p.s. A friend of a friend on FB adds:
"Haiti was forced to pay France for its freedom. When they couldn't afford the ransom, France (and other countries, including the United States) helpfully offered high-interest loans. By 1900, 80% of Haiti's annual budget went to paying off its "reparation" debt. They didn't make the last payment until 1947. Just 10 years later, dictator François Duvalier took over the country and promptly bankrupted it, taking out more high-interest loans to pay for his corrupt lifestyle. The Duvalier family, with the blind-eye financial assistance of Western countries, killed 10s of thousands of Haitians, until the Haitian people overthrew them in 1986. Today, Haiti is still paying off the debt of an oppressive dictator no one would help them get rid of for 30 years."
A deal with the Devil, indeed. BF
p.s. for an overview of what Pat Robertson is talking about, click here.
10 comments:
Haiti needs a jubilee.
Jubilee (Christian), the year of Jubilee is a special year for the remission of sins and universal pardon where debts are forgiven, slaves and prisoners freed, and the mercies of God would be particularly manifest. In the Old Testament book of Leviticus, a Jubilee year is to occur every fifty years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jubilee
The US government and its citizens need a jubilee.
Jubilee -- an excellent Christian exercise in redistribution. Sometimes we need to shut down and reboot the system.
Excellent background from FiveThirtyEight.com, Bill. That real history is fascinating, especially the comparison/contrast of the Haitian patriots' voodoo party to our Tea Party.
unfortunately, the 538 guys go too far in labeling that post even a "qualified defense" of Pat Robertson. There is no defense for his execrable babblings. Anyone who says those historical actions caused this earthquake is categorically wrong and reprehensible.
For more, see Pastor Shel hammering on "Crazy Pat's" bad theology. (How many pastors do you know who use "Epic Fail"?)
I agree, Cory. Bad headline. Of course you and I never write those, huh. ;^)
Bill -
Thanks for the clarification. ;)
All of this and then Rush Limbaugh it trying to capitalize on it by telling his listeners that Obama is trying to capitalize on it. Is this a great country or what?
Dear Pat Robertson,
I know that you know that all press is good press, so I appreciate the shout-out. And you make God look like a big mean bully who kicks people when they are down, so I'm all over that action. But when you say that Haiti has made a pact with me, it is totally humiliating. I may be evil incarnate, but I'm no welcher.
The way you put it, making a deal with me leaves folks desperate and impoverished. Sure, in the afterlife, but when I strike bargains with people, they first get something here on earth -- glamour, beauty, talent, wealth, fame, glory, a golden fiddle. Those Haitians have nothing, and I mean nothing. And that was before the earthquake.
Haven't you seen "Crossroads"? Or "Damn Yankees"? If I had a thing going with Haiti, there'd be lots of banks, skyscrapers, SUVs, exclusive night clubs, Botox -- that kind of thing. An 80 percent poverty rate is so not my style. Nothing against it -- I'm just saying: Not how I roll.
You're doing great work, Pat, and I don't want to clip your wings -- just, come on, you're making me look bad. And not the good kind of bad. Keep blaming God. That's working. But leave me out of it, please. Or we may need to renegotiate your own contract.
Best, Satan
Letter of the Day
http://www.startribune.com/opinion/letters/81595442.html?elr=KArksc8P:Pc:UUULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr
!!! That's a classic! I'm moving it up to the top page. Thanks for checking in, ...um... Lucy.
Pat. Robertson, Xenopathic Calvinism in its finest hour.
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