As far as Haiti and it's relationship to Washington Mutual, and my comparison of this administrations reactive policy towards financial regulation and natural disasters, it is germane to the topic of discussion on this board. Our government is doing it's best, but like a band aid on a broken leg, that's not good enough. I served in Haiti on the USS Wasp and USS Nashville as a US Marine in 1994. I am very aware of what our country is capable of doing in 24 hours. I respect your opinion, and I know you think you know what your talking about, but I am a Marine Corporal who actually has served in Haiti, came home, and for a decade has been an advocate for bringing Haiti into a status like Puerto Rico. I work for the DOL in Newark and Trenton every day with large populations of Haiten Americans. I think Haiti originally was an asset Napoleon should have included the territory with the Louisiana Purchase.
The rule of threes says that within three days 90% of the damage is done, in the stock market or a natural disaster. If our government can not act in a digital light speed age it needs to update it's protocol.
We can ill afford to have a reactive government towards the threat of natural disasters and financial disasters. If Haiti was a bank, like Wamu, we should have forces and mechanisms in place to defend us at the speed things are happening. Not a cancellation of a debate and sending Sarah Palin to smooth things over with the Prime Minister of the 2nd largest Democracy in the world. Maybe Timmy G has these mechanisms up his sleeve now, he told Michelle on NPR last week we have ways to prevent this.
Now economics is what is driving the relief missions in the Caribbean. Imagine if we Washington Mutual shareholders were getting our dividends, I would be giving my 10% on Sunday morning to Haiti. I would have contracted a boat to leave in 4 days, not 12, and if drug dealers can make the Caribbean Miami Kessel Run in 96 hours then so can the Marines.
According to Timmy G the federal government now has the ability to prevent in a speedy way, the collapse of a financial market like Washington Mutual Represented for over a century in significant portion of the global market share under her watch.
Imagine if the seizure of these banks never occurred and instead we had a government that sent a "hospital ship" not just too JP Morgan, AIG, and CITI, but Bear Stearns, WAMU, and Lehman.
I apologize if I offended you ILVMNY, but I am standing my ground on the fact that we didn't do our best. We could have had ships there, maybe not the Comfort, but at least two aircraft carriers with the 2nd Marine Division pitching tents on the flight deck. The rule of threes says the President has the ability and the right to deploy Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Forces without congressional approval for 90 days. Haiti is closer to the lower 48 than Alaska or Hawaii. If a disaster happened in Anchorage or Honolulu, you bet that a fleet of US ships would be there in 24 hours, if not 72 when the most crucial and critical time is at hand.
Now it's sad, and I lost a neighbor and friend in this tragedy too, but it also makes me mad as heck to know we didn't get there nearly as fast as we could have in 1985. Why? Ask anyone involved and the bureaucracy involved in this mission is layered so thick, it's unprecedented. I volunteered to go, along with a number of other people I know in the community who are veterans; the Red Cross told us they are not taking civilians or veterans, only active duty personnel. That was last week, we'll see if that changes, but honestly, you're talking too someone who when most of his colleagues were dancing at Woodstock in 1994, was in Cape Haitien, Haiti distributing food and getting shot at, you're talking too someone who volunteered last week to go back and do whatever it takes. The whole point of my message, was what it takes now isn't volunteers, it takes leaders with initiative that doesn't take 12 days to form a committee. That’s not what the United States Marines are for. NOT calling 911 when there is an emergency is a crime. NOT calling in the Marines when a genocide, 5% of an entire ethnic race, is occurring; goes against everything President Obama taught at Chicago Law, it goes against everything my father taught me about what is right and wrong.
