Cookies for Cholera? Sarah Palin Travels to Haiti.
Haven’t they suffered enough?
Sarah Palin will be putting her little-used passport to work, traveling to Haiti. Yes, her old buddy Franklin Graham will accompany her on her trip. You all may remember the last time this dynamic duo visited the less-fortunate, they traveled to Western Alaska on Graham’s private jet with a one-time delivery of food boxes, stuffed with religious leaflets. And not only that, but Sarah herself brought a plate of home-baked cookies, in response to a crisis in which residents of rural communities had been left to make the horrible choice of whether they would keep their children and elders warm, or fed.
No state of emergency declared. No government assistance. Palin’s message was clear – don’t expect government handouts. Throw yourself on the mercy of the church and it’ll all work out.
The vessel headed up the Yukon River carrying a winter’s supply of fuel was frozen in, and unable to make it to its destination, and fuel prices skyrocketed. Coupled with mismanaged fisheries, a lack of attention from state government, and the inability of locals to provide their families with enough salmon, household budgets were decimated, and their suffering had hit the media.
Governor Palin’s trip, of course, came only after enough media attention, and long after church groups, Mudflatters, and donors from other private groups had organized food drives to help residents from sometimes thousands of miles away. Trying to avoid the man whose criticism brought the attention of the world to the crisis, and his home village of Emmonak, she traveled to the villages of Russian Mission and Marshall to the north. But Nicholas Tucker of Emmonak traveled to get the opportunity to speak with his governor about the plight of his people, and the respect he felt his people weren’t getting.
Lt. Governor (now Governor) Sean Parnell had heard Tucker’s name, but thought he was a blogger. Palin, between photo ops talked about the importance of resource development, and ran through a litany of platitudes as Tucker spoke from his heart, fighting back tears.
After the meeting with Palin, Tucker met with Dennis Zaki of Alaska Report, who had traveled to the region to cover the story.
…usually, I refrain from this type of outrage, but I am hurt to the core of my heart and spirit. Let’s see some things get done – talk and PR are cheap until you have solid accomplishments to back them up. Our villages need that now. That is why I mentioned to our Governor, “Who else do we have to look up to?”
I am an open man, but I feel insulted and on behalf of our rural native villages.
Your groups’ donations are ever on our minds. They have been used wisely. Our Emmonak Tribal Council staff receives and distributes the donations; for cash donations, they have a superb accounting. Please update your Mudflats bloggers. At 63, I work to get things done – not to be offensive. We are most grateful to them!
What happened after Palin’s sugary mercy mission? Not much. As you may recall, she quit a couple months later. As far as I know, she hasn’t given the people of the Yukon much thought since. Her most recent rural Alaska trip was to Dillingham to film an episode of her TV show Sarah Palin’s Alaska. Each episode nets her a cool $250,000.
No word yet what tangible relief that Palin plans to bring to the long-suffering people of Haiti. The dollars brought by photo ops and political strategy are still good. But the reality is that Palin’s visit to Haiti will ultimately benefit her more than it will benefit the people of the ravaged nation.
Pooja Bhatia is a writer in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and a fellow at the Institute of Current World Affairs. She writes:
The year 2010 has been absolute crap for Haiti, one in which the crises have mounted with near-hysterical acceleration. A 7.0 magnitude earthquake killed as many as 300,000 people and destroyed much of the capital. Then came hurricane season, exposing more than a million tent-dwellers to life-threatening torrents and winds. Then came cholera, which continues to kill Haitians with no access to clean water or decent sanitation. Then came corruption at the polls and a political crisis that this week brought the country to a standstill. Schools and shops are shuttered, aid workers are on lockdown, and, until this morning, few but the fearless and flack-jacketed dared go out.
And now comes Palin, threatening to grace this beleaguered country with an awesomely ill-timed, insultingly opportunistic visit. At this point, some might prefer a plague of locusts to Palin poverty porn. Well, not Franklin Graham, president of the evangelical relief organization, Samaritan’s Purse, that wants to bring her here: “I believe Gov. Palin will be a great encouragement to the people of Haiti and to the organizations, both government and private, working so hard to provide desperately needed relief,” he said about the visit.
It is hard to imagine Palin’s presence encouraging anyone in this country. A quick canvassing of relief-worker friends indicates their most prevalent reaction is along the lines of “WTF?” Much more importantly, most Haitians have no idea who she is. Even my friend James Beltis, a political activist at the State University who lives in a tent on its grounds, had never heard of her. (I guess he hasn’t seen “Sarah Palin’s Alaska.”) For James, Palin would be yet another middling celebrity alighting Haiti “to profit from our misery,” he said.
Let’s hope that Palin’s interest in Haiti’s problems lasts longer than her interest in the people suffering in Sarah Palin’s Alaska. We can only hope so, but I’m not holding my breath. I wonder if she’s bringing cookies?
To lend a hand or donate money to Haiti, visit the Red Cross’s Haiti relief website.
POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sorry for the typos;too mad.
I wish more people in the lower 48 knew the real facts about the kind of half-gov.palin was.My blood boils everytime I am reminded of the way she turned her back onrural alaska.She is being paid to show a side of Ak. on her tv show that is only available to a select group of wealthy tourists.I don’t know anyone who can charter a helicopter to take them hunting for a photo-op with a caribou right before killing it for a tv show.palin turned down stimulus $, & backed a candidate for the senate that is against medicade,medicare & unemployment.The situation in Western Ak. hasn’t changed very much since Emmonak’s unanswered plea for help.Instead of touring the “joyous community of cholera ravaged Haiti,why doesn’t she visit the “joyous” commmunities of cold,hungry western Ak.Wouldn’t play very well on her tv show.palin truelly disgusts me & will have a lot to answer for in the next world.
