Naomi Klein, Mostly Right

Delightfully ditzy Canadian firebrand Naomi Klein talks Haiti:

Here's the original Heritage piece described by Klein, author of the Prix Mediations-winning No Logo and the more recent Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. Here is the piece Heritage replaced it with. And that's a well deserved humiliation for Heritage, not just for doing some clumsy political piggybacking on a disaster but for not having the huevos to stay with the piggybacking.

I also agree with Klein that assistance to Haiti, at least for the duration of the post-earthquake digout, should be given in the form of grants rather than loans. (With standard caveats about foreign interventions of all kinds: Right now the U.S. has again involved itself as a doctor, and as such is required to keep the patient's longterm health in mind.)

But why would Klein be in favor of giving grants at all? If her definitions mean anything, President René Préval is a yes man for mercantilist globalizers. In this 2005 piece Klein denounces opponents of ousted Préval predecessor Jean-Bertrand Aristide as "convicted killers, drug smugglers and arms traders" who are comparable to Charles Manson. Préval is the first full-term president since the 2004 American-backed putsch against Aristide (not to be confused with the 1994 American-led putsch in favor of Aristide). Since that time, inequality in Haiti has grown to the point that starving people in 2008 tried to storm the presidential palace and were stopped by international troops.

So whom do we trust to do well for Haiti? Heifer International? The 82nd Airborne Division? Bluehelmets? The Catholic Church? The network of community organizers in Port-au-Prince? Reunited Fugees? Canada?

Comments

[Brian Sorgatz]

Huevos, not juevos.

[Ska]

One Easter many, many years ago, my grandparents' neighbors came over and they had their Colombian grandchild with them. My brother asked him something like "Quanto huevos tienes?" thinking he was asking about Easter eggs. I will never forget telling my brother what he just asked that kid.

[poo - tee - weet]

Spanish - English
Quanto eggs have?

WTF?

[Hyperion]

Quantos ovos voc? tem?

[Lamar]

Huevos literally means eggs, but is usually taken to mean balls. And it is "Cuanto" (with an accent on the "a"). South Americans would refer to eggs as blanquillos to avoid such an embarrassing confusion.

[Hyperion]

Unless the South American happened to be Brazilian, in which case an egg will be referred to as an "ovo"

I was thinking that most Haitians speak some form of Creole and not Spanish?

[Zeb]

Yes, French creole, not Spanish.

[smartass sob]

I don't know about Haitians, but Brazilians speak a form of Portugese. It has many similarities to Spanish, but it definitely is a different language. I found that out first hand when I visited Rio many years ago.

[Hyperion]

People from Rio, who are reffered to as Cariocas by most Brazilians, have the coolest accent in my opinion. Spanish and Portugues are similar but there are considerable differences both in spelling or pronunciation of words, and syntax. I don't speak Spanish, but I can understand to some extent what Spanish speakers are saying due to the similarities. I may be biased, but I find that spoken Portuguese is much more eloquent and pleasing to the ear than is Spanish.

[Hyperion]

type-o correct: r-e-f-e-r-r-e-d. There I fixed if before the type-o police show up...

[Ska]

if =/= it

😀

[kiwi dave]

Agree. I love the sound of Portuguese, although I'm not able to easily distinguish the Brazilian and European versions. What's interesting is that although the written language is very similar to Spanish, the spoken language sounds (to me, at least) absolutely nothing like it, or even like a Romance language at all. It almost sounds vaguely Slavic. But I love the sound of it (especially the nasal sound in everything that ends in -ao).

[smartass sob]

Huevos Rancheros is made with testicles?!

[heller]

*The more you know*

[Gene Callahan]

And, in fact, isn't it "Cuantos," to match in number?

[R C Dean]

If her definitions mean anything,

Oh, pish. Anyone who writes an entire book about how disasters are the camel's nose under the tent for CAPITALISTS obviously doesn't think words mean much of anything, that the Agenda is all, and that words can and should be yoked to advancing the Agenda, truth be damned.

[Hazel Meade]

That is really all you need to know about Naomi Klein.

[bleek obummer]

words can and should be yoked to advancing the Agenda, truth be damned

Liberals follow this guideline constantly.

[WWJGD]

"Opportunities found in disasters and crises" can only be exploited by leftists...duh, Heritage.

[bleek obummer]

Is it just me or what?

I thought she was talking about Rahm Emanuel and his comment "Rule one: Never allow a crisis to go to waste".

