World leaders react to Buffalo-area earthquake

President Brandon: Really? I thought it was me shakin' again. 

President Trump: More proof that America is weak!

Prime Minister McBlackface: I am invoking the Emergencies Act to mandate masks and vaccine booster shots for all Canadians. Only a tiny minority with unacceptable views will oppose me, and they will be crushed.

President Xi: China has more powerful earthquakes. Make us angry and we'll drop one from a balloon.

Secretary-General of the United Nations: The Security Council will pass a resolution condemning earthquakes, so that this can never happen again.

"Pope" Francis: Was it really an earthquake? Who am I to judge?

Walt Whiteman: Told ya so. Lifetime pct .989.

Why the Japanese aren't rioting and looting

In "Tale of two earthquakes", Walt made a brief comparison of the reactions of the Japanese and the Haitians to disaster in their respective countries. Today "Japanese resilience shines in light of tragedy", by journalist Kieron Lang fleshes out the bare bones of the argument and adds into the comparison the chaos following Hurricane Katrina.

The article begins thus: Looters took to the streets after Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans in 2005, and again when Haiti was rocked by a powerful earthquake in 2010. So what is preventing disaster-stricken Japan from descending into a similar state of lawlessness?

Is this another rhetorical question? Lang shies away from discussing the question of race. Instead he quotes Thomas Lifson, a former professor of Asian Studies at Harvard, on "the unique qualities of the Japanese psyche".

"The sense of community is very powerful in Japan and is maintained not just on the basis of the culture, which is still very strong, but also on the basis of various social, political and geographic realities."

There can be no doubt that Japan is virtually homogeneous society. That is, it's not multicultural. Those aggressively promoting multiculturalism and "diversity" in the west might do well to think about that.

There is another factor of which there can be no doubt, but which political correctness forbids us from discussing. Except for Walt. I'll say it directly this time. The victims of last week's earthquake and tsunami were Asian. The victims of the Haitian earthquake were black.

Haiti, Katrina, Watts, Detroit, today's Ivory Coast... In black communities rioting and looting follow political demonstrations or natural disaster -- any provocation at all -- as surely as night follows day. What conclusion can be drawn, other than that looting and lawlessness are the nature of the beast. Answers on the back of a postage stamp, please.

Tale of two earthquakes

As I follow the news from Japan, I can't help but contrast the reactions and behaviour of the Japanese with those of the people of Haiti, who were similarly afflicted just over a year ago.

One can't help but be impressed by the calmness, verging on stoicism, being shown by the Japanese in the face of a calamity which to us is barely imaginable. The Japanese have seen worse, of course -- the devastation of their country in the last days of World War II, and ultimately Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Perhaps this has given them the collective strength to endure.

Looking at the videos of the survivors, I see sorrow and anguish, but I don't see hysteria. I see people queuing patiently to get their share of the limited food and water. I don't see people looting or fighting like dogs snarling over scraps.

I see supplies and machinery being distributed to people who, even though it's not their job, are pitching in to do whatever they can to clean up the debris and start making their city habitable again. In Haiti, meanwhile, grass is starting to grow into the engine compartments of motor vehicles sent there a year ago, because the Haitian "authorities" demand payment of "customs duties" before the machinery can be moved off the dockside.

And I see the Japanese doing all they can -- themselves -- rather than sitting on their collective ass waiting for boatloads of foreign aid to arrive, along with foreigners to do everything for them. The Japanese will recover and rebuild, just as they did after WWII...themselves.

A couple of days ago, CNN's Jack Cafferty posed the question, "Why hasn't there been widespread looting and crime after the [Japanese] earthquake?" No answer was forthcoming. Perhaps it was a rhetorical question.

Update: Haiti

It's been 184 days since the most powerful earthquake of this century (so far) devastated much of the capital region of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This was a Big Media Event and a really big opportunity for Western (and some Asian) governments and charities to rush to the rescue of the poor downtrodden Haitians.

Billions of dollars in aid was pledged. Charity concerts were held and televised. Protestant missionaries flocked to the island to thump their Bibles and rescue "orphan" children. Her Jeanness, the Governor-General of Canada cried on TV, and (after some snide comments from curmudgeons like Walt) finally went to tiptoe through the rubble of her hometown.

It all lasted, oh, about a month, and then, as Walt predicted, was forgotten. Canada's much ballyhooed "Jacmel project" is stalled. Less than half of the promised aid has actually been delivered. Of Haiti's 8.8 million people, some 2 million are still living on the streets, according to the Fides news agency.

You'll find that link and others in a recent post on the Catholic Culture website. Read the articles and try to understand that there are some awful situations that all the good will, all the charity and all the foreign aid in the world cannot remedy. The only hope for countries like Haiti is for their people, rather than holding out their begging bowls and waiting for "special envoys" to bring relief, should start by helping themselves.

Harper: doncha Haiti him?

