#5106: depression and fear are the current feelings in Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: JHUDICOURTB@aol.com

For those in the political circles close to the government of Haiti, I would 
like to know who exactly they are working for.  Whose life do they think they 
are improving by their actions?  It is easy for them and their friends to 
blame large nations and rich Haitians but the mess of the May election has 
just added to the despair and depression in the country.  Now that the rainy 
season has come and that school is supposedly open, some things have changed 
since May but it is hard to find what has changed for the better.  I've been 
in Haiti since the beginning of the summer and the upset feeling caused by 
the ballots on the street has been replaced by a depressed feeling of 
resignation to a very difficult future.  "It will be five years of 
dictatorship"
There is total fear of tomorrow from the business point of view.  Big company 
are now refusing to keep credit accounts open even for their big clients (for 
example cola companies to hotels and restaurants) because they have no idea 
how much these credits in gourdes will cost them in dollars next week.
Small businesses are not doing any better. The neighborhood truck driver used 
to do delivery of building supplies from six a.m. to six p.m. 6 days a week 
at the beginning of the summer.  Since mid-August he has found it hard to 
keep busy past mid-day.  The man selling colas and cookies at my son's school 
had his business raided in the night after the fifth day of the school year.  
The little boys who hang out at the near by gas station are still there 
although school started.  I asked "Kijan ou fè pa al lekòl?" They can't go to 
school because their uniform is not ready (they have yet to gather enough 
money for new uniforms).
Whoever thinks that this government is working "for the people", would you 
please explain how.  Why do some sections of the city have electricity from 1 
to 4 in the morning?  To charge poor people's inverters?  To make sure that 
the working people can iron their clothes in the middle of the night?  What 
use is electricity at that time "for the people".
Those who think ENSEKIRITE is about car-jacking and businessman carrying cash 
should think of the insecurity of public transportation.   The biggest 
ZENGLENDOs are those in charge of public safety and who do everything to 
encourage insecurity.  Why are there MACK trucks speeding in the wrong lane 
everywhere on every road and semi-road?  When they kill groups of 10 and 20 
in one accident, isn't that preventable crime?  When you take a good look at 
those drivers, you see that the majority look very young.  Why can't they be 
taught to repect life?  It is the government's job to monitor who drives and 
how.  It can be no one else's fault.  Instead the police officers are 
stopping little old ladies driving little cars and asking for the car papers. 
 How are the people been helped there?
The government of Haiti is holding the people of Haiti hostage by acting as 
if it has no control over the country's situation.  Building pieces of road 
and school buildings are only minimal portions of the amount of work to be don
e here.  There is no excuse for these miserable living conditions, and for 
keeping the majority of the country in the 18th century.  It can be fixed.  
They just refuse to do so.
During the summer the president declared that people would have to tightened 
their belts because of the possibility of embargo.  Who is this supposed to 
help?  The pride of 10 to 50 politicians is more important than the plight of 
millions?  Most people felt angry at the President for that statement and 
responded: where are we going to get money to buy belts?  We don't even have 
a belt how can we tighten our belts?
The quotes from current conversations of all classes:  Everyone who can get 
out of here should try.  Why didn't the Americans stay and help us?  Did you 
know that Canadians are giving visas to people who have an education?  What 
should I study to be able to go to Montreal?
I came back to Haiti 3 months ago with a very positive attitude and with the 
feeling that the world is changing fast and Haiti cannot avoid going the same 
way as the rest of the world.  It is very hard to keep your attitude positive 
here.