If you say Ban Ki-moon in Haitian Creole, it translates as "Tell us
who." You know, the bright lights are on and the interrogators are just
about to smack you again, "Ban Ki-moon!!!"
Ban Ki-moon paid us (Haiti) a visit. He leaves
Thursday. It's been a "feel good" visit. Haiti has calmed down. The
violence has subsided and people (troops) aren't getting killed in
shootouts. A couple of businessmen have been arrested in the last
couple of weeks for corruption, which is a sign that the government
means business, and in a gesture that shows they too have a pulse, the
Parliament fired the Minister of Culture, probably because he was a bit
cocky and didn't "share". Checks and balances.
In any case, the Secretary General paid us a visit and Haitian President
Preval asked him to renew the UN mandate for another year and in so
asking, proposed that the UN Mission "reinvent" itself. He asked that
the mission concentrate on improving the judicial system AND he asked
that the mission help with Haiti's non-existent infrastructure (Nation
building).
Basically he asked that the guns be replaced with tractors.
These are all good transition steps but if they're not followed up with
long term job creating investments, it will all sour. Job creation in
Haiti is good for Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas and
especially Florida.
Why, you ask, are things so good in Haiti and so bad in Iraq? Well,
"YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH" (Jack Nicholson, "A Few Good Men")