| Show Should US U.S. Begin Sanctions Against Haiti By Dan Metcalf In 1986 the dictatorship of Baby Doc Duvalier came to an end in Haiti The people voiced their opinion and ousted the long time leadership of the Duvalier family A military government took over and anda a little order was restored Provisions were made to hold free elections to set up what would become in the end a free and democratic government On Sunday Nov 29 the first of these elections was to take place As throngs of people showed up at the polls a vigilante group of Duvalier began open firing into the crowds of people and over 20 were killed This incident has caused some concern to the US U.S. Government as asboth asboth asboth both Congress and th the Senate passed resolutions to begin sanctions against a passive military government in Haiti Why sanctions Why should there be sanctions that would hurt the people of Haiti Haven't the Haitian people suffered enough Why does the US U.S. Government think that by holding back on some monetary and provisional support they are going to resolve the problem in inH H Haiti al ti The answer to these questions lies in the election year of 88 As always everything comes back to the war between the Republicans and the Democrats Every time there is an incident such as the one in Haiti both parties stand back to see what the other will say about abou it In 1983 President Reagan took quick action in Grenada because he had nothing to lose He was very popular at the time and this kind of action was highly praised Now Mr Reagan is is not quite as popular due to the Iran-Contra Iran affair If he wants his party to remain in office he mustn't do anything too chancy with regard to foreign policy What the US U.S. Government needs to do is either take solid action or stay completely out of Haiti The Government needs to decide if they will as Theodore Roosevelt once said carry a Big Stick and use it or throw the stick away The world does not need a power such as the US U.S. to throw its i it weight around as it has done in the past and then all the sudden sit on its election year assets as people die in Haiti Either do or do not There should be no question Meanwhile the people of Haiti live on under their military government government government govern govern- ment with the fear of being killed for their right to vote There is an incredible irony involved in that fear They cant can't vote because we Americans do |
