tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post8777089098425724467..comments2024-03-28T16:03:02.583-05:00Comments on Bayou Renaissance Man: Welcome to the worst of the Third WorldPeterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10595089829300831372noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-39721151472542713062012-11-30T20:05:02.435-06:002012-11-30T20:05:02.435-06:00Co-worker was in an Army Civil Affairs unit that w...Co-worker was in an Army Civil Affairs unit that was deployed to Haiti.<br />Upon their return they had tee-shirts made up that read "Go Earthquakes!"<br />He explained that relief supplies were delivered under the "10% rule." Ten Percent was skimmed at every step of delivery.<br />Cash was assessed under the "50% rule."Stretchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-41368259688148464032012-11-29T06:12:00.979-06:002012-11-29T06:12:00.979-06:00I would often visit this type of place for work - ...I would often visit this type of place for work - exporting food products affordable & popular in third world countries. One learns to navigate the status quo: official corruption, crime, filth, disease, mass demos, riots, broken infrastructure, etc. <br /><br />I visited pre-quake Haiti a good number of times. Even then, it was 'exciting'. <br /><br />I once landed in the Dominican Republic about an hour after a military coup. No heads up from the airline prior to landing thank-you very much. The airport had been occupied by the army. Brazened my way through that and got out. I think my fellow passengers spent a day or two living at the airport.<br /><br />Jakarta and Manila can be colorful, as well.<br /><br />I really can't be too hard on fellow Americans who don't comprehend this way of life. Most are busy living their own lives in a decent way. We do indeed live in a fortunate place.<br /><br />It is the constant carping whining over little things and what I would call 'the bad American attitude' that would get me when I returned here. People don't appreciate what they have and seem to have forgotten our way of life and the peace and prosperity we know takes a great deal of work to achieve and maintain. It's earned. <br /><br />A civil, safe, prosperous society depends on voluntary acceptance of and adherence to a great many 'internal' rules. Once distain for those rules and social assumptions becomes the norm many bad things can happen very quickly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-10315798843819299102012-11-29T05:52:12.744-06:002012-11-29T05:52:12.744-06:00Some friends and I have been going to Haiti annual...Some friends and I have been going to Haiti annually for many years (except when interrupted by "rebels" taking over the airport and keeping us from landing). We do dental missions up in the mountains there. <br /><br />His description of events at customs are dead on and for years we paid some pretty hefty brides to get through with all of our equipment and medications. Then we hired our own gangster who now meets us at the gate with his crew. They escort us through the airport for a fee that is quite a bit less than the bribes we used to make.<br /><br />Our last trip, on the way back, I was "detained" by airport security - this is a good story that would take up too much time here, but the upshot of it is that there are folks there that still appreciate the Americans who show up to help the needy there.Phil Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-25223421977184140382012-11-29T04:45:08.793-06:002012-11-29T04:45:08.793-06:00Heh.
You've heard me say it before as well. M...Heh.<br /><br />You've heard me say it before as well. Most Americans have no idea, and they're happy with that.<br /><br />Try to tell them what the real world is like and they pooh pooh at you.MSgt Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00035771485514432736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-60998877350309908862012-11-29T01:57:15.926-06:002012-11-29T01:57:15.926-06:00When you need a fence (with barbed wire on top) an...When you need a fence (with barbed wire on top) and security guards for your home, a backup generator with an automatic switch, and the need to make an international flight for health care, then you're in the 3rd world.<br /><br />So, yeah, we're not all that far...Joe in PNGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244999628674918029.post-72310754841730608872012-11-29T00:37:08.099-06:002012-11-29T00:37:08.099-06:00How far away are we from this? Big Sister's th...How far away are we from this? Big Sister's thugs have taken quite a bit from my suitcase whenever I've had to fly. We don't think about our water, but there are plenty of city water systems that have had poor or no maintenance and are in bad shape. Our police arrest those who dare to record them misbehaving.<br /><br />How far?tweellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164718561825615886noreply@blogger.com