Friday, February 27, 2004

Violence in Haiti - Calls for State Department to Support the Democratically-elected government of Haiti and denounce Andre Apaid FEATURED ARTICLES - People For The American Way;  Help save US Constitution from... discrimination against any Americans - Rep. Maxine Waters Calls for State Department to Support the Democratically-elected government of Haiti, Madre - Haiti's Second Coup, by Matthew Rothschild, The Progressive QUOTE OF THE DAY "The opposition, led by Andre Apaid, under the banner of the Group of 184, is not simply a peaceful group trying to correct the problems of the government. Andre Apaid is a Duvalier-supporter, who allegedly holds an American passport and obtained permanent resident status in Haiti through deceptive means. Andre Apaid is ferociously adamant about forcing Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the first democratically elected President in the history of Haiti, out of office. " - - Congresswoman Maxine Waters, D-CA,  (February 11, 2004 - upon her return from Haiti) KNOW YOUR HISTORY - FEBRUARY 27th 1902 -- Singer Marian Anderson is born, When the Daughters of the American Revolution refuse to let her use Constitution Hall, African-American opera star Marian Anderson sings before 75,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday 1939. Some historians cite this as the first strategic victory of the modern civil rights movement. The DAR later manages to prevent Joan Baez from performing at Constitution Hall. http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/s_z/taggard/anderson.htm 1933 -- Germany: Nazis set fire to Berlin's Reichstag parliament building, blame it on the communists as a ploy in their steady consolidation of total power. 1973 -- American Indian Movement (A.I.M.) activists occupy Wounded Knee, South Dakota; site of the 1890 massacre of Lakota Chief Bigfoot's Band by The US Army.  In response to a campaign of terror by tribal & FBI officials, AIM demands an investigation of Indian grievances. 1987 -- The Tower Commission Report, detailing the Iran-Contra Scandal, finds Ronnie Reagan confused & uninformed. It faults White House Chief of Staff Donald Regan, former National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane, his successor Admiral John Poindexter, & CIA Director William Casey. Casey had resigned on 2 February for health reasons; McFarlane attempted suicide on 9 February; & Regan resigned 27 February. RHINO HERE: The goins on in Haiti look all too much like the story told over & over in the neo-classic history book: ADDICTED TO WAR;  Why the U.S. Can't Kick Militarism, an illustrated exposé by Joel Andreas, http://www.addictedtowar.com RHINO'S BOTTOM LINE is an article called, "Haiti's Second Coup." But what we are seeing there is surely not the second. That island country has seen many many coups & so much violence with each wave of political change. The Rhino is sad to know that many of them were fomented by agents of the US of A. And I fear it's happening again. I was dumbfounded listening today on CNN to President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, saying (paraphrasing), "if an international force doesn't come to aid us in stopping these terrorists who are killing people on our streets, then there will be many Haitian people arriving by boat into Florida," to which Judy Woodruff accuses him of threatening the US by his prediction, then asks why should Americans send their people into harms way to fix the problems in Haiti when its President Aristide's fault & responsibility. Doesn't he know it's really all his fault that his political opponents are rising up? Rhino sez, JUDY! JUDY! JUDY! I thought you were more than just a pretty faced Pom Pom Girl for the chicken hawks! Please define for the people the difference between a terrorist & the machete wielding "political opponents" that President Aristide is likely to come face to face with any day now. And how does going in to help Haiti differ from the "liberate the people" lie being told about Iraq? Juuudy, Juuudy, Juuudy. But first a few thoughts on the human urge to marry & the art of a lying puppet (& puppeteer). People For The American Way Help save US Constitution from any amendment requiring discrimination against any Americans . This week's shrub proclamation in support of a constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage makes Rhino think it's just the next step in puppeteer Karl Rove's smoke & mirrors game to get the ever lying Pinocchio re-elected. Remember their last grand proclamation that illegal immigrants should have a way to get themselves legal, (but its not amnesty) with no back-up in the way of written legislation; trying to get the Hispanic American vote while trying not to piss off the anti-immigrant lobby. Now they're proclaiming the need to protect the sacred institution of marriage with a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage; while choosing the one out of many proposed documents which would still allow the states to provide civil unions. Here it would seem they're trying to please the Christian fundamentalist lobby with the media pomp, while appearing to toss the gay community a bone. Who will believe Pinocchio's lies this time. None the less, this proposed attempt at messing with our constitution could be taken & run with by more principled right wing ideologues than shrub, & that could evolve into something vewy skewy  for everyone who believes the government has no business in our bedrooms.  Sooooooooo.... In proper response, People For The American Way (PFAW) are already geared up to fight any effort to follow through on the threat. They've gathered a core group of 20,000 people pledged to save the Constitution from any amendment that would require discrimination against any group of Americans. The diversity of the group is inspiring even including some self-identified conservatives. With Bush's endorsement, congressional committees could move to begin hearings on a constitutional amendment in a couple of weeks. In that time, PFAW will attempt to expand their core group to 50,000 by having them... Sign the People For The American Way "Save Our Constitution" petition at: http://www.pfaw.org/go/save_our_constitution You can also forward the message to friends, rels & associates, and/or Get involved in PFAW's  web based letter writing campaign to the media at: http://www.pfaw.org/go/FMA_reaction/ Congresswoman Maxine Waters Condemns Violence in Haiti - Calls for State Department to Support the Democratically-elected government of Haiti and denounce Andre Apaid Press Release,  February 11, 2004 Washington, D.C. -- Today, at a press conference on Capitol Hill, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) called for the State Department to support the democratically-elected government of Haiti and denounce Andre Apaid. She made the following statement: Yesterday, I returned from a trip to Haiti, where I observed the escalation of political violence that occurred over the weekend. This was my second trip to Haiti so far this year. I am deeply concerned about the growing violence organized by the so-called opposition and what now appears to be gangs in the northern part of the country being supported in their violent activities by this so-called opposition. Unfortunately, the opposition, led by Andre Apaid, under the banner of the Group of 184, is not simply a peaceful group trying to correct the problems of the government. Andre Apaid is a Duvalier-supporter, who allegedly holds an American passport and obtained permanent resident status in Haiti through deceptive means. Andre Apaid is ferociously adamant about forcing Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the first democratically elected President in the history of Haiti, out of office... MORE: http://www.madre.org/news_waters_haiti.html 8:17:18 AM    comment

