U.S. Sending 10,000 Troops to our new War in Haiti

Yeah, why have doctors on hand if all you care about is imperialim and world control? Makes perfect sense.

Please show me where you find reports of aid workers requesting security in the amount of 10,000 troops as a priority over more medical workers. Someone here said 10,000 troops is only one per 100 Haitains. But how many medical workers do they have? Probably way less than 1 per 1000.

I keep getting emails crying for donations and nurses to come and help. Why can't our government fund those things instead of troops? Why isn't that at least as high a priority as security if not higher? I've read reports that Obama talks the rhetoric but the reality is that our response is the same as Katrina. We know for a fact our governemnt did not show up for two days while China, Cuba, and Venezuala did. We also know that the U.S. is a racist nation. Our military has racist policies. Troops at the front testify to this over and over. Our nation was born on slavery. Racism remains rampant especially in the military..

Yes, I was in the military and that is exactly why I know that the military exists for one primary purpose and that is war. The people I knew in the military didn't have any overwhelming sense of humanitarianism that I saw other than for show. Whatever compassion they had was for thier comrades and their service. Missions to areas like this are just missions. I'm sure there's a sense of adventure and wanting to help but that is all secondary to whatever orders or other objectives they have. You have to understand than human life is of less value in the military. The marines are trained to die. Why do you think they are called the Corps? If they don't value their own lives, how much value do Haitians have to them?

It appears thier primary objective is occupation. They are not going there to work for the Haiti government to help them get back online are they? They're working for the U.S. government as an occupation. This is clear. Bbut the U.S. will do anything and everything to avoid this perception.

It seems much more likely in light of this, and in light of others saying the same thing, and in light of the U.S. history of occupation and imperialism (especially recently), that this is much more like a war effort than a relief effort. I think the U.S. military and government have proven they cannot be trusted in these operations. They lie and propagandize as a matter of routine policy.

So, it may be true that they are there mostly for relief efforts, but I have yet to see or hear any convincing arguments. A few photo ops of one or two troops or even ten handing out supplies doesn't convince me when I know thousands have been sent and thousands more are on the way. It fact it makes it appear all the more suspicious. Then you hear about Doctors without Borders being denied a landing. Who has the ability to do that? The U.S. military does. Those stories are squelched for the photo ops to make them look good. It's all too pretty.

You want some articles? Well heres an article from CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/14/haiti.aid.hurdles/index.html

And another from the UN

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5groIX1eOBA4gUSEZcKrFDFHl1...

You sure talk alot but really dont say anything. Its amazing that you are STILL IGNORING THE FACT THAT HAITI HAS NO INFRASTRUCTURE. Zip zilch nada nothing. It was all destroyed by the earthquake. There are some police here and there but they are disorganized and completely overburdened. Thats what the soldiers are there for. Well that and to help with supplies, manpower, logistics and maybe some limited rescue operations. You say you were in the military and yet you dont realize that of those 10000 troops we sent most of them ARENT COMBAT TROOPS. Most of them deal with supplies, logistics and there are of course medics and surgeons attached to the troops.

Also where do you expect the US to round up 10000 doctors? They dont just poof out of nowhere. There has been a tremendous outpouring of donations from private organizations and people in the US along with the $100 million authorized by congress and the 10000 troops we are sending. So im not sure what else you want the US to do exactly.

How about you give me evidence that China, and Cuba and Venezuela were there before the US? Unless of course you are talking about rescue teams because if you are weve had people from the US there since day 2 i believe.

About that Doctors without Borders incident. I dont have the full story of course but from what i have heard and pieced together, it seems like they were turned away becuase there was no room for them to land. The US is in control of the only airstrip(not airport) on Port-au-Prince and they are totally swamped by planes flying in and out 24 hours a day.

Again i do concede that 10000 soldiers is quite a lot and its never a bad thing to be skeptical about the deployment of troops. However there is a difference between skepticism and straight up paranoia. Only time will tell exactly what our troops are doing there...

Yeah. What does this have to do with the price of tea in China?

The difference? As you said they had 3 airports likely rather large and well equipped... thats not the case in Haiti. They have one tiny airstrip with no power and no control tower. Also we had supplies close at hand in Germany which is located in the heart of Europe. Haiti is rather far away from Europe and isnt all that close to the US either.

More does need to be done however. We definitely should have been dropping supplies sooner. However, the reason they didnt drop supplies was out of fears of desperate Haitians pushing, shoving, fighting and killing each other for food and medical supplies. Thats EXACTLY why we need more troops on the ground to help keep the peace even though people like Jon Raymond refuse to acknowledge the fact that soldiers are more than just "trained killers".

stupid comparison. they didnt mount the berlin aircraft in 2 or 3 days

step away from the bong, stoner boy

Grenada gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1974, but a 1979 revolution by the Marxist-Leninist New Jewel Movement suspended the constitution. After an 1983 internal power struggle ended with the deposition and execution of Grenadian Prime Minister Maurice Bishop, the invasion began on October 25, 1983. A combined force of troops from the United States (nearly 10,000 troops), Jamaica and members of the Regional Security System (RSS) (approximately 300 troops)[4] defeated Grenadian resistance and the military government of Hudson Austin was deposed.

I see one troop doing a photo op. Where are the other 9,999?

Another sorry response. This photo was taken by the AP and Reuters not the US government. If you need to know, they are busy delivering aid. They don't have time to be posing for pictures like you would like to think.

In fact, I took this from a gallery of over 40 pictures. Come up with something better my friend.

Show me the link

2 more photo ops. That leaves only 9,997 unaccounted for.

Sorry excuse for a response. Maybe come up with some pictures like I did supporting your fantasy and people might take you more seriously. Evidence my dear Watson...