@ 62…..My past taught me black soul.!..came from the east bay, like john arnanno..d.worrell..p.1080, i came from point richmond! a story in itself. well Nina Simone was the true temptress of soul..jazz, blues, she would take all on, BUT! as she out-put the Tina turnners-Franklins-PointerSsters! her rants bout’ race..TRUE! the..white man was not on her favorite list ‘Sept if he was an a artist of the soul…a musician/painter/honest white man NOT MANY OF THEM SHE’D PROFESS, yes she was truly racist! but she had rights. she was abused by the “white crock teared” carrot top”! (as she called them) john Bonner Bonnier’s of the past, whatever!.. back to her music, she jazz’d out the bitter hate that the southern racist gent’s festered themselves with..she simply rejected them. just as i reject the south today…sorry..I’M NOT SORRY! but Nina helped me understand bias. there is still so much. ranting!
She says the camps are “full of joy”. Who would have guessed that this would be her first insight that she reports to the world?
Palin has recently said she is against the tax deal..her thoughts are that of course there should
be the estate tax break for the rich and that it was to small…of course the tax break for the rich
even at a millionaire figure should continue but the unemployment benefits exteneded no.
Does her statement on this sound at al like a person of compassion or a person that has any
true humantarian thoughts… when in the job situations of today.. Palin only interest is completely
for herself..her more and more fame and fortune…much like Joe Miller.
Most likely Palin still knows little about Hati..except to know going there is a great publicity stunt for
her and how to be sure to protect herself from any problems at all. She never once mentioned Hati
in all her constant tweets before this trip. The fox news reporter her husband is a long time advisor
to Palin…Palin new book is not doing that well..and her tv show is showing at times lower ratings..
F.Graham ministry is not getting as much in donations as when Billy G. headed it.. Palin is a long
time pal of Franklin. I am quite sure Palin is very interested in being president of the USA..or if
that does not pan out getting a very high profitiable government position. I would say being the
president would be far her first choice…she is very narcessitic…and simply would love the position
of the first woman president of the USA regardless of her complete lack of the ability to do this
job..of course Palin simply believe she and only she can do any and everything..
As to the questions how did Palin learn about Hati? she herself probably did not..she has never
once in all the tweets she constantly gives ever mentioned Hati before. Most likely her advisors
told her it would be a great publicity stunt for her..her books sales are lagging from what the first
book was..she polls poorly except for certain bases….remember Greta her husband is one of the
Palin advisors as well..then get the Fox news connection…only Fox news Greta was allowed as a
reporter to be at all there period..in the F.Graham Palin publicity stunt. It also sounds like the
Graham ministry is not getting nearly as much in donations as when Billy G was heading it..
ie so maybe Franklin brings in one of his long time favorites..Palin to bring publicity.
Well, she is in Haiti. I saw two pictures. In one she is getting her hair combed and in another she is looking like she is cringing and leaning back from what she is seeing. You don’t see what she is actually looking at, but she isn’t leaning forward!
One more time- Franklin Graham came to Hooper Bay the day of the big school fire that destroyed many homes, pledged to build some new houses, and followed through.
And heres an interesting tidbit about Samaritans Purse:
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/where_we_work/North_Korea/eb489e3a67dc19fb459fcfbab0413f56/
Mark Springer
Bethel
Here’s some very interesting titbits about Franklin dipping into Samaritans Purse (from thetimesonline, Oct last year):
“Evangelist Franklin Graham told his staff on Friday he wants to give up his pay as head of the Charlotte-based Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, saying his calling to the ministry “was never based on compensation.”
Graham’s decision to ask the BGEA board of directors to stop paying him came a day after an Observer report raised questions about the size of his compensation from the BGEA and Samaritan’s Purse, the Boone-based international relief agency that Graham has led since 1979.
In 2008, his two salaries, two retirement packages and other payments from the ministries totaled $1.2 million. That included $669,000 from BGEA, where, in February, 55 employees were laid off — more than 10 percent of the staff. Revenue at BGEA dropped 18 percent last year; at Samaritan’s Purse, it climbed 11 percent.
Graham, 57, will continue to draw his salary and benefits from Samaritan’s Purse, which totaled $535,000 in 2008.”
http://www.thetimesnews.com/articles/graham-28766-based-franklin.html
What’s with her and cookies?
Perhaps she will love the weather down there and STAY THE F_CK AWAY from the USA.
Haven’t the people of Haiti suffered enough? What Sarah won’t do for a photo-op. Really disgusting.
I know it is harsh to say so but in my opinion Palin would just as soon that native Alaskans were ground up and fed to her turkeys. To her they are just a burden. Albeit a slight one since they can be so readily ignored.
Would $250,000 for appearing in one episode of Palin’s grotesque charicature of Alaska help the people of Emmonak? I think it might make some difference in their situation. Instead it goes into her pocket so she can continue to belch vitriol. The woman is a fraud.
I love the lead …. “Cookies for Cholera?” Man, that sums it up with the fake Alaskan wannabe queen. MAN! I love this website, and its readers! When is this country – our country – gonna stop paying homage to a cheap & trashing nobody? I guess when “reality TV” dies….
Bob, from SoCal.
Mudflats was again so right on McAdams…his comments on the bush area..he knows that area..
were so right..as all his comments were. Hopefully this man will be in the political scene again..
he is exactly the type politics need. Lisa is in my opinion okay also but McAdams is so straight
forward..common sense this is a person that the political scene needs. It will as to Lisa be
interesting to see if she stays a moderate Republican or does not.
Another important piece by Mudflats..people in the lower 48 need to know the real Palin..some
do but more should. N. Tucker wrote a letter to the editor of the Tundra Drums about the plight
in his villiage..it was published and that was the start of that situation..of interest Calista corporation
which owns Alaskan Newspapers..and also as Mudflats and many others were very vocal and
gave much money and necessary situations to this area…they also charted a plane for Tucker
to be able to talk with the then governor of Alaska ..Palin..as is true in your piece…Palin as governor
did zero to help at all the bush area situations in Alaska..Tucker was actually snobbed..in a smart
aleck way by a person with her..and easy to see from Palin expression in the photo ..she actually
was doing this also. The bush area needs jobs..educational opportunity right there and while
the corporations..Native are and they are for the most part doing their jobs in this..it is good to
see them use and have political clout..there is no doubt and proven many of these Native Alaskans
have done very well and are very capable given any opportunity to be so..the magazine the
First Alaskans is a good read to show one about the bush areas.