RHINO'S BOTTOM LINE - Haiti's Second Coup Haiti's Second Coup by Matthew Rothschild , The Progressive , 2/25/04 What we're witnessing now in Haiti is the second coup against Jean-Bertrand Aristide.   The first one occurred in 1991, shortly after Aristide was elected president in a historic break with the Duvalier dictatorship, which had brutally ruled for generations. The new junta lasted until 1994, and during this time a CIA-funded death squad called FRAPH killed 3,000 supporters of Aristide.  Finally, the Clinton Administration sent U.S. troops in and overthrew the junta. But the Aristide who returned was not the same man who came to power with so much promise and with vast popular appeal. Instead, he bowed to the dictates of the World Bank and the IMF, which further impoverished the country. He disbanded the army, only to have groups of thugs loyal to him crush protests and engage in extrajudicial killings. And he has opposed trade unions.  After Bush came to power, Haiti had to contend with a hostile United States, which refused to give aid because of disputed elections back in 2000. Those elections weren't perfect, but Aristide's supporters did win most of the votes.  In February 2001, Aristide (after a few years of being only formally out of power) was elected President for the second time, but he has faced constant turmoil ever since. The Bush Administration has been content to slowly strangle Haiti's economy by maintaining an international aid embargo against the country, an embargo that former Senator Jesse Helms helped initiate in the final months of the Clinton Administration. Rightwing ideologues in the Bush Administration have done all they can to undermine Aristide. MORE AT:    http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0225-06.htm "RHINO'S BLOG" is the responsibility of Gary Rhine. (rhino@kifaru.com) Feedback, and requests to be added or deleted from the list are encouraged. SEARCH BLOG ARCHIVES / SURF RHINO'S LINKS, AT: http://www.rhinosblog.info RHINO'S OTHER WEB SITES: http://www.dreamcatchers.org (INDIGENOUS ASSISTANCE & INTERCULTURAL DIALOG) http://www.kifaru.com (NATIVE AMERICAN RELATIONS VIDEO DOCUMENTARIES) Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of international copyright law. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html All copyrights belong to original publisher. Tell a friend about Rhino's Blog 6:21:13 AM    comment

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