Absence of U.S. flag in Haiti sparks controversy

[cory777]

Source: USA Today

By Alan Gomez and Oren Dorell, USA TODAY

The many nations helping Haiti recover from the devastating earthquake that struck there have set up their own military compounds and fly their flags at the entrances.

France's tricolor, Britain's Union Jack and even Croatia's coat of arms flap in the breeze.

But the country whose contributions dwarf the rest of the world's — the United States — has no flag at its main installation near the Port-au-Prince airport.

The lack of the Stars and Stripes does not sit well with some veterans and servicemembers who say the U.S. government should be proud to fly the flag in Haiti, given the amount of money and manpower the U.S. is donating to help the country recover from the Jan. 12 quake.

The Obama administration says flying the flag could give Haiti the wrong idea.


Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2010-03-14-haiti-flag-flap_N.htm?csp=34&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UsatodaycomWorld-TopStories+%28News+-+World+-+Top+Stories%29

[IDFbunny]

1. a case of 'Damned if you do, damned if you don't'

[thecrow]

2. Well it DID give the Iraqis the wrong idea...

they thought they were invaded by the Occupier.

Oh... wait.

[saigon68]

12. LOL

[glowing]

3. Seeing how devastating US policies have been for the Haitians in the first place,

perhaps showing the "good" of Americans rather than the dominating brute force of egotistical Americans is a better show in the long run.. Eventually, the Haitians may string up an American flag as a sign of good faith and recognition for the help they are receiving despite the brutal years of imperialistic dominance they have been normalized under for many many years.

[The Northerner]

4. +1

[WriteDown]

16. Unlike the French. nt

[glowing]

25. We aren't the French. We are our own country. We can decide things on our own

and comparing one imperialistic nation with another imperialistic nation is rather mute when it come down to it. Intense Nationalism creates nepotism.. and wars.

[Lasher]

5. So if it's bad form to fly the US flag, why don't Haitians think they've been invaded by Croatia?

If the US flag would be resented, the sentiment would probably be harbored mostly by people who are not Haitians.

[CreekDog]

10. because Croatia didn't prop up their dictators

and rule them from afar

understand we are *allowed* to put up our flag

that doesn't mean it's the *best* choice among our options

[WriteDown]

15. What about France?

:shrug:

[CreekDog]

23. you have a point, except for one thing:

we don't get to decide whether France flies a flag, we only get to decide if the USA will.

and just because France can and does fly one does not mean that we should.

there are good reasons not to, I'm glad we are not allowing what some other country has done to stop us from following what our good sense tells us we should do.

[WriteDown]

24. I've just noticed that there seems to be zero outrage at France flying their flag. nt

[northofdenali]

6. Given the fact that is was U.S. fundamentalists

who tried to kidnap 30 children?

I wouldn't fly the flag, either.

[Tx4obama]

7. Send Palin over there to stand outside the building with her BIG flag pin on her chest

that would give her something useful to do since she ain't doing anything important anyway ;)

[FrenchieCat]

8. 300,000 dead,

and this is the news on Haiti?

Well, ok.

[mbperrin]

22. Shhhh....somebody might notice that not one structure of any kind, not

even a real tent is up yet for the locals, in spite of BILLIONS being "pledged" from around the world.

Better they stay under blue tarps for a few years and a few hurricane seasons, won't have to build so much back, donchaknow?

[mn9driver]

9. Are people worried that the Haitians won't know we're there if we don't advertise?

It's a f**king piece of cloth. Not foreign policy.

[Luciferous]

17. +1

[Ian David]

11. The Bush Admin ruined the image of our flag around the world. n/t

[Cal Carpenter]

13. Our history in Haiti

goes back a little further than Bush.

Can't blame everything on him. Not that he helped the situation or anything.

[Ian David]

14. Good point. IIRC, Clinton pretty much threw fuel on the fire too. n/t

[unhappycamper]

18. After you invade and occupy a country, the natives get suspicious.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiti

The United States occupied the island in 1915 and units were stationed in the country until 1934.

[WriteDown]

19. How long did France occupy?

And yet they are flying their flag.

[unhappycamper]

20. Perhaps it was a better occupation.

BTW, the American occupation of Haiti was part of the Banana Wars that Smedley Darlington Butler mentioned in his War Is A Racket book.

[WriteDown]

21. Yeah, that was a good occupation. They loved it so much they still speak French. nt

[EFerrari]

27. Our presence there is being downplayed.

There was an article you might remember all about how our troops were packing up and coming home -- maybe a week ago? And a few days later, I read that only 3K of 11K are leaving.

[boppers]

26. Oh FFS. I suggest a "flag donation" drive, because what Haiti really needs right now is a....flag.

Yeah, screw the fact that every freaking pound of food and water, every freaking flight over there is trying to staunch a death toll (that come hurricanes will skyrocket), we need to fly some chunk of cloth.

WTF.