Haitis Democracy in Flames

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• Reader Comments (14)

  Page 1 of 1 pages

  Fine piece by ex-author [The Fall of Chilean Democracy, 1974] Larry Birns

  Posted by michael roloff on Mar 13, 2004 at 10:16 AM

  this story is disappointing. i think the author should have said more about why we deposed aristide-slave labor? drugs? easy access to cuba and venezuela?

  Posted by jane sanford on Mar 13, 2004 at 12:54 PM

  this is sick

  Posted by neils on Mar 13, 2004 at 7:12 PM

  We linked to your excellent article Haiti’s Democracy In Flames at
  www.gnostics.com/newsletter.html

  Regards,
  Theo Eridanos, editor
  www.gnostics.com

  Posted by Gnostic Communications on Mar 13, 2004 at 8:29 PM

  As a Haitian-American with no political ambitions and no ties with any political group, I must say it really does not matter whether Aristide was kidnapped or pressured to leave Haiti. It is a moot issue. Aristide is a little bastard who betrayed not only the poor but also all the men and women of good will who had placed their hope in him when he returned in Haiti back in 1994. He betrayed the entire country.
  So, one can only say: Good riddance and thank you America for dumping the little punk in Bangui where he should be forced to live as punishment for his sins. It’s a fitting place for him, as it is the closest one can get to Hell on earth.

  Powell is a genius for engineering this little coup.

  As to Patterson of Jamaica, shame on him for allowing the little punk to return to the Western Hemisphere.
  But then again, black leaders are know to behave shamefully. What is new!

  Reynold Ducasse MD
  

  Posted by Reynold Ducasse MD on Mar 13, 2004 at 10:53 PM

  Excellent article. Finally.

  The “uprising” of Aristide’s opposition is best described as the ‘Revolt of the Spoiled Brats.’ It is only from behind the skirt of the most right-wing, repressive elements in US government and from behind the guns of Haiti’s most sick and twisted individuals (former FRAPH, Ton ton macoute) that they can find political power in Haiti’s new democracy.

  Real power is in Haiti’s poor who have endured their abuses and will never rest now that they have tasted their freedom.
  The days of Duvalier are over. The opposition and their cohorts in Washington overestimate themselves;
  their politics are simply too backwards to survive the light of reason. 

  Posted by Johanna Harman on Mar 14, 2004 at 9:04 AM

  Bravo for naming Otto Reich and Roger Noriega along with some bio information to supply a historical context. . .

  Whether or not the Administration was correct in deposing Aristide, it is always illuminating to note the shady histories of nearly every major player in White House policymaking. Whether it is John Poindexter in charge of the Total Information Awareness project [you remember the guy who purjured himself under oath before Congress] or other assholes who are leftover from the Contra debacle, one wonders how Bush himself has escaped calls for impeachment merely based on his choices for underlings. . .

  Remember Bush’s pal Kenneth Lay from Enron? That these are the types of people the President turns to for advice should be proof enough of his incompetence.

  Thank you also for illustrating the powerful role of Miami’s elite in shaping national policy. As a frequent visitor to Florida, I am always struck by the amount of power that this tiny minority wields out of all proportion to their importance - especially with regards to Latin america and Cuban policy. Similar to the Jewish lobby’s influence on Israeli policy [“We’re Right No Matter What So There Is No Need To Negotiate Under Any circumstances”], it would be nice for these holdovers to just fade away - but unfortunately they are too convinced of their own righteousness to realize they are only hurting the interests of their adopted nation.

  Posted by Ed Mellon on Mar 16, 2004 at 12:04 AM

  I couldn’t agree more about the ideological blinders driving Reich, Noreiga (the irony of names!) and U.S. policy. The assessment of Aristide is, however, sadly incomplete.

  Yes, the US did everything possible to undermine him, but, as President of Haiti, he made some decisions, too. It makes me sad to say it, but many of those decisions were just plain wrong. Politicizing the police, arming the chime, allowing some serious bad guys into the inner circles of the government, messing with an election that he couldn’t lose in 2000…They were so wrong that they earned JBA the unflagging oppostion of many of the organizations that supported him when he was first elected and called for his return during the coup period. Why do these organizations represent the Haitian people when they speak out against globalization, but they don’t deserve our attention when they speak out against JBA? Are they now just do many more “thugs” or US “stooges”?

