HAITI IN CONTEXT

Well, Aristide's out, but what does it all mean? As Atrios said over at Eschaton while explaining why he hadn't posted much about it, "...what the hell do I know about Haiti." Me too; I don't know much about it. I do know, however, that the tiny island nation falls into the category of countries in the western hemisphere that have been both historically unstable politically, and periodically invaded by the US. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that Haiti falls into the category of western hemisphere nations that have been consciously and continuously undermined by US foreign policy as part of the "Monroe Doctrine," that is, US hegemony over the Americas.

This latest coup d'etat seems to be in that tradition. From the Progressive:

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. The Latin America team features Assistant Secretary of State Roger Noriega, his deputy Daniel Fisk, and White House adviser Otto Reich. All three "were proteges of ex-Senator Helms," notes the Council on Hemispheric Affairs. "It was this group of zealots and hardliners who, off the record, let it be known to all concerned that the Bush Administration would countenance regime change in Haiti."

Click here for more.

The truth is that, within its sphere of influence, the US has never supported national sovereignty for nations that aren't Washington's (as they say) bitch. Just look back on the Bush administration's foolish support of the coup that failed recently in Venezuela, or the decade long not-so-secret war against Nicaragua, or the CIA backed overthrows of both Guatemala and Chile, or the US supported creation of Panama out of Columbian territory, or our President's daddy's invasion of Panama in order to capture former CIA operative Manuel Noriega. This list goes on and on, and it's really difficult to see what's happening in Haiti right now outside of that context.

Our foreign policy really needs an enema.

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