ADN has a small article on the visit, supplemented with photos provided by Fox news. They show: Palin getting her hair done, Palin surrounded by white people, and Palin repeatedly cleaning her hands with antibacterial gel. All the while, she wears a flat, pasted-on smile. If this is what Fox covers, what would coverage by a less friendly news source look like?
You know, she wasn’t getting her hair “done.” Bristol was fixing her hairpin or something. If you saw the picture and didn’t recognize the B-girl from the other photos of the trip, or you just believed “reports” that her hair was receiving professional help then oh well. And since they were visiting what is essentially a hospital, whats wrong with using antibacterial gel? Ever visit a hospital yourself? There are bottles of the stuff everywhere.
And as for being surrounded by white people, the Samaritans Purse medical volunteers certainly do fit that demographic.
Mark Springer
Bethel
Dear Mr. Springer (are you related to Jerry?)
Anyway…yes, if I were there, I would use hand sanitzer..but not with the vigor that Sarah is displaying…she obviously is completely paranoid.
I did recognize Bristol..from the stupid scarf and jacket that she was wearing in a tropical setting, mistakenly thinking it would cover that stomach that is mysteriously growing despite lots of vigorous excercise.
And..yes, again you made a good point that the Samaritan’s Purse people are mostly white…more’s the pity there. If you are going to visit a country, what better way to get to know the people than to surround yourself with people you already know. Sad that this organization is so bigoted. My heart is heavy that Billy Graham produced such a horrible money grubbing son.
But in your attempt to canonize the quitter you have not addressed her sheer terror when she is supposedly meeting the “joyful” children of Haiti. If you take your blinders off and honestly watch that video, it is really sad how totally plastic she is..she clearly looks at those children (who, in the first place are b..l..a..c..k and we all remember from her college days how she feels about people of color) and sees huge cooties crawling all over them and getting closer to her by the second. She has her arms plastered to her side..makes no attempt to touch them or get any nearer than the cameraman demands so he can get a picture of her with them. She has NO human compassion…ziltch…and no amount of blowing rose petals up my as- is going to make me believe otherwise.
You are clearly on the wrong site to be defending this colossal waste of humanity.
I agree, Graham, Palin are using one another, he thinks he is getting such a money maker, but little does he realize is that Sarah Palin is using him also.
Fly in his jet, gets attention, Gosh leave the rest of the Palin kids home for someone else to take care.
My Bristol really misses her baby, that is a joke, she is nothing but a little Alaska Whore who also is shall we say screwing American people.
To think People Who Support Palin are being raped and they do not seem to get the feel.
Palin is going to be flying to different parts of the world before her public realize what a idiot and a con she is. Todd he must be really taking some kind of pain pills . No wonder he looks bad.
Sarah is once again expoliting the people, this time its the Haiti people who already have been shaken by
violent events. This is just like a another disastor upon them. Palin is going to have her face all over the news she hopes. Palin needs to get a grip on the real picture of how stupid she really is.
She will fly to UK and try to make out she is really getting a background on foreign countries. What a joke, I think she knows that if she runs she will no longer be able to scam the country with her speeches and stupid books, Alaska show is a failure, Anyone that buys that BS needs help.
Palin is milking everyone thing she can.
Graham, he has a agenda also, he wants to make this big trip so he can start his asking for help for Hat thru his Church, maybe his pot is getting empty also.
Anyway you look at Palin, Graham are users and people fall their line.
Palin offers nothing but want to take. Haitian people I hope you do not fall her big ego trip.
Knew very little about Haiti before the earthquake, read up a bit on their history, and that is one country that just can’t catch a break.
I just donated to Oxfam for Haiti, maybe we can turn her circus side-show into something good. I am not one for empowering the witch, but the people in Haiti desperately need help and I’m even willing to have her be the one to keep the spotlight on it. She might be self-serving, but maybe that can be turned to the Haitians favor in the way of donations and more aid.
Just a thought!
Here is a definition of Sarah Palin direct from the World Health Organization
The World Health Organization’s ICD-10 lists narcissistic personality disorder under (F60.8) Other specific personality disorders.[16]
It is a requirement of ICD-10 that a diagnosis of any specific personality disorder also satisfies a set of general personality disorder criteria.
Diagnostic criteria (DSM-IV):
The essential feature of Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (either in fantasy or actual behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy that begins by early adulthood and is present in a variety of situations and environments.
In order for a person to be diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) they must meet five or more of the following symptoms:
Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
Believes that he or she is “special” and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions).
Rarely acknowledges mistakes and/or imperfections
Requires excessive admiration
Has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
Is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
Lacks empathy: is unwilling or unable to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others.
Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitude.
Sarah scores with all 10
This ought to double her support in the black community in the USA, from 10 to 20 people.
I haven’t read everyone’s comments but here’s the link to Pooja Bhatia commentary in the NY Daily News…
You have to love the title which includes the words “Palin, Poverty, and Porn ” in the headline!
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2010/12/10/2010-12-10_sarah_palin_and_other_celebrities_visits_to_haiti_is_nothing_but_poverty_porn.html
As this article articulates very well right now Haiti in is the middle of a very violent crisis regarding the recent presidential elections and sure doesn’t need these grand standers arriving in the midst of chaos…
OH! wait…I see a “Hillary Landing Amid Gunfire Moment” so Ms. Quitty Pantsonfire can add street cred to her “I’ve Been In the Battle” resume…or is Bristol picking/leaving up another kid?
