7524: Re: 7438: Haiti violence spreads to provinces (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Jedidiah <his_voidness@yahoo.com>

I have mostly refrained from commenting upon
Haitian political matters, feeling that 
l'etranger should not meddle in the internal
affairs of a friendly country.

However, this latest outbreak of reports
of unrest in the country does prompt me
to respond.

I was in PauP two Saturdays ago when the 
new manifestations apparently started.
I drove out to Martisant 23 actually, past
traffic held up at the intersection of
Grand Rue and Harry Truman. Held up by
burning tires. I went around on moto mwen.
I did wonder why there were new plantings
of the noxious beasts.

I spotted the remnants at a few other intersections
as well. I didn't see any crowds anywhere, and
was just told today by a blan who did see the
burnings that a few dozen people were standing
around watching the tires burn while hundreds
of cars sat on the main routes. He saw nothing
resembling a manifestation, that is, except
some burning tires. 

Now, I've been staying in St Marc, and don't
know anyone who speaks english there. Not speaking
french, and kreyol mwen being primitive, I
don't talk politics much. At all, actually, altho
I do see my friends listening to the radio news
frequently. They wince and get angry at mention
of the alternative government clowns. The mention
of Marc Bazin makes some people excited too, altho
I cannot figure out whether they are angry or not.

The point of this rambling is that I have sensed 
no 'insecurity' among my aquaintances as I have
in the past. The manifestations don't seem to
be very serious, compared to those in past years,
like before the elections last year.

There was a tire burning in St Marc on monday
morning just before I came into PauP. Ardwens,
the political character in my family, told me
about it. I asked who was wanted to be 'aba'?
He said that it was an aba Aristide demo.
That surprized me as I have never seen any
political demos in St Marc before, even during
the worst of the last few years upheavals in
PauP.
*******
Some serious Political Rambling.

This nonsense with the US and France demanding
negotiation with the 'opposition' has me
pissed off. The government of George the Second
has no right to lecture anyone in the world
about transparent elections.

The US spent 50 years ignoring rigged elections
in Mexico. That was for the Mexicans to trouble
themselves with. These Haitian elections, while
not perfect, were of Vermont caliber compared
to those of Mexico or Texas in the past,
or of Florida in recent years.

It was stupid and stubborn of the Lavalas to
power thru the May elections without conducting
a runoff, but those elections were not an
outrage, they were not close as the Mexican
ones in 1994 or as in Florida in 2000.

If the US constitution required an actual majority
vote, and runoffs, then George the second would
be "sent back to texas to work on your ranch"
( thanks to Country Joe and the Fish )

Continuing to demand that the elected government
'negotiate' with an 'opposition' which cannot
turn out voters, and refuses to negotiate anything
except a complete abrogation of sovereignty is
absurd.

I do take note of the objections of some on the
list to the questionable 'democratic' commitment
of the lavalas movement. Maybe there are a lot of
thugs in the political machine now. I have seen
lots of young men with "Mairie de whaville" and
guns stuck down the front of their belts out in the
provinces.
Their obvious unfamiliarity with firearms, and
fondness for the Colt 45, will probably render
their manhood irrelevant quite quickly.

One thing which I do think that Lavalas deserves
praise for is putting together a political machine.
A vote getting machine. This is probably the first
time in Haitian history that an actual political
vote turn out machine has been put together and
stayed together. Then, the elected reps have
showed party discipline. When has the parliament
ever seen a party machine with vote discipline?

Times are early on that issue of course, but six
months in parliament and a number of controversial
votes reversing the anti capitalist rhetoric of
past years have showed impressive discipline so far.
Ever wonder why we have "whips" in congress?
They are to whip the parliamentarians into line
on policy votes. The Haitian whips are doing there
jobs, and with admirable maturity for a polical
culture with no history of such.

I feel that this is a good start towards the
construction of a PRI style political machine.
If Hayti could have the next 60 years comparable
to Mexico's last 60 then this would be a tremendous
step forward. Stop the civil wars, bring the
hooligans into the party and apply party discipline.
That was the recipe that drug Mexico out of the
mayhem.

Enough rambling, excuse my politicking.


=====
Jedidia Daudi Lyall,
http://www.lyalls.net

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