19951: Raber: Time for Aristide to be a patriot (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: P&M Raber <raber@valkyrie.net>

Regardless of how Aristide actually left the country, his days as president
of Haiti were numbered.  He must face the fact that no matter how much he
screams "I was kidnapped" he is not coming back as president.  It's time for
him to take the high road and be a patriot while the world is still
listening to what he has to say.     A patriot is one who love his COUNTRY
(not power) and zealously supports its authority and interests.  He could
still ask his supporters the world over and all Haitians to renounce
violence and political bickering to work for the benefit of HAITI.   In
Haiti that means going along with whatever the constitution says to do in
the present situation.  In the diaspora, it means all Haitian-Americans,
Haitian-Canadians, Haitian-French, can lobby their respective government and
have marches to improve Haiti's lot.   Aristide was right when he talked
about restitution of the independance debt.  He was wrong in the way he went
about agravating the French about it and using it to advance his agenda in
Haiti.   Maybe that is one issue he could take up with dignity and have all
his friends in high places take up with him.

At this time, Haitians in Haiti have had it with politics.  They want food,
water, schools, roads, security,  and a reasonable amount of electricity
(electricity on a set schedule).  How hard can it be for France, Canada,
and the USA to at  provide such basic items in such a small country?   They
could start by wiping off the paltry 1.2 billion dollars Haitian foreign
debt (half of which was incured by the Duvaliers).   Ted Turner or Bill
Gates alone could do just that.  Just tha monthly debt payment  money saved
would allow any HONEST government in Haiti to do wonders.  For the next five
years, foreign financed reconstruction of the Haitian infrastructure should
only come in the form of GRANTS.  Foreign engineering firm should work side
by side with Haitian companies.  As Mambo Racine said a few days ago, once
the people have the basics, they will be much more likely to accept whatever
government is left in place when the BLANS leave Haiti to sink or swim.
This massive reconstruction should provide several million Haitians with
jobs for several years.  Once those jobs finished, the infrastructure will
allow for commerce and investment to provide many other jobs.

At this point in the game, the majority of aid must not once again be
concentrated in training police and judges but massive amount of aid should
go directly to revive the life of Haiti's 6 million (out of the 7 million)
who are in extreme poverty.  The provincial towns should be given the same
importance as  Port-au-Prince.  The United States supposedly put in 2
billion dollars in Haiti after the 1994 return of Aristide.  All I saw of it
was a couple of miles of roads on Harry Truman Boulevard, and a few
"Tonelles" at selected schools and buildings.  I hear they also drilled a
few wells.  It would have been much better if they had just paid up the
Haitian debt.

I understand that Haiti does not produce enough food to feed itself.  Of,
course some of that is relative since at times, food rots in the countryside
for lack of good roads to get it to the rest of the country.  Until local
food production is increased, the countries providing food aid should make a
point to buy all they can from the local producers in Haiti.  This will more
than anything else encourage people to plant.  At the same time, irrigation
chanels destroyed over the last 20 years could be rebuilt.  I am sure Taiwan
would love to do this.

Anyhow, these are some thoughts I had.  I once again wrote my senator about
it.  I figure that I mut keep bugging him (Three e-mails and one phone call
so far).  All of you can also contact your senators and representatives and
encourage all to do so.  People in Florida should especially have some good
leverage.  November elections will most likely go as Florida goes.  No
matter which party you plan to vote for, if you are polite when contacting
any state representative or senator, they usually assume that you are from
their party and listen to you.