What are your thoughts on Haiti?

[coloradodem2005]

How did this start?

What should the U.S. do about it?

[mopinko]

1. good question

it looks to me like the old forces are rising up again, refusing to accept the will of the voters. i think we should stand up for the democratic process. not an easy thing for * to do. but honestly, i do not think i have enough facts to know.

[AntiLempa]

3. My Thoughts

I went to Haiti a couple of years ago and have studied the question. Here are some radom ramblings that I typed up for my weblog.

It's 11:15 and I have a lot on my mind. Tomorrow morning I will be dropping a buddy off at the airport and I should be asleep, but the news has kept me awake. I have been reading a lot about Haiti lately. There is a lot of turmoil and I can't help but feel responsible. A group of armed bandits has decided that they don't like Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the democratically elected president. Instead of participating in elections, they have decided to take over the country by FORCE. In fact, this isn't the first time that this group of bandits has acted in such a way. Many of the actors have been involved in massacres and other human rights abuses. Some were responsible for the military coup in 1991. Incidentally, George Bush the elder was the president at the time. That coup wouldn't be overturned until Bill Clinton committed 20,000 troops to return Aristide to power and train a police force. In turn, Hatians that had fled the country returned in mass. The "boat people" that were once arriving in record numbers reduced to a trickle.

Bush the Younger is overseeing similar circumstances. Ruthless bandits are "arresting" people for supporting the government. They control have the island and are planning to siege the capital any day now. They have refused to negotiate with the United States, the Organization of American States, or any other body while Aristide has. Instead of supporting a young democracy, the Bush Administration is calling for a "political settlement." This is hard to believe for at least two reasons.

First, it is impossible to negotiate with armed bandits when their only goal is to overthrow a government and take control of the country. Second, since when has the Bush Administration believed in political settlements? While many people were calling for political settlements in Afghanistan and Iraq, the American government, under the Bush Administration, was beating on the drums of war. It now seems likely that Saddam Hussein was in fact cooperating with weapons inspectors and that an invasion to end his weapons program. After all, you can't end something that didn't exist.

It would seem that the humanitarian and governmental crisis in Haiti is a much bigger threat than Hussein's Iraq was. If the bandit led opposition is allowed to take over Haiti, there will undoubtedly be an increase in human rights abuses and political refugees. Recent history tells us that these refugees will do whatever they can to flee the country. Many will die and many others will make it to Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Florida. The US government has announced that they will detain Hatians in Guatanamo Bay (AKA the terrorist jail) or return them to Haiti. Is this right? Is this moral? Is this fair?

Other reports have linked the International Republican Institute (IRI (an arm of the Republican Party)), the CIA, and the DIA to the turmoil in Haiti. I believe this is true. I believe the same was true in 1991. This isn't a black helicopter theory. AP reports in early January reported that the IRI was supporting Andre Apaid and other Haitian "opposition forces." This would make the situation similar to the events that have been taking place in Venezuela. It is our responsibility to stand up to OUR government and tell them that this is unacceptable. Even if our government is not directly involved with the "opposition forces," or bandits, they. . .we. . .have an obligation to protect Haiti's young and fragile democracy.

I am making this bold statement based on historical realities. The US government was very friendly with Haitian dictators. Dictators that violated basic human rights and hurt Haiti's economy, possibly forever. The US also led a movement to block much needed foreign aid money - money that could have been used to help the economy and help people.

Above all, we should help Haiti because 8,000,000 of our sisters and brothers live there.

Here are some articles that describe the current situation in Haiti. Please share them with your friends.
http://www.madre.org/country_haiti_crisis.html a must read

http://www.world-crisis.com/more/431_0_1_0_M/


http://zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=54&ItemID=5045
(from Democracy Now!)

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/02/26/1612211


http://zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=54&ItemID=4997


http://zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=54&ItemID=4977


http://www.haitireborn.org/news/haitireport/

[cprise]

2. We should support the formation

...of a Social-Democratic government so that our human rights and economic policy in that region are actually better than Cuba's for a change.

