#1924: Re: #1903:Re: #1891: U.S. tourist shot dead in Haiti: Poincy comments

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Jean Poincy <caineve@idt.net>

Zennie,

	I bow before you for your profundity in your reflections pertaining to
Ayiti's governance and collective security. For you, it seems that the
ray of hope for a better Ayiti is very dim, while your frustration
indicates great love for the country and a burning desire for changes.

	Although most of us are genuinely concerned with these issues, we fail
on the pragmatic side by being soft where a radical approach is needed.
The fear of falling into a ruthless dictatorship prevails and strong
government is interpreted as dictatorship.

	I do understand the reluctance. However, letting such a fear blinding
us to the point of not seeing the wrongs with a democratic Ayiti in
progress as is.  I have nothing against democracy per se; in fact I am a
fierce partisan of it. I truly believe that democracy is an ideal state
to seek for as a process and does not fit all societies, any society for
that matter, at all stages in their evolution.

	Discounting everyone as a possible leader capable to run Ayiti either
for their inability, or fear of being rejected by the masses, or the
hatred of other political aspirants makes believe that nothing can be
done in the absolute sense. This is well thought. 

	We need to be careful in wanting to look for a right person or group to
run Ayiti the way things are structured now. Forming individuals or
group specifically for the purpose is what ought to be done as we shoot
for the future. What of now, the transition period? Well! This is what
some of us don't like: a strong, forceful hand, arbitrary if need be, is
imperative to ensure collective security and smooth transition for a
well-structured society. 

	Yes! These characteristics are present in some to be leaders and I am
sure there is one that is willing to assume the transition; however, the
democratic process will not allow such a candidate to surface; and if
s/he does hatred of others will transform him or her into the arbitrary
ruthless we are avoiding as it was the case for Dr. Francois Duvalier.
He would have to be really strong to stay focus against all odds. 

	Zennie, in 1998, I have touched upon the need and the how to form an
elite group to run Ayiti. I don't know if you were still following the
discussions on the forum because I read you last in 1997. At any rate,
this elite is not what we commonly understand as elite. It will be a
pool of knowledgeable individuals in the field of administering
societies and in the peripheral fields to support the former. They would
come from different backgrounds provided they prove their abilities in
doing what they learn how to do best.

	This pool would serve political parties to select the candidates of
their choice based on some merit criteria and a common ground in
beliefs. Hence, the process would become very competitive and each
candidate would do his/her best to be on top. No matter what, they would
have to prove their capabilities. The masses would be excluded from
making choices directly until they reach a maturity level where they can
distinguish between rational choice and emotional choice. 

	Because they rely heavily on the latter, I favor abolishing
participatory democracy. Since every decisions the masses make today
tend to be self-destructive, allowing them to chose elected officials
would be very disastrous to themselves and to Ayiti as a whole.

	Here is another drawback in the present system. Ayiti is a basket of
deficient educated people whom think they know it better than anyone
else even though they make blunder after blunder. They are always
looking for an artifice to force things. For them politics is the sole
venue to elevate them.

	Because the election process is wide open, every unfit individual is a
potential candidate. Then the masses come to elect them in office not
for what s/he is capable of doing, but for their affinity with such and
such candidates. This simple fact deliberately ignored by defenders of
democracy sets the stage for a dysfunctional political system and
everything else falls in disarray. 

	The transient leader I mentioned earlier needs to have guts to mold
such a mentality into a different thing that is better. He must be
willing to make things happen. Be authoritarian, democrat or anything
else does not matter much as long as s/he does not work to eternize
Ayitian misery and does not hesitate to neutralize those who are
malignant to the society.

	S/he would have to put good structure to prepare the masses to live in
a better society and form the appropriate leaders to produce the better
society. My definition of elite group is the grouping of the most able
to, build, structure, educate, repair damages, conceive, create and
elevate their societies to the highest ideal or virtue mankind can ever
dream of. That's what Ayiti ought to shoot for.


Ayiti has lived, lives and will live
Mozeb