We learn that The Heritage Foundation suggests that President Obama appoint George Bush to represent the Republicans in the Haitian relief/rescue effort:
The U.S. government response should be bold and decisive. It must mobilize U.S. civilian and military capabilities for short-term rescue and relief and long-term recovery and reform. President Obama should tap high-level, bipartisan leadership. Clearly former President Clinton, who was already named as the U.N. envoy on Haiti, is a logical choice. President Obama should also reach out to a senior Republican figure, perhaps former President George W. Bush, to lead the bipartisan effort for the Republicans.
Because Bush did such a heckuva job the last time he managed a relief and rescue effort during a natural disaster, right? And because relief & rescue efforts need to be represented by Dems and Republicans or else they won't be, what, fair?
Oh and while we're there being all humanitarian and shit, we should totally stick it to Chavez, watch out for refugees illegal immigrants, use this relief effort as a way to force government change, and use it as good overall PR:
While on the ground in Haiti, the U.S. military can also interrupt the nightly flights of cocaine to Haiti and the Dominican Republic from the Venezuelan coast and counter the ongoing efforts of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to destabilize the island of Hispaniola. This U.S. military presence, which should also include a large contingent of U.S. Coast Guard assets, can also prevent any large-scale movement by Haitians to take to the sea in dangerous and rickety watercraft to try to enter the U.S. illegally.
Meanwhile, the U.S. must be prepared to insist that the Haiti government work closely with the U.S. to insure that corruption does not infect the humanitarian assistance flowing to Haiti. Long-term reforms for Haitian democracy and its economy are also badly overdue. Congress should immediately begin work on a package of assistance, trade, and reconstruction efforts needed to put Haiti on its feet and open the way for deep and lasting democratic reforms.
But remember:
The U.S. should implement a strong and vigorous public diplomacy effort to counter the negative propaganda certain to emanate from the Castro-Chavez camp. Such an effort will also demonstrate that the U.S.’s involvement in the Caribbean remains a powerful force for good in the Americas and around the globe.
Just in case you forgot to use this rescue and relief mission to really stick it to Chavez. Gee, I can't imagine why would the Foundation would be so certain that "negative propaganda" will come from Chavez's camp after reading this heartwarming directive so full of concern for the Haitian people.
WASHINGTON (AFP) – Former US president George W. Bush will join former president Bill Clinton to help lead the US relief effort in response to the earthquake that devastated Haiti, an official close to Bush said Thursday.
Bush, President Barack Obama's predecessor, "will join president Clinton in helping with disaster relief" after the catastrophe, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.
The official announcement was expected to come from the White House.
[...]The White House declined to comment on the request to Bush and Clinton, but said that Obama would make a new statement on the unfolding US relief effort for Haiti later on Thursday.
Obama is due to speak from the Diplomatic Room of the White House at 10:05 am (1505 GMT).
Rush Limbaugh has moved so far and so fast beyond contemptible that it takes the light from his home, the Planet of the Bloviating Shitheels, five years to catch up to him.
Still apparently on his "Rape is Hilarious" tour (parts one, two, three), Ricky Gervais appeared on The Tonight Show last night and brought with him a clip from his soon-to-premiere new HBO series, The Ricky Gervais Show, which is a collection of animated clips from the extremely popular podcasts he did with Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington. And—wouldn't you know it?—the clip he brought just happened to be a protracted rape joke.
[Transcript below.]
Now, to be fair, I'll note the possibility that Merchant approached the topic with the idea of making a (serious, if humorous) commentary on the many ways men find to take advantage of women, but, intentions aside, it quickly derails into a standard-issue rape joke, where it's not remotely clear at whose expense the joke is being told. The added animation, however, leaves no room for confusion: We are meant to laugh at the wacky rapist doctor because he is a rapist and the dubious woman because she is about to be raped.
As a survivor of rape, I don't find that very amusing. I'm pretty certain, though, my rapist would be able to quite comfortably laugh along.
I still don't understand—and I don't believe I ever will—why anyone wants to be this guy.
O'Brien: Do you— You have a clip here.
Gervais: Oh yeah.
O'Brien: Yeah, and, again, this is you and—
Gervais: [looks at watch] We could probably show the whole show; we've probably got half an hour left in this time slot.
O'Brien: You've got to stop!
Gervais: Sorry! Sorry!
O'Brien: Uh, this is great, because it's you guys, it's you and Stephen Merchant, just having a good time, and then—
Gervais: We read emails, and we read things from the news, and we just—it's all ad-libbed. It's all—we're just chatting. And they've animated that sort of behind our backs, so, uh, it just gives it just a new lease of life, when you know that everything we're saying was just absolutely—
O'Brien: Right, and then they animate it, and—
Gervais: Yeah.
O'Brien: Well, let's take a look at this clip, from "The Ricky Gervais Show."
