Kellie - I couldn't agree with you more. We find no looting in Japan and we see the community coming together to repair and rebuild. In Haiti we find tent cities full of people waiting for the government to do something.

Japan teaches self reliance. Haiti teaches dependence on the government.

You guys are right on target. I haven't heard of any rapes in Japan. Or any mobs roaming the streets robbing folks. Very much like the katrina people...except the Katrina people had warning and ignored it.

Kellie, I agree, too. I felt so sorry for the Haitians, and still do, but could not donate any help. I simply didn't, and don't, trust the government to do right by their people. I did donate, and still do, to Japan. I trust their government to help their people help themselves and rebuild. I don't believe I'm too far off the mark when I say Japan has building codes, and Haiti doesn't even understand the term. I may be wrong on that one, and am willing to become better educated about it.

When you donate to the Red Cross, it goes to the Haitan people. Red cross actually goes over to the disater area and helps people. You guys are sooooooooo ignorant. Only giving money to the country who already has the money to rebuild. IGNORANT PEOPLE!! Perhaps you just don't like black people.

guys your don't know anything about Haiti just shut up!!! you are talking about republic Port-au-prince. where I came from in haiti we have no crime. two people dead in politic since 1986. they deserved to die, because they try to kill as many people they can. they didn't succeed. that place Port-de-paix

i would think in 2011,age of high-tech and info,people's minds would be grasping more understanding. you 'cannot' compare haiti and japan,remember ,japan once ruled the chinees, japan is a world front-runner and after the disaster,they still controlled the foreign press as to the extent of damage and death. haiti struggled for independence,more than 150yrs had to compete in a world that always saw them as 'just slaves'. after the disaster,govts sent their assistance and media and showed the world everything in that country,controlled distribution of aid.lots of pledges have 'not' reached haiti's shores and may not. so ,brothers and sisters,they cannot be compared.

I agree with the first assessment about the Japanese getting on with the business of life.

I disagree with your comment about God helping those that help themselves. God steps in when we come to end of ourselves. He wants us to get out of His way.

Perhaps you just don't like black people.

Perhaps you don't like white people or Oriental people.

I crossed into Haiti the day after the earthquake. I didn't read the early reports in the news and was later shocked to hear that this was a recurrent theme in the main press. I spent most of the first four months after the earthquake in Haiti and I never saw looting. I saw people working together to try and save what they had. Looting only occurred later when people were desperate for food. The rape did not become a problem until after people had been living in camps for many months.

Japan will not be rebuilt in a year. They will have cleaned up a lot of the mess, but it will take many years to rebuild from this disaster. It took them decades to rebuild from Hiroshima. This will be the same.

To me, a big difference between Haiti and Japan is the people expect Haiti to fail and Japan to succeed. This is based on our own preconceived notions much more than on reality.

The difference between the Haiti and the Japan quakes is that the people of Japan were well prepared and more organized than those of Haiti. Haiti's government is on;y looking out for himself and no one else, as opposed to Japan's government that is looking out, well, trying to look out the best he can for his people.

A lot of money and support that went to Haiti went directly into the Hatian governments pockets and therefore leaving the people of Haiti homelss and struggling for a better life.

Japan seems to have better control over the situation minus the Nuclear plants problems, but at least the Japanese government is doing as much as possible to help their people, and the Japanese people themselves are helping one another rather than killing and stealing from others as in the case of the Haiti people that are forced to drastic measures to survive, and all due to their corrupt and pitiful government/president.

Although I have a reasonable amount of faith in the Red Cross, who knows where the other money donated for Haiti went. Somehow, I have a lot more faith in the Japanese putting donations where they are needed. Also, as other people pointed out, the Japanese have immediately banded together to help themselves. I feel sorry for the Haitians, but the country was a miserable and corrupt place before the disaster and I'm sure it still is. I bet that in one or two years, Japan will have rebuilt better than before.

To: Bill

But we do not see it with our own eyes, only what the media portrays. It is not true at all that in Haiti communities are just sitting around waiting for someone else to do something. Have you been there? Have you seen this with your own eyes? I have been there and I have seen something completely different. When I went to Haiti this past January I saw very strong people. I saw people, who though the situation seems hopeless are working hard. People who do not like all the NGO's coming and trying to do things the American/European way. I have seen people who get up at 3am just to work to survive. The Haitians are a beautiful people who have been portrayed in a negative light in the media, and they know that. I would invite you to come and see and really get to know Haitians.

