9912: Anti-Lavalas people: Chamberlain replies to Archim (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

The "Archimandrite" writes:

>  Why is it that all those journalists and Convergence 
> people and anti-Lavalas folks never mobilize themsleves 
> in trying to pressure the US government to extradite 
> Emmanuel ("Toto") Constant?

Evil though he was and is, in the range of priorities Haiti
is forced to consider (because of general lack of resources),
Toto Constant is the past.  The present is that millions of
Haitians haven't got enough food, haven't got a chance 
at a decent life.

Without denying the importance of justice for past crimes
in the psyche of a people, getting Constant back, trying
Duvalier gangsters or pressing a territorial claim to a
worthless chunk of rock like Navassa island (as was done
a few years ago) are all diversions from the main job to be 
done, feeding and educating people.  If only there were 
enough resources to go round to do it all...  But people and 
governments are always on the look out for issues through
which to drum up flagging support when they can't or won't 
tackle the most important issues.


> They seem to concentrate on trying to show the
failings of Lavalas

Well, the failings are quite serious and need to be urgently
addressed if the country is to move forward.  This is long
before you get to the matter of suspended aid.


>  FRAPH, an organization which was responsible for 
> the murder of thousands of Haitiens during the Cedras 
> "reign of terror". An organization, by the way, which was 
> supported or condoned by most of the present opposition 
> people.

Archim, I don't know what you were doing then, but clearly your 
eyes and ears were closed.  The neo-Duvalierists aren't the 
majority of the divided Convergence and the non-Duvalierist 
parts of it never supported FRAPH.


>  Come on, folks, let's start reading between the lines!

...while fighting against the easy answer of conspiracies 
at every turn, a mentality that in Haiti and elsewhere 
always keeps a people down, whether it is stoked up by
the right or the left.

 
        Greg Chamberlain