“If Scahill and Klein have the resources, the capabilities, the equipment, to go in and do it themselves then more power to them.” -Doug Brooks, IPOA
*****
Your damn right, and good on Doug for calling it like it is. I read through these two articles below, thinking that the authors were actually going to present a convincing argument that what the IPOA and private industry is doing is a bad thing. In fact, I read through both of these articles and thought, ‘ private industry to the rescue’! So thanks to Anthony Fenton and Jeremy Gantz for actually writing two articles that were inspirational to me, and did the exact opposite of what they intended to do. Critics are funny that way.
I will explain. You see all of these critics of the industry continue to complain that private industry is actually doing something about the rebuilding of Haiti. At face value, that is just ridiculous. Who are they to say that the IPOA or GIS can’t help? Can they help if they are wearing a Che Guevera t-shirt? Can they only help if they donate their entire savings to the Haitian government, and live on the streets of Vancouver BC begging for money for the rest of their lives?
To me, the critics have actually taken a pretty immoral stance in my opinion. If I am the public and reading this stuff, I am thinking ‘where the hell is the money supposed to go anyways’ and ‘who cares if private industry wants to help’? The public wants action, and they want to make sure that Haiti is getting a good value for the dollar. The donations are supposed to be used for rebuilding and helping Haiti, not for paying aid agency salaries or for aid agency ad campaigns so they can make even more money. Put that money to work, and lets get going on the rebuild.
Also, all of these IPOA companies are specialists in rebuilding in the worst kind of disaster zones. Namely, war. They provide the specialists, and they also hire local Haitians, and get projects built. Private industry will be helping government, but they will also be helping other private groups. Who are the critics to say that private industry cannot participate in that process? This is how the real world works, and I just shake my head every time I read this stuff.
Klein is classic though. The biggest disaster capitalists on this planet, are the media and aid agencies, and yet private industry is the bad guy here? Pfffft. If anything, Klein lacks the courage to criticize the media or aid agencies, partly because most of her cheerleaders come from those two groups. Not to mention that the media and aid agencies both depend upon my industry to go on their little disaster crusades around the world.
Naomi is also living in a fairy tale if she thinks that private industry can’t help, or that their ‘cookie cutter’ responses in Iraq or Afghanistan are not helpful to Haiti. I am still trying to figure out what she means by cookie cutter response, because I have yet to see anything of the sort from any of the companies over in Iraq or Afghanistan. Actually, they all do things quite differently and approach problems based on their personal experience and capability. Most are pretty innovative and can certainly get things done. They have to, if they want to survive in a war zone and be competitive in this market.
Any way, I wanted to give kudos to the IPOA and GIS for putting the critics in their place, and for all the hard work they have done. I also want to thank these two journalists for providing examples of what happens when criticism backfires. Especially when they are trying to attack those that are taking action to help Haiti. –Matt
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HAITI:Private Contractors ‘Like Vultures Coming to Grab the Loot’
Anthony Fenton
VANCOUVER, Canada, Feb 19 (IPS) – Critics are concerned that private military contractors are positioning themselves at the centre of an emerging “shock doctrine” for earthquake-ravaged Haiti.
Next month, a prominent umbrella organisation for private military and logistic corporations, the International Peace Operations Association (IPOA), is co-organising a “Haiti summit” which aims to bring together “leading officials” for “private consultations with attending contractors and investors” in Miami, Florida.