The Haitian Solution

[Pax]

The question.

What would be the best way to get Haiti on track to economic and political stability that will minimize loss of life and increase the quality of living.

I think that a Communist/Socialist type government along the lines of Cuba should be considered. This government could be a transitional one. Looking at U.S. history, It's clear that voter fraud is a problem in developing democracies. Think Boss Tweed. Haiti needs a system with a strong central government that is dedicated to improving the common person's life.

Does anyone have a better solution?

[VetLegion]

You won't believe this, but even a corrupt "democracy" and/or a dictatorship is usually in long term better than communism.

I'm not happy to say that (I still have my Che Guevara shirt...). But history teaches us it is true in most cases that happened so far.

[Giancarlo]

A socialist/communist government like that in Cuba? Are you out of your mind? I think there should be a right-wing military junta should be set up that will reconstruct infrastructure to prepare for elections.

[The Templar]

Originally posted by Giancarlo
A socialist/communist government like that in Cuba? Are you out of your mind? I think there should be a right-wing military junta should be set up that will reconstruct infrastructure to prepare for elections.

Yeah, because things are so bad in Cuba.

[VetLegion]

That is taking it a bit too far.

[Giancarlo]

Originally posted by The Templar


Yeah, because things are so bad in Cuba.

Yes actually they are. That is why so many people are fleeing Castro and his crazed ****ed up dictatorship. Whenever Cuba opens its immigration, you have like 100,000 at a time leaving to the US.

[Pax]

Comparing Cuba to the U.S. is not really fair. Let's compare Cuba to another Carribean country. Let's see, howabout Haiti.

Would you rather live in Haiti or Cuba?
Give me Cuba right about now.

[Pax]

Letter
Life in Cuba

Wednesday July 23, 2003
The Guardian

It has to be remembered (Dissidents feel full force of Castro's wrath, July 21) that the 70 convicted Cuban citizens were in the pay of a foreign power bent on destroying Cuban constitutional order. We have seen how the US deals with people accused of "terrorist" action. Those who talk about human rights should remember that the most pressing of all human rights is the right to life itself. In 1960, just after Fidel Castro took power, 37.3 babies in every 1,000 live births died in Cuba. Today, that figure is down to 6.5 per 1,000, comparable with developed nations.
Martin Arundell
Brighton

[Whaleboy]

A socialist/communist government like that in Cuba? Are you out of your mind? I think there should be a right-wing military junta should be set up that will reconstruct infrastructure to prepare for elections.

What's so wrong with socialism and communism?

[JimmyCracksCorn]

Re: The Haitian Solution

Originally posted by Pax Africanus

I think that a Communist/Socialist type government along the lines of Cuba should be considered. This government could be a transitional one. Looking at U.S. history, It's clear that voter fraud is a problem in developing democracies. Think Boss Tweed. Haiti needs a system with a strong central government that is dedicated to improving the common person's life.

Communism/socialism is expensive business and a luxury of rich, industrious states. Haiti has neither money nor industry. Where will the money come from to fund the huge bureacracy that communism/socialism requires? Cuba was one of the richest countries in the Caribbean at the time of revolution while Haiti is currently one of the poorest nations in the world.

And sorry, no lending agency is going to loan money to a communist style government for development, especially when there isn't any reasonable expectation they'll ever get it back with Haiti's record...

[notyoueither]

A UN mandate with international support in the way of troops and police to keep the peace while infrastructure is set up/repaired and the foundations of an economy and political institutions are laid.

The community of French speaking and Caribbean nations should be able to handle most of the manpower needed for maintaining order and creating/training a professional police force, once order is restored and militias are disarmed.

The UN mandate would need to last quite a while though. Perhaps 20 or more years.

[Ned]

I think we should let the government of Haiti decide its own future. Our role in Haiti would be to facilitate new elections.

[Pax]

I don't think communism or socialism is a luxury of rich countries. In fact, If people are well off they tend to be happy with their governments. No need for revolution. Haiti is a country that is not at the point where Democracy will work.
Step 1.
add water and contents into bowl. Solidify the people under a cause. Cause could be modernization, industrialization, education, or self sufficiency.
Step 2.
Stir. locate sources of income. Tourist industry etc. and begin promoting.
Step 3
Heat for 10 to 30 years. when the level of education and industrialization have increased the standard of living for the average citizen it would be time to think about transitioning to a new form of government.
Step 4
Serve hot. The U.S. was formed as a democratic country in the 1700's but it really was not. We had fraudulent elections at least to the time of Joe Kennedy if not beyond. We had slave and child labor. Some of these things hurt us. Others like child labor actually assisted in the rapid industrialization of our country. Cuba gets foreign investments so why can't Haiti. It can. For one thing it has beach front property and a labor pool. The country could be turned into a vacation spot ofr the rich with foreign investment in rebuilding.
Organizing Haiti under a strong central government with the goal of modernizing the country is not such a bad idea. In fact, it's the only idea being presented because no one else has given suggestions.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Ned
I think we should let the government of Haiti decide its own future. Our role in Haiti would be to facilitate new elections.

I don't think it is possible to have a legitimate government in Haiti at the moment. All that elections will do will be to set up the next guy for failure because the economy is not there, and the institutions are not there to have a country capable of responsible self rule.

[Pax]

Originally posted by Ned
I think we should let the government of Haiti decide its own future. Our role in Haiti would be to facilitate new elections.

I'm not talking about the U.S. role. I'm talking about what the solution to Haiti's problems are. The governments of Haiti have proved to be incapable of setting up a government that is not corrupt and strong enough to keep the peace. What can be done to acheive this goal.

Some have proposed leaving the country to a civil war. When the winner emerges this would be the recognized government. Ned supports Gunboat Diplomacy.