More than 7000 elected officials in Haiti have been driven out of office.

[lostnfound]

Kevin Pena is reporting on Flashpoints tonight: The untold story is that it is not just Aristide who was kicked out in a coup. More than 7000 elected officials in Haiti have been driven out of office into hiding, and replaced by political appointees by Latortue and his party.

It is remarkable that the US mainstream media focuses solely on whether or not Aristide was an effective leader. Yet this coup has nullified 7000 elections.

(I will post a link as soon as it is available.)

[LisaM]

1. This is ridiculous

and on NPR just a couple of days ago, they had a kind of folksy interview with Latortue - he was all chuckly and charming, and Steve Inskeep completely softballed him. They were LAUGHING together.

[Mika]

3. I heard that

I cursed myself for ever contributing to his employer after hearing that.
:puke:

[Kenneth ken]

2. 7000

no wonder they had a coup. Does any one other than me think 7000 elected officials is more than a bit high for a country the size of Haiti?

which is to say, it sounds like a junk claim to me. No wonder there's no link.

[lostnfound]

7. Here's the link. Mayors, city councils, etc. all throughout country.

http://www.kpfa.org/cgi-bin/gen-mpegurl.m3u?server=209.81.10.18&port=80&mount=/data/20040721-Wed1700.mp3
The Haiti report starts at 5:40 minutes into the recording.

Thanks for your patience.

[lostnfound]

8. Not high - 1 per 1200 people. Includes local (small villages) & regional.

Mayors, city council, neighborhood committee positions. I think the reason it is so high is that Haiti was very much of a participatory democracy, not just a representative democracy... Lavalas was a grassroots party.

Haiti has 8.4 million people, spread out throughout many small rural villages. 7000 people out of 8.4 million = 1 per 1200 people. I don't think that it's hard to believe. In small villages, probably ALL government positions are elected.

[Chicago Democrat]

4. KERRY SUPPORT ARISTIDE... I DEMAND A US INVASION!!!

I will do everything I can to bring Aristide and the 7000 back to power!!!

DAMN THE US FASCISTS TO HELL! Support Haiti's restoration of DEMOCRACY!!! SUPPORT THE POOR OF HAITI!!

[MasonJar]

5. Why did we side with the rebels who were murdering everyone

in their path? It is unbelievable that our government goes around pretending to push democracy while assisting coup d'etats of elected officials in other countries.

[mom cat]

6. Isn't it what we always do? Starting with our own native people.

The elites have not favored democracy since the violent takeovers by patriarchal marauders destroyed their egalitarian predecessors. The US is just following in their footsteps. Can we ever reverse this insanity? Or do we need to just drive the train over the cliff, destroy most of the biosphere and let the amoeba start from scratch?:shrug: