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'Rebuilding Haiti': Dissecting the United States' relationship with the nation and whether Haiti's government is part of recovery woes
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-- hello everybody -- occasionally yeah there -- -- yourself.
And we have had doctors here going around the clock in 1920 hours a day -- pretty well into the night.
So -- we'll -- personnel -- you can still see behind me we've probably had 200 people here -- man.
Some -- -- about tonight and tell them not no question how are you don't want -- you can.
Doesn't get more dire than that's more than 300000.
People killed in the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
And 300000 more hurt.
The US provide an urgent medical care to the Haitian people hundreds of American doctors and medical personnel traveling to Haiti to help save lives.
So why does Haiti it mattered to you and to America.
Shouldn't Americans be concerned about Haiti we know lots of places in the world to worry about even home to worry about why Haiti.
Well I think first is geographic proximity were right next door to Haiti -- long historical -- ties to Haiti to the country to the government.
And also there's many ties between American citizens in Haiti.
But most importantly it's right there and -- problems if we don't help solve the problems in Haiti they will come to America because we are we've seen.
Migration of people in bad times in Haiti trying to come into the United States so we are best served by.
Creating a system and helping the Haitian government to solve the problems they have.
Why should Americans care about -- we have a lot problems here problems on the well but that's a question I was gonna ask.
I mean there's there's a couple of things and and I've I've heard often when that questions asked one of the things is brought up as Haiti's proximity of the United States and that's absolutely true.
Another thing that's very important to consider is that Haiti's problems don't operate in -- back in the United States has been involved in Haiti.
Since the very beginning Haiti is the second oldest republic in the Americas United States is the first.
They've had a very long relationship often acrimonious.
-- involved.
Occupations by the United States and Haiti is involved invasions -- -- -- by the United States and Haiti not everything that the United States -- done there has been good.
One example -- is that the United States has overseen.
The implementation of food policy in Haiti.
That involves the importation of heavily subsidize American rain especially rice which is undercut.
Haitian farmers and and put a lot of -- that was out of business and worsened poverty there.
So it's not like we can just sit back and say.
Oh this isn't really our problem this is their problem they need to fix it because we've been involved all along in good as -- and bad.
And it's not like we can just choose to disengage when when things aren't going -- -- that we've been involved.
We're still involved there really isn't a choice in the matter the only question is we want to be a force for good but -- we ought to be something.
We travel in armored cars is that overkill or was that good judgment failure very precious car guess that wasn't over kill.
When a student listening to defeat an innings and is it dangerous for Americans.
It depends on where you are the government there is a lot of instability there's a lot of violence there's a lot of corruption and that police corruption has occurred in multiple places.
And so when you're traveling in -- you are concerned about safety particularly when you get off the main thoroughfares when the sun goes down because.
It's a society where the police force is not that active it's not really president very much outside the main cities.
For the State Department issued recently issued travel advisory -- -- did for many countries for Americans but of course Haiti caught my attention.
They did -- recently renewed the travel advisor which had been in existence and I think that was a wise precaution by the State Department again there's been improvements in Haiti's president -- -- government has been taking some active steps to improve the safety and security in the country.
But it's still a dangerous place to -- Just that the problems are solved and Haiti sooner or later they're run -- -- gonna get -- -- like we've seen in the past.
Where they're going to come to our -- one way or another.
So this help pay to solve their problems of the Haitian people that they don't commit to provide what's to come to America but also ever run on your own home to Haitians love Haiti.
And -- we can help solve their their political problems.
That they would stay.
I have FC spectacularly beautiful places in Haiti patent and I mean yeah governor -- -- -- actually gorgeous.
-- is a spectacularly beautiful country that the name comes from.
That's how you know word that the the field made of words for mountainous place.
I'm it has soaring peaks that basically the highest mountains in the Caribbean -- -- On the island of Hispaniola.
They're beautiful beaches.
In the north there's the citadel is.
You -- -- world heritage site.
On it was originally a fortress built repel an attack from the French but in and of itself -- this.
Magnificent basically castle -- on top of the mountain it's it's it's a beautiful country and it's it's it's -- really gorgeous.
-- -- -- -- Agassi is not great government is I think Yeltsin needs.
I think it needs to develop its got the resources there that's the conundrum you look at Haiti you look at the resources you have a lot of strain the beaches I mean it's very our compound where we work with samaritans purse and -- We're on the beach I sit there and you eat your meal ten yards from the beach and I've never put my toe and that water nor would I ever put my toe in that water because the infrastructure.
The government hasn't developed the sewer systems there's a huge problem with the -- the plastic.
Clogging up all the drains that would normally during the sewers so they go into the day so it's a long term and I think that's what the government particularly we can't help them.
We can help individuals and Haiti we can't.
Fix the Haiti government we can't -- all their problems and government of Haiti pass to be developed and focus on that long term effort.
-- think you -- -- it's so hot there they drink a lot of water people drink it all these plastic bottles.
And then just -- it in ends up in their sewer system that clogs everything out and I know let's average person.
And reverend Graham had a program to pay to collect those plastic bottles to retrieve them in an effort to.
Get them out of there -- -- these -- so that to be less sewage getting stopped up and it's a horrible a never ending cycle.
And that's when great program we have as our recycling program we set up entrepreneurs today they pay and -- -- eclectic group of businessmen working with and they go out and get the plastic we bring -- -- essential facility.
-- in -- with some machines we have and then take it to the recycling center and just in just when he twelfth.
We return almost a 100000 dollars.
To the Haitian economy but paying the people involved in this program so help make their lives better we showed him what it was like to be an Oxford -- What it was like to take care their family what it was like to involve the community in this effort.
And the end result was cleaning up -- a huge problem.
I'm the same last land -- is Dominican Republic -- so vastly different country.
Why do you think the difference between now the Dominican Republic and once had this land mass and Haiti India than they would.
Very different one as one as prosperous and one truly is a country in crisis it's just.
A government run on the question and -- -- had dictators.
One after another.
Memorable -- Papa doc and baby talk can be reasonable right on down the line of these corrupt.
Political leaders who have been in the country that's taken advantage of the -- people.
Now for well over a century.
They need America's involvement no question we need to be there we need to help the Haitian people.
But I we're usually just pushed it to the United States government get involved in that even a bigger way and help them administratively.
-- we did destroy Iraq.
How come we can't help them and do this and -- -- actually put in enough but.
Military administrator somebody -- go -- and actually help from the country.
-- all the systems by complacent and turn it over to the -- people and when every system is up and running there can be -- we did in Iraq.
