Commentary: Haitians need emergency relief, not military occupation

[unhappycamper]

Commentary: Haitians need emergency relief, not military occupation
By Ezili Danto | The Progressive Media Project
Posted on Tuesday, January 19, 2010

As a grief-stricken, shattered Haitian who has lost loved ones in the earthquake, I want the U.S. military presence in Haiti to stop now.

Soldiers are not trained to provide humanitarian relief. And the U.S. military is about domination, as Haitians know too well.

We lived through a brutal U.S. military occupation from 1915 to 1934. We endured the U.S.-supported Duvalier dictatorships that followed. We saw the hand of the U.S. government in the regime changes of 1991 and 2004 that twice forced President Bertrand Aristide from office.

The strong-arm tactics of the United States are on display again. American soldiers took over the airport the day after they arrived, over the objections of the Haitians working in the damaged control tower.

First, the Americans, Canadians and Europeans who have been stuck in Haiti for two interminable days had to be rescued immediately. Haitians, with nowhere to go, could wait.


Rest of article at: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/340/story/82738.html

[C_Lawyer09]

1. There is a big gap between wishes, reality, and capability

I usually don't respond to your posts that I disagree with, though I don't disagree with all of them. I hold the view that any vet is deserved of speaking freely about the military in positive or negative terms without taking too much heat. I'm usually only bothered if and when, a non-vet pigeon holes, or makes sweeping generalizations, based on no first hand or practical military experience.

Having said that, I'm curious; Just how is that Soldiers are not trained to provide relief? Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines busted their asses in places too numerous to mention providing field expedient runways, medical care, dental care, food, water, electricity, etc. Just prior to seeing your posting, I was watching Fort Bragg Parachute Riggers and Pope AFB AF personnel push out huge amounts of relief supplies, 24/7 around the clock operation. An 82d brigade saved a hell of a lot of people in the Katrina aftermath. Just who possesses all the resources to get these things done?

I'm really proud of my service, and participated in several relief missions. I think it is a stretch to call a military relief mission an occupation. We can split hairs all day, and argue about who was given priority for evacuation, but the fact is, the U.S. is the only country that possesses the man power, resources, technology, and know how, to push this much aid, this fast.

Understand, I'm not addressing the actual military occupation between 1915-1934, nor the Aristide ousting, two seperate issues. I can tell you that the Haitian troops I know, though few, are pretty damn proud of their efforts. Lastly, one reason that you've seen an uptick in DOD presence and involvement in missions is because they have an effective chain of command and more resources as compared to the UN, OXFAM, Doctors Without Borders, their french equivalent Medicins Sans Frontieres, Red Cross, etc. Also, the Department of State is still reeling from the Bush years, vis a vis, about a 50 percent cut in personnel. Their effectiveness has dropped markedly over time. Witness the battle hand off between retired General Jay Garner, and DOS, L. Paul Bremer. That was the harbinger for the dismantling of the 1 million strong Iraqi Army, and the beginning of the de-baathification process that destroyed a functional technocracy.

Finally, and I don't mean this as a personal attack, but more of a question; Your avatar is a Bronze Star. Are you actually proud of your service? I respect how often and much of the content of your posts, especially with regard to leaving Afghanistan, but some of your posts, and in my mind especially this one, make me feel you have an axe to grind against the military in general. I hope your avatar isn't used toward simply establishing credibility.

[unhappycamper]

2. Good questions.

Am I proud of my service? Over time, not so much.

I was very active with the Veterans For Peace in the Boston area for a number of years; I also belong to the Vietnam Veterans Against the War and am an associate member of the Iraq Veterans Against the War. I've been vilified for my views in Kennebunkport, (and arrested in) Boston, Cape Cod and D.C. My views on war and occupation have not changed since the mid 80s. I'm not quite channeling Howard Zinn but I agree with much of what he says.

Would I have called this Haiti intervention an occupation? No. I believe (this time) we are there to help and the logistics of the US military makes it a natural fit. I also believe that our military was used to control Haiti for a number of years. The term "Banana Republic" seems to fit.

Do I use my avatar to establish credibility? No. My credibility is based on my experiences and beliefs.

For example I do not think it is possible to win an occupation. We have two ongoing occupations of choice that should be defunded and our soldiers brought home. We should take care of them when they return, unlike what happened to my generation.

PTSD and depleted uranium are just getting started. How many years did the Veterans Administration ignore Agent Orange? How long will it take for them to acknowledge depleted uranium?

I think spending a trillion dollars a year on the war machine is just plain stupid and wrong.

I think the School of the Americas should be closed. The United States military has no business training South and Central American terrorists.

I think the cost and quality of military hardware is disgusting. A $5+ billion dollar destroyer and an $11.5 billion dollar aircraft carrier are some examples of this flagrant waste. Every service has toys just like this; Air Force and Navy expenditures are the most visible.

I think the Veterans Administration is better under Shinseki but it still has a long way to go.

These are a few of my issues.

And lastly, 'Welcome home, Brother.'

[C_Lawyer09]

3. Absolutely with you on the weapons system expenditures

Out of control. Even many of the successful ones are hugely over budget and end up overshadowed by what we already have in our inventory. An example is the Stealth vs. the A10 Warthog. The sad part is, it doesn't seem like an issue that can even be slowed, as our manufacturing base of the economy has almost been replaced in its absence by a weapons based economy. I'm proud of Shinseki. Who would have thought that VA workers would be tasked to work weekends to correct the backlog? Possibly unprecedented!