GRITtv: The F Word: Things to Remember While Helping Haiti

Things to remember while helping Haiti. That's the benign-sounding headline on a Heritage Foundation paper regarding the disaster in Haiti. Released just hours after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit, the pro-corporate analysts at Heritage suggested that the US response should think beyond the immediate ... to "address long-held concerns over the fragile political environment that exists in the region." But as Naomi Klein discovered, in an early draft, the pro-corporate ideologues at Heritage were more outspoken. The early version, yanked, read: "In addition to providing immediate humanitarian assistance, the U.S. response to the tragic earthquake in Haiti earthquake offers opportunities to re-shape Haiti's long-dysfunctional government and economy as well as to improve the public image of the United States in the region." Reshape it how? Well, those who remember how Heritage responded to Hurricane Katrina will probably get it about right; In a WebMemo titled "President's Bold Action on Davis-Bacon Will Aid the Relief Effort," in 2005 Heritage applauded Bush for suspending provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act applying "to federally funded construction projects in the Gulf Coast areas hit by Hurricane Katrina" … What are the chances, do you think, that the US Treasury will be as generous with Haiti as it was with Wall Street? -- Laura Flanders