Join in and exchange blogs to ALT+SHIFT for a better world
International: American Invasion by Default
Haiti è di nuovo “americana” Haiti is once again “American” in the words of Il Manifesto writer Maurizio Matteuzzi. The Haitians have had their fair share intervention by the US. In fact only recently the US supported coup removed Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 1991 after a short term in office, during the Clinton Administration, only to be reinstated on the terms of the then American administration in 1994. Aristide had promised his impoverished people prosperity and dignity prior to 1991. On this premise he was elected.
It is a double tragedy that is being endured by the Haitians who have not only lost their loved ones and their livelihoods but also their sovereignty and independence for good. The Obama administration have promised aid; on the fourth day of the earthquake, ordinary Haitians still sleep beside those who have perished but have not been given the dignity of being covered, removed and buried. The Obama government is busy making plans about this newly arisen opportunity to invade Haiti and install thousands of US marines on Haitian soil. They have not ventured into the city due to security concerns. It appears US has to fully occupy and secure Haiti before it can safely put out its men to deliver aid. The hope of finding survivors is anything but lost, the injured remain untreated, the dead unburied, the children hungry and thirsty in the baking sun. The US aid is still on the tarmac of the airport. Hillary Clinton, the secretary of state is arriving today, presumably she will now extract more compromises from the broke president of Haiti before finally allowing the US men and women out there.
Icelandair was one of the first airlines to land in Puerto-au-Prince with tons of aid. The Icelandic team was out helping out the Haitians in no time with their experience to deal with such difficult conditions. The Chinese did not waste time either. Now the US has the control of the airport , it can decide who lands and who does not? This is worrying because , the US is bound to abuse this newly gained authority to abuse the aid process to get back at Latin American leaders like Chavez and Evo Morales.
This state of affairs is abhorrent to say the least when millions of people are homeless, psychologically scarred for life and desperate. The television pictures show a dignified and a patient people who have gone through the most devastating tragedy to befall them-they are not a security threat-they are ordinary human beings with pride and dignity- and must be treated with dignity. Their pride and dignity are warranted not least because they are the first black republic in the world but also their brave defiance of slavery-despite the French oppression and the compensation running into millions of dollars to the French Slave owners -this was paid by the most impoverished people, Haitians just to be free and independent. Their freedom , human rights and independence must be respected by the US government and its first black president.
Further reading:
(1) Google News: Anger at US builds at Port-au-Prince airport
(2) ABC News Australia: Aristide maintains he was kidnapped from Haiti
(3) Google News: Haiti’s first lady says ‘my country will make it’
2 Comments:
As an additional aside perhaps, it was pointed out to me today that following this catastrophic event leaving at least 150,000 dead, the US has promised to contribute a total of $100 million in emergency aid. Although I am not criticising this contribution, and am sure it will play a vital role in helping the recovery of the victims of this disaster, it does however pale a little alongside the (although possibly exaggerated) £16 Billion a month that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are estimated to cost to run. I know these are very separate issues, and that there are arguments that the wars are providing against the loss of human rights and freedoms etc., but even so, the fact that the US can pour 40 times as much money into a war per week than into the direct aid of victims in Haiti still hits pretty deep
Indeed. One wonders what gives the USA the right to take outright control - surely the UN could do a better job of coordinating international aid efforts, after all, it has 65 years of experience under its belt, as compared with America’s dubious historic and recent involvement in LEDCs. Newsnight were suggesting a couple of days ago that the States were desperate to revamp their global image in light of the ill-will left behind in many regions by Bush, and of course domestically after neglecting their own citizens so memorably in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina; but I would question whether, with an estimated 200,000 dead (no doubt set to rise further) and survivors suffering horrifically, this is really the moment for America to embark on a spot of national re-branding? I doubt it. And I hope - for their sake as well as Haiti’s - that this exercise in self-indulged navel-gazing does not detrimentally affect Haiti’s recovery.