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Anderson Cooper infuriated over "stupid death" in Haiti

Posted Jan 16th, 2010 at 7:18 PM and seen
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As efforts to raise money for tragedy-struck Haiti gain speed, there is a parallel conversation that weighs a biting critique of some of the senseless death on the Caribbean Island. On one hand, stories of hope spur people to give and actively improve circumstances, but on the other is a portrait of an already severely impoverished country, crushed by overwhelming need. Last night, Anderson Cooper, one of the first journalists to report from Haiti, spoke out on Larry King Live about the agony of seeing “stupid death.” Transcribes NY Mag:

“There’s just stupid death happening here now. It doesn’t have to happen, and it’s really upsetting to see. A little girl is dying because her leg was crushed. Someone doesn’t have to die of that. A leg can be amputated if there’s a doctor there to do it. If there’s antibiotics, they can take an infection to be treated. It doesn’t have to spread through the body and kill somebody. It’s really stupid. It’s infuriating. People died today who did not need to die. People will die tonight, in the next hour, who do not need to die.”

NY Mag frames the journalist’s dilemma well: Even if the portrait is accurate, how much horror is too much? How do you balance it with stories of hope? Does Anderson Cooper have “disaster fatigue”?

More of the latest news, articles, photo, video, and tweets about Haiti

 Noelle Chun

Comments (9)

Jan 16, 2010
rjbischof said...
I think Cooper's comment referred to the corrupt govt, dysfunctional economy & lack of services that are the root cause.
Jan 17, 2010
S said...
Anderson is right. While nothing could be done to avoid the first horrible event that took so many lives, this long wait to organize aid, and massive secondary infections, will be costing many more lives. What do billions of dollars of wealth serve for if not to help someone in such dire need?
Jan 17, 2010
steven said...
If you weren't sure if Anderson Cooper is gay, it comes out when he gets mad as you can see here lol
Jan 17, 2010
earlcochran said...
People made the same comments after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. It is absolutely disgusting to see disaster strike and watch the aid and doctors being refused entrance, being told to go away.

Cooper is 100% right, it is senseless, stupid, death that could have been prevented. Countless lives could have been saved had the aid been quicker, same as what happened in New Orleans. Countless people didn't make it because of being trapped in homes or lack of food.

For a country as poor as Haiti, there is positively no way they can take this into their own hands and save people. With everything destroyed, and no resources, it's impossible.

Jan 17, 2010
Lian DeCaprio said...
We have one of the poorest countries in the world on a spitting distance from Florida. The U.S. govt. has helped it become a democratic country and then turn their back on them. Would this be also the case in Cuba if Castro dies? If we have neighbors who are strong, that'll make us stronger. That's more humane too. Less to worry about terrorists entering through these places..
Jan 17, 2010
rjbischof said...
It isn't foreign aid that creates wealth in a country. It's the rule of law, economic activity by the general populace and respect for private property.

The Dominican Republic, the other half of the island, has a tourist industry. I vacationed in Punta Cana in July of last year.

Haiti does not because it's too dangerous.

Jan 17, 2010
L. Kundell said...
Haiti's present government has been hailed as having rooted out corruption. People don't realize that getting aid when the infrastructure of a country is destroyed is very difficult. Haiti's port is destroyed, roads impassable. The country will need sustained U.S. aid, not only monetarily, but in advice and manpower.
Jan 17, 2010
rjbischof said...
Hailed by whom? The UN, which can't police its own corruption? Can you cite a source?

Haiti tops world corruption table in 2006:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6120522.stm

A friend/colleague of mine emigrated from Haiti and has family there, so I've also reviewed the anecdotal aspect as well.

I agree with your points about collapsed infrastructure and speed. Most critics don't understand supply logistics.

Jan 17, 2010
WhoWhatWhere said...
I agree with rjbischof. How do these poor countries become everyone else's problems when they can't take control of their governments and move forward? Charity isn't supposed to be forever. If that was the case, no one would even try to help themselves.

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