Wyclef Jean… President of Haiti?

According to multiple news sources, Wyclef Jean, hip-hop artist and former member of The Fugees, is planning to run for President of Haiti. Is this a case of a celebrity making a mockery of the democratic process to promote his new album? Or is Mr. Jean truly interested in helping Haiti?

It is difficult to tell at this point. Democracy, in the United States and in the rest of the world, has often become a celebrity contest, much like those we can probably all recall from grade school. But Haiti is a different place. According to Wikipedia, Haiti:

“… is an impoverished country, one of the world’s poorest and least developed. Comparative social and economic indicators show Haiti falling behind other low-income developing countries (particularly in the hemisphere) since the 1980s. Haiti now ranks 149th of 182 countries in the United Nations Human Development Index (2006). About 80% of the population were estimated to be living in poverty in 2003. Most Haitians live on $2 or less per day. Haiti has 50% illiteracy, and over 80% of college graduates from Haiti have emigrated, mostly to the United States… Poverty has forced at least 225,000 Haitian children to work as restavecs (unpaid household servants); the United Nations considers this to be a modern-day form of slavery.”

And since the massive earthquake that struck Haiti in January of this year, things have only gotten worse.

Could a celebrity be exactly the type of President that Haiti needs? It certainly wouldn’t hurt to put Haiti back in the minds of the world. Simply by running for president there, Mr. Jean’s celebrity may help to bring Haiti’s problems back into the world news, bringing aid and volunteers to the impoverished nation. Maybe that’s his goal. But what if he not only runs… but wins? Would Wyclef Jean make a good president?

Based on Haiti’s past history with presidents, it would be difficult for him to do any worse than them. Jean-Bertrand Aristide became Haiti’s first democratically elected president in February 1991, but was removed from power before completing even the first year of his 5 year term. Raoul Cédras, a military leader, took power and was in charge of the government until October of 1994, when he was basically exiled by the United States. Aristide returned to power and completed his 5 year term (although he hadn’t been in charge for three of those years). In 1996, René Préval became the second democratically elected President of Haiti and in 2001, he also became the second President of Haiti to leave office at the expiration of an uninterrupted term of office, the first since 1874! And then in 2001, Aristide was again elected president, only to be deposed again in 2004. In 2006, Préval returned to office and has served since.

Préval is barred from re-election by the constitution. It seems, based on Préval actually completing two terms of office, that he has been a good president by Haiti’s standards, but he failed dramatically in his ability to lead the government response to this years earthquake.

Haiti is a country rife with problems. I believe Mr. Jean’s soon-to-be-announced campaign for president will be good for the country. However, I don’t believe his election would be. According to multiple reports, he hasn’t even been able to run his charity, The Yéle Haiti Foundation, without accusations of financial irregularities that he himself has admitted to. It seems to me that his heart is in the right place, but he simply isn’t prepared to run a country. But then… is anyone else in Haiti qualified for the job either?

Links:

• Wyclef Jean’s Blog
• Yele Haiti
• Wyclef Jean to run for president of Haiti? Buzz growing (The Miami Herald – 08/03/2010)
• Haiti: Wyclef Jean Said to Agree to Presidential Run (NYTimes – 08/04/2010)
• Haiti (Wikipedia)

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Capital Punishment and Frank Spisak

“He deserves death.”

“Deserves it ! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.”

I suspect some that read my blog might recognize that quote. It’s fairly famous. And oddly enough it isn’t really related at all to capital punishment. Those are the words of Gandalf, the wizard from JRR Tolkien’s fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings. But they certainly remind me of capital punishment.

I’m currently reading The Lord of the Rings again (fantastic books, by the way), and when I came across that quote I felt inspired to read a bit more about it. In the course of my inter-web browsing, I came across some articles concerning Frank Spisak, a man who is currently on death row in my home state of Ohio, and currently set to be executed on February 17, 2011.