Did you know there is an actual word “palindrome”?
A palindrome is a word, phrase, number or other sequence of units that can be read the same way in either direction.
Figures!
yep. describes her perfectly.
of course, that is what makes Palindrone such a good put down since it only involved switching an ‘m’ to an ‘n’
If God loves them, why did he name them Haiti?
It’s so totally awesomely insightful that God hates them, bein’ so mean to those Frogs, G-d bless ’em. They can’t help it if they aren’t rill Umerikuns. And Sarkastik din’t rilly mean to be mean, callin’ me from that radio station and all, and so those Haitish people were slaves and all ’cause G-d made them slaves and He told them to be slaves to help the Frogs see the light and be saved by havin’ a state church, which they din’t have and makin’ things up about Israel, which is our friends and so the Haitish people shoulda knowen that Sarkastik was their chosen leader and not have throwed him out ’cause see what happened all these punishments from G-d and if G-d liked the Haitish, He woulda named the continent Likie and called the people Likums and they would be our fifty-oneth state and be exceptional under the Constitution the way the Founding Fathers wrote it and everyone would speak English as the only language like me and then we wouldn’t have had to buy the Statue of Liburty from the Frogs, everyone would love french fries, and Lincoln wouldn’t have needed to build the Eye Full Tower to keep a full eye on Sarkastik who called me and said weird things and didn’t follow through, darn it. Boy, he’s got de gaul and the Haitish is suffering’ for it G-d bless ’em and here’s some cookies, looks like the baby slobbered on ’em but since you got cholera and all ’cause you threw out the white Europes people it’s totally awesome of me anyway.
merci madame miss Sarah s’il vous plais. aussi. too. au revoir cher madame. les petit fours c’est magnifique vous betcha. forsooth.
“Vous betcha” – priceless, Bubbs!
They don’t need Sarah, they need the Army Corp of Engineers to come in and build a water and wastewater system. Sarah will do nothing for those people.
More like they need the Army Corp of Engineers to wall off that whole cesspool to keep it from spilling on the rest of us
What a true important comment.
Wait a minute… is she visiting poor people, the same ones who have no work ethic or even bootstraps? Why bother with these “losers?” Surely, she’s not going to offer them some kind of handout…. why, that’s socialism!
overthemoon–you are a kick! There should be a contest set up on who can write the most “Sarah-like” article about something or other. I would try-any ideas?
(There was one on Slate.com last year. I was a finalist. I am rather ashamed of how easy it is to sound so stupid!!)
😉
I think we can count on Sarah to say something stupid. I think Billy Graham was a good man, however baby boy Franklin was one of the people who was involved with Trinity Broadcasting Network. He was always on the Paul and Jan Crouch show. Those phonies get people to send money so they would be saved. Also, if you gave money, riches would come to you. Terrible people. Back years ago Jay Skolove was their attorney. Paul told old people Jay could help them fix their wills so they could leave their money to TBN even if their children didn’t want them to. Jay is a big time GOP attorney now. Not sure how his last name is spelled. Anyway they are all the same snake oil salesman types. The Poor Dead Man is indeed a heavy weight–thanks Alaska Pi
The only really useful thing I can see coming out of this is that perhaps her fans will send money for relief if Sarah talks Haiti up to them.
I just have this terrible feeling she’s going to say something unbelievably stupid in the process.
And it really does seem unlikely that the average Haitian has the hell heard of her.
“It’s so great to be here with you Haties. You’re a lot like Alaskans, workin’ hard to work with what you’ve got and God just showing you how to make the best of your beautiful island with Hurricanes and Earthquakes and Cholera. Alaskans are like that and their hearts are with you here in Haiti like I’m here now showin’ you what real Americans do for their neighbors. Its so special for me to be here and be in a foreign country learning about your policies and showing that it takes a Mamma Grizzly like me and your women too to understand about how to help kids like Trigg who is my son, too like your children are, as well.
I’m on your side like God is on your side and I brought some cookies for you to enjoy while you work to progress this country and island back to where you can work hard and enjoy this beautiful god given place and be brave like Alaskans.”
Sarah, is that you?
Overthemoon, you nailed it! It was like reading a Palin speech.
perfect. LaPalin’s Haties vacation.
I think Sean Penn has been down there for sometime,, and I think he is actually helping folks, palin, strictly for her own self image, in fact, I think there has been a advisory about americans going there due to Cholrea has spread to the Dommican Republic
Ripley @43 and KN@44-
thank you.
from Pablo Neruda’s
TO THE DEAD POOR MAN
Today we are burying our own poor man;
our poor poor man.
He was always so badly off
that this is the first time
his person is personified.
For he had neither house nor land,
nor alphabet nor sheets,
nor roast meat,
and so from one place to another , on the roads,
he went, dying from lack of life,
dying little by little-
that was the way of it from his birth.
… How heavy he is now, that poor poor man!
He was a bag of bones ,with black eyes,
and now we know, by the weight of him alone,
the oh so many things he always lacked,
for if this strength had gone on and on,
digging up raw land, combing out stones,
harvesting wheat, soaking clay,
grinding down sulfur, lugging firewood,
if this so weighty man did not have shoes,
oh, misery, if this whole seperate man
of tendon and muscle didn’t ever have
justice in life, and all men beat him,
all men did him down, and even so
he went on laboring away, now, lifting him up,
in his coffin, on our shoulders,
now at least we know how much he didn’t have,
that we did not help him in his life on earth.
Now it dawns on us we are taking on
all that we never gave him, and now it is late;
he weighs on us , and we cannot take his weight…
I heard that Haiti was in a political and health crisis mode with the airport being blockaded or closed or something. I need to check the details, but this trip seems as carefully planned as ‘meeting Margaret Thatcher’, who is not up to visitors at this time.
here it is. tempers are high in relation to the contested election and it seems that it is not a good time for american do gooders to be visiting.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2010/12/10/US-issues-travel-warning-for-Haiti/UPI-92901291997164/
This will be her excuse for opting out. You watch. I bet she only decided to even go there after there was an alert.
well then. it’s a grand time for Sarah to go and to take the whole damned family with her.