[poo - tee - weet]

Why no morning links? AGAIN???

[Tim Cavanaugh]

Very sorry this piece went up with "talks Cuba" in the lede instead of "talks Haiti." Correction made.

[Tim Cavanaugh]

I'm really batting a thousand today. Thank you, Brian.

[Old Mexican]

but for not having the huevos to stay with the piggybacking.

You co-opted my word.

[kinnath]

So whom do we trust to do well for Haiti? Heifer International? The 82nd Airborne Division? Bluehelmets? The Catholic Church? The network of community organizers in Port-au-Prince? Reunited Fugees? Canada?

Blame Canada

[Hyperion]

You have got to be kidding me? Canada? The well informed already know that there are 2 possible causes for this disaster and those possibilities have already been put forth by 2 of the most enlightened stars of both the far right, and the far left. Those 2 possibilities are:

1. The poor Haitians are being punished because they made some type of evil voodoo pact with the Devil.

2. The poor Haitians are being punished because of their large role in causing global warming.

Now, if we are going to have a rational discussion about how to solve this chaos, we first have to know where to place the blame for it happening in the first place. Either this situation is being complicated by:

A: Haitian voodoo shamans are putting voodoo hexes on all the people, causing them to pillage and plunder rather that acting in a calm and orderly fashion so as to assist in relief efforts.

OR

B: Global Warming.

I'm going to go with A, because I am not sure that Global Warming is real.

[Tim Cavanaugh]

The funny thing about A: Making a deal with the devil to get rid of the French is still a deal worth making.

[Hyperion]

Maybe they could just try nationalizing any French companies in the country and that would drive them out. That wasn't originally my idea...

[Tommy Grand]

"The poor Haitians are being punished because of their large role in causing global warming."

Global warming is only caused by white people. So the earthquake was caused by voodoo.

[joshua corning]

Global warming is only caused by white people.

According to the Guardian it is white poeple and China.

[poo - tee - weet]

Yellow is the new white.

[yonemoto]

Twinkies. (or Bananas)

[DJF]

But only because the wonderful communists have been subverted by evil whites who want them to make lead tainted toys to sell to children. The Guardian think that if only the Chinese would follow Mao's little red book then everything would be fine.

[TP]

You know, somebody asked me if I thought there was a "reason" why this happened to Haiti. I said, "yeah, because they live on a fucking fault line", in front of her two children, (ages 6 and 11). Then, I got up and left. In hindsight, I should have at least let her blow me, first.

[Hyperion]

You are over simplifying things TP. That plate tectonics stuff, you can't put TOO much faith in that. There may be some truth to it, but it has to take a backseat to more prominent science like climate science you know. You can't just look at the obvious because those of us without a Phd in Pol-Sci or climate science just are not intelligent enough to see beyond the obvious. Chad and Tony will be along shortly to further explain this.

[MUG]

without a Phd in Pol-Sci

I prefer "terminal degree" in PoliSci, if you don't mind.

[juris imprudent]

Phd in Pol-Sci

That would be pronounced "fud", right?

[Hyperion]

??? PhD. Is that better, or would you prefer Ph.D.? I've seen it all 3 ways, but..., never mind, (-:

[Gene Callahan]

So, her question called for being a rude dickhead?

[TP]

Like I said, "in hindsight...."

So, the answer to your question would be, no.

[P Brooks]

Since that time, inequality in Haiti has grown to the point that starving people in 2008 tried to storm the presidential palace and were stopped by international troops.

[Cabeza de Vaca]

I'll add this to the many reasons I hate the UN.

[P Brooks]

Fucking UN.

Fucking squirrels.

Same thing.

[Hyperion]

Only, you can't paintball UN goons out of trees when you get fed up with their destructive ways.

[Brett L]

Obviously, the preferred method of taking down blue helmets is punji stick traps using staked 12 year olds as bait.

[Warren]

The fact that Naomi isn't covered in shingles is proof that there is no god.

[P Brooks]

Naomi must be pissed off at the WaPo, too. They put up a story yesterday which said much the same thing.

[EcoDude]

Wasn't Aristide supposed to usher in a new era of prosperity and overall goodness to Haiti?

[Warren]

Wasn't every freshly anointed leader of everywhere ever?

[joshua corning]

Obama say it ain't so!!!

[CatoTheElder]

Yep ... the Marine mission to install Aristide, a lunatic priest, was dubbed "Operation Uphold Democracy".