We should make the World Bank forgive all their debt.

[DuctapeFatwa]

4. I'm not sure if they want it to attack Cuba or Venezuela, or both

Venezuela has oil, but attacking Cuba would be a great campaign photo shoot for regime loyalists who may be wavering but could be brought back to the fold with a good old fashioned Triumph over Communism.

Plus, it would facilitate expansion of the popular Guantanamo project.

Or it could just be a routine undesirable population reduction operation.

[AntiLempa]

5. My Thoughts

I went to Haiti a couple of years ago and have studied the question. Here are some radom ramblings that I typed up for my weblog.

It's 11:15 and I have a lot on my mind. Tomorrow morning I will be dropping a buddy off at the airport and I should be asleep, but the news has kept me awake. I have been reading a lot about Haiti lately. There is a lot of turmoil and I can't help but feel responsible. A group of armed bandits has decided that they don't like Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the democratically elected president. Instead of participating in elections, they have decided to take over the country by FORCE. In fact, this isn't the first time that this group of bandits has acted in such a way. Many of the actors have been involved in massacres and other human rights abuses. Some were responsible for the military coup in 1991. Incidentally, George Bush the elder was the president at the time. That coup wouldn't be overturned until Bill Clinton committed 20,000 troops to return Aristide to power and train a police force. In turn, Hatians that had fled the country returned in mass. The "boat people" that were once arriving in record numbers reduced to a trickle.

Bush the Younger is overseeing similar circumstances. Ruthless bandits are "arresting" people for supporting the government. They control have the island and are planning to siege the capital any day now. They have refused to negotiate with the United States, the Organization of American States, or any other body while Aristide has. Instead of supporting a young democracy, the Bush Administration is calling for a "political settlement." This is hard to believe for at least two reasons.

First, it is impossible to negotiate with armed bandits when their only goal is to overthrow a government and take control of the country. Second, since when has the Bush Administration believed in political settlements? While many people were calling for political settlements in Afghanistan and Iraq, the American government, under the Bush Administration, was beating on the drums of war. It now seems likely that Saddam Hussein was in fact cooperating with weapons inspectors and that an invasion to end his weapons program. After all, you can't end something that didn't exist.

It would seem that the humanitarian and governmental crisis in Haiti is a much bigger threat than Hussein's Iraq was. If the bandit led opposition is allowed to take over Haiti, there will undoubtedly be an increase in human rights abuses and political refugees. Recent history tells us that these refugees will do whatever they can to flee the country. Many will die and many others will make it to Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Florida. The US government has announced that they will detain Hatians in Guatanamo Bay (AKA the terrorist jail) or return them to Haiti. Is this right? Is this moral? Is this fair?

Other reports have linked the International Republican Institute (IRI (an arm of the Republican Party)), the CIA, and the DIA to the turmoil in Haiti. I believe this is true. I believe the same was true in 1991. This isn't a black helicopter theory. AP reports in early January reported that the IRI was supporting Andre Apaid and other Haitian "opposition forces." This would make the situation similar to the events that have been taking place in Venezuela. It is our responsibility to stand up to OUR government and tell them that this is unacceptable. Even if our government is not directly involved with the "opposition forces," or bandits, they. . .we. . .have an obligation to protect Haiti's young and fragile democracy.

I am making this bold statement based on historical realities. The US government was very friendly with Haitian dictators. Dictators that violated basic human rights and hurt Haiti's economy, possibly forever. The US also led a movement to block much needed foreign aid money - money that could have been used to help the economy and help people.

Above all, we should help Haiti because 8,000,000 of our sisters and brothers live there.

Here are some articles that describe the current situation in Haiti. Please share them with your friends.
http://www.madre.org/country_haiti_crisis.html a must read

http://www.world-crisis.com/more/431_0_1_0_M/


http://zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=54&ItemID=5045
(from Democracy Now!)

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/02/26/1612211


http://zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=54&ItemID=4997


http://zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=54&ItemID=4977


http://www.haitireborn.org/news/haitireport/