#4442: Preval and the once again "Gros grain" option. (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Mario L. Delatour <mardel@gol.com>

from mardel@gol.com

In Haitian politics,when you get caught,and feel trapped with nowhere to
go,it's time to dust off the "Gros grain" suit,and make a last go at
it.Corbetters,allow me to define the Haitian term "Gros grain".It means
"Big balls".Another one of my favorites,is "Grain plein", which means
"Loaded balls or lead balls". I could'nt help  thinking how many times, we
have been down that road with Haitian politicians,and how everytime,push
came to shove, the "balls"were deflated.It is sort of like Saddam Hussein
promising us the "Mother of all wars" and then his million men army opted
to run.The performance in the end is always so dismal,so pathetic and so
predictable.
 The latest episode is Preval standing tall to the international community
by not wanting to recount the votes.In a nutshell,Preval is saying,the
results are final and there will be no recount "Point bar (or Point
blank)." While Richard Morse is calling for Aristide to take the "High
road",  Mr.Preval is showing us he has "Grain",he may be short but he has
no shortage of "Grain"."Make me recount the votes if you can". In Haitian
politics this is always the last straw."We are a sovereign nation and we
dont take Sh...from nobody" and if you are not happy "common down and make
me...." 
Oh Boy here we go again ! Is there any end, to this madness of wanting to
push the nation along the edge of the crevasse.Forget conscensus,later for
compromise and definitely screw "international opinion",lets give them
"gridlock",let's drive them nuts, dig a hole and show them we mean what we
say,cause we've got "Grain".And of course our"Grains"are not negotiable.

In all my years of covering news in Haiti I can not tell you how many
"Grain plein" I've encountered.Let's see now: Roger Lafontant,now here is a
classic "Gros grain",Roger had 300,000 Macoutes yet he died like a dog,his
body riddled with bullets in a prison cell.
Colonel Jean Claude Paul,"Mr.Gros grain" "par excellence".Jean Claude Paul
the"Master"of Casernes Dessalines.The man had a ferocious force of 800
men,yet he picked up the wrong spoon to drink his "Soup Joumou".General
Prosper Avril,now that man was so "loaded",it took Alvyn Adams,the US
pro-consul ambassador to help him walk to a US military plane.Raoul
Cedras,Phillipe Biamby & Michel Francois,3 guys who defied the whole
world.They are in a class of their own in Haitian history.We will call them
"Mega grains",they promised to defend the nation,yet when the foreign
troops landed,not one shot was fired.A national shame.At least in 1915 one
Haitian soldier fired a shot.These "Gros grains" faded away in the dark
with their tails between their legs.

I cannot wait to see how this current saga will unfold.Will Preval's "Gros
Grain" posturing withstand the International pressure ? How will we do
without the $500 millions ? Will Narco dollars keep us floating ? Will the
Cubans help us make a last stand against Stan Goff's prediction of an
imminent US invasion ? Will Poincy come to Haiti's rescue with "white
cotton" instead of "white powder"? Tune in next week and find out on the"
Haiti Channel" where there's never a shortage of "Gros grains". 

Mario L. Delatour
Tokyo Japan