naomi klein « Feral Jundi

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Haiti: Kidnappings And Sexual Assaults On The Rise, And How ‘Shock Doctrine’ Fear Mongering Is Hurting Haitians

Filed under: Disaster Response,Haiti,Kidnap And Ransom — Tags: disaster capitalism, Haiti, IPOA, JJ Messner, Kidnap And Ransom, naomi klein, security contractors, shock doctrine — Matt @ 2:10 AM

Thanks to Matt for sending me this. My question on all of this, is where is the Main Stream Media? I mean they were all over Haiti when it was cool and made for great coverage. Disaster relief is a marathon, not a short race, and there are stories that are just not getting the coverage they need. Like the thousands of prisoners that escaped, and the slow and steady increase of crime or assaults. By now, we should have had any deficiencies in security corrected–either with more UN or Haitian police, or with private security. There is plenty of money for such things, and there is absolutely no excuse for not implementing effective security solutions for the Haiti.

I also think that this stupid book on ‘disaster capitalism’ called Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein, is actually making things worse for the Haitians. Aid companies now think that contracting security or private industry is somehow a bad thing, and that paying for such things is ‘disaster capitalism’.

Meanwhile, their employees on the ground are getting kidnapped or sexually assaulted, all because they are afraid that contracting security would offend their donors. How totally irresponsible and pathetic is that? I also think it is irresponsible of those in the media who have promoted such things, because now you are helping the criminals of Haiti with your reportage. And what really kills me is that none of these aid organizations or main stream media groups get the label of disaster capitalists?

To me, their entire existence depends upon disasters, and they certainly need them in order to get donations or viewership. Make another dollar off the suffering of Haitians…. and you guys label my industry as disaster capitalists? Pfffft. At least my industry does something other than making media spectacles out of that suffering, or begging for money to support massive aid organizations.

Below, I also posted the excellent commentary by the IPOA in regards to this ‘Shock Doctrine’ fear mongering that the Juice Box Commandos out there have been spewing. Bravo to JJ Messner and company for calling it the way they see it. The ideas of Naomi are contributing to more suffering in Haiti, and it needs to be put in check. Maybe I should start a Facebook page called ‘The Shock Doctrine Fear Mongering Club–Support Crime And Instability In Haiti!!’. –Matt

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UN: Kidnappers release Belgian taken in Haiti

By MIKE MELIA

Fri Mar 26, 2010

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Kidnappers have released a Belgian businessman who was grabbed as he drove through Haiti’s capital, a U.N. police official said Friday.

Philippe Van Reybrouck, a longtime Haiti resident, had been in captivity for about 24 hours and was freed in good condition Thursday after a ransom was paid, said Michel Martin, the Canadian chief of the U.N.’s criminal intelligence unit in Haiti.

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Friday, February 19, 2010

Haiti: Private Industry To The Rescue!

Filed under: Disaster Response,Haiti — Tags: Disaster Response, Doug Brooks, Haiti, IPOA, naomi klein — Matt @ 1:09 PM

“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.

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