It must be Tuesday Thursday, Middlespace Cadets, because I'm answering your questions
Q: Dear Ty,
I am thinking of un-friending anyone on Facebook who is posting some kind of "Save Haiti" crap on their wall.
I mean come on! If you must give to charity how about putting U.S. first? (pun intended).
We could pour tons of money into Haiti and you know what it will do? Maybe change the country from being Mad Max to being Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome with Wyclef Jean playing the Tina Turner role.
-Grayman
P.S. What is in our national interests in Haiti? Nothing.
Ty: Good question and an even better observation, Grayman. Yes, I hear you. I hear you.
Forgive me for sitting this disaster round out, everybody. I've already noticed that people and organizations that does this kind of disaster rescue and relief stuff is already doing what they do. So, I don't really have much to say. Or do. The professionals are working.
For someone to compulsively sit and refresh the Times or watch CNN (which sucks) only makes me a disaster porn voyeur. It's not like watching the TeeVee will help someone buried under rubble. And posting some nonsense on Faceback or Twitface about it only feeds into the Haiti Disaster Porn Guilt Panic Attack element of it all. Remember that tsunami? How 'bout Katrina? What did you do about that shit? How many homeless people are you giving blankets to?
I may sound callous, but like I asked, what do you expect me to do? Type about it? Listen, I'm so sorry that the earth moved but that's natural. I'm also sorry that shitty third-world buildings fell down. I'm mostly sorry (and sad) that a bunch of people died and got hurt and lost loved ones. It happens and it totally bites. But I don't have any PC guilt about it.
Am I giving any money to Help Haiti? No. My $20 donation would only be evaporated in bullshit overhead anyway (check the historic records with regard to these disaster efforts and you'll see I speak the tr00f). These efforts are, in essence, a way to make people feel as if they are doing something and feel as if they are somehow helping. Wanna help? Go to Haiti like the rescue teams deployed from around the world. I don't really need to make myself feel better about this. It sucks and I already know that it sucks.
Wanna kinda help? Donate to your local rescue organizations; that's who needs the bread.
Wanna really help? Stop whining and pretending that because you tweeted you did a thing? Same for Iran. Same for China. Same for Darfur. No RT is really helping anyone, people. Feel bad but don't obsess. Trust me, you'll forget all about it by Monday.
If you are charity-inclined, good for you. Do your research and follow the money. But don't just start throwing money at the interwebs because you somehow feel guilty about plate tectonics. As for putting the U.S. first, Grayman? We all make choices. All I'm saying is make them wisely. And do we have any real national interests in Haiti? Unfortunately, not really. No Communism, economy, or oil. Not even a resort destination like its island neighbor. Haiti is a CF hot mess!
I feel terrible about the people of Haiti and so do you. But what were you doing for Haitians three days ago? Not a damn thing. Anybody ask about the Dominicans?
Grayman, give your FriendsterSpaceBook "friends" three strikes. Anyone who posts anything stupid about Haiti three times is de-friended.
Here's what you need to do: pay attention to the OTHER news right now. Now is when business and governments get really sneaky and pull maneuvers while everybody's attention is diverted to Haiti and football playoffs. Read page 2. You'll see. But if I sound like a jerk, consider it tough love. Look yourself in the mirror and ask do you really care or are you caught up in the excitement?
By the way, as a "trending topic" on Twitface, "Pants on the Ground" is ahead of "Help Haiti." FYI. And don't give any money to televangelists. They are crazy as hell (pun intentional).
Just a guess,
-ty
Forgive me for sitting this disaster round out, everybody. I've already noticed that people and organizations that does this kind of disaster rescue and relief stuff is already doing what they do. So, I don't really have much to say. Or do. The professionals are working.
For someone to compulsively sit and refresh the Times or watch CNN (which sucks) only makes me a disaster porn voyeur. It's not like watching the TeeVee will help someone buried under rubble. And posting some nonsense on Faceback or Twitface about it only feeds into the Haiti Disaster Porn Guilt Panic Attack element of it all. Remember that tsunami? How 'bout Katrina? What did you do about that shit? How many homeless people are you giving blankets to?
I may sound callous, but like I asked, what do you expect me to do? Type about it? Listen, I'm so sorry that the earth moved but that's natural. I'm also sorry that shitty third-world buildings fell down. I'm mostly sorry (and sad) that a bunch of people died and got hurt and lost loved ones. It happens and it totally bites. But I don't have any PC guilt about it.
Am I giving any money to Help Haiti? No. My $20 donation would only be evaporated in bullshit overhead anyway (check the historic records with regard to these disaster efforts and you'll see I speak the tr00f). These efforts are, in essence, a way to make people feel as if they are doing something and feel as if they are somehow helping. Wanna help? Go to Haiti like the rescue teams deployed from around the world. I don't really need to make myself feel better about this. It sucks and I already know that it sucks.
Wanna kinda help? Donate to your local rescue organizations; that's who needs the bread.
Wanna really help? Stop whining and pretending that because you tweeted you did a thing? Same for Iran. Same for China. Same for Darfur. No RT is really helping anyone, people. Feel bad but don't obsess. Trust me, you'll forget all about it by Monday.
If you are charity-inclined, good for you. Do your research and follow the money. But don't just start throwing money at the interwebs because you somehow feel guilty about plate tectonics. As for putting the U.S. first, Grayman? We all make choices. All I'm saying is make them wisely. And do we have any real national interests in Haiti? Unfortunately, not really. No Communism, economy, or oil. Not even a resort destination like its island neighbor. Haiti is a CF hot mess!
I feel terrible about the people of Haiti and so do you. But what were you doing for Haitians three days ago? Not a damn thing. Anybody ask about the Dominicans?
Grayman, give your FriendsterSpaceBook "friends" three strikes. Anyone who posts anything stupid about Haiti three times is de-friended.
Here's what you need to do: pay attention to the OTHER news right now. Now is when business and governments get really sneaky and pull maneuvers while everybody's attention is diverted to Haiti and football playoffs. Read page 2. You'll see. But if I sound like a jerk, consider it tough love. Look yourself in the mirror and ask do you really care or are you caught up in the excitement?
By the way, as a "trending topic" on Twitface, "Pants on the Ground" is ahead of "Help Haiti." FYI. And don't give any money to televangelists. They are crazy as hell (pun intentional).
Just a guess,
-ty
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