Bungled Aid Hurts More than it Helps

THOUGHTS ON WATCHING THE TELETHON FOR HAITI

I am a media critic. I worked in network television and came to see its limits, and, then, see through many of its agendas. With a few exceptions for exceptional programs, personalities and events, I don’t have much good to say about an industry that has dumbed down America, does more selling than telling and avoids unpleasant truths and critical analysis of any depth.

That said, I was blown away by the Hope For Haiti Now telethon Friday night that so many networks agreed to preempt their usual programming for. It has reportedly raised $57 million so far with some stars like Leonardo DeCaprio and Sandra Bullock donating a million dollars. Madonna gave $250,000 to Partners in Health.

Thank you.

Yes, it was another one of those high-profile celebrity charity events, with all the big names—at least 100 of them—doing what they often do best when they market themselves as well as the causes they adopt. This could have been a circus, an exploitative event. But, in content anyway, it wasn’t. There is a need for inspiration in this world. There is a need for our media to do more than report on terrible events. This was a way of encouraging audience involvement. I am sure millions responded and millions were raised.

This is not a time for cynicism and put downs because what is happening in Haiti is a disaster of global proportions and money is needed, not just for the moment, but for the long run which was a point that was stressed. We need, however, to do more than donate; we need to educate ourselves and others about what it will take for Haiti to recover.

MTV deserves credit for producing this in a somber and dignified way. Kudos to George Clooney and all involved. There were no cheering crowds. No merchandising, and not even introductions or identification of the artists with a few exceptions. There was an attempt to let the real world in with live cut-ins to Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta who done have as committed and good a job as any journalist could to present the reality there in an engaged and empathetic way. Others, including Amy Goodman have offered more critical stories.

To be sure, there has been more focus on rescues and human interest stories than political background and context. TV is after all, a soap opera medium. Tearjerkers ‘R’ Them. Yet, the telethon did reference Haiti’s history, at least for a mini-second, and the music was concerned, authentic and uplifting. It did connect on an emotional level and not as some abstraction. Props to all the musicians who gave of themselves. You can download the music from iTunes.

This may have been a first because news networks like MSNBC and CNN carried it [listing here h/t Nicole Bell at CrooksandLiars.com]. Fox News, not surprisingly, did not. Bill O’Reilly proudly disclosed earlier in the week that when he polled his viewers, he found that 58% said they would not donate to Haiti. Those are the values that Fox panders to and cultivates.

At the same time, it is important to note that we have been to events like this before. Do you remember LIVE AID that raised so much money and then ran into real problems delivering aid to Ethiopia where much of it never reached victims? USA for Africa did better with. “We Are The World,” but, it too, was more of a celebrity feel good moment than part of an ongoing process that leads to real change in the long run. (A 25th anniversary “We Are The World” for Haitian relief is in the works.)

Where this money goes MUST be disclosed There must be transparency and accountability. There are plenty of charity scammers out there.

Are We Getting The Full Story?

To be sure, there was more pitching and individual storytelling, especially of telegenic children, than any attempt to really explain what will be needed in the months and years ahead. (The Haitian government has now stopped the rescues, according to the UN (The Haitian Government later denied this report) They are putting the death toll over 100, 000 with 60,000 homeless. Alas, only around 132 people–I am not sure of the final figure– were heroically pulled from the wreckage, in part because this operation had such a late start!.) A doctor is quoted in the Miami Herald suggesting that the focus on these individual rescues took resources and attention away from providing medical aid to the masses. Rene Preval, the President of Haiti was jeered by crowds after a funeral for the Catholic Archbishop for not doing more to get aid to the people!

There was reference to needed and missing supplies, medical help, food and water but no indictment of the US aid effort that has been badly run. Sometimes, good intentions are not enough. There were no questions about the militarization of the aid, and the failure to work with Cuba and Venezuela who are helping. (Israeli doctors have received inordinate publicity thanks to a major public relations effort for their well regarded and very professional work but where were they when Gaza was destroyed by their own government? No Israeli field hospitals there to my knowledge!). Less publicized aid Aid from African and Middle Eastern countries went largely unreported. Quatar sent more money than Israel but without a human face.

There was almost no reference to Haiti’s history of neglect and exploitation, of our military occupations and covert interventions. There was little reference to what is left of Haiti’s government and its elected president, Jean Betrand Aristide, who was forced into exile in South Africa by the Bush Administration.

There was, happily, praise for the UN peace keepers who lost their lives and the many who toil on. Thank you Clint Eastwood and Matt Damon. Morgan Freeman, who played Nelson Mandela in Clint’s film Invictus read a powerful poem about Haiti’s resilient culture.

Remember: Charity is not in itself change; relief is not recovery.

I was glad to see that respected organizations like Dr. Paul Farmer’s, “Partner’s In Health,” and Oxfam and UNICEF will be helped. I am not so confident about the impact of Red Cross or the Clinton-Bush organization or even Wyclef’s Yéle Haiti charity.

