7441: RE: Chatting with a friend in Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Pascal Antoine <PascalA@freshcom.com>


I chat with my friend Jean Pierre (not his real name)in Haiti (PetionVille)
often via AOL Instant Messenger. Last night our conversation was about the
current political tension and violence which is gripping the country. After
he logged off, I read the transcript of our conversation and thought it was
revealing and gripping enough to share it with the list. He also has a very
plausible reason for why these events are taking place which never occured
to me! I'd love to hear what people think.

I'm pascalantoine (in New York) and he's jeanpierre (in PetionVille)

JeanPierre signed on at 9:55:24 PM.
pascalantoine: Wassup? I was just thinking about you.
pascalantoine:  I'm reading that there is still a lot of tension down there.
pascalantoine: Sounds like things are about to explode!
JeanPierre: Things are cooling down a bit.
JeanPierre: I think they are running out of tires to burn.
JeanPierre: lol
JeanPierre: A friend of mine said things are still very hectic by the
airport.
pascalantoine: Word? What happened at the airport?
pascalantoine: Are the planes flying?
JeanPierre: The last I heard, Joclyne [a neighbor friend] said that her
friends had to go to the Dominican Republic to catch a flight out of the
country.
pascalantoine: Word? I guess planes aren't coming in then.
pascalantoine: Have you gone out at all?
JeanPierre: I was out today
pascalantoine: Where did you go?
pascalantoine: What was the scene like?
JeanPierre: I went to see my man in Nazon.
JeanPierre: Everything was clear.
JeanPierre: Just a few smoldering tires
pascalantoine: Any traffic? No 'blokus'?
JeanPierre: No most people are home.
JeanPierre: No school.
JeanPierre: No business
JeanPierre: Just a few small stores are open here and there.
pascalantoine: Wow.
pascalantoine: Are people in the streets?
JeanPierre: Yeah.
JeanPierre: But there is a lot of  SWAT rolling around.
pascalantoine: Ok, so it's mostly a normal atmosphere unless you're in a hot
spot.
JeanPierre: Yeah
JeanPierre: But you can sense the tension in the way people are moving.
pascalantoine: Really? How's that?
JeanPierre: People are driving a little wild.
pascalantoine: Really? That's hard to believe. Wilder than usual?
JeanPierre: Going down the wrong side of the street, just to get to where
they are going.
pascalantoine: Oh, I get it. Trying anything to get to their destination?
pascalantoine: I guess people are just getting fed up with this Opposition
nonsense.
pascalantoine: Aristide needs to control people though because he's starting
to look really bad.
JeanPierre: I know.
JeanPierre: Things are starting to look like when the Macoutes where around.
pascalantoine: Yeah, see that's the problem......
pascalantoine: Aristide's folks are looking more and more like back in the
Duvalier days.
pascalantoine: Aristide's my boy and all, but he needs some public relations
help in order not to not look like the bad guy.
JeanPierre: But the media does that stuff.
pascalantoine: True..
pascalantoine: He needs to learn how to mold the media and get the best out
of it.
pascalantoine: The opposition knows how to do this.
JeanPierre: Yeah they were probably taught in the states.
pascalantoine: Right now, he's the one looking like the criminal.
pascalantoine: Exactly.
JeanPierre: Its seems like he is setting up to be a dictator.
pascalantoine: Yep, even though those are probably not his intentions.
JeanPierre: Well, you never know....
pascalantoine: True, but all I can say is that the people do want him
though.
pascalantoine: I say be democratic and give the people what they want.
JeanPierre: Yeah that is true.
pascalantoine: If it's a mistake, they should be able to deal with it next
election.
pascalantoine: (But we know how Haiti really works.)
JeanPierre: I'm sure the supporters won't be around long.
JeanPierre: Some are even using this as a plot to leave the country.
pascalantoine: Aristide's supporters or the Opposition's supporters?
JeanPierre: The Opposition's supporters.
JeanPierre: Many of them might want to claim asylum.
JeanPierre: You know what I mean?
pascalantoine: Really? So you mean they are using this as a way to leave the
country legitimately?
JeanPierre: Yeah.
pascalantoine: Never thought of that. Very interesting.
JeanPierre: It is as plain as day.
JeanPierre: Some people have to get creative to get out of this spot.
JeanPierre: lol
pascalantoine: There's always a deeper meaning to everything that goes on
there.
JeanPierre: Yeah
pascalantoine: Interesting concept. Be careful. Talk to you tomorrow.
pascalantoine: Just part of the Haitian cycle.
JeanPierre: Yeah. Good night.
pascalantoine: Goodnight
JeanPierre signed off at 10:19:24 PM.

What do you think of jeanpierre's theory? I find it very interesting to say
the least.

Pascal Antoine
HaitiXchange
http://www.HaitiXchange.com