Still Wondering

The other day I asked what was happening in Haiti. Despite the headlines that have followed, I'm still wondering: What is really going on?

Did the U.S. kidnap Aristide to get him out of Haiti? Of course the U.S. denies this, but do we have any reason to believe these denials? The history of U.S. involvement there and in other devloping nations doesn't make the U.S. denials seem very credible. See, e.g., a short history of Haiti by former U.S. Attorney General Ramsy Clark.

The UPI reported last week on accusations that the U.S. has been covertly supporting the "armed rebels" in Haiti:

"The Bush administration is again engaged in regime change by armed aggression," former U.S. attorney general Ramsey Clark said. "This time, the armed aggression is against the administration of the democratically elected president of Haiti."

Note the rhetoric of the news coverage. The people with the guns in Haiti are "armed rebels." Aristide is "Haiti's firs freely elected leader." Last I checked, where a small group of people resorted to force of arms to disrupt a legitimate government, they were being called "terrorists," not "armed rebels." Where's the line between "terrorism" and "armed rebellion"? Does it simply depend on whether the U.S. agrees with the goals of those using force of arms?

Another question: Has Haiti just become another Venezuela? The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.
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Posted while listening to: Catch Me Now I'm Falling from the album "Low Budget" by The Kinks

Posted March 2, 2004 07:18 AM | general politics