That would work out beautifully for Palin.
“I really wanted to go and offer my prayers and homemade cookies to the poor wretches in Haiti but the mean ol’ librul State Department wouldn’t let me.”
She and Graham are truly disgusting individuals. I was going to say disgusting ‘human beings’ but the jury is still out on that designation.
They are human… broken to be sure… but human nonetheless…
we do ourselves no favors by pretending that which is broken, slimy, and depraved is inhuman…it’s all too human all too often.
We will never learn to spot broken people properly if we don’t accept that human beings can be awful.
Saw a bit of Clinton’s news conference tonight. He was talking about the elections in Haiti and that there would be a recount and he would be going for a meeting there. He said the meeting may need to be held in the neighboring Dominican Republic.
If I had to guess. I would say that the proposal to go to Haiti with Graham has been on the table for some time and she just recently decided to go. She hasn’t got a clue about the recent developments there.
What does Pat Robertson’s think about this ? he and many a like had recently said of the Haitians “[they]…swore a pact to the devil….” and condemned them to a life of disaster. Suppose I’m kicking around so poorly here, if they are the devils people now, why would Christians, Palin, Graham…want to waste anytime there ? But of course I say this with great sarcasm and no-respect what-so-ever for Patti Boy.
CBS article
http://goo.gl/VO35
Sarah Palin and other celebrities’ visits to Haiti are nothing but poverty p*rn
http://goo.gl/RdD4B
A little bit of clarification–According to Pat Robertson, the Haitians swore a pack with the devil when they / because wanted to be free of French oppression. Haiti was a slave colony. As some one commented here earlier, Europeans made a tacit pact to never help Haiti, ever. Those feelings have prevailed without much examination since Napoleon’s forces were defeated in Haiti. President Aristide, democratically elected, was unseated with complicity of the USA government several years ago. The history of Haiti is quite a sordid and complicated tale.
Again, those who grift for gold in the name of God are despicable.
s/b ‘swore a pact’ (there’s more due to poor editing) Sorry.
Dowl, thanks for the clarification/addition to the comment 🙂
“history of Haiti is quite a sordid and complicated tale.” – Agree, very rich in cultural history.
here’s the full quote for those interested.
“Something happened a long time ago in Haiti and people might not want to talk about. They were under the heel of the French, you know Napoleon the Third and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the Devil. They said ‘We will serve you if you will get us free from the Prince.’ True story. And so the Devil said, ‘OK it’s a deal.’ And they kicked the French out. The Haitians revolted and got something themselves free. But ever since they have been cursed by one thing after another.” — Pat Robertson
semi-related foot in mouth comments….and I apologize for ranting..but some people just get to me…., absolutely NO intention to offend anyone 🙂
In the aftermath of 9/11, CBN aired a dialogue between Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell in which Falwell asserted that the ACLU, abortionists, feminists, gays, and the People For the American Way, were responsible for the devastating attacks on the Twin Towers. Robertson concurred with Falwell, and offered up a prayer flagellating Americans for–you guessed it–bringing 9/11 on themselves.
“We have sinned against Almighty God, at the highest level of our government, we’ve stuck our finger in your eye. The Supreme Court has insulted you over and over again, Lord. They’ve taken your Bible away from the schools. They’ve forbidden little children to pray. They’ve taken the knowledge of God as best they can, and organizations have come into court to take the knowledge of God out of the public square of America.” — Pat Robertson
Robertson said something similar about Hurricane Katrina
“[Tiger Woods] is said to be a Buddhist. I don’t think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. My message to Tiger would be, ‘Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world.” — Pat Robertson
Apparently infidelity can be cured…
Pat, Palin, and like minds have taken occam’s razor to a whole ‘nother level
( good lite read ) The Never-Ending Horror of Pat Robertson, by Michael Rowe
http://goo.gl/hnLSC
Top Five (Less Sensational But More Dangerous) Things to Remember About Pat Robertson, by Mark Hulsether
http://goo.gl/0m3t1
Apologies mudflatters for the typos in this and my previous comment on the next thread. It has been a long week and it is not over yet. I don’t think any of them are so abstruse as to defy interpretation so I am not going to correct them.
Why doesn’t she just donate a few million dollars to some of the relief agencies? Oh wait, Palin give away money? That must have been one of my increasingly frequent senior moments.
Haiti was originally a French slave colony. The speak a kind of French patois. Palin is going to have a hard time “communicating” with them. After a long time the slave colony revolted and with much struggle and suffering eventually threw the French out. But that was not the end of the suffering, ever since the small nation has been something of a pariah in that no nation has come forward to champion their right to self-rule, including the US. Even worse France up until very recently made obscenely mean spirited efforts to increase their suffering and poverty. An analogy on the opposite side of the Atlantic is the Republic of Liberia. Different history but similar outcomes though I am not sure the Haitian civil war when they broke free from the French, or any subsequent conflicts have been as bad as the Liberian Civil War circa 1993 – 2005. For those so disposed it might be an interesting comparison.
I like the expression poverty-porn for that is what this kind of sanctimonious self-serving grandstanding is. Pornographic. How appropriate for Mrs. Palin.
For all its pathetic and lurid character such a gesture on the part on any celebrity deserves a certain amount of scorn, after all, a few days, weeks, months, or even years living among the impoverished billions of this world is nothing like spending your entire existence under the crushing burden of abject poverty. I know, I have spent a large chunk of my life doing exactly what I decry because I was lucky enough to escape that fate from birth. But it was not wasted upon me, I learnt from that questionable connection that the impoverished peoples of the world deserve, nay, require us – those more fortunate – to offer not just hope but real help.
