Category Archives: US Troops
What the “Big 6″ Won’t Share About Haiti
These days its hard to go twenty-four hours without hearing a request to donate to some non-profit to support their efforts in Haiti. It is also hard, though getting easier…or so I have heard, to go twenty-four hours without some news footage from the “Big 6″ aka ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC & Fox New that does not showcase some “poor impoverished little brown child” to show what is going on in Haiti. However, a quick study of the history they do not teach you in US classrooms will highlight that the devastation in Haiti is not just about a poor country with a government that cannot “take care” of its people but it will reveal the negative and significant role that the United States, the first independent nation liberated by slave owners, and “The West” had in getting Haiti, the first independent nation liberated by slaves in the Americas, to its current state.
I wish this post could be about the role of the International System/”The West” in debilitating Haiti’s ability to develop as a nation from its inception but I do not know enough about Haitian history. I do know more about the history of the Dominican Republic, Haiti’s neighbor, and the fact that that country has survived three US military invasions. This knowledge allows me to imagine how and what the US has done to Haiti historically and the irony of its current pleas to help Haiti now.
Moving away from blame and pointing fingers, I have to say that the out-pour that the US and other countries have shown to the people of Haiti in their time of need is refreshing and a welcomed shift. My big hope and prayer is that this out-pour is not a temporary thing but leads to real quality sustained development for Haiti based on the interests of the Haitian people.
To get back to the main focus of this post, please read below some links that expound upon information that you should know about Haiti that you will not get from the “Big 6.” In addition to supporting continued assistance to the Haitian people consider giving to the organizations, specifically the independent media outlets, that authored some of the stories below.
Enjoy,
DNMP
What You’re Not Hearing About Haiti But Should Be
Why Haiti and The Dominican Republic Are So Different
Continuing To Address The Needs In Haiti From A Gender-Informed Lens
Haiti 2010: An Unwelcome Katrina Redux
La Lección de Haití or in English The Lessons of Haiti
Tè Tremblé: Journey to the Epicenter of the Earthquake
Bill Clinton Named New UN Envoy to ‘Stabilize’ Haiti, a Country He Helped DeStabilize
Links of the Week 29 May 2009
Top Five
2009 Spelman Fulbrighters
Both Spelman and my Fulbright changed my life… 
A fair balance for consumers on credit card reform
An op-ed by Senator Tom Carper (D-DE).
Do Women Dare Play in the Leadership Sandbox?
Book Review of Dr. Anita Davis-DeFoe’s new book Follow Her Lead.
Rolle dreams big, works even harder
This is the kind of pro player I would want my kids to admire…well when he makes it after being a Rhodes Scholar.
Quote of the Week
“OMG LOL!! ROTFL!!!! (Obfuscatingly Messy Graphs, Lacks Older Literature, Research Objectives Totally Flimsy, Lazy)” from PhD Comics: ‘If Research Papers Had a Comments Section’
Photo of the Week
(President Barack Obama fistbumps a graduating Midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy graduation ceremony in Annapolis, Md., Friday, May 22, 2009. Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
Politico
Annapolis
This article has video of President Obama’s remarks to the Naval Academy as well as some photos.
Newt Gingrich: Sonia Sotomayor a ‘racist’
Congressional Black Caucus Fasts for Darfur
Top 10 TV Feuds
Have to say I am a fan of the Olbermann v O’Reilly feud which is why this is listed under politico.
Obama’s Battle with the Liberal Wing of the Democratic Party
Overselling “Climate Conflict”?
House Leaders Throw Bluedogs a PAYGO Bone
What Will America Stand for in 2050?
I almost didn’t post this because there is so much I disagree with in this article. What I will say is this what about the US cultural & political invasion in Latin America? Cable in some parts of Latin America (where I have lived) had more US channels than local channels. Not enough room to go into the disgust I felt while reading this article.
Women
Yours Truly Makes Ms.
International
Biden’s Unfinished Balkans’ Business
Why Iran Fried Roxana Saberi
If I Still Lived Inside The Beltway…
Decided to start this section because as a person who used to live in the DC Metro area, I miss all of the events and access to information you get by being ‘inside the beltway.’ So if I still lived inside the beltway, I would go to: Renewing the Partnership Between the United States and Mexico: Shared Responsibility and Shared Strategies on June 8th at the Wilson Center for International Affairs.
Sports
Charles Barkley and Dwayne Wade Play a Game of One-On-One
NFC East Loaded with Unheralded Linebackers
Other
Nazi film wins top Cannes prize
Diddy Hits a Million Followers on Twitter; Mild Backlash Ensues
Doing Good On Sabbatical in Africa
Oldies But Goodies
Subverting the Swiffer
Got this link after a discussion surrounding the Swiffer commercials.
