Publish to Newswire
Add an EventFrom the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
The US has pulled a coup d'etat in Haiti
This message is mainly addressed to two contact
persons in the USA State Government; the two names
listed first. I am sending copies to you so that you
will have a better idea of what is going on in Haiti,
and who has caused it.
persons in the USA State Government; the two names
listed first. I am sending copies to you so that you
will have a better idea of what is going on in Haiti,
and who has caused it.
FROM FATHER MICHAEL GRAVES IN HAITI
Dear Friends,
This message is mainly addressed to two contact
persons in the USA State Government; the two names
listed first. I am sending copies to you so that you
will have a better idea of what is going on in Haiti,
and who has caused it.
=======================================================
Dear Messrs. Tilghman and Connell,
Greetings to you from Haiti on this MOST unhappy
day. Pressure from the USA...a supposed bastion of
democracy, has finally caused the fall of the fragile
democracy in Haiti. Action by the USA has finally
allowed the murderous thugs of the rebel army in the
north of our country to rejoice in believing that they
have won; that they have caused President Aristide to
leave. I can't believe that MY country (I am a US
citizen and have been an Orthodox missionary priest in
Haiti for 18 years!) has used its brute force to
topple the elected president of Haiti. I simply can't
believe it! This is a sad day for me, and it will
prove to be an extremely sad day for the USA since
they will be blamed for the catastrophe, not only by
Haitians, but by supporters of democracy throughout
the world.
Fortunately for me, I am well-known in Haiti by the
Haitians and they will not associate my US citizenship
with the recent activities of the US Government. But,
believe me, for the first time in my life (which is 69
years) I am embarrassed and somewhat ashamed of being
associated with the present government of the USA.
There are many persons in the USA that are opposed
to numerous activities by their government, but they
have not risen as rebels, nor called upon a foreign
government to help them rid the country of President
Bush. There are serious questions regarding the
validity of Bush's election, but there has not been an
attempt to overthrow him. (Even though many would
support such a move!) The USA is a supposed democracy,
and in a democracy the voice of the people; the voice
of the majority rules the day. We must wait for the
end of the term of George Bush to be rid of him; we
cannot merely "push him out".
But believe me, this "one-term" President Bush will
go down in history as not only having gained his
position under much questioning and suspicion, but as
the one who accepted and believed much information
which was slanted and biased. (eg: WMD's in Iraq and
the unpopularity of Aristide in Haiti.)
Believe me, my friends, the US government has made
a serious error today. It has allowed the murderers
and convicted thugs to "win their battle", and there
will be bloodshed, one way or another. Maybe there are
those in Secretary Powell's crowd that believe they
have saved Haiti from a bloodbath, but they will soon
see that they were terribly incorrect. I live in one
of the safer areas and the shooting and looting has
already begun. I could not get out to conduct church
services this morning because of thugs running up and
down in front of our house firing rifles. Some of the
faithful members of our congregation were scared and
had to take cover and run home. This has been caused
by the USA as a result of its acting on false
information from those who wish to continue their
illicit activities under thre protection of the
Haitian government....and now under the protection of
the US Government!
To put it succinctly: THE USA HAS PULLED A COUP
D'ETAT ON HAITI! Other coups (and I have lived through
many)in Haiti were pulled by opposition politicians
and military leaders, but this one was pulled by the
US Government.
Shame, shame. Many human lives will be lost as a
result of this coup, and the blame is on your
shoulders.
Father Michael Graves in Haiti
Dear Friends,
This message is mainly addressed to two contact
persons in the USA State Government; the two names
listed first. I am sending copies to you so that you
will have a better idea of what is going on in Haiti,
and who has caused it.
=======================================================
Dear Messrs. Tilghman and Connell,
Greetings to you from Haiti on this MOST unhappy
day. Pressure from the USA...a supposed bastion of
democracy, has finally caused the fall of the fragile
democracy in Haiti. Action by the USA has finally
allowed the murderous thugs of the rebel army in the
north of our country to rejoice in believing that they
have won; that they have caused President Aristide to
leave. I can't believe that MY country (I am a US
citizen and have been an Orthodox missionary priest in
Haiti for 18 years!) has used its brute force to
topple the elected president of Haiti. I simply can't
believe it! This is a sad day for me, and it will
prove to be an extremely sad day for the USA since
they will be blamed for the catastrophe, not only by
Haitians, but by supporters of democracy throughout
the world.
Fortunately for me, I am well-known in Haiti by the
Haitians and they will not associate my US citizenship
with the recent activities of the US Government. But,
believe me, for the first time in my life (which is 69
years) I am embarrassed and somewhat ashamed of being
associated with the present government of the USA.
