19311: Walton: Democracy/Freedom is Not "Free" (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: "Walton, Robert" <robert.walton3@us.army.mil>

Democracy and freedom for any nation comes with a price-tag, and the price
is often paid in blood.  Democracy/freedom for any country cannot be "bought
once, then owned forever."   Freedom and democracy must constantly be
"rented" and conserved.  The rent is always paid in vigilance, sometimes it
is paid in vigilance accompanied with blood.

Freedom is conserved by carefully choosing the nation's leadership; being
vigilant to ensure the leadership remains true to the principles on which it
was chosen; then supporting the leadership while it remains true to those
principles or replacing it if it doesn't.  A people who insist others pay
the price of their freedom are unworthy  to possess it.

The US has the constituional means to elect officials to public office for a
stated term and, under certain circumstances (generally in the face of grave
loss of popular support because notoriously failed policies, high crimes,
etc.)  to remove those officials by recall or impeachment and conviction
prior to the end of the stated term.   Does the Haitian constitution have
similar processes?   If so, why have they not been engaged?

I believe that Haiti is currently engaged in a defacto recall process.

Aristide was elected based on his principles and promise- and in the belief
that his leadership would improve their lives.  If the great mass of Haitian
people still believe his leadership will improve their lives, they will
support him.  If his government has failed in that promise, they will not.
I question whether small armed bands of insurgents could overthrow a
government that retained a majority of popular support.

For the US, France or UN to use force of arms to jam the current leadership
down the throats of a people whose majority no longer support it does not
seem wise or democratic.

To impose a peace followed by: (1) martial law, (2) an immediate
plebiscite/recall vote (3) the possibiitly of imposing a caretaker
government, pending free elections might better serve the purpose of
democracy and the Haitian people.

Bob Walton