"I am seeing things, I know. I see a nation in abject poverty; I see chaos, death, despair. I see disease. I see crime. I see revolt. I see war. And I see someone, some Venezuelan or Cuban or even an American, stepping forward to intervene, to calm and charm the Haitian people: I see a peacemaker full of political guile. -- Bill Gnade, "Tragic Thoughts", January 13, 2010
In a recent interview with Bill Maher, actor and political activist Sean Penn had this to say regarding his humanitarian outreach program in Haiti:
________________________Hugo Chavez, who, when I went to Venezuela, when I went to Haiti, because when I, starting up an NGO, how do I, an actor in Hollywood, order bulk narcotics?...But on a serious note, you know, this is where amputations, reamputations after gangrene set in – it was Venezuela, Cuba, were able – supplied us with those to be able to get them to hospitals. And then later when I – it wasn’t because the Americans weren’t, it was because I didn’t know how – It seemed I didn’t know the same people that I knew to be able to do it... The collaborative opportunity in Haiti, when you talk about Hugo Chavez, and some of these other people who are demonized, and you know, when some of these countries accuse us of an occupation -- where I believe this was strictly a humanitarian action one the part of the United States military, and an incredible one – I’m a little sympathetic. Because every day, this elected leader is called a dictator here, and we just accept it! And accept it. And this is mainstream media, who should – truly, there should be a bar by which one goes to prison for these kinds of lies. [bold mine, added for emphasis]