[begin animated clip; cartoons of Merchant, Gervais, and Karl Pilkington are sitting at a desk]
Merchant: [reading from a piece of paper] A Serbian man has invented a sex machine for women. It runs on a 390-volt electric engine, simulates sex, and has a seven-and-a-half-inch artificial penis. As soon as I read this, I was thinking—I just imagined him there going [cartoon of middle-aged doctor shaking the hand of a young blonde woman] "Oh, thanks for coming in, yeah, okay. So what's going to happen is [doctor shows off sex machine, which is represented as a big computer with a hole in it at the end of a bed] a penis is going to pop out from here [gestures at hole] and it's gonna have sex with you. I'm gonna stand behind the machine—"
[Ricky Gervais bursts out laughing.]
Merchant: "—I'm gonna stand behind there, because there's a lot of dials and stuff, that I don't want to bore you with—"
Gervais: [woman frowns and looked concerned] "Well, why do you have to stand behind it?"
Merchant: [doctor takes off lab coat] "Just—I can't—it's technical stuff. I gotta hide—"
Gervais: [woman, still frowning, points at hole] "There's no, there's no penis on the robot at the moment. It's just a hole."
Merchant: [doctor removes his shoes] "Don't worry. [Merchant laughs] What'll happen is I will switch the machine on, I'll go behind, and then a penis will appear."
Gervais: [woman still looks concerned] "Will it be like a metal-looking penis?"
Merchant: [doctor unbuttons his shirt and removes it] "It will be a robotic penis, but it will seem like it's a regular fleshy human—"
Gervais: "So you've made this sort of like what a penis looks like, really realistic?"
Merchant: [doctor speaks from behind the machine] "It's really realistic. You will not be able to tell the difference between, say, the robot one and…mine, for instance."
Gervais: [woman looks upset] "Okay, well, I don't wanna see yours."
Merchant: [doctor, undressed, peeks around from behind the machine] "No, no, no, absolutely not."
[Audience laughter makes the next bit hard to hear, but it's basically the woman saying something like, "I didn't come here to have sex with a human; I came in to test the machine," and the doctor saying something like, "No, sex with a machine, and that's exactly what you're going to get" as we see him hiding behind the machine taking his pants off. Cut back to the studio with O'Brien and Gervais.]
O'Brien: I love that. That is hilarious! [He then plugs Gervais' new show and the Golden Globes, which Gervais is hosting.]
I see today that Pat Robertson's 700 Club has grumbled, rolled their eyes, and spat out one of the most egregious non-apology apologies that I have seen in quite some time. (Bonus points for not making the apology yourself, Pat 'ol boy.) If you were fortunate enough to miss his comments, after the recent nightmarish Haitian earthquake, Pat Robertson stepped right up to the plate to more or less blame the Haitians themselves.
Naturally, people were furious. Blog posts were written, media outlets chattered, and people called for an apology.
This is what they received. (No link, it is at the 700 Club website, if you must. Emphasis mine.)
On today’s The 700 Club, during a segment about the devastation, suffering and humanitarian effort that is needed in Haiti, Dr. Robertson also spoke about Haiti’s history. His comments were based on the widely-discussed 1791 slave rebellion led by Boukman Dutty at Bois Caiman, where the slaves allegedly made a famous pact with the devil in exchange for victory over the French. This history, combined with the horrible state of the country, has led countless scholars and religious figures over the centuries to believe the country is cursed. Dr. Robertson never stated that the earthquake was God’s wrath. If you watch the entire video segment, Dr. Robertson’s compassion for the people of Haiti is clear. He called for prayer for them. His humanitarian arm has been working to help thousands of people in Haiti over the last year, and they are currently launching a major relief and recovery effort to help the victims of this disaster. They have sent a shipment of millions of dollars worth of medications that is now in Haiti, and their disaster team leaders are expected to arrive tomorrow and begin operations to ease the suffering.
Chris Roslan Spokesman for CBN
Nice, eh? "Scholars and religious leaders" agree with him, you didn't hear what you thought you heard, you're too stupid to watch the entire thing, and he called for prayer so he's really a great guy. Also, fuck you.
They couldn't even muster a "we are sorry if anyone was offended by their misinterpretation of Dr. Robertson's words," which still would have been unacceptable.
I'm continually amazed that anyone can consider Pat Robertson a man of compassion and love.
(Commenting Guidelines: Disablist comments calling Pat Robertson crazy, nuts, a lunatic, out of his mind, etc., are both unwelcome and off-topic. Additional help for Haiti links here.)
When I was a kid, I read anything and everything. That included household hint books by Peg Bracken and Heloise.
That's where I learned to use an old peanut butter jar as an under-cupboard string dispenser, how to turn old soap bar ends into body wash by adding boiling water, and how to clean a rusty old steam iron (run white vinegar through it, pressing an old towel and mind your eyes!)
