I got an invite to follow some Catholic environmental group on Twitter yesterday, which is to say, they followed me. As is my usual practice, I took a look at their last 50 messages, to make a decision, and I decided no.
It’s not that I don’t believe in environmental stewardship. I’m happy to live in a place with a lot of natural beauty. I was thrilled, a couple of weeks ago, to see a bobcat cross the road at a trot 100 feet ahead of my (rental) car. I get out in the woods to mushroom and to hike. I like to fish. I don’t chuck out my cigarette butts. I recycle and do a little bit of gardening with Aidan.
I can understand some of the Church’s concern about human impacts on the environment. After all, Haiti’s a prime example of what can happen when people, out of dire necessity or otherwise, rape their environments, and most Haitians are Catholics, after all.
For some time, I’ve argued that it’s in the interest of the US to help the Haitian side of Hispaniola out. Because of their political instability, it would probably be unwise to locate a nuclear facility in Haiti, proper, but the US could install a large nuclear facility in the Dominican Republic’s highlands that would feed the energy needs for the whole of Hispaniola, and permit the reforestation of Haiti. Unfortunately, it may be too late, now. Recently, Castro and Chavez have been working to draw the Haitians into their Latin American socialist sphere, and we have, in effect, let them.
The Church has been terribly naive regarding AGW, and needs to see it for what it is. Meanwhile, the White House and Congress continue to pursue policies that are meant to force people into urban centers, even as they accelerate de-industrialization. That’s a recipe for disaster.
Yeah, I got Catholic Climate following me, too.
I’m just going to say “prudential judgment” and leave it at that. People who cannot tell the difference between a natural byproduct of life and industrial toxic sludge need to be working on that.
Exactly.
For some time, I’ve argued that it’s in the interest of the US to help the Haitian side of Hispaniola out.
I don’t even know anymore. We give them a nuclear power plant, and now all the poor people have electricity for their plasma TVs.
I’m not kidding. In Popayán, Colombia, I saw people living in Coleman tents (given to survivors of an earthquake 7 years previous) with a TV antenna sticking out.
Here in my own neighborhood, people agonize over not being able to pay their “biles” in a room with an enormous entertainment center and leather couches.
The roots of poverty in Haiti are the same as anywhere else: bad gubmint, no economic opportunity, learned helplessness.
Maybe the Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto can help them. Nobody else seems to get results where he does.
Oh do shutter your mouth, you ignorant helpless plant.
Oh, it’s not going to solve all their problems, but it would create conditions in which reforestation was possible.
Dicentra,
Hernando de Soto was involved in a project helping Haiti http://www.racematters.org/hernandodesoto.htm
Thanks for the link, Dan!
I wish FARC was holding you in the Amazon. There’s flesh-eating ants as big as hand grenades back there, hungry piranha too.
I certainly support some of FARC’s activities. They are within their rights to maim, slaughter and justifiably kill many in Uribe’s drug-dealing mafia clan, you remember Ernesto, George McBushy’s little medal-wearing brown boy?
As much as FARC is a state of mind, it will never be defeated and when they rip the limbs off those guilty of genocide, yes, Missy, I sort’a celebrate them when they do that.
Go FARC! Guns to the sky!
I was in Haiti a long time ago (during the Baby Doc years). Very sweet people, the deforestation made every river run solid brown with what little topsoil they had being washed away, horrific levels of government incompetence…the list just goes on.
My $5 says none of you would last a week on the streets of Port-Au-Prince. Not one of ya white failures owns a ghetto’s education, not one, nor the lyrical beauty of a Caribbean tongue.
“Come on let’s face it, a ghetto education’s basic
A most a the youths them waste it
And when them waste it, that’s when they take the guns and replace it
Then them don’t stand a chance at all
And that’s why a’nuff lick of youth have up some fat matic
With the extra magazine inna them back pocket
And have leisure night time inna some black jacket
All who not lock glocks, them’a lock rocket
Them will full you up current like a short circuit
Them’a run a roadblock which part that cops block it
And from now till a mornin’ not stop clock it
If they run outta rounds a brought back ratchet”
That’s some good stuff, eh.
And you would last a week on the street in Port-Au-Prince, beceause . . . you’ve read Celine?
Yes, thought-powered by Celine and all else. And you, have you ever turned a page of Celine? France, Paris in particular, the epicenter of literary greats, he reigned supreme for a few moments there. One of the most colorful figures in the crowded center of colorful literary figures. Say what you will, but the man put in a full lap while on earth. Loved and hated to extremes, his beautiful vulgar words cut hard. He was it, arguably, anyway.
I have very fond memories of my days traversing the Caribbean when I was a young sneering buck. I wish I knew then all that I know now. From Bob Marley to Usain Bolt, the majesty of the Island people is to behold.
Rastafari stands alone.
Nukes are probably not a great idea on Hispaniola. Not because of hurricanes (those are manageable) but because of earthquakes. Think Port Royal.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/02/050205102502.htm
How many here are Catholic?
How many here are Catholic in name only?
How many here are Christian in name only?
How many here are barely fuckin’ human?
Stinky little animals, you think you know of Colombia and its centuries-running civil wars simply because you were bred in the womb of American imperialism’s ignorance? You stinkers stink.
“Maybe I’m not really repulsive, but only give her the illusion that I am. Maybe I’m an artist in that line. After all, why wouldn’t there be an art of ugliness as well as beauty? Maybe it’s a gift that needs to be cultivated.” Celine
Hahaha.
Nice to be reminded why I stopped reading the comments here.
Hi thor! Nice to see you still sport the tough guy posture of an overcompensating florist.
Eat my bloom, sport-o.
[...] You may recall that we discussed Haiti a few days ago, and ThomasD had this to say. [...]
Personally I don’t think that Mr. Handsome has received enough accolades for his humanitarian efforts. In my opinion a lot of celebrity do-gooders are totally phony and engage in so called good deeds merely for positive publicity. I have to say that I don’t think that George is one of the phonies out there in the world of celbrity do-gooders. I admire what he is doing for the Haitian people. I wish more celebrities were as real as he is when it comes to helping out those less fortunate in the world. So kudos to George and his desire to make this world a better place.
Your Rss doesn’t work in my browser (opera browser) how could i fix it?
Great advice your speaking about it so the rest of us can know! Definitely will keep in mind. But, took me a while to get it right, you got to reignite the situation that first made it work early on and also stop doing a lot of bad steps we all naturally make if you want to save marriage alone