Those poor people in Haiti

[Panic Button]

Hillary Clinton has just landed to visit

[Panic Button]

Why do politicians insist on doing publicity stunts like this?

The airport is stretched enough as it is without diverting resources to looking after her. Every bit of manpower devoted to her and her entourage is a bit not applied to useful work.

[dothawkes31]

But she is the US Foreign Minister or some such, and her presence will carry a huge weight to the pleas for urgent aide. It used to be someone like Henry Kissinger I think, if he had gone back when he had the job that would have been expected, is it cos she's a woman?

[wolf63]

What possible good can she do there? She will probably spend thousands on travel costs to get there which would have been money that could have been put to better use.

[Panic Button]

Nothing to do with the fact she is a woman, Dot.

If I was a Haitian in major distress I would be hugely unimpressed if any western politician came and looked at me offering sympathy, then got back in the Hummer and was driven away.

[dothawkes31]

I've just checked and she is the US secretary of state, it's her job to be there. her predesessors Colin Powell and Condaleeza rice would have had to go, our foreign secretary should go , who is that? Not a clue, has he gone already?

[dothawkes31]

haiti is a western country too, and the US is closer to it than most world powers.

[Panic Button]

No, our foreign secretary should NOT go.
(David Milliband)

He has a duty to stay away and not hinder the rescue efforts.
No one should go who has no part to play directly in rescue and recovery.

[craft1948]

I'd buy Milliband a one way ticket.......

[brenda]

OMG as tho those poor people haven't got enough misery and pain without Hilary arriving ,to do exactly nothing.