Another great vinegar hint: run a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water in your microwave (if you have one) for 5 minutes, and let it sit for 5 more. Then just wipe off all the encrusted gunk from the walls and ceiling of your microwave. No scrubbing, no sweat!
In addition to the "Help for Haiti" thread Mustang Bobby posted this morning, I also wanted to direct your attention to some other resources and offer some recommended reading.
The US Department of State Official Blog, DipNote, has a collection of useful posts: Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Arturo A. Valenzuela posts here with ideas on how to help, contact info if you have suggestions for the State Dept. on how to help, and contact info in case you're looking for information on family and friends in Haiti. Other posts with help ideas and pertinent contact info are here, here, and here.
Elle has a post with more ideas on how to help here.
"Port-au-Prince is flattened" after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Haitian capital, Haiti's consul general to the United Nations said Wednesday.
"More than 100,000 are dead," Felix Augustin told reporters.
The hospitals are gone, he added, and medical supplies and heavy equipment are desperately needed.
The Haitian prime minister said Wednesday several hundred thousand people may have died in the powerful earthquake.
"I hope that is not true, because I hope the people had the time to get out," Jean-Max Bellerive told CNN.
"Because we have so [many] people on the streets right now, we don't know exactly where they were living. But so many, so many buildings, so many neighborhoods totally destroyed, and some neighborhoods we don't even see people."
President Obama extended "the deep condolences and unwavering support" of the American people to Haiti today, and pledged "full support" for rescue and humanitarian assistance.
"For a country and a people who are no strangers to hardship and suffering, this tragedy seems especially cruel and incomprehensible," Obama said at the White House following a National Security Council meeting.
The scenes of collapsed buildings and bodies in the rubble are "heart wrenching," Obama said. "Our thoughts and prayers are also with the many Haitian Americans around our country who do not yet know the fate of their families and loved ones back home."
Please feel encouraged to drop more links re: help or info into comments.
UPDATE: And coming in right on cue with salt to pour in the wounds, Pat Robertson informs us that Haiti "swore a pact to the devil."
"I think it's a shame that when there is a woman that is strong and doesn't mind speaking her mind there is no other word that can be used [to describe her] except for 'bitch.'" — Tabatha Coffey, star of Tabatha's Salon Takeover, responding to the query if she ever gets tired of being called a bitch.
The Miami Herald has a listing of relief agencies that are helping the people of Haiti recover from yesterday's 7.0 earthquake that hit just outside the capital Port-au-Prince.
• UNICEF is seeking donations to the ongoing emergency relief efforts in Haiti and the Caribbean region through www.unicefusa.org/haitiquake or call 1-800-4UNICEF.
• Operation Helping Hands, a joint community project of The Miami Herald and United Way-Miami, will be collecting donations to support the relief effort in Haiti.
• Mercy Corps established a Haiti Earthquake Fund, PO Box 2669,Portland, OR 97208, www.mercycorps.org, 1-888-256-1900
• The Archdiocese of Miami is accepting financial donations to assist with recovery efforts for the earthquake victims in Haiti. People may send their donations to Catholic Charities, 1505 NE 26th St. Wilton Manors, FL 33305, Attention Earthquake Victims.
• The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) -- the natural disaster relief arm of the OAS -- was asking people who want to donate to visit its special relief website called www.PanAmericanRelief.org.
Also, U.S. citizens wondering about family in Haiti can ring the U.S. State Department's American Citizen Services line at 1-888-407-4747.
ETA: This is by no means a comprehensive list. If you know of other organizations that are helping out in Haiti, please list them in the comments.
I read a thread at Echidne's today that quotes Jimmy Carter. A few comments mentioned remembering Carter's presidency or being too young to recall it. I wrote in part,
[...] one of my earliest political memories was Jimmy Carter and the Swamp Rabbit. That was the spring after Milk was shot, and in the Bay Area where we lived everyone was still talking about it in hushed tones (White and Milk, not The Rabbit). Ah, kindergarten!
Other dominant themes in my memory from that time include the Iran hostage crisis and the 1979 energy crisis. I clearly recall my parents explaining California's odd-even gas rationing to us. This explanation prefaced anecdotes about how they had to give their rubber duckies and Kewpie Dolls to the war effort* when they were little.
The first presidential election I remember was 1980. I remember riding in the car after dark with my mother one evening. She was worrying out loud that my father was "probably going to vote for that moron!" (she meant Reagan.)
The rest of the story is priceless and I think I've related it here before. I remember saying, so, you're going to vote for Carter? and she looked at me like she'd said too much and told me that asking people who they're going to vote for was like going into their living room and mooning them. ("pulling your pants down" was the way she put it; I guess she figured I didn't know what "mooning" meant, like it would occur to me to do that anyway, lol!).
