In Sunday's New York Times, the lead paragraph on Haiti read "Confusion over exactly what it is that American soldiers are supposed to be doing on Haiti's streets is growing almost as fast as the number of troops pouring in by air and sea."
Reading about the floundering of our foreign policy in Haiti over the last months, my mood regarding it has gone from surprise to disappointment, to disillusionment, and finally to outright revulsion.
That we would attempt to "restore democracy" to a nation that has never experienced it was ridiculous enough. The fact that we have invaded Haiti with 20,000 troops who sit and stare stupidly as paramilitary groups terrorize and kill civilians before their eyes is insane.
Officially, the United States' military role in Haiti is to "create a stable and secure environment for the restoration of democracy." At the same time, spokesmen for the American military insist that the U.S. soldiers will avoid becoming involved in "Haitian-on-Haitian violence." Perhaps I have trouble in my interpretation, but these two goals seem terribly at odds with one another. Apparently standing by and watching gunmen fire into pro-Aristide marchers falls under the category of creating a stable and secure environment.
It was inexcusable to invade Haitian soil at all. Haiti's history has been one of violence, tyranny and instability in the 200 years since the African slaves revolted against their French masters. A short American occupation can do little to alter the tradition of 200 years of undemocratic government.
In 1919, in response to the assassination of several successive dictators, the U.S. invaded Haiti to restore order. Sixty five years ago we thought that a short occupation would suffice to put Haiti on its feet. We didn't manage to leave for 19 years and looking at the state of Haiti today, our presence did little to bring democracy to the island.
The amount of money we will pay for the Haiti debacle is enormous and unjustified. Democratic leaders are overthrown -- it happens. Why should we pay money and American lives to restore a leader who was unable to keep himself in power?
The Haitian question is hopelessly wrapped in the political and idealistic rhetoric of freedom and democracy. I cannot, however, help seeing the invasion of a third world black nation by a white superpower as blatantly imperialistic. Simply because we have a democratic government, does it give us the right to impose our values and systems on other cultures? Countries can always find moral reasons why they should interfere in the business of their less powerful neighbors. What is incredible about the Haiti situation is that we seem to even lack a self-serving imperative that would give at least some reason for an invasion.
The Haitian issue has given me cause to reflect on exactly what we as Americans stand for in the world and what our role should be. I must confess that at the moment I am embarrassed to be an American, and I think that that is sad.
A year ago I had the opportunity to conduct extensive interviews with certain members of the Dartmouth classes of 1969-1971. These men were the students who, in protest against the Vietnam War, stormed Parkhurst Administration building and served a month in jail for their act. I asked each of them why they had taken such desperate acts to stop the United States' involvement in Vietnam. Each of them showed a deep-set belief in the idea that America ought to stand for something right and good and that the Vietnam war was a pollution of that goodness. Their protests of the war in the late '60s stemmed from a patriotism not unlike that of their parents in World War II.
This past weekend, I was up at Moosilauke Lodge for fall weekend and while there I met a Dartmouth alum of the class of '43. He was sitting in the library of the Lodge reading a book titled "Proud Americans of World War II."
As I watched him read about the great feats of his generation, I felt almost jealous -- jealous that he had been young in a time when America stood for freedom against the evil power of Hitler. He could feel confident in the moral superiority and greatness of our nation whereas I feel only disillusionment and embarrassment at the role my country is currently playing on the world stage.