[Hyperion]

"Operation Uphold Democracy". Damn, that sounds eerily like the name of a totally fascist bill that would be passed by our current US Congress.

[P Brooks]

People keep yapping about "preserving order" and that's why we can't just haphazardly airdrop food and supplies into the countryside, because "the biggest and the strongest and the fastest" will get there first, and we'd rather starve everyone than allow that.

We should be raining pallets of food and water on Haiti, until there is no benefit to hoarding.

[Warren]

Oh yeah, that'll work

[brotherben]

We all know that the quickest way to establish order in such a situation is to make em all line their asses up in an orderly fashion to recieve their lifesaving water food and medical attention.

[Spartacus]

I think people just don't realize the scale of the problem. An airplane can only deliver a few tons of cargo at a time; a helicopter much less. A C-130 has a cargo capacity of about 20 tons, (which equates to 5,000 gallons of water) according to the USAF fact sheet. Airlifts will only be able to make a small dent in the need for supplies; real relief will not occur until really big ships start arriving, which will take more time.

I feel sorry for the Haitians, but people who think that everyone should have what they need within 72 hours (not intended to refer to anyone in particular) just have no idea about the logistics involved in trying to get food, water, and supplies to hundreds of thousands of people.

[Ska]

A C-130 has a cargo capacity of about 20 tons

What about an AC-130?

[Spartacus]

That actually might do a much better job of keeping everyone orderly.

[T]

Different cargo and delivery method, but about the same tonnage.

[Ska]

I was screwing around, Spartacus went the direction I was heading.

[T]

Overkill for Haiti. Swatting flies with a sledgehammer.

[Timon19]

At some point over the weekend, we had helicopters dropping stuff, presumably in a less accessible suburb or outlying area. It was reported that some of the Haitians were pissed because "they were throwing food at us like we're dogs" or something to that effect.

I'm thinking that was just one, exaggerated quote, but if not...damn.

[brotherben]

I admittedly haven't watched much Haiti coverage. What little I have watched reminded me of the overzealous apocolyptic reporting on how the coloreds in New Orleans had devolved during Katrina. It seemes to me that there is enough real carnage without seemingly makin shit up.

[Timon19]

Well, I caught it on one of the reports on Aljazeera, so take that for what it's worth. On the other hand, it wasn't highlighted or given more than a brief mention among all the reporting on the logistical difficulties, so they weren't really trying to gin up too much outrage, methinks.

Overall, AJ has had a useful perspective and much, much less campy/emotion-wringing presentation than, say, CNN. And Theresa Bo is HOT.

[Hyperion]

I have watched enough to clearly discern Obama's main objectives in dealing with this crisis.

First, send some troops and stuff to Haiti so that my popularity polls don't decline even further. And second, get some buses full of Acorn workers to MA on the pronto.

[put up or shut up]

brotherben,"the coloreds". I like crayola Purple Pizzazz. We are talking crayons?

[bleek obummer]

@put up or shut up

Here I agree with you. "Coloreds"? Is this the 1950s or has brotherben been under a rock since then?

[put up or shut up]

Imagine what he has to say about Jews? Catholics? good God Liberals!

[bigbigslacker]

brotherben, people who don't get it don't deserve an explanation, so don't give em one.

[Zeb]

I, for one, would not put that much effort into providing food for dogs.

[P Brooks]

It was reported that some of the Haitians were pissed because "they were throwing food at us like we're dogs" or something to that effect.

That sounds like something some NGO parasite would come up with, because he was pissed off at being cut out of the loop.

[Timon19]

Could be. I heard it reported almost as an afterthought on Aljazeera. It wasn't at all focused on, really, just presented as an interesting comment indicative of frustration and desperation (things that cloud reason, basically).

[hmm]

Why should I have to trust anyone "to do well for Haiti?"

It's a shit sandwich that we are going to eat no matter what. The only redeeming thing about any of it is the little sliver of humanitarian cheese and maybe helping an individual here or there. Other than that I don't care. I don't like imperialism when it is overt, why should I like it when it has the pretty mask of empathy?

[BakedPenguin]

So whom do we trust to do well for Haiti?

Let's send in ACORN. And leave them there.

[Hyperion]

Can't. They are all needed in MA right now.

[Barry Loberfeld]

The outpouring of aid by private citizens refutes the very foundation of tax-and-redistribute. From here:

What justifies the concentration of all "welfare" dollars into the hands of government except the notion that society will starve the poor but the State won't? Yes, the government -- essentially, a handful of guys with guns -- will be more compassionate and generous with the people's money than the people themselves -- the entirety of the population -- will.

