Haiti Hurts

The current political developments in Haiti really hurt me. As I write these lines, rebel leaders Guy Philippe and Louis-Jodel Chamblain’s forces are controlling one half of that Caribbean country and Phillippe has promised to soon liberate the rest of Haiti. The final battlefield will unquestionably be in Port-au-Prince, the capital, and ‘liberation’, if it happens, will come at a heavy price.

This transpiring violent change of government is horrifying because I have witnessed this phenomenon in Pakistan, in the late Seventies. And this modus operandi is very typical of those third world countries where rulers, intoxicated by power, become autocratic. These megalomaniacs believe themselves to be the ultimate saviors of their nations. The situation deteriorates progressively: bad governance and discontent is followed by public unrest; in the vast pool of desperate people wanting change spur-of-the-moment leaders find good following; lofty promises are made; the populace with little trust in the existing ruler flocks to the new leaders; demonstrators throng the streets; protesters become violent and the conflict gets bloody. In most of the cases the new forces, riding the surf of promises and hopes associated with change, ultimately usurp the government but the long struggle takes its toll on the economy. During the ensuing power tussle people are hardly working and when public property is destroyed on a daily basis the country is moved even farther back in time. A bruised country puts new people in power. In most cases the new leadership is indeed interested in change, but very soon it realizes the daunting task of turning around the country. The new people in power correctly calculate the journey to be long and the toil to be thankless. Temptations present themselves: It is much easier to look for your own interest--just get by, or walk in the footsteps of people who came before you and steal whatever is left from earlier plunders. With time the country gets ready for another cycle of misery.

You may tell me that Haiti is a unique case because President Jean-Bertrand Aristide disbanded the army sometimes back. Commonsense tells you it is not a good idea to be so afraid of the beast that you and your predecessors raised that you let it go, hoping that it will not come back to hound you. But let’s not worry about this aberration, and instead focus on the bigger picture of change of governments in various countries around the world. You can’t miss to notice that countries that peacefully change their governments are invariably more prosperous than their violent brethren.

That’s why I love democracy. What a simple and beautiful concept! A system that allows regular and natural venting of emotions; a factory that constantly produces new leadership; a wonderful scheme to have organized, deliberate, and controlled change; an ingenious instrument to bring certainty in a process that is intrinsically uncertain.

It is not hard to understand why many, living in trying situations in developing countries, don’t whole-heartedly accept the idea of long-term democracy: the proposal asks for patience, a virtue not easy to find. In contrast, revolution promises quick returns. But nations must understand that there is no shortcut to glory. You have to be patient and let democracy take roots. You may have a benevolent dictator who would give you a relatively long period of peace, an umbrella under which the economy grows and things get better, but such a proposition is still a short-term solution. This quick fix doesn’t compare with the efficient machinery of democracy regularly churning out new leaders. People die, institutions are perpetual. Yes, institutions can be corrupted, but the new set of people can purge the ills off the debased institution. The combination of generally educated and politically aware public, a democratic government, and hard work is impossible to beat. Want your people to be triumphant? Work on this winning formula.