Christy, I think that you are excellent on the current situation in Iraq, domestic politics, and the law. I think that you stepped out of your league in trying to “necklace” JB Aristide. This was another case of the big boys in the US and in world corporations being unhappy with Aristide’s populist program. There is no way that his government was on the same continuum with the group that w enabled to replace Aristide. It is good that some firepups supplied you with good work. That is one that I would have to give FDT a good mark for doing.

I would not give him good marks for most of his current work. I do seem to see a problem with much of the writing that is opposing him. Most of what I have seen says that he has spent 20 years as a lobbyist, but only earned $1MM. Either he is incompetent or the information is wrong.

I’ve been through radiation though not chemo, and I know for sure that none of it is a picnic. Your loyal fans are thinking about you always and ever.

Very very very best.

My niece is having orthopedic surgery at 2:00 today in Maine and asked that I visualize a river between me (Chicago) and her along which to send good thoughts. I just realized that that river will be going through Connecticut! You looked so radiant in D.C.; I cannot but believe that reflects very good changes inside. You are an amazing woman. My best.

Selise is right. Jesse Helms and the Republicans didn’t oppose Aristide because he was a jerk; they opposed him because he actually was attempting to do things for poor people. Now Haiti is ruled by lawless warlords much as Somalia has been for most of the past two decades — and just as with Somalia, Bush went out of his way to take out the one government (in Aristide’s case, an elected government) that was even remotely capable of maintaining order.

Agree. In general, after the ending of slavery in the Caribbean, most of the islands follow the same pattern: pay them less than what it costs to live, give them no or tiny plots of land, control all the shipping so they can’t leave. Works out better than owning them. Haiti / DR was at one time the most prosperous island of them all. It is still the same fight.

10 am House Judiciary – Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties
Oversight Hearing on: The Impact of Ledbetter v. Goodyear on the Effective Enforcement of Civil Rights Laws

From selise’s list…thank you selise for preparing this for us. Saves us so much time.

you’re most welcome. please feel free to send me additions/corrections and recording requrests.

Selise is right. Jesse Helms and the Republicans didn’t oppose Aristide because he was a jerk; they opposed him because he actually was attempting to do things for poor people. Now Haiti is ruled by lawless warlords much as Somalia has been for most of the past two decades — and just as with Somalia, Bush went out of his way to take out the one government (in Aristide’s case, an elected government) that was even remotely capable of maintaining order.

thanks pw. i didn’t even know about jesse helms’ opposition.

Christy Hardin Smith @ 77

selise at 59 — Aristide was the lesser of the thugs in Haiti, but he was still a thug in a lot of ways in terms of how he handled the population.

Trust Sheldon Rampton?

Here’s his take on the specific quote regarding Aristide.

wow! if he’s right (and he usually is), the propaganda effort against aristide has been much worse than i even suspected. thank you for the link.

Christy Hardin Smith @ 76

selise at 59 — Aristide was the lesser of the thugs in Haiti, but he was still a thug in a lot of ways in terms of how he handled the population. We mishandled the entire situation from start to finish — the US is far from having clean hands on it, truly — but Aristide’s hands were far from clean, either. Truly. See here, here, here, and here for some varying perspectives. I have found that where the rhetoric gets most heated is where the most variant shades of gray seep into the mix — and Aristide is one of those areas.

christy – i’m not claiming aristide is a saint. my point was that i don’t see what thompson did wrong by representing him… since i haven’t seen any specific charges (backed with evidence) against aristide that would justify that. even if aristide is bad, but everyone else is worse, isn’t it reasonable to support the lesser of the evils? and if thompson is going to be condemned for representing aristide, doesn’t that mean maxine waters should be condemned for supporting him too (which i’m not going to do without good reason).

anyway, thank you for the links. i am off to read them all now.

ok. i’ve read all 4 links.

link #1 – i claim this is propaganda and an obvious hit piece. for example refering three times to aristide as a “dictator” – when he was elected by a large majority of the population (more than once).

btw, this article is from “Le Figaro (conservative), Paris, France”. france has a long history of very dirty intervention in haiti. while that is no reason to dismiss the article, i do think there is reason to be a bit extra skeptical.

link #2 – from CSM (very good source, imo). describes the situation in haiti after aristide was forceably removed the second time. i don’t see any accusations against aristide. the worse statement is “Violent musclemen with big guns, loyal to Aristide, control more than a dozen sections of the capital…” that doesn’t sound like a condemnation to aristide – especially as he doesn’t control these people (he’s not even in the country)

link #3 – from the jurist. seems quite supportive of aristide, while condemning the action of the usa, canada and france.

link #4 – from human rights watch. seems quite balanced – describes lots of problems and atrocities in haiti (but doesn’t claim that aristide is responsible)… hrw makes specific recommendations of actions aristide should take to address the problems.

in conclusion, i don’t see anything to conclude that thompson should be condemned for representing aristide – unless you believe the outrageous claims in link #1. in addition to link #1 appearing on it’s face to be transparent propaganda, if there was evidence support their claims, i’d think your CSM or HRW links would have mentioned some of it.