I would paraphrase John Donne –
Every man’s *suffering* diminishes me for I am a part of mankind
Therefore; never send to know for whom the bell tolls
It tolls for thee.
stunning indictment of Sarah Palin and her fellow poverty pornographic film stars.
Sarah has never been generous with her money. If someone will pay her $100,000, she would do a fundraiser for the people of Haiti.
Let me just say this about this. I have a friend, a nurse, who volunteered to go to Haiti over the week of Thanksgiving. She came back damaged. She said she saw 4 and 5 people a day dying. Little kids walking around with IVs in their arms. Parents dying in one tent while their children recover, only to be orphaned. The dead in white body bags for their funerals, and the kids wearing donated dress clothes in order to be proper at the funeral.
She said that other aide workers who had been there for 3 and 4 months took her picture as if she was an alien life form. She said it was because they wanted to remember how someone looked when they first got there, before they “saw”. They told her that her smile and enthusiasm would be lost if she stayed too long.
My friend is still recovering (emotionally, psychic-ly and physically) from being there for a week. If Sarah Palin comes back with anything other than the story of truth that exists there, I will be the first one to call BS on her “visit” to what they now call Camp Cholera. It’s in the deep bush, only accessible by a 4 seater plane. She’ll never go there. A few photo ops with some locals is about it, is my guess. The people dying in the camp don’t give one whit about her or her cookies or her bibles. They simply want to live long enough to raise their children, outlive their parents, or care for their families who have been devastated. If she comes back and smiles even once in the first week, she has definitively NOT seen.
I’m a massage therapist and I worked on this friend two days after she returned. She told me she came home on a Sunday, stayed wrapped in a blanket on her couch all day and night, and all of Monday. She told me her feet hurt, not necessarily from being on her feet all night (she worked 3rd shift) but because they made them all wear knee-high rubber boots that didn’t fit. She had a cold sore on her lip, from stress. She was a mess. Her eyes were dark. She saw me on Tuesday. I asked if I was the first person she had seen since returning. She had seen her therapist and one of her sisters that morning. She told me the above information. As she spoke to me, I asked her if there was anything at all positive that she could focus on. She said, “When I was getting ready to leave, a little boy and a man came up to me, and he pointed at his IV. His father said he was clear to have it out. She removed it and he grabbed onto her legs with all his might, in the biggest hug he could muster. She cried. I warned her: “You will cry again”. I explained that muscles hold memories. And, she sobbed the entire massage, cleaning out a bunch of it. When she stood before me, after dressing and gathering herself, she was on the way to recovery, she said. She is Mohegan Indian and went a few days later to a Sweat Lodge ceremony to clear the rest out of her body. She has been back to see me, and she is improving. Slowly.
If Palin comes back and is not humble and deeply affected, you can be sure she did not see.
Sorry this is so long, but I couldn’t stop typing.
As an exaggerated NPDer, she has no capacity for empathy. If she tries to express some, it’s fake like the rest of what comes out of her mush mouth. Real empathy would likely kill her. it’s all an act – which is exactly why she loves to be on TV. She’s been faking humanity since childhood.
Your story is heartbreaking. I can see why you just needed to type and type…
Thank you for the story. We all need to hear and cry for those people.
This is a heartbreaking story. It is so sad to see Haiti has been practically forgotten by the media just a few months after the earthquake. At least, Palin is bringing back the country in the news -there is so much she could do if she were not so self-involved and ignorant.
((((((ripley))))))))
Your friend is blessed to have you as her friend, Ripley. Hugs to you both.
Someone needs to tell Sarah that Haitians are “a minority type thing” and it isn’t “glamorous” so she really needn’t bother going… Unless all she intends to do is wave from the plane window…
I made a somewhat longer comment on Huff Po this morning with some background so I could get to the cookies reference.
If Sarah shows up with real aid in Haiti she will make a lot of people in Alaska and others, like helpful mud puppies around the world, and others, really mad. If she shows up with cookies, real or proverbial, she will look to the world like the clown that she is.
It is a lose lose situation for her unless she is taking or facilitating long range serious help for millions of Haitians, which she won’t.
Sarah has no hindsight and she has not foresight
Sarah, please go to Haiti and stay. Spare America, go to Haiti and be President of that country. They will love your racist remarks.
Not sure why I am in comment purgatory–still, after forwarding this post to a large mailing list, the sense from my friends is that when this plan of hers goes public, the gloves will come off everywhere. She cannot walk this back from the edges of truly vile human conduct. She’s in Marie Antoinette territory.
that should be “forwarding link to this post”. Also, with Christmas season upon us, how does she survive shooting Blitzen one weekend by following it with drive-by ministration plans the next?
Sowah needs a tax write off. After this the Palins will probably hop on a cruise ship.
Just read this:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/09/AR2010120905857.html?wpisrc=nl_pmpolitics
Perhaps that’s why she’s going.
This trip is a farce, she is a farce and supposed caring is a farce! This woman makes me sick. Smacks exactly as to what she did in Alaska (very late to respond as is this current ‘all of a sudden cares for black people’ when in fact we know she is a racist).
“nilapharas”..was with frank, along the Yukon serving cookies! like cookies=amerikan pie!..nilap pie! todd! as well as the grahm family and their private jet! that flies them all there!..they will only go to port of prince..not into the sick pitiful areas. caraboo hunting in haiti? redneck m—-r f—-r!
I’ll bet ANYONE $1.00 that she going with Graham because he will send his private jet to pick her and her 200 staff up !! Ooops…won’t all fit?? Fly coach…see ya trash…
I can hear it now…”Come on Taadd…let’s go get on the pretty plane and have a MaiTai…”…
What a global loser.
I have two friends who went to Haiti last month. One went with Bill Clinton who is trying to help put the country back together. The other went with a group of friends who spent six days at a clinic helping women who had limbs amputated as a result of being trapped after the quake. Sarah Palin makes me sick.