@Kellie39

Are you kidding me?

"A year from now, the Japanese will have rebuilt and you will have to strain to find evidence of the disaster"

The effects of this nuclear disaster will last for decades! The emotional and physical toll of this disaster is so devastating that it's not just gonna go away and be rebuilt in one year. You cannot disregard the pain and suffering of the Japanese people just because they are better off financially or culturally. They are still people in need and will take years to recover from this disaster. No matter the culture!

1000+ points to the Japanese people. They are doing something about fixing there country after a disater that none of use can compare.

Haiti was a disaster Yes I agree but Haiti is still stitting around on there backsides waiting for people to do things for them.

If they all pulled together like the Japanese has then Haiti would of been back to normal along time ago.

Instead of feeling sorry for themselves get off your butts and do something.

There is alot of unaffected land that could be used to start planting crops in a different area from where the disaster was.

Dig a hole, Plant some veges.

Does someone have do this for them as well????.

Right on, Right on!! Nobody ever gives us help. Yet when they have problems they come crying to us.

There is a long list of countries that aided Katrina. But I agree that foreign aid needs to be curbed back a little.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_response_to_Hurricane_Katrina

ferg, the entire developed world came to our aide during katrina. you are very ignorant.

Ferg and Rob, you guys need to check your facts. Many countries including Japan aide us during Katrina, Gulf spill and 911. Remember, many of our allies also died trying to assist us in Iraq and Afghanistan. I think it's time for the both of you to wake up. Quit crying.

If all the countries that helped countries kept their money to help themselves, just where would that put the USofA?

Ferg,

The Japanese wept for us in Katrina. One anonymous Japanese person donated 1 MILLION dollars out of his/her own pocket to aid Katrina. Try donating a million first before you jump to conclusions.

What would you loot? Radioactive food?, radioactive TV set?, radioactive bicycles? Could go on and on, but you get the idea.

DeathMagnet, either your link broke, or it was censored. Could you give us the URL? I know Japan, for one, donated quite a bit ($200K??) for Katrina victims and have forgotten the other countries. I know many offered, and were refused for political reasons. (But, hey, you were doin' a heckuva job, Brownie!)

Lame system - I fixed the links twice and they still don't work. Let's try again.

URL of page that lists countries and organizations that offered aid:

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9282598/ns/us_news-katrina_the_long_road_back/

URL of Washington Post Article that reports $854 million offered, only $40 million accepted:

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/28/AR2007042801113.html

DM, many thanks! I shall look them up immediately after posting my thanks!

Now, let's hear another round of applause for Brownie!

I just read the two URLs from Death Magnet. I suggest you copy and paste them, and read them in order, the msnbc one first, the washington post second. A lot of thoughts come to mind - and none of them complimentary!

Thanks, Death Magnet for posting these.

I have some questions for you, have you ever been to Haiti? Do you really know the Haitian people?

Have you ever spent time with minorities? Have you spent time with immigrants? Do you realize how much they bring to America?

What right do you have to make these (false!) statements?

I also want to say that the looting in Haiti, some of the people from developed countries, who are supposed to be coming and helping, are also doing the looting and the raping.

Please, I would really like to ask you to get to know a people group before making statments like this.

I have been to Haiti, one year after the earthquake, and it is not fair or true to say the Haitians are sitting on piles of rubble waiting for someone else to come clean it up. The Haitians are a strong, beautiful people and they are some of the hardest working people I know. It is not right to make a statment like that about the Haitian people unless the one making the statement has actually spent time there, immersed oneself in the culture, and learned from the Haitians. Perhaps a big thing is, we are not letting the Haitians do things themselves. The Haitians know what they need, yet NGO's are coming and telling them they have to do things their way and that they are not smart or skilled enough to do it on their own. I am sure many people have good intent going and building houses, but in reality, that is taking much needed jobs away from Haitians. What are we doing to show the Haitians that they can do it? What are we doing to support grassroot organizations who care about the people and know what communities need?

Honestly, it is easy for me to say the earthquake in Haiti is much more of a trajedy than Japan. But then I look and see the individuals in Haiti and Japan. People have lost parents, children, friends. The pain of losing someone is still great, whether in Haiti or in Japan. Let's continue to keep both countries in our hearts and in our prayers.