14332: Vishnusurf: Re: [X-UNKNOWN] 14328: JJeanPierre1: [ISO-8859-1] Re: =?X-UNK... (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: VISHNUSURF@aol.com

i have in fact read prof. stotsky's book, which i like.  but that was about a
different era.  my observation had only to do with several facts, which
provide background to stotsky's stance: he has for years been on aristide's
payroll, which obviously means anything he writes on haiti is at least
indirectly in the service of the government. in that regard, what he has to
say about aristide's administration is similar to what ari fleischer has to
say about bush's. secondly, making many trips to haiti under the cover of the
security forces and yes-men of any government hardly allows one to understand
the will of the people.  again, it is clear that stotsky has had no
meaningful, enduring contact with haitians in the street and in the hills.
and yes, i would insist that understanding haiti's very complex
socio-political reality requires fluency in creole and living in the country
for an extended period of time, absolutely.  it is astonishing that anyone
could disagree with that.  i stand by all of these claims.

as for my choice to right anonymously, anyone who understands haiti's complex
sociopolitical reality should be able to accept this as my right.  anyone who
has ever had death threats lanced against them in haiti, as i have, knows
very well that anonymity is sometimes a necessary course.

now, since you, mr. jean-pierre, have so wrongfully accused me of preferring
that arisitde resign (i said nothing to that effect) let me state for the
record that i am all for aristide finishing his term, and i actually--dare i
say--admire the guy, so i resent that you would suggest otherwise.  i was
just providing some background to stotsky's essay that i felt would be useful
to the list's readers--much like chamberlain thankfully does in regards to
some of the things pina would have us believe.  like the old adage goes, you
cannot believe everything that you read.