6268: Re: just "overreaching" (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg and Susan Bryant <gregandsusan@rainbowtel.net>

I am not completely reassured by Maxetluc's explanation:

>Actually, in most parliamentary governments (including Great Britain) the 
>opposition is expected to set up a "shadow government." ...
>They wield no power, but are expected to develop expertise in the 
>specialized area, act as a watchdog and move into place should the elected 
>government fall ...
>Certainly, it appears that the opposition has goals  and objectives far 
>beyond that of a typical "shadow government." ...
>However, the 
>sin is in overreaching, not in conception.

For the sake of discussion let's pretend this is all the "parallel
government" has in mind. Two things bother me:

1) The entities forming this (not "shadow," not "alternative," but)
"parallel government"* have a history of "overreaching" themselves right
into power over the corpses of the supporters of the previous government --
any previous government, even when it had been an *elected* previous
government. This is a sin of another, more serious, nature.

*("Shadow" indicates a subordinate copy. "Alternative" means a possible
replacement, presumably upon failure of the original. But "parallel" seems
to me to imply operating simultaneously, redundantly, and possibly with
equal authority.)

2) The US has a habit of backing whichever leaders promise the most
favorable conditions from exploitation of a country's natural and human
resources for the profit of US-based multinational corporations, and
calling it "promoting democracy." There is some credible documentary
evidence that the US trained the leaders of the coup that overthrew
Aristide, and perhaps even helped organize and finance the coup itself.

By the way, what you call "the ego of the first president elected" others
might call Aristide's frank reflection of his constituents' democratic
defiance of tyranny. In short, Aristide's "ego" is not his own, but
represents the people's defiant pride. Knowing what I know of politicians,
this not only is likely but also is entirely appropriate. The people
elected him to reflect their pride.

Greg Bryant