Failing Democracy

[seemslikeadream]

Quick, name 3 things that President Aristide did in Haiti to be over-thrown…? For most people this exercise would come up with the same answer, absolutely nothing. In fact, they may try to point out the things he did not do as the reason…but then, he never promised anyone a “rose garden”, just democracy.

“ARTICLE 41:
No person of Haitian nationality may be deported or forced to leave the national territory for any reason. No one may be deprived for political reasons of his legal capacity and his nationality.”

There are those who would condemn Aristide as “not a very good President…” but is that a reason to subvert the rule of law? Aristide should have been allowed to continue with the backing and support of the world, provided he was not committing any acts against the UN charter, or any crimes against humanity. His governance did not rise to such an extreme as to warrant the actions taken against him.

People who govern badly in a free and democratic society are removed through whatever legal means available or through the ballot box, not through armed rebellion, not through coup d’etats, not through force. Brutal regimes, dictators, fascist governments can, and should be over-turned by the members of their societies, should such a rebellion be derived from the will of the people. Democracies- especially one with mechanisms in place to remove the inept, imprison the corrupt, and vanquish the brutal- should come by change through the ballot box.

http://www.washingtondispatch.com/article_8339.shtml