29989: Kawonabo: Viewpoint

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Kawonabo1500@aol.com

Greetings,
      It is urgent for all progressives to be very wary when it comes to
viewing the political situation in Haiti. There are essentially two 
fundamentally
contradictory viewpoints in Haiti today. One viewpoint is reactionary and is
represented by the traditional bourgeoisie, the big landowners and the lavalas
bureaucratic bourgeoisie (the Big Eaters, so called by the masses). The
mainstream media widely promotes the ideas of imperialism and the traditional
bourgeoisie. The petty bourgeois populist-opportunists who hijacked the popular
movement in the 1990s are unfortunately mistakenly being confused for
"progressives" because they still invoked the masses in their narrative.

        In 1991, after the coup d'etat, they preferred to beg imperialism to
help them return to power instead of mobilizing the popular masses. So
therefore, in 1994, they accepted the imperialists' occupation of the country 
in
violation of the sovereignty of Haiti. In January and February 2004, they again
begged the imperialists to come in for another occupation of the country to 
save
their butts. Unfortunately, they were not the beneficiary of the occupation
this time. So they called foul. The Progressive media mainly give voice to
those reactionaries disguised as "progressives". Those so-called "progressives"
constantly come up with the same bankrupt alternatives that have failed time 
and
time again. They are in line with the bourgeois democratic ideas of the
reactionary ruling classes and imperialism. In practice, they can never 
dissociate
themselves with the orientation and vision of imperialism at all.

        The other viewpoint is Popular Democratic, Progressive and
Revolutionary and is represented by the Haitian Working Class, the Poor 
Peasants, and
the Toiling Masses. Only real Progressives can subscribe to this viewpoint. 
This
viewpoint is totally absent in all mainstream media, liberal media and even
the progressive media around the world. According to this viewpoint, the
reactionary ruling classes, imperialism, and the petty bourgeoisie failed in 
their
many attempts to build Haitian Society. For instance, the petty bourgeoisie
leading the lavalas movement was totally incapable to solve any problems and
satisfy the demands of the masses. Instead, they used their positions in the 
State
Power to accumulate capital and become bourgeois themselves. They do not have
any solution to the structural crisis facing Haitian Society. They cannot
have a solution because of their reactionary nature.
        However, only the Working Class, the Poor Peasants, and the Toiling
Masses can build a New Haitian Society that is truly democratic and popular.
They can do it through their independent struggles with the Toiling masses as
the backbone and under the leadership of the Working Class. This perspective is
the only alternative that offers a true solution to the centuries-old
structural crisis in Haiti and anywhere else in the world.
        It is in this context, we are offering you this document from KOPA.
It is qualitatively different from what others in the Haitian Community wish
to spread out there as "progressive". With this new leaflet, we are challenging
their bankrupt ideas about the People's struggles. We hope to start a
dialogue with the North American Progressives in the States to make known our
progressive conception of the struggles in Haiti. Please, let us know your own 
views
concerning the struggles of the Haitian Working Class, the Poor Peasants, and
the Toiling Masses.