Breaking News: 7.0 Earthquake in Haiti

[Josephus]

I think CAnada should get it. I mean, our Head of State is from there and it would make a nice little warm place to visit in the winter...our own little Cuba as it were.

[Caliga]

Hasn't there been some semi-serious talk about Canada acquiring Turks & Caicos?

[CountDeMoney]

You know, you're some pretty callous fucks towards the country that gave the world Toussaint L'Ouverture, Basquiat, Papa Doc Duvalier, and Wyclef Jean.

[garbon]

France had a very bad experience with Haiti; they were the first black colony in the world to become independent (in 1804, under their own Emperor) and the wars they waged against the French were very bloody; most white europeans were butchered.

Thanks for the history lesson, jackass.

[Martim Silva]

Or give it to the Dominican Republic and unite the island.

Haiti was a French colony, settled with french-bought slaves where French (creole) is spoken; Haiti was Spanish land, settled with spanish settlers and spanish-bought slaves where Spanish is spoken; totally different cultures.

(no really, WAY different. Go to Google Earth and check the satellite images of the two countries. You can even see where the border is with your naked eye - Haiti is almost a wasted, barren land, the Dominican Republic still preserves a large part of its environment)

Indeed, all the other Caribbean nations seem to be doing fine. Haiti's problems are unique to Hati and have nothing to do with West Africa.

They have a LOT to do with that particular people. Which was the one used by the French to help in New Orleans. Remember how the things went with Katrina? One could hardly recognize the US there anymore.

Thanks for the history lesson, jackass.

History is History, what was done is what was done. Disliking it changes nothing.

[ulmont]

Go to Google Earth and check the satellite images of the two countries. You can even see where the border is with your naked eye - Haiti is almost a wasted, barren land, the Dominican Republic still preserves a large part of its environment

I was under the impression that the DR's preservation had more to do with the preferences of dictator Trujillo than any other factors.

[Neil]

Go to Google Earth and check the satellite images of the two countries. You can even see where the border is with your naked eye - Haiti is almost a wasted, barren land, the Dominican Republic still preserves a large part of its environment

I was under the impression that the DR's preservation had more to do with the preferences of dictator Trujillo than any other factors.

French colonies tend to be worse off than the colonies of any other country, mind you.  An uncivilized people cannot civilize.

[jimmy olsen]

Congress should have let Grant buy the Dominican Republic from that crooked President. Fucking spoil sports.

My preference would have been for Panama.  A man.  A plan.  A canal.  PANAMA!

During Grant's Presidency? What would be the point? The technical ability to build such a canal wasn't there yet. If we wanted a canal at that point we would've taken out Nicaragua.

[jimmy olsen]

I think CAnada should get it. I mean, our Head of State is from there and it would make a nice little warm place to visit in the winter...our own little Cuba as it were.

Sine the US doesn't own Cuba, shouldn't it be your own little Puerto Rico?

Also, as Caliga said, I thought you guys were looking at the Turks and Caicos.

[DGuller]

Go to Google Earth and check the satellite images of the two countries. You can even see where the border is with your naked eye - Haiti is almost a wasted, barren land, the Dominican Republic still preserves a large part of its environment

I was under the impression that the DR's preservation had more to do with the preferences of dictator Trujillo than any other factors.

French colonies tend to be worse off than the colonies of any other country, mind you.  An uncivilized people cannot civilize.

I was going to say the same thing.  People say that Spanish colonies turned out to do way worse than English colonies, but think of what wastelands the French left us.  Haiti, Louisiana, Quebec. 

[CountDeMoney]

France had a very bad experience with Haiti; they were the first black colony in the world to become independent (in 1804, under their own Emperor) and the wars they waged against the French were very bloody; most white europeans were butchered.

Thanks for the history lesson, jackass.

The white Europeans had it coming.

[jimmy olsen]

One thing I've got to agree with Silva on is the death count. It seems absurdly low after watching the footage today. Brian Williams showed one elementary school that he said had 700 kids in it when it pancaked and that's just one building. The UN lost 150 people. Whole neighborhoods have been annihilated, just acres upon acres of utter devastation. Then one has to factor all those who are dieing of untreated ones, thirst, etc. If only 50,000 people died it'll be a miracle.

[Admiral Yi]

One thing that has surprised me about the TV coverage is I wasn't aware Haiti had that many buildings.  I figured it was maybe the presidential mansion and a few government buildings swimming in a sea of corrugated plastic shacks.

[viper37]

French colonies tend to be worse off than the colonies of any other country, mind you.  An uncivilized people cannot civilize.

Yeah, kinda like Zimbabwe, a success story of post-colonization development.  Or Rwanda.  Or South Africa with the Apartheid and the subsequent riot/massacres every few years.

I suppose Sudan should also be cited as an example, along with Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Now, should we start talking about the Spanish Colonies?

[garbon]

History is History, what was done is what was done. Disliking it changes nothing.

Actually it was more about you insulting our collective intelligence. Get a clue.