There are many persons in the USA that are opposed
to numerous activities by their government, but they
have not risen as rebels, nor called upon a foreign
government to help them rid the country of President
Bush. There are serious questions regarding the
validity of Bush's election, but there has not been an
attempt to overthrow him. (Even though many would
support such a move!) The USA is a supposed democracy,
and in a democracy the voice of the people; the voice
of the majority rules the day. We must wait for the
end of the term of George Bush to be rid of him; we
cannot merely "push him out".
But believe me, this "one-term" President Bush will
go down in history as not only having gained his
position under much questioning and suspicion, but as
the one who accepted and believed much information
which was slanted and biased. (eg: WMD's in Iraq and
the unpopularity of Aristide in Haiti.)
Believe me, my friends, the US government has made
a serious error today. It has allowed the murderers
and convicted thugs to "win their battle", and there
will be bloodshed, one way or another. Maybe there are
those in Secretary Powell's crowd that believe they
have saved Haiti from a bloodbath, but they will soon
see that they were terribly incorrect. I live in one
of the safer areas and the shooting and looting has
already begun. I could not get out to conduct church
services this morning because of thugs running up and
down in front of our house firing rifles. Some of the
faithful members of our congregation were scared and
had to take cover and run home. This has been caused
by the USA as a result of its acting on false
information from those who wish to continue their
illicit activities under thre protection of the
Haitian government....and now under the protection of
the US Government!
To put it succinctly: THE USA HAS PULLED A COUP
D'ETAT ON HAITI! Other coups (and I have lived through
many)in Haiti were pulled by opposition politicians
and military leaders, but this one was pulled by the
US Government.
Shame, shame. Many human lives will be lost as a
result of this coup, and the blame is on your
shoulders.
Father Michael Graves in Haiti
Add Your Comments
Comments
(Hide Comments)
Reflections on Haiti and democracy.
By: Courtenay Barnett
e-mail ablec2000 [at] yahoo.co.uk
url: http://www.globaljusticeonline.com
29th February, 2004
“Democracy” – one man – one vote- and one President duly elected is not a bad idea. But, what if that elected President is Jean Bertrand Aristide, and the people see no light directly ahead for socio-economic advancement? Charisma lost, no food on the boil, and legitimacy is lost as well. Aristide is not Saddam Hussein, in the sense that he was freely and democratically elected. In Iraq, of course we will be seeing one man – one vote – one President after June 30th , 2004 – really? The elected leader in Haiti has now been given a thumbs down by Washington. The power of the bullet is ironically speaking more effectively than the ballot ( or, at least as effectively as the bombs did in Iraq, to urge on regime change). Haiti’s difference is that it is poor, has a misguided and frustrated populace who are now supporting overthrow of the President who has failed to deliver. Iraq, by contrast, was invaded and occupied by a foreign power in 2003. And so was Haiti by the US, in 1891, 1914-34, and 1994-96.
The real issue in Haiti is not “democracy” simpliciter. A people brutalised and impoverished for centuries need food, shelter, clothing, health care, and education to a far greater extent than they need to drop a ballot paper in a box. Socio-economic upliftment cannot be delivered by any Haitian leader overnight, and the pretext of “democracy” in Haiti is that it could leapfrog “first order survival rights” for a second order of “ freedom and democracy”. Putting the cart of political democracy, before the work-horse of basic survival needs for the people will forever see Haiti in crisis. Ten to fifteen years of a substantial national development plan ( on an optimistic and conservative estimate) is what a country such as Haiti needs to start on a path of necessary national development. Cuba’s programmes of health care, low income housing, mass education and literacy prorammes post-1959 have far more to offer in practical terms than another quarter century of elections in Haiti, with or without Washington’s help.
By contrast, “democracy” in Iraq remains a bad idea from a US foreign policy perspective, for it is evident that the voice of the people is also the voice of the Shite majority. A round of free and fair elections in Iraq will usher in a Shite leadership, and some variant of Islamic rule. Another round of elections in Haiti will usher in someone as leader, hopelessly inept, and without any effective answers for the real issues of health care, low income housing, jobs, mass education and literacy programmes.
Washington’s installation of Aristide, or anyone else, without a genuine national programme for lasting socio-economic development shall be but a travesty labeling itself “democracy” in Haiti. If democracy is to have meaning for real human beings, it has to be of service beyond the political right to vote, and needs to be of relevance to socio-economic rights for decent human survival.
And so the world marches on –invasion in Iraq ( for freedom and democracy, of course, forget the oil). Invasion in Haiti – ( for freedom and democracy, of course, forget the food and the people’s real needs).As Francis Fujiyama and the neolibearalists in Washington would definitely agree -let’s all just be thankful we have democracy!!!