This is from the friend who went to the clinic. I’m so glad Sarah Palin won’t get anywhere near these amazing women.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOoXjULvRco
I hope she does see some of these amazing women. I hope one of them grabs her, drags her into what’s passing for a health facility, and makes her put her fingers on someone to stop the bleeding, or hold bandages, and boil water and . . .
I kind of have a picture in my mind of red cross volunteers rolling bandages in old Hollywood flicks. But you get the picture. Make her do some real work so she can see what real Americans that can’t afford what was it $42 a pound caribou meat really do.
Love it. Palin poverty porn. Sarah who?
I doubt 95% of Haitians have even heard of Missy Quittypants. It would please me so much if Haiti denied her entrance.
I can imagine that someone who felt uncomfortable around the “natives” of Hawaii will feel “out of her comfort zone” in Haiti. Guess she’ll be packing the Purell.
What exactly is she going to do? The people there don’t know who she is and don’t care. she’s not going to camp out and help out actively as Sean Penn has been doing. Does she think her garbled word salad speeches are going to help anyone?
Perhaps she should just send money instead – it would be far more welcome.
Deja Vu, Ms Palin. Missing the WHOLE point, once again!
Try getting some of your Republican buddies to get the aid flowing that was promised, and keep your screechy self at home!
OMG…(I think I’ve said this before but she keeps doing worse and worse things) Just when I think she can’t go any lower, she proves me wrong.
I can see Haiti…from the Dominican Republic.
An ill-advised visit. Never-the-less, I hope it brings, however limited, something positive to the Haitian people.
Maybe she is going to learn about Voodoo and Santeria so she can bless her flock against black magic, or help her pal Christine?
Sorry for off topic, but are you from Schroon? I spent a summer there at the Seagle Colony back in the early eighties, have been back a couple of times but not recently. Such a beautiful place!
Here’s a hint as to what Haitians think about Palin’s visit: “poverty porn”
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2010/12/10/2010-12-10_sarah_palin_and_other_celebrities_visits_to_haiti_is_nothing_but_poverty_porn.html
Modify
Great post indeed! I just received Time and Jay Newton-Small wrote a fluff piece about SP filled with platitudes and quotes for “her” books (he “interviewed” SP by e-mail). I think Mr Newton-Small should read your post -follow your blog for that matter!
As for the trip to Haiti, it might just backfire (like a show) because her hypocrisy is so transparent.
*(like her show)
Jay Newton-Small is female.
If I am not mistaken, the people of Haiti are mostly Catholic. So I don’t think they would appreciate religious pamplets from Graham and the Quitter. This Franklin Graham is nothing like his father. He is as money hungary as the Palins.
Mrs. Palin whines to Franklin Graham about the negative press on her in the last few weeks …. so avuncular Frank suggests a white-washing of her public sepulcher by taking a mercy mission with him to Haiti.
James is right: Palin is just “another middling celebrity alighting Haiti ‘to profit from our misery’ ”
Disgusting, transparent famewhore’s new motto: Don’t retreat. Let your Sugar Daddy reload for you.
Great post, AKM. Palin can try to run, but she can’t hide from the truth … and bloggers.
“Three-Year-Old Donates Prosthetic Limb To Haitian Relief”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yI3zVtPUhY
The 3-yr-old in the video was moved to render aid instantaneously. $$$$$$$$$$P and her bible-thumping photo-op, what a load of bear scat. I hope the plane gets blown off-course and they land in Guantanamo with their crumbs of dogma. And stay there. also.
“Cookies for Cholera?” Indeed.
Maybe she’s looking to shoot some flamingos to get her skills up to snuff. Right up her alley – eyes covered and they stand stock-still.
I think I know why Sarah’s going, she’s googled Haiti with “Hades” and found that he “possesses the riches of the earth, and is thus referred to as ‘the Rich One’.”
Why, I think you’ve got it!
Sarah will say “I can see Cuba from my hotel”.
Nah, not cookies this time. She’s bringing Red Bull so they have the energy to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.
Guess she better bring some boots, too. If we’re lucky, they’ll give one of those back to her.
Exploiting these poor people for a photo-op, she is the most disgusting creature on this earth. If she wants a photo-op with a person of color I recommend she travel to Uganda and pal around with david bahati as they probably are of the same thinking regarding their fellow man. palin has the lack of compassion of barbara bush and the greed of imelda marcos, she sickens me more with each passing day.
Most folks going through the naked scanners only show one skeleton. Sarah has so many it’s going to blow the machine sky high.
LOL- yup!
I hope she gets scanned so that her h0rny old white guy rabid fanclub get a gander of what a 50 year old woman that has given birth at least 4 times looks like without their spanx, that should make a dent in her following.
Only if the WikiLeaks Cyber Warriors hack the machine and put it on the Internet. And they’ve already said that they couldn’t care less about Sarah Palin.
Thank you, thank you AKM!!!!
whatzername is a cold calculating slime.
She was in the winter of 2008-9 and she is now.
I am deeply sorry that the people of Haiti, with so much suffering all around, now figure in her selfish plans .
I am hoping folks just say what’s on their minds there…
WTF sounds about right…
Most Haitians have no idea who she is. Wow! What an opportunistic b*tch. I’m trying to imagine what she will say to these poor people. Will it be “Do you love your freedom?” or will she just bash President Obama and pass out religious phamplets. Is she taking her “witch doctor” with her. Ugh…I really hope this does not pan out. This is just beyond belief!
By the way, excellent post AKM. I hope it goes viral. Everyone needs to be reminded of her past “humanitarian” efforts.
I agree. It should be on HuffPo near the article about Sarah’s trip!
What a disgusting display. Why would S.P. be an encouragement to anybody? Such an obvious photo-op and play for the “gravitas” everyone, even Rove, knows she is missing. To use the suffering of people for your own gain is despicable. Luckily, anyone with a brain sees right through it.