Ah, but who would bail out AIG?

[ClubMedSux]

You can't really blame the Heritage Foundation for this one. After all, the Chinese use the same word for "crisis" as "opportunity."

[ClubMedSux]

D'oh! Forgot to include this link.

[NeonCat]

I did not watch the video as I have just finished lunch and want to keep my food down, but the obvious answer is to appoint Naomi Klein UN High Commissioner for Haiti, give her unlimited power and let her sort it out. At the very least it would mean we wouldn't have to hear her talking out her ass for a while.

[John]

Naomi Klein, Naomi Wolf, Naomi Judd. Is every woman named Naomi a whackjob?

[Marc]

What about Naomi Campbell?

Oh.

[joshua corning]

Naomi Watts is hot.

[PapayaSF]

So is Naomi Wolf.

[Old Mexican]

Naomi Wolf is hot! Or at least, she was back in the day... And she's less kooky than Naomi Klein.

[juris imprudent]

And she's less kooky than Naomi Klein.

So is 99% of the general population.

[John]

Wolf used to be kind of hot. But I didn't say women named Naomi couldn't be hot. I said they all seemed to be nuts. And Wolfe is just slightly less nuts than Klein.

[yonemoto]

and Klein is slightly hotter than Wolf

[PapayaSF]

True, they're both nuts, but IMHO Wolf is far hotter than Klein.

[Attorney]

Is there a story here?

1. Heritage posts something that, while perhaps cold & unfeeling, is not entirely unreasonable.

2. Klein uses it to illustrate some of her anti-market musings.

3. Heritage edits the post to make it a little less cold and unfeeling.

If you want to argue the pros and cons of non-interventionism, you'll get no griping from me. This just seems like a very, shall I say, "bury the lede"y way of going about it.

[joshua corning]

1. Heritage posts something that, while perhaps cold & unfeeling, is not entirely unreasonable.

It was neither cold or unfeeling and was very reasonable. It's sin was that it advocated free trade and better relations for the region with the US.

Both horrible trespasses against Klein and Heritage staff.

[Attorney]

Heritage is anti-free trade? (Serious question.)

[yonemoto]

well re: 1

At least heritage is willing and ballsy enough to admit it - you know that helping Haiti is definitely part of Obama's "improve america's image abroad" agenda anyways.

[Friend of Al Gore]

Boycott Naomi Klein!

[bleek obummer]

Friend of Al Gore

You would admit that? Brave indeed.

[ack]

Boycott Nature! Look at all the destruction she causes.

[Tom Walls]

Hey y'all,

I put up a site through Mercy Corps (a private aid group recommended by Cato's Tom Palmer as one that does NOT waste money on govt. lobbying) to channel donations by liberty-minded-types:

http://www.mercycorps.org/fundraising/vanlibete

"Van Libete" is Creole for 'Wind of Liberty.' Kind of like French "Vent de Liberte"

[Aresen]

I say Blame Canada:

1) It gives the Haitians a target other than the US.

2) Canadians will feel guilty about what they might/might not have done, send lots of aid & feel better about themselves.

3) Haitians get lots of goodies as a result of 2).

4) The US stays our of it.

EVERYBODY WINS!

[Canada]

It IS our fault, all part of the secret plan, first undermine Haiti's economy we're into the 143rd year of a well laid plan, then...
cause magnitude 6 earthquake... (oops our bad) get Obama distracted providing aid etc then...
North Dakota is OURS! BWAHAHAHAHA

[Aresen]

Screw North Dakota.

We've already got a good chunk of Florida & Arizona.

Texas is next.

[iowahawk]

With apologies to Frank Sinatra (and the entire human race)

The rubble in my hair
The corpses everywhere
Pat Robertson's aware
it's witchcraft...

He knows it's revenge for it
Haiti's now Stonehenge for it
How else would God avenge for its voodoo?

'Cause it's witchcraft, wicked witchcraft
The Reverend says it's biblically taboo

[Marshall Gill]

Mr. Burge, you sir, are an artist! Like some kind of bastard child of Thomas Sowell and Ted Nugent.

[heller]

Sinatra would probably just say God hates Haitians because they are black, so you don't really need to apologize.

[Douglas Fletcher]

Doesn't she have a cooking show on PBS?

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