We need more than a fundraising moment. We need we need awareness-raising and the building of a global network of concerned people worldwide who will insure that Haiti is not forgotten when the TV cameras move on. Those of us who are concerned need to remain vigilant and become advocates for more coverage and concern not just for the dying and those who were saved but the millions who will be trying to live and live better lives.

In the midst of all this death and dying, it may not be appropriate to mention a death closer to home, but here goes.

On Friday, my Globalvision partner and Mediachannel blogger, Rory O’Connor, lost his mother Alice, 85. There will be wake this weekend and funeral on Monday.

Our deepest condolences.

Your comments on these issues are welcome. Write dissector@mediachannel.org

Now, back to my the news Dissector blog for Friday.

Supreme Court Rules for Corporate Power
Health Care Reform On the Edge
Is Financial Reform Still Possible?
Air America Announces A Shut Down

The other day, a US Admiral compared the earthquake in Haiti to an atomic bomb that devastated the country. Then he announced the Navy’s intention to keep Haitians from coming here. (What was that quote from Emma Lazarus? “Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor”)…But, not if you are a Haitian.

Anyway, a day later, the United States Supreme Court, by a 5-4 decision, dropped a nuclear bomb on American democracy in a decision that will allow U.S. companies to buy that part of our political system that they don’t already own or control.

It is a major decision, almost a coup, that will benefit the money power and undercut the people’s power. The group, “Citizens United,” used ‘Hillary: The Movie‘ to confront McCain-Feingold and take it to SCOTUS.

Here’s the story:

• Supreme Court rolls back campaign spending limits

h/t Undernews: Slavery is the legal fiction that a person is property. Corporate personhood is the legal fiction that property is a person – David Cobb

• Obama Blasts Campaign Spending Decision | Supreme Court Eased Restrictions On Money Corporations, Unions Can Spend On Campaigns

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has ruled that corporations may spend freely to support or oppose candidates for president and Congress, easing decades-old limits on their participation in federal campaigns. [More here →]

Now hereby be it resolved that we the undersigned voters of the United States call upon the United States Congress to pass and send to the states for ratification a constitutional amendment to restore the First Amendment and fair elections to the people. Sign the “FREE SPEECH FOR PEOPLE AMENDMENT PETITION”

Reactions:

The President of the United States, Mr. Obama:

“With its ruling today, the Supreme Court has given a green light to a new stampede of special interest money in our politics. It is a major victory for big oil, Wall Street banks, health insurance companies and the other powerful interests that marshal their power every day in Washington to drown out the voices of everyday Americans. … We are going to talk with bipartisan congressional leaders to develop a forceful response to this decision.”

• Public Citizen: Shed a Tear for Democracy: Supreme Court’s Citizens United Will Unleash Flood of Corporate Money in Elections; Public Citizen Calls for Constitutional Amendment to Reverse Decision

• Center For Media and Democracy: Citizens United Is a Radical Rewriting of the Constitution by Pro-Corporate Supreme Court

• Common Cause: Supreme Court Ruling in Citizens United Creates Political Crisis

• ALG Praises Supreme Court for Striking Down Campaign Restrictions; Blasts Schumer for Calling Decision “Un-American”

• Greg Palast: Manchurian Candidates: Supreme Court allows China and others unlimited spending in US elections

• The Supreme Court is about to hand over our entire political system to BigCorp. with the Citizens United ruling

Healthcare Unraveling

• Pelosi rejects Senate version of health-care bill

• The Hill: Dems Warming To Dumping Healthcare

Soon, the White House was expressing a willingness to “par back” a bill that has already been compromised beyond repair with its public option neutered, and its impact favoring the health insurance leviathan left intact.

Reactions:

• MoveOn.org “President Obama and some Democrats in Congress are now considering scaling back health care reform. That would be a huge mistake. We saw on Tuesday that voters don’t feel like Washington is delivering on the change they voted for in 2008.2 Caving on health care reform will only make that worse. So we’re launching an emergency campaign to save real health care reform”

• Paul Krugman leads liberal revolt

“Paul Krugman’s announcement that he is near to ‘giving up’ on President Barack Obama is fueling a new round of liberal revolt. [More here →]

• Kucinich Continues To Fight For Single-Payer

It is time that we broke the chains, which the health insurance companies have on our political process. It’s time that we have a government that we can call our own. And it’s time that Congress respond to the needs of the American people first, and recognize that health care is a basic right in a democratic society. [More here →]

• Jerry Policoff, a health reform activist, writes:

“There was a juicy tidbit buried in paragraph 17 of an Associated Press story this morning:

“Nearly as shaken by the Massachusetts vote were health care provider groups that have supported the Democratic effort, such as drug makers, hospitals and doctors.” [More here →]

• The filibuster and rendering America ungovernable By Eric Black

“Nowhere in the Constitution, nor the records of the convention, nor the Federalist Papers nor the papers of any of the Framers, was it ever suggested that on top of all those hoops and hurdles, an ordinary bill should also require a super majority in the Senate.” [More here →]