24433: Boswell (reply) Re: 24429: Durban (reply) to Kondrat (24413) on Esser/Morse (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

Richard A. Boswell <boswellr@pacbell.net>

With all due respect, comparing the U.S. presidential election of 2000
and that of Aristide, is like comparing apples with turkeys.   Indeed
if we found them comparable then the opposition in Haiti had no
legitimacy, since it was a clear fait a compli (sp?).  To be more to
the point, Aristide's election was not in doubt, it was a certain
number of legislative seats which were in question.

The political reality in Haiti, is that the method used to "un-seat"
has created a terrible precedent and leads us to the present state of
violence.  Violence won in that last round, and the supporters are
forced to the streets, the persons in power, then launch into reprisals
and a form of civil war erupts.  I find it very difficult to understand
why it was that Aristide's opponents who supported his forcible removal
are surprised about what is happening now.  It is this repudiation of
the rule of law, that leads to greater lawlessness.

And to compare what happened in Haiti to the peaceful grassroots
protests in the Ukraine and other countries which led to a downfall of
arguably illegitimate governments is to misconstrue the facts.  I don't
think that there is anyone out there who with a straight face will
claim that Aristide was forced to leave by a groundswell of the
population.   (You will notice that I have not brought in the U.S.
involvement.)

Richard A. Boswell
boswellr@pacbell.net