[Radix] RE: Haiti Earthquake

[Ilan Kelman]

Regarding the Spanish PowerPoint presentation that was sent to this list with advice from Doug Copp, the neutral website Snopes http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/triangle.asp  explains why Doug Copp's advice is inappropriate and should not be listened to.  Please send that website along with http://www.earthquakecountry.info/dropcoverholdon/Petal_Rejoinder_to_Copp_0906.pdf to any list that you see distributing Copp's information.   As always, translations to other languages would always be appreciated for these documents.   After a major earthquake disaster, Copp has been very good at spamming media and email lists with his views.   We do not wish to perpetuate his myths by forwarding his information.
 
Irrespective, the main message should always be that it is too late when the shaking starts.  To save lives in earthquakes, we need to be thinking long before the earthquake starts.
 
In terms of the question, "Would a similar package have been offered to Cuba or Venezuela, had the disaster happened there?", see the Cuba-USA disaster diplomacy case study http://www.disasterdiplomacy.org/cubausa.html  Additionally, following the Haiti earthquake, Cuba has permitted American flights carrying injured and evacuees from Haiti to use Cuban airspace, reducing the flight time to Florida.  For Venezuela-related disaster diplomacy, see http://www.disasterdiplomacy.org/casestudies.html#venezuela

In terms of the question, "Would the Marines been brought in for supposed riot control had the disaster occurred in the Virgin Islands?", the disaster diplomacy publication at http://www.disasterdiplomacy.org/publications.html#kelmanetal2006a describes how a prominent Cayman Islander requested US military assistance after Hurricane Ivan struck in 2004.  The Cayman Islands are a UK Overseas Territory and the resident felt that the UK government was not providing the law enforcement assistance needed, so he asked for foreign military intervention.  That call caused a scandal across the islands, so he quickly "clarified" his words and no US troops landed.

Ilan
 		 	   		  
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