[act-ma] 7PM Tonight! THE CRISIS IN HAITI: "MADE IN THE USA"

[tom arabia]

THE CRISIS IN HAITI: "MADE IN THE USA"
organizing solidarity work from aid to anti-imperialism


 

7pm, Thurs, Jan 21


Haymarket People's Fund
42 Seaverns Ave, Jamaica Plain
(Green St stop on the Orange Line - or - 
Myrtle St Stop on 39 Bus) 




Join the Boston branch of the International Socialist Organization for a discussion about the horrific earthquake in Haiti. The crisis in Haiti is overwhelming following a massive earthquake and dozens of aftershocks that has flattened Haiti’s capital Port au Prince. Officials are now estimating that over 200,000 people have been killed, but the death toll will mount as a result of severe deprivation of water and food. On top of that, diseases such as cholera could easily break out, due to the lack of sewage and potable water. 

The dominant story in the media has been that Haiti, its government and people are somehow prone to natural disasters of this sort. In reality, US imperialism created social conditions that have transformed earthquakes and hurricanes into mass killers.

The Obama Administration, despite the humanitarian professions of concern, has responded in a military fashion. He sent thousands of Marines to aid the 9,000 UN forces in policing the crisis. But has only pledged $100 million in aid and has only sent a few hundred doctors. No doubt the US forces will repress desperate people, rather than providing the necessary aid.

We have already seen that the food, water and medical aid that has been flooding in to Haiti, due to the empathy and horror that ordinary people around the world have felt towards the people of Haiti, has been sitting undistributed in the airport because the UN occupying troops and US marines have been preoccupied by "security needs". The argument coming from the US is that the Haitian people will inevitably loot, riot and descend into violence and chaos in crisis situations. We need to demand of the US government to send aid not troops to Haiti.

For more information on the social, economic and political history of Haiti, check out:
http://www.bostonsocialism.org/2010/01/info-packet-making-of-unnatural.html

Contact contact at bostonsocialism.org for questions, comments.

www.bostonsocialism.org
www.socialistworker.org
www.isreview.org


      
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