USA brings "Freedom" to Haiti-Here's what it looks like

[poe]

Now that President George W. Bush has outlined his plans to "bring freedom to the world," it would seem urgent that the world look closely at what Bush calls his successful mission to bring freedom to Haiti in 2004. Yet with Iraq dominating the news, most media ignore Haiti. When there is coverage, as when U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell visited in December to celebrate the U.S. and U.N. "success," it is brief and distorted. Recent international documentation of extreme human rights abuses by the U.S.-backed de-facto Haitian government should wake up the media.
Now a new human rights report from the Center for the Study of Human Rights (CSHR) at the University of Miami (Florida) has documented some of the worst abuses committed directly by the Haitian National Police (HNP), and in some cases by the UN forces (MINUSTAH) accompanying them. The noted Philadelphia attorney, Thomas Griffin, and other investigators include horrendous photos they took of boys as young as twelve, lying unattended in pools of their own blood in the General Hospital, where doctors refused to treat them. Other photos show bodies left in the street and dozens of bodies rotting and piled high at the morgue after police and UN invasions of Port au Prince slums targeted as Aristide strongholds. Interviews with police and others make it clear that there has been a systematic campaign of political repression and assassination aimed at Aristide's Lavalas Party. The report ties the abuse directly to "sensitization" of many sectors of Haitian society--human rights groups, judges, students and police alike--by U.S. non governmental organizations like IFES (International Foundation for Electoral Systems) with support from USAID. (See www.ijdg.org/cshrhaitireport.pdf).
U.S. officials like the ultra-right-wing Roger Noriega (Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs), continue to express support for Latortue. "Haiti is on the right track," he insisted recently. The U.S. announced jointly with Canada, France and the Haitian government, that $41 million will be given to support Haitian elections next fall. "The elections will go forward," Noriega insists--a refrain heard nowadays in that other U.S. protectorate, Iraq. Charles Arthur, of the U.K.-based Haiti Support Group, says the timing of this announcement of elections while serious human rights abuse charges have not been addressed is suspicious. Unless we are to give up altogether and let Bush have a free-hand in building up the American empire and installing it's repressive, violent version of "freedom" world-wide, there is something very urgent that we must all do: expose the U.S. game everywhere for what it is: blatant tyranny. Nowhere is that plainer than in Haiti.
www.counterpunch.org/reeves01292005.html

[Tinoire]

1. Jesus. There's that sweet smell of liberation for you. n/t

[magellan]

2. Haiti: another sterling example of BushCo branded 'democracy'

The only place I've heard Haiti discussed is on Democracy Now. The deaths and political internments that have resulted from our interference there are reprehensible. Why is BushCo so interested in Haiti??

[Karenina]

3. Slave. Labor.

[poe]

4. here are a few reasons in no specific order

-aristide had demanded a hike in wages in the sweatshops from a dollar fifty a day to about two bucks a day.
-Haiti was a bad example as the Lavalas movement was beginning to establish itself with assistance from Cuba
-aristide, contrary to the reports promulgated in US. had stopped much of the narco-trafficking as Haiti was an important transit route for Colombian coca. an examination of guy phillipes past is instructive in this regard as well as the duvalier's role in narcotics.
-France was involved as aristide had demanded 22 billion in reparations from France owed as compensation from when the French were defeated in 1800's in Haiti and for the right to autonomy the Haitians had to pay France. go figure.
-at one time Haiti was "worth" more than the 13 US colonies combined, mostly due to the slave trade, but other goods as well.

there are other reasons and if you want more info let me know and i'll put up some links. i got close to this issue, had some friends that lived there and were trying to lend support but had to leave. this is a disgusting chapter and roger noriega belongs in the stockade.

[Tinoire]

5. That's an extremely good run-down.

I liked you before but now I worship you.

From now on I will be looking for your posts Poe to see what else you have to say.

Wow...

Um... Welcome to DU!

[Karenina]

7. Poe be poein'

all over the shop... Das hab' ich schon bemerkt. ;-)

[Tinoire]

9. Das hab' ich auch schon bemerkt , aber heute

das ist wirklich wunderbar!

Wow! Ich bin verliebt ;)

[magellan]

13. Thanks, Poe

I had a feeling it would be something along the lines of profit. I'd appreciate any links you can share.

Not so long ago I saw a documentary on Link TV about a young man in -- is it Sun City? -- who started a little video theatre, and all he did to keep it running so he could afford to send his little brother to school. It was incredibly touching to see how determined and innovative he was! And then more recently I learned on Democracy Now that that area, which is destitute, has since been clamped down on hard by the militants. My heart just aches for these people. And I wonder (with fear) what has become of that young man, and his little brother, and their good dreams.

Godammit, I HATE our self-serving, democracy-hating government!! What is WRONG with them that they can DO crap like this to others and smile and lie about it??

[peacetalksforall]

6. The atrocities of Haiti make me furious at Europe, especially France.

Maybe I'm wrong, but the world and the UN appear to be silent about Hait and we don't even know if Aristede is still alive. We know his supporters are not. Aristede - a duly elected President.

The world stood by....just like in other countries.

[Karenina]

8. *AMURIKKKA

engineered this *bushit. None other.

[Tinoire]

10. It is unbelievably amazing.

His top aides and supporters are rotting in American guarded jails.

His supporters are massacred in the open streets under the watchful eyes of Imperial French and American troops.

The overwhelming majority of his 8 million people are oppressed and being herded back to slaving for America.

And the US press says not a word and the world stands back because it's the NATO countries.