But my question this evening is broader:
What is/are your earliest current events memories? Tell us memories from every time and place. How did you process these events?
The National Tea Party folks planned a big protest at the auto show in Detroit yesterday. They wanted to show their disgruntlement over the government's bail-out of General Motors and Chrysler. Two people showed up.
One of the reasons might have been that it was very cold in Detroit yesterday, but another reason might be that some of the people in Michigan who are sympathetic to the tea party movement are also some of the people who work in the auto industry and are grateful that they still have jobs.
The Michigan Messengerreported on Michigan tea partier and ex-GM employee Joan Fabiano Facebook campaign urging her fellow protesters to stay away:
"In conclusion it is my opinion that this protest is ill-conceived and quite frankly an attempt at attention grabbing grand standing by those outside and unfortunately inside of Michigan. ... Why must some Americans boycott G.M. and throw INNOCENT people, such as myself, out on the street trying to find another job in this economy? Did I do something wrong? Would you like to see yourself out of a job if your company's leadership made the errors and you had NOTHING to do with it?"
As the Messenger reported, Fabiano, like most tea partiers, is opposed to the government bailouts of banks and the so-called "out of control spending" in D.C.. But when it comes to General Motors and Chrysler -- two companies bought out by the government in the depths of the economic downturn -- Fabiano said the protest could hurt the business climate in the one of the worst states for unemployment in the country.
It's all well and good to talk about something like letting the auto industry fail -- hey, that's capitalism -- but it's also well and good to remember the butterfly effect; one plant closing touches more than just the lives of the people who work there. It also closes businesses, which reduces the tax base, which then hits the schools and the infrastructure such as public utilities, which then start to crumble and fail. People move away or become dependent on the public safety net, which begins to unravel because it doesn't have the funding to keep going, and so on. Even in towns hundreds of miles away where fifty people work in a small company that supplies the parts for the auto industry -- electrical wiring harnesses or roller bearings, for example -- have to cut back or even go out of business, and that then hits that small town... you get the idea.
The problem with movements like the Tea Party isn't their politics, it's that they don't think things through. They come up with bumper-sticker answers for complex problems. It sounds good when you call in to C-SPAN, but it doesn't really solve the problem, or it causes more problems. Let GM fail? Sure. Then what? Who is going to help the people who are out of work? Are the tea-baggers going to help them find another job, get health insurance, or make their mortgage payments? Or should they just tough it out because it's better to suffer than succumb to socialism/fascism at the hands of the Usurper? That's easy to say unless you're the one that's going to end up living in a refrigerator box under the approach to the Ambassador Bridge.
Miep Gies hid the family of Anne Frank for more than two years in an Amsterdam attic after the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands.
Gies never accepted the label of hero she was given, stating "I don't want to be considered a hero. Imagine young people would grow up with the feeling that you have to be a hero to do your human duty. I am afraid nobody would ever help other people, because who is a hero? I was not. I was just an ordinary housewife and secretary."
For two years Miep Gies and her husband Jan, a municipal employee whom she had married in 1941, risked their lives to smuggle in food and provisions and news from outside, begging, buying and bartering what they needed from farmers and shopkeepers. They were helped throughout by her colleagues Victor Kugler, Johannes Kleiman and Bep Voskuijl.
Miep acted as a confidante for the adolescent Anne, bringing her paper for her diary and, on one occasion, a pair of second-hand high-heeled shoes. The Gies's heroic feat of humanitarianism ended on August 4 1944, when the Frank family were betrayed (by a person whose identity remains unknown), arrested and sent to concentration camps.
When the Gestapo arrived, Miep Gies was at her desk in the office below. She recognised from the voice of one of the arresting officers that he was Viennese, and she managed to charm him, perhaps saving her own life.
She never saw her Jewish friends again but "could tell from the sound of their feet on the wooden steps that they were coming down like beaten dogs".
Later, at considerable personal risk, she went to Gestapo headquarters to try to bargain for their release – but to no avail. Eventually she returned to their hiding place and found Anne's diary, its pages scattered over the floor.
She intended to return it to its author, knowing how important the diary had been to her, and locked it away without reading a word. Nearly a year later, Anne's father Otto returned from Auschwitz. He knew his wife and friends had not survived, but still hoped that his two daughters, Margot, 18, and Anne, 15, had been spared.
Two months later he received a letter that confirmed that both girls had died in Bergen-Belsen in March 1945, less than a month before the camp was liberated by British soldiers.
Miep Gies was with him when he received the news and could not find the words to comfort him. Then she remembered Anne's diary. She took it out of the desk and gave it to him, saying: "Here is your daughter Anne's legacy to you."
Rest in peace, Miep Gies. And yes, you were, in fact, a hero.
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