Postcript ( plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose): “The Rebel paramilitary army crossed the border from the Dominican Republic in early February. It constitutes a well armed, trained and equipped paramilitary unit integrated by former members of Le Front pour l'avancement et le progrès d'Haiti (FRAPH), the "plain clothes" death squadrons, involved in mass killings of civilians and political assassinations during the CIA sponsored 1991 military coup, which led to the overthrow of the democratically elected government of President Jean Bertrand Aristide” …
“The self-proclaimed Front pour la Libération et la reconstruction nationale (FLRN) (National Liberation and Reconstruction Front) is led by Guy Philippe, a former member of the Haitian Armed Forces and Police Chief. Philippe had been trained during the 1991 coup years by US Special Forces in Ecuador, together with a dozen other Haitian Army officers. (See Juan Gonzalez, New York Daily News, 24 February 2004).”
The URL from which this postscript quotation of Michel Chossudovsky was taken appears in the article entitled – US sponsored coup d’etat The destabilization of Haiti – and is to be found at:-
http://globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO402D.html
By: Courtenay Barnett
e-mail ablec2000 [at] yahoo.co.uk
url: http://www.globaljusticeonline.com
29th February, 2004
“Democracy” – one man – one vote- and one President duly elected is not a bad idea. But, what if that elected President is Jean Bertrand Aristide, and the people see no light directly ahead for socio-economic advancement? Charisma lost, no food on the boil, and legitimacy is lost as well. Aristide is not Saddam Hussein, in the sense that he was freely and democratically elected. In Iraq, of course we will be seeing one man – one vote – one President after June 30th , 2004 – really? The elected leader in Haiti has now been given a thumbs down by Washington. The power of the bullet is ironically speaking more effectively than the ballot ( or, at least as effectively as the bombs did in Iraq, to urge on regime change). Haiti’s difference is that it is poor, has a misguided and frustrated populace who are now supporting overthrow of the President who has failed to deliver. Iraq, by contrast, was invaded and occupied by a foreign power in 2003. And so was Haiti by the US, in 1891, 1914-34, and 1994-96.
The real issue in Haiti is not “democracy” simpliciter. A people brutalised and impoverished for centuries need food, shelter, clothing, health care, and education to a far greater extent than they need to drop a ballot paper in a box. Socio-economic upliftment cannot be delivered by any Haitian leader overnight, and the pretext of “democracy” in Haiti is that it could leapfrog “first order survival rights” for a second order of “ freedom and democracy”. Putting the cart of political democracy, before the work-horse of basic survival needs for the people will forever see Haiti in crisis. Ten to fifteen years of a substantial national development plan ( on an optimistic and conservative estimate) is what a country such as Haiti needs to start on a path of necessary national development. Cuba’s programmes of health care, low income housing, mass education and literacy prorammes post-1959 have far more to offer in practical terms than another quarter century of elections in Haiti, with or without Washington’s help.
By contrast, “democracy” in Iraq remains a bad idea from a US foreign policy perspective, for it is evident that the voice of the people is also the voice of the Shite majority. A round of free and fair elections in Iraq will usher in a Shite leadership, and some variant of Islamic rule. Another round of elections in Haiti will usher in someone as leader, hopelessly inept, and without any effective answers for the real issues of health care, low income housing, jobs, mass education and literacy programmes.
Washington’s installation of Aristide, or anyone else, without a genuine national programme for lasting socio-economic development shall be but a travesty labeling itself “democracy” in Haiti. If democracy is to have meaning for real human beings, it has to be of service beyond the political right to vote, and needs to be of relevance to socio-economic rights for decent human survival.
And so the world marches on –invasion in Iraq ( for freedom and democracy, of course, forget the oil). Invasion in Haiti – ( for freedom and democracy, of course, forget the food and the people’s real needs).As Francis Fujiyama and the neolibearalists in Washington would definitely agree -let’s all just be thankful we have democracy!!!
Postcript ( plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose): “The Rebel paramilitary army crossed the border from the Dominican Republic in early February. It constitutes a well armed, trained and equipped paramilitary unit integrated by former members of Le Front pour l'avancement et le progrès d'Haiti (FRAPH), the "plain clothes" death squadrons, involved in mass killings of civilians and political assassinations during the CIA sponsored 1991 military coup, which led to the overthrow of the democratically elected government of President Jean Bertrand Aristide” …
“The self-proclaimed Front pour la Libération et la reconstruction nationale (FLRN) (National Liberation and Reconstruction Front) is led by Guy Philippe, a former member of the Haitian Armed Forces and Police Chief. Philippe had been trained during the 1991 coup years by US Special Forces in Ecuador, together with a dozen other Haitian Army officers. (See Juan Gonzalez, New York Daily News, 24 February 2004).”
The URL from which this postscript quotation of Michel Chossudovsky was taken appears in the article entitled – US sponsored coup d’etat The destabilization of Haiti – and is to be found at:-
http://globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO402D.html
For more information:
http://www.globaljusticeonline.com
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!
Donate
$110.00 donated
in the past month
Get Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.
Topics
More
Search Indybay's Archives
Advanced Search
►
▼
IMC Network