20241: Esser: Re: 20218: (Chamberlain) 20194... (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

Aristide is still regarded as a political leader by a large group of
Haiti's most desperately poor, especially in urban areas, do you deny
that? If so, why?

Aristide did not submit to all demands foreign institutions placed on
him, for example regarding the privatization of public utilities. If
you are under the impression that Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Lavalas or
anybody else, enriched themselves, it would be nice to hear some
facts corroborating the rumors.

US goods allowed into Haiti are not negligible as you state. Ask the
sugar farmers of the U.S. for example if they would like to loose
that market. If you have ever been in any of the markets and have
seen the amount of U.S. goods sold, you will know that it is not
minuscule: it creates great difficulties for domestically produced
foods. I personally went shopping with people in Port-au-Prince,
rather poor even by Haitian standards, and what did they buy in the
market - Haitian sugar or sugar from Florida? U.S. sugar of inferior
quality, but very much cheaper because of government subsidies to the
U.S. sugar industry.

I have personally talked to people running assembly factories in
Haiti and in these discussions a different picture emerges from what
you say: Haiti has it's benefits for the companies. Aside from cheap
labor, they value the work ethic and the proximity to the U.S. among
other factors. If Haiti is so dismal from a industrialists view, why
do you think there's interest in increasing the number of factories a
la Ouanaminthe?

That you describe the situation in the Dominican Republic as good, I
can not understand. Go to a neighborhood such as New York City's
Washington Heights and talk to the people. Why do you think this
country has one of the fastest growing immigrant communities and this
started not only last year? II won't go much further into your other
points, because for the most part your arguments do either not really
correspond to my statement, or are one-liners that are to short on
substance to merit an answer.

Are you convinced that phrases such as "Central Committee boys"
enhance your credibility? I personally have no idea who you refer to
when you try to discredit others as belonging to the "Central
Committee" or "secretive friends the PPN", I personally eschew using
derogatory labels, as only arguments can further a cause and I don't
like to discredit myself by labeling others. Red-baiting also has
become somewhat dated, hasn't it?

In order to pay tribute to Bob Corbett's invaluable services, and
time he puts into running this list, I hope we can all try to keep
the discourse on a civil level. By the way: I have never been
affiliated with any Central Committee, nor do I intend to do so in
the future.
.