In the harrowing aftermath of Haiti's earthquake, one of the greatest needs became desperately clear: safe water.
Canadians have been very generous toward Haiti after the earthquake and, thanks to you, our most vulnerable people have received food, drinkable water, shelter, medical care and education. For that, we are extremely grateful.
I actually happened to be in Haiti right before the earthquake in 2010. I was there already with the organization I work with now, Artists for Peace and Justice, visiting the primary school that I had adopted, the Academy for Peace and Justice in Port-au-Prince. I came back, and within days, the earthquake happened.
There was a brief moment, after Haiti's 2010 earthquake, when even Bill Clinton recognized what had been done to Haiti in the name of 'free trade': the destruction of local markets and rice production.
We should be focused on the Haiti earthquake victims, not on what contracts your company should get, if you're a friend of Bill [Clinton].
We didn't hear a word about the Clinton Global Initiative. We didn't hear a word about all the masterful, wonderful things they've done in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. Why not? If you're extolling the virtues of the change, "She [Hillary Clinton] makes more change, she's done more change than anybody in my lifetime! I've never met somebody who is better change."
The earthquake in Haiti was a class-based catastrophe. It didn't much harm the wealthy elite up in the hills, they were shaken but not destroyed. On the other hand the people who were living in the miserable urban slums, huge numbers of them, they were devastated. Maybe a couple hundred thousand were killed. How come they were living there? They were living there because of-it goes back to the French colonial system-but in the past century, they were living there because of US policies, consistent policies.
When the earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, I was on vacation in the Cayman Islands.
The nation of Qatar also kicked in $1 million for Bill Clinton's birthday party, so nice. But, as WikiLeaks showed the Clinton's ripped off the people of Haiti as they were suffering and dying after the earthquake.