There are no pictures. That's the whole point. 10,000 troops and all we can find are photo ops of a handful of them. Where are they?

Hahaha John your comments become more absurd and moronic by the hour.

Not true buddy. The National Guard here in the US is used for disaster relief ALL THE TIME. Haiti also has no real police force either, so I imagine there is no law in Haiti.

Who knows? Maybe they are doing what you said they are. But don't discount the things i mentioned either. Doing so would be something a cynic would do.

Since when are we sending in the National Guard? Why do you default to believe the pentaon propaganda even after thier track record of blantant lies and decption? We should all question why we need 10,000 troops. What are their jobs exactly? Why not 10,000 doctors and nurses? Until I hear some good answers I call it a war.

Jon, I don't believe you've EVER had a US military uniform on your body--unless of course you shop lifted it from the Army Surplus.

No one who ever served in our military could be so profoundly ignorant about their capacity to restore order, distribute food/water and other supplies, rebuild infrastructure, etc.

USAF SSGT 9MAS 1st Flight Engineer, 1980 -91, Desert Storm - go fuck yourself

There hasn't been a president of Haiti for a while now. the U.S. invaded in 2004 and installed a puppet government. Plus, even if he was around, all the government buildings were trashed by the earthquake.

I wouldn't put anything past the US government, but the whole country of Haiti is destroyed. Don't you think the majority of our military's role there right now will be distributing aid and supplies, organizing medical services and to some extent cleaning debris and whatnot? (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gwd51n9SLKz6rgv5bBgKLQLQRViw)

If that was true, it would be the first time ever and a total schizophrenic turnaround from the past couple decades.

Is it possible? Yeah. But seriously, what's more likely? Why not send in FEMA instead? We could do anything we want.

I guess before I commit to any intention of our government, I'll have to see what happens. Right now it seems that the military's main concerns are based around distributing food and water, making sure military transport carrying supplies can get in and getting medical supplies to makeshift hospitals and medical tents.

While I really do understand the skepticism behind trusting our government or military, I wonder how else Obama would be able to have organization and control over the money and supplies that the United States, non-profits, companies etc have donated...as "commander in chief", who else but the military can he command to go into the country and distribute these things? What are the other options?

There are plenty of doctors and nurses organizations that are already crying for donations to send in people to help. Do I have to list them for you?

What part of this do you not understand. The U.S. government could easily pass emergency aid to these organizations. But instead they spend millions on U.S troops. That is total bullshit.

The government IS supplying organizations with medical supplies via the military.

It is an occupation. They need doctors and nurses, not trained killers.

10,000 military trained killers are not helping a country in need of doctors and nurses.

Bullshit John. The country is suffering first and foremost from total chaos, disorder and outbreaks of violence.

You can't distribute doctors around without security--that's why the goddamn Dutch pulled their doctors OUT of a hospital--they didnt' have security.

Finally, the fact you say such absurd, ignorant things reveals that you don't know SHIT about the military. Not all soldiers that are there are for "combat", there are communications experts restoring the cellular network, engineers restoring the airport and roads and other infrastructure, doctors and surgeons and distribution clerks and all sort of roles that are needed desperately.

some people say the dumbest shit

10,000 troops are not trained in medical skills. What are you saying? They're going to go around and give people CPR? They need doctors and nurses, not CPR trained killers. If you can't post something intelligent with some kind of knowledge behind it, don't post at all. Go back to your art. You are obviously clueless about medicine.

There are many things the military is used for. There's a reason the National Guard is used in disasters here in the United States. As a resident of a flood prone area in South Florida, I cannot begin to count how many times the National Guard came down here after hurricanes knocked out power and flooded the roads.

Agreed with the comment Delia.

Hey Jon there's no reason to get personal or snotty with me because I disagree with you. I am in health services and I am certified by the Red Cross as a lay responder and lay responder trainer for First Aid, CPR and AED. The fact of the matter is our military is not just trained to kill, they are trained in a variety of skills that could be useful to the Haitian people during this crisis. Save your personal attacks and snarky comments for someone who's intimidated by it because it's not me.

Delia, John's idiotic statements are so patently absurd that they reveal a level of bigotry, idiocy and ignorance so profound that his opinion is not worth used toilet paper.

Ignore him. You know FAR more about this topic than the blowhard does

Delia nice comment and urban nice rebuttle at Jon and Jon...what the hell? Haha on this topic you have some of the most ridiculous posts, absolute paranoia and absurdity. Ever think that the military's 10,000 whom ARE trained in quick medical techniques such as CPR, are trained in casualty evacuation, and are trained to work faster, better, and much longer than the average are of no help in h in Haiti? In fact, don't you think soldiers who undergo Physical Training weekly and Physical Training Tests might be a little useful for digging through rubble that might weigh quite a bit...or to deal with terrain that is dangerous and harmful?

Also, as curitsreed put it best
" Not all soldiers that are there are for "combat", there are communications experts restoring the cellular network, engineers restoring the airport and roads and other infrastructure, doctors and surgeons and distribution clerks and all sort of roles that are needed desperately."

I ask you to remember that the members of the military, while government property, are humans. They have feelings, thoughts, opinions, etc. These are people that care about others just as much as you do, in fact probably more with the way you stereotype and insult. So lay off?

What a load of crap. They are sending the injured to U.S. hospitals. Where else can they send them?

yeah because the military strategy of destroying Haiti would be...?

this is the single most stupid comment I've read on Current, and I've read some doozies.

We are already paying for USS Carl Vinson, and the USS Bataan. Paying for the soliders, paying for training and paying for operating expenses. Why not actually use them for something other than thumb sitting exercise.

Why pay two people to do the job it takes one?

Because trained killers are not medical experts numbnuts. Next time you need a doctor why not go to the police station?