Frank Spisak, fairly obviously, is a bad man. He killed three people and shot two others in what he called a guerrilla war against his enemies — blacks and Jews. He is such a bad man, in fact, that at his trial his defense lawyer said the following as part of his closing argument:

“Ladies and gentlemen, when you turn and look at Frank Spisak, don’t look for good deeds, because he has done none. Don’t look for good thoughts, because he has none. He is sick, he is twisted. He is demented, and he is never going to be any different.”

Also worth noting — he dressed like Hitler at his trial, carried a copy of Mein Kampf, confessed to the murders, and showed no remorse. When asked if he could think of any reason the jury would not recommend the death penalty, he replied, “Not offhand. Can you?”

Frank Spisak has twice appealed his case as high as the Supreme Court, most recently claiming his attorneys did not adequately represent him at his trial, in an attempt to stave off the death penalty. I am not denying that Frank Spisak deserves to die. But I am with Gandalf when it comes to capital punishment. I believe capital punishment should be done away with. Even men such as Frank Spisak could yet have something to give to the world from behind bars. I recently read an article concerning the Son of Sam and his contributions to various religious groups since his jailhouse conversion to Christianity. Who is to say that Frank Spisak won’t someday profoundly affect the life of some poor child going through some of the same problems that he has gone through in his madness?

“Deserves it ! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.”

– Gandalf (from the Fellowship of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien)

Links:

• Killer Frank Spisak, not his attorney, brought on death penalty, justices rule (January 13, 2010) Washington Post
• Murder victim’s son puts on judge’s robe (January 4, 2009) Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
• Backers Give ‘Son of Sam’ Image Makeover (July 12, 2010) NYTimes
• Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction — Death Row Inmates

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US Israel criticism ignites firestorm in Congress

AP Article – US Israel criticism ignites firestorm in Congress

So, I just read the above article. Go ahead and read it. There’s little point in reading my post here unless you have. Have you read it? Okay.

Does it make me naive or a simpleton because I believe that the Obama administration is correct in complaining about Israel’s moves in this instance? Don’t get me wrong, I believe Israel has far and away been the United States’ best ally in the Middle East. But we’ve been a far better ally to them than they have ever been to us. I think it’s about time that we address our allies in the Middle East as we would address our allies elsewhere in the world.

The situation is simply this: Israel has offered to follow the ‘roadmap to peace’ that was drawn up under the previous administration. This roadmap requires that Israel cease construction in lands gained during the 1967 Arab Israeli war. That includes East Jerusalem. Now, Israel does not strictly include East Jerusalem in the agreement. However, whether they wish to include it in the agreement or not, stopping construction there would be the easiest route to show some sort of desire for peace, wouldn’t it? And of all the times to announce further construction in East Jerusalem, upon the arrival of our Vice President, who is there to promote peace talks, is the worst possible time.

Israel was blatant in their disregard for the American approach to the peace process. And when America is their primary, sometimes sole, ally in the peace process, it stands to reason that they should show a bit more restraint. I am shocked at Israel’s error in this issue. I am even more shocked that American politicians would have the audacity to complain at the Obama administrations response to Israel’s utter lack of disregard. The United States has every right to be upset.

If the Vice President was on a trip to Mexico to promote the war against drugs, and the Mexican government announced a decision to legalize the transportation of up to 20lbs of cocaine within Mexico, don’t you think we would be upset? Do you think any senators would be complaining at the administrations obvious response?

The government of our ally has blatantly undermined our attempts. We have every right to be upset. I can think of absolutely no reason why our government shouldn’t condemn Israel’s decision. We shouldn’t simply let this blow over because it might make Iran think we would suddenly allow them to nuke Israel. Obviously we wouldn’t. If there is anyone out there who just might think otherwise, we could release a simple statement making it clear.

The United States stands firmly behind Israel’s sovereignty, and will protect it against foreign attack. However, Israel’s actions relating to construction in the territory occupied during the 1967 war undermines the peace process, and should be immediately halted. Any construction in territory which is currently being discussed as being the possible home of a future Palestinian state should be limited to repairs and the rebuilding of damaged homes. No new construction should commence until the point at which international agreements have been reached between Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the United Nations.

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