20191: (Chamberlain) re 20123: (Simidor) Revolutionary Worker article (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

> From: Daniel Simidor <karioka9@mail.arczip.com>

> [A strong article with relatively few inaccuracies.  Shows how to go
against the US imperialist role in Haiti, without jumping mindlessly on the
Lavalas reactionary bandwagon.  Daniel Simidor]

> Haiti: Coup, Kidnapping, and Business as Usual
> Revolutionary Worker #1232, March 14, 2004

> As the U.S. rulers seek to impose a phony and oppressive "democratic"
process in occupied Iraq, they have been deeply involved in undermining
Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the "democratically" elected leader in Haiti. On
February 29, Aristide was forced to leave Haiti as anti-government military
forces closed in on the capital city, Port-au-Prince, and turmoil rocked
the country. Since then, the hand of the U.S. in the removal of
Aristide--not only from his position as president but from Haiti
itself--has become even clearer.

__________________

I was seduced into reading this article by the recommendation of Simidor,
whose analysis and comments are often spot-on and refreshingly
politically-incorrect.  But it turned out to be the purest rent-a-radical
stuff -- not a single line that wasn't rehashed or copied verbatim from all
the usual sources (including the reviled "corporate media", naturally...)
and political science textbooks.

It showed no knowledge of Haiti ("country-of-the-week" decreed by the
Central Committee?) and, of course, not a word about why the entire
spectrum of Haiti's left intelligentsia (including Simidor) and all of
civil society, plus possibly the majority of Aristide's poor constituency,
has turned against him in recent years.  Little more than a hasty passing
reference to a "chaotic situation."  But the regime-sponsored violence
wouldn't fit the textbook, or at least the pages of it chosen for this
particular political-religious service...

Some of our old friends feature too, such as the myth that there was a
"mass upsurge against the Cedras dictatorship", when for various
interesting reasons no such thing happened.  But never mind, it should have
happened, right? and we don't want to spoil the stirring tale, do we?

And then there's Aristide as "a populist leader of a mass movement against
the U.S.-backed Duvalier dictatorship in the 1980s" four years before
Lavalas was even founded.  Aristide was unknown until the very last few
months of the Duvalier regime and then it was simply for a few fiery
sermons confined to the pulpit, nothing more.  But it's what should've
happened that's important, right?

In another rent-a-radical piece a few days ago, we were told that "US
corporations own the sugar and bauxite industries."  But the bauxite
industry closed down in... 1983 and the sugar factory (Hasco) (long closed)
was last US-owned (not a big firm at all) about 20 years ago.  But never
mind the facts. The sugar and bauxite industries bit is what SHOULD be
happening, so let's just say it IS, because nobody will notice anyway and
we're not the "corporate media" so we don't have to bother about "bourgeois
accuracy," right??  Right!!!

Revolutionary Worker's address, given at the end of the article, is
deliciously poetic:   Box 3486, Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL 60654.


        Greg Chamberlain