By Ardain Isma
CSMS Magazine
Last October, Sweet Micky protégé Jovenel Moïse was declared the winner in yet another round of presidential election, winning more than 50% of the vote. His victory came amid a slew of presidential hopefuls who found themselves impotent to stop him, resorting to play the backup role in an exhausted, endless stage play. At first, it sounds like a popular mandate being handed over to a genuine candidate after a long, hard-fought political battle. From a distance, it looks that way, and that is precisely why the stage was set this way.
Falling into the enemy’s trap is the worst thing that can happen to a politician, and snake trappers know it. When facing a scary prey, their best remedy is to unleash the deadliest weapons from their arsenal. Those who lost against Jovenel Moïse knew damn well they were being framed. They fell into the trap because the bait being laid before them was too tempting to resist. They all wanted to be president. They all wanted to get rich, super rich to fulfill their petty bourgeois aspirations. They all wanted to reach out and grab shamelessly what was and never will be theirs. No matter how insulting this may have seemed, it was true. Traditional politicians in Haiti have no problem to morph into modern-day plutocrats like the nouveaux riches who came before them. Meanwhile Haiti is sinking into oblivion.
When they successfully stopped Sweet Micky from installing Moïse a year ago, during the first masquerade, the world applauded. They were able to do so because they were united. They could have done it again if everyone’s pathetic mindset was not fixated solely on clinching the presidency.
In the shadowy world of political prostitution, the story goes this way: It takes “two” to tango. Translation: In politics, you need an opponent to claim victory. Obviously, Jovenel and his installers were declared winners because they had in front of them a group of dazed politicos, who have always lived by an elusive dream—get rich at any cost, even if it means to negotiate with the devil. The enemy had managed to lay down the bait like they always do to control pests, and the sniffers took it.
Retooling their swing to install Jovenel
Jovenel Moïse was the man for whom, a year ago, Sweet Micky and his international backers were paraded in the alleyway of shame. They got caught red-handed, and they retreated in droves. That was during the first round of presidential election. That skittish retreat was, however, only a tactical one. They had learned from past political blunders. They understood in politics, a coup cannot be second-guessed. To be successful, it must be swift and decisive. They remembered how Hillary Clinton outmaneuvered René Preval to install Sweet Micky. They saw how they were beaten back in their first attempt to parachute their dude, Jovenel Moïse.
This time, they came back with the full knowledge about the adversaries they faced, a bunch of feckless weaklings, without any logistics (money) and the wherewithal (intelligence) to sweep to power. Betting on the opposition weakness, the enemies of Haiti used all kinds of tricks in their political playbook. Their plan was well-designed. First, they invested millions to buy voters, journalists, radio commentators and hungry politicians. Few hardheaded “recalcitrant”, feeble voices of dissent, were immediately silent and—like children from the Catholic Brothers—they were forced into line through threats of cancelling their US visas. Les enfants, deux par deux, serrez les rangs. Second, Sweet Micky—The Great Spoiler—was kept at bay, under a strict restraining order, and barred from speaking publicly on behalf of Jovenel. This whole story of Sweet Micky reclaiming the stage as a groggy singer was just part of the scheme designed to deviate public attention.
Every actor played his role in the political charade. It was faultless, with an adroitness only the disciples of Machiavelli could have achieved. In the end, Jovenel won—decisively, leaving no room for anyone to catch him in the race, dashing all hopes. The sore losers were simply left to shed their crocodile tears. Their love for Haiti was only skin-deep. They placed selfish interests before the interests of a nation they always claim to love dearly.
All they had to do was to hold their ground and demand that Jovenel Moïse be arrested as a precondition to enter the race. Jovenel is no innocent man. In the last debacle, they were ready to kill thousands on his behalf to hand him the post of “STOOGE Number One.”
Kleptomania is no good business
In Port-au-Prince, politicians have made conformism and political expediency the stock and trade of Haitian politics. It is not only shameful; it is patriotically repugnant. Their country is crumbling. Millions wallow in abject poverty. Yet, they still find ways to swell their secret bank accounts hidden deep somewhere in the Caribbean. They pretend to be advocates for political independence. Yet, they are the first to go and beg UN forces occupying Haiti to safeguard their power and wealth, to shield them from unexpected popular revolt while they go abroad with armies of friends and mistresses to savor the juicy lifestyle non-existent in the country they rule.
In a final analysis, the neo-Duvalierists and their international backers have successfully stalled and dashed the hope of any politician from the Haitian opposition to win elections—for the foreseeable future. There are only two ways to break this impasse: A popular revolution, or reclaiming the Dessalines’ road. When the guns start raining down on them, not only will they listen, they will flee like rats in the predawn hours. Sleazy politicians will also be swept away.
Whichever option the masses of Haiti will choose, the desirable outcome will not come to bear without a robust political machine. The enemy has the entire infrastructure of the “Reaction” on its side. Only a well-organized vanguard, with a popular consensus behind it, could bring about the long overdue Haiti’s second political independence.
Tonight, the warlords won—only tonight, but the future of Haiti will no doubt be decided by the masses themselves. It may take 50 years, IT WILL. Haiti’s destiny will not be handled by Jovenel Moïse, a front man, who has already taken the oath of shame with the pledge to serve slavishly. He’s less than an Uncle Tom; he’s just a coon.
Note: Les enfants, deux par deux, serrez les rangs: Children, tighten the ranks and be quiet.
Dr. Ardain Isma heads the Center for Strategic and Multicultural Studies. He is the Chief Editor for CSMS Magazine. He is a scholar, essayist and novelist. You can read some of his essays on the very topic of Bubois and Booker T. Washington debate by clicking on these links: Clarifying Dubois’ opposition to Booker T. Washington
Also: Revisiting W. E. Dubois Souls of Black Folks
To read an excerpt of his novels, you can click here: Books
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