  Bush policy vis a vis Haiti has been wrong, very wrong from the start. It must change if Haiti is to have any chance to escape an authoritarian future. But if we look for the reasons for JBA’s fall only in the sins of the mossbacks in Washington (or the people who gave us “freedom fries”) we will miss an important part of the lesson of all of this.

  Posted by Kevin Murray on Mar 16, 2004 at 3:32 AM

  Things just seem downright spooky these days .There is just no peace and harmony anywhere on this little planet .I consider myself a person of at least average intelligence and of sound mind .I cannot recall any given time in my life when I have found myself so suspicious of my own government .Sometimes I even find that my intelligence is insulted by some of the less than informative news that I see on the news .Or many of the Bush Administrations less than diplomatic
  handlings of foriegn affairs or our allies ,or his handling of the economy or our jobs or our environment .Infact I find his very cozy relationship with America’s wealthiest quite troubling and his abuse of our intelligence communities very menacing all at the same time our freedoms are being taken away under the threat of terrorism and in the name of patriotism . Being from Chicago I can tell you that I have seen quite a bit of political corruption and cronyism .But never have I seen it on such a large scale and with such force .Bush has swept this country off it’s feet .Nobody really dissents .Many Americans are perfectly content to put up with such abuses ,many people are happy with their lives and just do’nt concern themselves with current affairs .then ,there are many like my father who was around during the 60’s and have been disappointed time and time again by the broken promises and lies of so many politicians that they have given up all hope on our government. And there are many who support President Bush and truly believe that he is a god fearing christian ,morally grounded and tough on terrorism , and those people believe that were are the crazy ones . Well I for one believe that Bush is just to powerful to be stopped .And that those he serves are hungry for more of what he has delivered for them and that America and this world are in for a very bumpy ride .But come November ,I will cast my ballot and bygod if Kerry wins there still might yet be hope…......

  Posted by Chris on Mar 17, 2004 at 6:07 AM

  what the bush ‘s administraction and french who was mad at bush for the war in iraq ,now they put thier heads together to do that to the haitian’s president. this very wrong what you did ,bush

  Posted by james on Mar 17, 2004 at 9:36 AM

  This story is worthy in that: one, it defends a principle of law an order which is the removal of Aristide should be done according to the Constitution of Haiti.
  Two, it shows the lack of moral character and political resolve/ conviction of Mr Powell, to the extent one should wonder if he is really in charge of US Foreign Policy.
  Three, although there are some outstanding journalists in America, the American media is plagued by commercialism. The number one concern is profit, everything else is secondary. Hence the unwillingness to challenge the half-thruths. This casts a doubt on the pursuit of ethics in the profession. In fact, many has paid a price for respect of ethics. Some have lost their job in the controversy over the Iraq war.
  My regards to the author of this article.

  Posted by Pfiff Valy on Mar 17, 2004 at 1:06 PM

  Fix it yourselves!

  <p>Why do you blame the U.S. for your failures?

  <p>Your country is completely corrupt.  You don’t even allow your citizens to own their own property (without connections).

  <p>I don’t like that we have to continually bail you out.  I wish you’d all just go away—or, at least, make a real country.

  Posted by Craig Howard on Mar 19, 2004 at 4:58 AM

  Thank you for covering this story. I would like to subscribe to “In These Times” but I dont use credit cards. Please give me the address information so that I can subscribe by mail.

  Thank you.

  Posted by Janet Bunker on Mar 19, 2004 at 4:35 PM

  “There is no disputing that the extremism and mean-spirited nature of Washington’s Haitian policy prevented democratic practices from taking root on the island.”

  No? Watch this - the statement is completely untrue.  Democratic practices did not take root because the of the inability of the Aristide government to showcase the practical application of democratic practices.

  Oh, I guess it is disputable after all.

  Posted by Nus on Mar 26, 2004 at 10:09 PM

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Also by Larry Birns

• Haitis Democracy in Flames
  Powell’s dirty-dealing demolishes the tattered remnants of his credibility