How Bush-Cheney Policy Screwed Haiti (Mother Jones)

[kpete]

How Bush-Cheney Policy Screwed Haiti

— By James Ridgeway
| Wed Jan. 13, 2010 9:00 AM PST

— Flickr/Globovision (Creative Commons)

In the wake of the devastating earthquake, American eyes are again turned toward Haiti—something that only seems to happen when yet another disaster strikes, and never during the daily chaos and misery that plague the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. I’ve spent a good deal of time in Haiti, reporting first on the repression under the Duvaliers, then on the rise of Jean-Bertrand Aristide's popular movement, and then on the 1991 military coup that brought him down. I was there during the period of the 1994 military intervention that restored Aristede to power.

US interest in the country seemed to wane with the departure of American troops, and in the aftermath of September 11 and the Bush administration's numerous adventures around the world, Haiti returned to its usual state of invisibility in Western eyes. Few people noticed a remarkable report that appeared in the New York Times in 2006, based in part on the analysis of former ambassador Brian Dean Curran, showing how US policy helped to destabalize Haiti in the years leading up to 2004, when Aristede was again forced out by armed rebels under an accused death squad leader. Written shortly before the election won by current president Rene Preval, Walt Bogdanich and Jenny Nordberg titled their story "Mixed U.S. Signals Helped Tilt Haiti Toward Chaos." Here's their account of the events following Aristede's 2004 departure:

the rest:
http://motherjones.com/mojo/2010/01/us-policy-helped-keep-haiti-chaos

[Dappleganger]

1. They're right, but Haiti was screwed way before them...

Ronnie didn't help one bit.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. 75% unemployment.

An example right off our shores.

Act American! :patriot:

[NaturalHigh]

3. Republicans or Democrats...

our government has been screwing Haiti since the country won its independence.