may also seek donations, even though only a small percentage the money will actually be used to help earthquake victims.

Many legitimate organizations are seeking donations to aid victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. To confirm that a charity is registered, visit the Oregon Department of Justice web site: www.oregonattorneygeneral.gov. To help consumers distinguish worthy charities from con artists and unscrupulous non-profits, Attorney General Kroger offers the following tips:

Do not give out personal information such as credit card or bank account numbers over the phone. Legitimate charities will accept contributions by check, which should always be made payable to the organization not the person collecting the donation.

Beware of callers who want your money fast. When solicited by phone, always ask the caller to send you written materials about the charity. No legitimate organization will insist that you donate immediately. Watch out for solicitors who employ dramatic, emotional or heart-tugging stories.

Do not donate cash. Legitimate charities will be pleased to receive a contribution by check. Don�t send contributions with a �runner,� by wire or overnight parcel pick-up service.

Be sure you are contributing to a legitimate organization registered with the Attorney General�s Office by searching the Department�s online database or by calling 971-673-1880. You can also visit www.guidestar.org, a national clearinghouse of information about charities and their performance.

Scammers, identity thieves and unscrupulous charities pose a significant threat to Oregon consumers. Last year, more than 150 Oregon consumers reported falling victim to some kind of a scam. The Oregon Department of Justice, a national leader in policing non-profits, also took legal action against more than 20 non-profits for using misleading solicitations.

The Oregon Department of Justice is committed to protecting Oregon consumers. Anyone who thinks they may have been contacted by a scammer should call Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-877-877-9392 or go to the Oregon Department of Justice Web site.

We gave a donation online tonight via Samaritan's Purse, which is a group my wife and I have both worked with overseas while on medical missions. It is an excellent and trustworthy charity, and one that we try to frequently support with our tithes.

Whatever your political or religious affiliations a little money will go a long ways toward helping a lot of folks in serious need. If you doubt the destruction that has happened or question the suffering that folks are going through, I hope that you look through some of the posted photos and blogs that are available. It's hard to see dead kids and not want to do something, the death toll will climb quickly due to issues of poor nutrition, sanitation, and water if swift intervention doesn't occur.

It's only collateral on a loan if you can take possession of it for settlement of debt. I personally don't see the USG letting any of their numerous creditors, both here and overseas come and take possession of anything to resolve our debts.

I got the $112 Trillion from our debts and obligations. We have at current levels $12.3 Trillion of public debt, and an unfunded debt of just over $100 Trillion for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and military and civil service pensions. These are all programs that require funding by the Federal Government for which they have issued various IOU's. Unless they are going to default on all of these, then that's the current state of our budget, and it's more along the lines of 900% of GDP, vice the 85% you so blithely acknowledge.

Yes 85% debt to GDP isn't the highest level we've ever seen if you just want to count the $12.3 Trillion against our annual GDP, but it is the second highest, and we were in a world war the last time it happened. We were also sitting on 22,000 Tonnes of gold, and were the worlds largest creditor, not the worlds largest debtor. We also held the trump card in manufacturing, something we no longer do.

You mention Japan as running 200% debt to GDP, but there are major differences between us and them. One is that the Japanese had a much higher savings rate per capita than the US, allowing them to internally finance their debts. They also were the second largest economy and the third largest manufacturer in the world. That too is ending. They are having serious problems financing debt internally now, as their demographic problem has bitten them in the a$$. Their retirees are now selling their debt to finance their retirements and they do not have enough younger people to pick up the tab anymore. With the world saturated in debt, there is no market for it, and they are turning to monetization, just like every other major country in the world. This means only one thing, and that is the death of paper assets, as they will eventually reach the point of no bid, and the only thing that will be considered collateral for settlement of debt will be commodities.

You mention that no country in the world is on a gold standard anymore, and that is correct. But consider that central banks consider gold to be a major part of their capital reserves, and that it remains a universal way to settle obligations. Now, you see central banks either holding on to their gold reserves, or trying to buy more, as in the case of China, India, Russia, Brazil and virtually every other country in the world except the US and the UK. There's a reason that the Bundesbank asked for the return of their gold from the US Mint at West Point and the Fed vault in NYC. They know through bitter experience what having gold reserves means. It means stability of your currency. The reason we have constant inflation of assets and currency is because we do not have a gold standard. The only ones who think that gold is not a major asset anymore are the morons who buy the Federal Reserve's propaganda. You must recognize their FRN$ cant for what it is, talking their book. They have been wildly successful at it, so much so that most in this country denigrate the only thing that will give them insurance against a politically manipulated paper currency that hasn't held it's value since the Fed was conceived.

Face facts, the nation is bankrupt, both financially by any accounting method you wish to use, and morally by most reasonable measures of decency. All you have to do is look at the political/financial hydra that is our government to see that most who serve in government or finance are there to line their own pockets at the expense of the rest of us. That's what parasites do. Trying to rationalize it won't change the facts.

AMEN

Credit ratings as determined by whom? The same people who rated all of the CDO and MBS derivatives as AAA risks? S&P, Moody's, Fitch? I wouldn't trust their analysis on anything after their performance the last two years. Their analysis is bought and paid for.

Funny,we got hit with a 6.5 quake on Saturday,under 30 miles from the epicenter,and the worst of it was cleaning broken glass and turning the power back on.No aid needed or wanted.

Just sayin......

Brian.

Building codes work?

i will contribute my own money to the Red Cross to help those poor suffering souls. That way it bypasses the US government and will end up where it is needed most. Haiti seems doomed but the people are suffering and if you are in a position to help it is our moral duty to do so I feel. At least with Haiti the need is clearly eveident.