13979: Haitian Times: Memories of the past

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Haitian Times <publisher@haitiantimes.com>



 The events swirling in Haiti in the last few weeks have brought back some
memories 1986 and 90-91. The latter date is a bit more significant because
at that time, most people were ready to canonize Aristide. Back then I had a
fundamental problems with this line of reasoning because Haiti's problems,
while biblical in proportion, needed mortals with sound minds to fix them
and I didn't think Aristide was the person. Needless to say, my point of
view was not PC and I was quickly dismissed as some kind of reactionary at
best and a macoute at worst, although I left Haiti a mere whisp of an 8 year
old. In May 1991, I wrote a piece for the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel,
where I was a reporter, saying that basically Aristide is so not ready to
lead the country that if the army doesn't topple him, the people will rise
after Aristide being unable to deliver in his promises. I quoted a source
from the Cato Institute whose analysis was simple: given the dicatorship
that precedeed Aristide and the lack of resources at his disposition he
couldn't succeed.

This brings us to recent events. The situation that my source outlined is
coming to bear right now because Aristide's first term was aborted. The
problem I have now with the "Aristide must go" chorus is that it is coming
from the same arrogant, small minded people who canonized him a decade ago.
Let the sober thinking people in Haiti lead.

cheers,

garry pierre-pierre