Dictionary definition of obscene: indecent in a repulsive or very offensive way. Mrs. Palin needs to memorize that.
I thought George W. Bush accompanying former President Clinton (sorry, I cannot quite yet bring myself to acknowledge Bush deserves to be referred to as former President because I still feel as if he was appointed in 2000, and “elected” through malevolent voting machinations in 2004) was a complete farce. He wasn’t engaged in the visit, was most noted to wiping his hands on Clinton’s shirtsleeves after touching a Haitian (yes, I know he said he didn’t, but I remember the video of him wiping his glasses on the back of a woman’s suit on a late night show during commercial break – that video is still available!).
Anyway, had to vent because George W. Bush was as opportunistic and self-absorbed as Palin – though she might be pushing for the win for that category.
Sarah Palin is trying to appear as if she is almost ready to declare for the 2012 Presidential campaign. Personally, I think she’ll give it a go because there will be a lot of money in it for her (lots of free meals, clothes, travel, et cetera and then a follow-up book). Obviously I do not believe she is doing this trip for charitable reasons any more than she took cookies to the villages in Alaska.
Sarah just has to be in the spotlight. Because her positives have gone down the drain, she is trying to rebuild them any way she can. Opportunistic witch!
Of course, she would go with Franklin Graham who is equally self-absorbed. If he really, truly believed in his charity he would give up his private jet, travel economy class and use that money for the charity. Many charity founders and activists do just that. Franklin and Sarah are a perfect match of bookend hypocrites. They stuff the Bible in-between them and hope no one notices it’s never been cracked open.
Why is Todd going? Rumor has it that Bristol is going, too. That doesn’t make sense – cholera is widespread (thought this entourage will probably never have to worry about drinking the water or going to the bathroom in unsafe conditions). If Bristol is pregnant (and I am not saying she is), this is totally inappropriate – but just as a mother of young child (who I hope is not going), she is endangering herself unnecessarily. What kind of mother is Sarah to let Bristol go (okay – just a rumor, but with Sarah it would seem feasible)?
Goodness, quite a rant. Sorry. This woman and Franklin Graham make my stomach churn with disgust. If they really want to help – why not send supplies and money directly there instead of making a personal visit. What does that really accomplish but divert time and energy from the people who need help. Aid workers and government officials have to spend time catering to these egotists.
Okay – done.
I’m with you—they are both phony and disgusting..!
Maybe Todd’s going to keep an eye on Frank and Sarah. Or to wipe down dirty stuff before it touches her. And maybe Bristle’s going to dance for them. Wouldn’t that be a treat!
I am going to send your post to Andrew Sullivan so he knows the background.
Thanks for this.
Disgustingly transparent faux humanitarian.
I did as well. I very much hope he links to this post.
Who said she is not following the suggestions from back in 08 when she lost the VP position and was told to go home, make money, govern, make money, gain international experience, do a reality show make money, learn about governing, make money, build a fence as an example for immigration, have a daughter on DWS, refuse to talk with the lames stream media, make money.
So, she has made money, done a reality show, make money have a daughter on DWS and now is going to the Continent of Haiti to offer relief from that darn volcan. And then Those people made a pack with the devil and God sent them AIDS. But God tells me things and he told me to go to Haiti and spread the Christian values of Cookies and Milk. A very important parable sent by God that says, you should not relay on the godless government when things are tough!
You should wait for Christians bearing cookies!!!!
The ‘cookies’ that represented good will for the first people of Alaska was only a photo op, or a publicity stunt. The people affected from Emmonak did not even get one crumb.
I think Emmonak is quite clear about how much good will for the first peoples whatzername had/has.
Knowing is better than not knowing…
I concur.
Our First Americans deserve so much respect.
I hope someone offers her a great big mug of water that she will drink down.
No such luck. She’ll demand her bottled water & bendy straws to wash her cookies down. Wait til they get a list of her security demands. It’ll give them a big laugh which they probably need now.
She’ll never go – this is just another one of her “visiting her idol Margaret Thatcher stories.” She’s counting on the fact that the mean old State Department won’t let her go to bring relief to the masses. Those poor, poor Haitian people. Is there no end to this HINO’s (human in name only) gall? That IS a rhetorical question.
She may demand bottled water, but just where will that water have been bottled? Just wonderin’.
I imagine Franklin Graham believes money grows on trees. Are we in a “Stepford Wives” type movie? Graham,Palin and Bush(plus others) act like everything they just heard went right past their ears and their conciousness. They are off on another tangent and seem to be CLUELESS.
Haven’t those people suffered enough?
when is she planing on traveling ??….i think they shut down the canadian embassy, and like Pooja Bhatia mentioned it is a pretty unstable place at the moment.
She’ll probably wait till everything calms down and then swoop in as the saviour.
not that the Canadian embassy has anything to do with her but it speak of the situation there.
Well she did go to Canada as a child for health care so with her circular thinking she probably is connected to the Canadian Embassy in some way.
This brought an early morning chuckle!
Palin has waited 11 months what’s another year. She was a fox contributor at the same time as the Haiti disaster but she didn’t say one word about Haiti.
Oh my, there aren’t any movies about the history of Haiti, where will she learn about these people?
Didn’t People Magazine have an article about the earthquake? Maybe she missed that issue. I think the article had a paragraph about the history.
I doubt if she reads anything as hardhitting as “People.” I think they used the word “disingenuous” once.
I am sure her take on Haiti will be “let us pray for them as they must be Godless and still believe in Voodoo and that has caused their ills.”
Must be a late night movie she once watched.
That woman is an idiot!!!
I wonder if she knows that they don’t have any bootstraps to pull themselves up by?
The grifter goes international.
The “Dancing With The Starving” show.
Unfortunately, they’re probably to weak, sick, and downtrodden to dance. More like “Dancing Near the Starving, with Cholera at a Safe and Comfortable Distance Picturesquely in the Background.”