Just when you thought it must be impossible for America to get involved militarily in YET ANOTHER nation's affairs, Uncle Sam is now embroiled yet again in Haiti. Haiti of course is in America's backyard, ergo this little adventure requires a more low key response than what has been ventured in - say Afghanistan or Bosnia.
You do remember, gentle readers, that we DO have troops in those countries, don't you? I hope you or your children haven't had to do tour duty in those forgotten places. After all, you've got better things to do, such as write conservative opinion weblogs and columns about National Greatness from the safe confines of your own home here in the United States, right? Just remember that your freedoms are being defended by placing troops in Bosnia and invading an Iraq that had lots and lots of WMD's. And wasn't Iraq well on the way to developing nuclear weapons while American and British aircraft were flying over its territory since the end of the last Persian Gulf War in 1991?
One rationale as to why American (and French) troops were beached in Haiti is that 20,000 American civilians are there. Really? What's worth spending your time in Haiti? 200 years after Haitians led the world's first slave revolt whose outcome resulted in independent nationhood, the country is still an absolute mess. At least in a large country like Brazil, there are reasons for going such as lots of natural beauty, a fascinating stew of cultures, music, and great people.
I know one thing that might be worth some people's while. A Houston Chronicle article printed March 2, 2004 mentioned that some men in Bertrand Aristide's government and law enforcement might be involved in drug trafficking. Money laundering and so forth were said to be pervasive in Haiti. Sigh.
What was nice to learn today is that Aristide's supporters and his opponents were both heavily armed. Both camps were refusing to surrender weapons to American occupational forces. Now that's the spirit. Just remember that, all of you American supporters of eviscerating the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Meanwhile Aristide himself, who happens to be in the Central African Republic, is proclaiming that he is still in charge of Haiti. How did Aristide wind up in Africa, pray tell? Well it seems that he is claiming that he was kidnapped and flown away, coutesy of American taxpayers and military transport. That charge was denied by U.S Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Now what? I have absolutely no idea. A fellow named Boniface Alexandre has been installed as the new strongman, presumably by American forces. Meanwhlie, Aristide is calling for resistance from Africa. Former President Clinton used 20,000 troops to restore Aristide to power in 1994. We haven't heard much from Haiti since.
If it weren't for the media, we could let the Haitians just slug it out and see who wins. For now, The Palantir seems to be showing visions of perhaps an election that may be organized in the not too far distant future. That is, if the populace can be disarmed and made to behave like the noble savages all you Jean Jacques Rousseau loving types imagine people to be.