[Dirk39]

15. Hello from Germany,

Aristide is still alive and he's lecturing at a University in South-Africa. There was a thread about his nomination a few days ago at Du.
You're right about Europe. We were told the same lies about Haiti as the U.S. citizens. It's not about morals. It's just about a possible next empire against a long established empire.
The more Europe dares to oppose the U.S.A., the more it resembles the U.S. style capitalism inside.

This is how evil dictators and freedom-hating tyrants talk, who hate us for our freedom:

""In nations around the world, even those experiencing rapid economic growth, there are millions of children living on the streets, refugees of a system that puts the market before the person. If we listen closely, these children have a message for the new century. Thirteen years ago we opened a center for street children in Port-au-Prince. In 1996, we opened a radio station with our 400 kids. Radyo Timoun (Little People's Radio) broadcasts their music, their news, and their commentaries 14 hours a day. In a world in which a child under the age of 5 dies every 3 seconds, children must speak. In a commentary on democracy prepared by three eleven-year-old girls, democracy was defined as food, school, and health care for everyone. Simplistic or visionary? For them democracy in Haiti doesn't mean a thing unless the people can eat.
Democracy asks us to put the needs and rights of people at the center of our endeavors. This means investing in people. Investing in people means first of all food, clean water, education and healthcare. These are basic human rights. It is the challenge of (any real democracy to guarantee them.
Ironically, in many countries of the South the transition to democracy comes at a time when states are being forced to rapidly divest of resources, saddled with debt, abandoning the economic field to market forces, and playing a smaller and smaller role in the provision of basic human services. They have neither the money nor the will to invest in their people. Today democracy risks being rapidly outpaced by the galloping global economy. If democracy in rich countries and poor ones alike is to be more than a facade, nice in theory, but irrelevant in the face of global economic relationships, our concept and practice of democracy must make a giant leap forward. We must democratize democracy.
Do not confuse democracy with the holding of elections every four or five years. Elections are the exam, testing the health of our system. Voter participation is the grade. But school is in session every day. Only the day-to-day participation of the people at all levels of governance can breathe life into democracy and create the possibility for people to play a significant role in shaping the state and the society that they want.

Jean-Bertrand Aristide"


I wish, I could express how much I hate their kind of freedom. I hate their freedom as much as I hate the inscript on the entrance to Ausschwitz: Arbeit macht frei! (Working liberates you! Working means Freedom!) I don't know the most perverse translation:


Dirk

[peacetalksforall]

16. Thank you very much for your post.....

I was touched with the words of Aristede. I was going to ask for the source, but Google came through.

For the benefit of others who may want to read his moving speech -

Eyes of the Heart

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Aristide/Eyes_Heart_Aristide.html

Thanks for your concern.
Thanks for the lead.

[seemslikeadream]

11. This is what it looks like

WHILE I SIT HERE TRYING TO THINK OF THINGS TO SAY

SOMEONE LIES BLEEDING IN A FIELD SOMEWHERE

SO IT WOULD SEEM WE'VE STILL GOT A LONG LONG WAY TO GO

I'VE SEEN ALL I WANNA SEE TODAY

WHILE I SIT HERE TRYING TO MOVE YOU ANYWAY I CAN

SOMEONE'S SON LIES DEAD IN A GUTTER SOMEWHERE

AND IT WOULD SEEM THAT WE'VE GOT A LONG LONG WAY TO GO

BUT I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE

SWITCH IT OFF IT WILL GO AWAY

TURN IT OFF IF YOU WANT TO

SWITCH IT OFF OR LOOK AWAY

WHILE I SIT AND WE TALK AND TALK AND WE TALK SOME MORE

SOMEONE'S LOVED ONE'S HEART STOPS BEATING IN A STREET SOMEWHERE

SO IT WOULD SEEM WE'VE STILL GOT A LONG LONG WAY TO GO, I KNOW

I HEARD ALL I WANNA HEAR TODAY

TURN IT OFF IF YOU WANT TO (TURN IT OFF IF YOU WANT TO)

SWITCH IT OFF IT WILL GO AWAY (SWITCH IT OFF IT WILL GO AWAY)

TURN IT OFF IF YOU WANT TO (TURN IT OFF IF YOU WANT TO)

SWITCH IT OFF OR LOOK AWAY (SWITCH IT OFF OR LOOK AWAY)

SWITCH IT OFF

SWITCH IT OFF

SWITCH IT OFF

SWITCH IT OFF

SWITCH IT OFF

TURN IT OFF

thanks phil collins for the words
my heart to the people of Haiti

[poe]

12. I see the faces and hear the cries-amazing post-to touch a soul

yea dreamer this one was really crushing. if you want, tell me where to download the pics i place stuff all around town. the people were just startin' to pull their dreams out of the gutter and the the beast from the north came crushin' down. this was.... no words

[proudbluestater]

14. The US helped depose Aristide, the first democratically elected

leader in 200 years.

Funny how some elections we like, some we don't.

"A stirring orator, he championed the poor, advocated democracy and campaigned against the dictatorship of Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier.

But his political stance and growing support angered Haiti's incumbent leaders, and he was the target of several assassination attempts in the 1980s.

His political activities were also unpopular with church officials. He was expelled from his religious order in 1988 and left the priesthood in 1994. He later married.

Mr Aristide promised to hold parliamentary elections in 2004 and to instigate a programme to help the poor.

But he singularly failed to address political divisions, and under his rule Haiti retained its status as the poorest nation in the Americas.

Mr Aristide stepped down a day after Washington questioned "his fitness to continue to govern" amid a crisis which, it said, was largely of his making."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3379135.stm

I remember Aristide strongly insisting that his "disposition" was at the hands of a US military helicopter which arrived to escort him from the country.

Democracy good! Oh, no, not THAT democracy! Don't look THERE, look over HERE!