In all the fuss and fanfare surrounding the opening of the Oleolympics, you may not have noticed that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper took a few moments off from basking in the B.C. sunshine to visit Haiti, the rat-hole down which millions of taxpayers' dollars are currently being pounded.

As nearly as Walt could see from the video clips, "Call me Steve" was not accompanied by his other half. Nor did Her Jeanness, the Governor-General of Canada, make the trip, even though the tour included her hometown. Possibly Canada's first ladies find walking through the squalor distasteful.

Walt still hasn't heard exactly how big a cheque the lovely and fragrant Ms. Jean wrote for Haitian earthquake relief, but one would think that the G-G would have liked to see for herself how the many dollars [perhaps even in the 10s. ed.] which she has doubtless contributed are being spent.

She won't find out from Mr. Harpoon. Our fearless leader refused to answer questions from the media as to what he had seen through his dark [rose-coloured, surely? ed.] glasses. Did he see looting? Did he see people fighting over the aid packages? Did he see filth and poverty? Did he see any rebuilding done? We shall never know.

What he did see, evidently, was the outstretched hand of Haiti's politicians, for he graciously pledged twelve million taxpayers' dollars to build...wait for it...new government offices. Ah yes, a palace for the president. Just what Haiti needs. Walt wonders how many shelters for the homeless could have been built for $12,000,000. Shame.

Observations on Haiti

If you think Walt was hard on Michaëlle Jean, have a look at the comments sections in online stories in the press in which her connection with Haiti is mentioned. It's not just me. There is a lot of anti-Jean sentiment out there. Anti-monarchy sentiment too.

Granted, Her Jeanness managed to shed some tears on TV. She is an experienced TV presenter, remember? Cue the sobs and choked voice. But has she given Dollar One to the Haitian relief effort? Not publicly, at least.

Stephen Harper ought to be glad the earthquake struck Haiti, if only because it's pushed his campaign against democracy in Canada off the front pages. And he can say "See? If I'd done something really bad by suspending Parliament it would have been Ottawa!"

Finally, Walt notes that the refugee industry has gone straight from first to fourth gear with an alacrity greater than Mr. Harpoon's padlocking of the doors to the Centre Block. I saw a suggestion that Haiti be "temporarily" recognized as a province of Canada so all the dispossessed could come here without having to bother about nasty old immigration. A big thumbs down to that one.

Ditto the idea that the 1000s of refugee applications pending should be fast-tracked. I say that because I can't see the sense of moving Haiti's problems, which have existed for centuries, to Canada. We do not have the capacity (nor, I dare say, the will) to absorb 1000s of poor, uneducated and unskilled victims [vizmins? ed.] all in one fell swoop.

One more cynical thought. Once man finishes nature's job of levelling Port-au-Prince, there should be more room and lots of opportunity for the survivors. Let the dispossessed stay where they are and throw themselves into the job of reconstruction and development...with foreign aid that you and I pay for of course.

A Haitienne who won't be feeling too much pain

Walt is watching reports from Haiti, coverage of the disastrous earthquake that struck that poor country -- the poorest in the Western Hemisphere -- a couple of days ago. Walt is waiting to hear a comment -- any comment at all -- from one of the most famous daughters of Haiti, Michaëlle Jean. Where is she?

For those who think "Who is she?" might be a better question, I will elucidate. Michaëlle Jean is none other than the Governor General of Canada. She referred to herself as Canada's head of state, until reminded that actually Queen Elizabeth II is Canada's head of state, with Her Jeanness being only a proxy or agent.

The beautiful, talented and fragrant Ms Jean owes her appointment largely to the fact that it suited the impeccably PC Liberal government of Paul Martin to appoint a bilingual "woman of colour". The myth about her being a refugee who had made good in the world of journalism didn't hurt either.

It is a myth, you know. Far from being a barefoot girl who escaped from the slums of Petionville, Ms Jean was, in fact, the pampered darling of a well-to-do sugar daddy, who also happened to be a separatist. Through his connections Ms Jean landed a job with Radio Canada (a nest of separatists) where she did nothing to distinguish herself.

But it cannot be denied that Michaëlle was the right colour, from the right province, and looked good in photo ops. Thus she became Canada's stand-in monarch.

Where is she now? During her reign she has exhibited a fondness for swanning around the world, on the taxpayers' dime of course. When Prime Minister Harpoon wanted to prorogue Parliament, Her Jeanness had to be called back to Ottawa [from where? ed.] to give the royal assent. Where is she now?

Walt would also like to know exactly how much the G-G is going to contribute to the Haiti disaster relief fund. She draws a pretty good salary, not forgetting free rent for a pretty big chunk of prime real estate, free rides on government jets and numerous other perks.

Saying "I feel your pain" -- not that she's said anything yet -- wouldn't be enough. Surely she could spare a little change for the dispossessed and bereaved of her native land? We shall see.