Haiti disaster

Not that I don't feel bad for the people of Haiti,but what is this going to cost the United States? And how is it going to affect our money value,and how will bullion fair in the outcome? Not trying to be political but you know we'll go charging in to help save the day on and with money we don't have. How much more pressure can the US dollar take?

If this is too political please delete it,I was just wondering what others think the disaster will have on bullion.

 

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The cost of human suffering in a catastrophe cannot be measured.

The U.S. and other countries and organizations will provide food, clothing and shelter to minimize as much as possible this suffering.

There is a greater cost in not responding.

To not respond questions whether we are worthy of being called human beings.

 

A dollar goes a long, long way in Haiti.

Most people are unaware of this simple, hard fact : many people in this world live on less than a dollar a day.

Ponder that one for a while.

I had lunch today (and every Wednesday) with two gents who do mission work in Haiti. Often, our Haitian friends visit us. One of our contacts down there was killed in the quake; her husband was injured and awaits evacuation. Needless to say, my friends are very distraught.

Our best friend in Haiti, Pastor Charite Noel, has founded schools which currently educate over 1,500 kids. The government has failed miserably to teach people how to read, so people like us need to step up - so we do.

We have not yet heard from Charite. We pray he is OK, but we don't know for sure. We hear that his town Dessalines was spared. He is a wonderful, spirit-filled man. A giant and a beacon of light in a very dark place.

Pray that we will find the most effective way to help these people, who endure conditions we cannot begin to understand.

We most assuredly do have the means.

 

Quite simply I believe pprecious metal prices shall go up. Strengthening of the US dollar shall not occur so gold will go up in value and so shall silver, albeit silver very small. I wouldnt say any demand increase will occur but I do see the US dollar not stregthening since people are so worried that we are sending in all these troops and aid when we dont have the money. Albeitly what our aid iwll do haiti, not much infastructure wise but we will make sure they dont slaughter each other over food aid.
Hence 2,000 tropps and slight uptake in the metals market
Just my two cents

 

I was not meaning to sound like we shouldn't help,just knowing how many times in the past where the US lead the aid charge and we ended up being the only country to get involved in any real capacity, which does not seem to be he case this time. But I don't think we'll stop at food and protection,it will be new housing,etc. As for metals prices,I just did not know if this would effect them or not,though I thought it might.

 

I made a donation to the American Red Cross today and am giving a pint of blood this afternoon. I hope everyone at CT will do whatever they can to help. :thumb:

 

Yes, What ever you can do! I just heard estimates of over 100,000 people
Killed and many more injured! Very sad!

 

The cost of rebuilding Haiti will severly weaken our recovery and prolong the recession by several more years. It couldn have happened at a worst time for those American who are struggling to make ends meet.

 

impossible to quantify the impact to a region where more than 50% of the citizens already live in abject poverty. aid will come from lots of places. sad to say really but events like this really seem to pull all of us closer together to give help in whatever way we can. good that we pull together... sad that it takes such a devastating event.

the company i work for has committed 1 million usd and will match dollar for dollar anything that employees donate. i'll do what i can myself but with a new born (dec 31) and my wife quitting her job to take care of now 3 kids it hardly feels like enough.

 

Haiti

I don't know how many billions will be spent on the humantarian effort, both in public and private money, I just hope there is proper oversight so that there is not much of the money siphoned off for bribes and other corrupt practices.

The rebuilding of Haiti is vital for the United States' perception by other countries and for security. The countries that hold our debt could look at a Scrooge-like response to a crisis like this and say, "You know what, those skin-flints deserve no slack from us. We need to ratchet up the interest rates on U.S. debts to us and look at other options."

If you think humanitarian relief is expensive, then how do you feel about U.S. military spending? That is truly mind-boggling.

I have worked with Haitians and Jamaicans as an apple picker, they are wonderful and grateful people, and hard-working.

 

Not to be insensitive! But why do other countries depend on the Unites States
For Help!! The United States would be a great place to live if we weret constantly
Helping other nations! I went down to the Social Security office and there wasent
U.S citizen in the bunch, Its not fair for all these people to come over here
And take are benefits, There,s no COLA for the next two years, If you get
Social Security you know what iam talking about, Iam praying for the people
Of Haiti!! Hope for quick recovery!

 

Lets face quick facts, Haiti will not recover.
Not be dismal but realistically a country that was deep into its neck in violence, rape, aids, illiteracy etc.
I mean their society as a whole doesnt function properly. and now that the capital is wiped out, dont expect much more.
However my prediction seems to be sliding around kitco says its up $2.30 but a little while back it was down $2.70

And I agree we need to stop helping other nations. Haiti gets immediate response but when hurricane katrina hit, it was a couple days before aid started arriving.
Lets take care of our own, rather than other nations. Half of those nations dont like us anyways.

 

What really burns me, is why China with all the money they have and all the super power status they want can not step up to the plate more. If I am not mistaken they donated $1,000,000. I mean anything is appreciated, but cmon, that is pocket change for these guys and they need to share some of the world's grief, just like they do with our jobs.

Also if we don't really tend to busines here, Hati could just turn into another haven for the bad guys that are in Yemen, Somilia, etc.

 

I think this is a fair question, touchy but fair.

It's up to everyone's own belief how much help there should be. I think the US itself is donating $100M. Compared to our overall debt and fleecing of america projects, the $100M isn't much. But at the same time we are broke, so we have to tread lightly.

The best thing to do right now is to put people on the ground to provide food, shelter and protection for the SHORT term. Aid will continue to come from other countries but ultimately, it will be the Haitian people that need to get through this. They cannot become too dependent on nations to rebuild their country for them. They cannot step aside and say feel sorry for each other while demanding other nations to rebuild their country. Everyone needs to work together.

Most importantly, someone needs to over see the money that is being sent and properly being used. My buddy who is Haitian is concerned about the corruption that will occur. Already, he saw bull dozers at the President's palace, (we assume they are looking to knock it down and fix it). That's the wrong thing to do right now IMO.

Makeshift hospitals is where money needs to be sent, not thinking about fixing your palace for yourself...

The President needs to be on the streets with his people, in the trenches day in and day out....

 

I have worked with Mexicans, Peruvians and Argentines as a flower picker, they are also wonderful and grateful people, and hardworking.

 

It's the only right answer. :thumb:

 

Oh good grief. Go to Haiti first, then ask who is broke.

 

We help them because we are America and as Americans that is what we do and what we represent!! How will it affect gold/bullion. Good question.

 

I donated today through the Red Cross directly to aid Haiti. No one is depending on me, I just know it's the right thing to do. Prayers help, of course, but so does putting your faith into action. COLA increases have nothing to do with whether we help our fellow human beings. Neither does the lack of any particular ethnic group at the local SS office.

"When I was hungry, you fed me. When I was naked, you clothed me. Inasmuch as ye have done this to the least of these my brethren, ye have done it also unto me."