Monthly Archives: August 2011

Aug 25 2011

BELLERIVE: POLITICAL SUICIDE FOR MARTELLY

Jean Max Bellerive, Haitian Prime Minister

The political landscape in the Haitian legislature, in terms of power distribution and concentration, is looking dull on President Martelly’s side of the spectrum. With no political weight in the Parliament to begin with, it appears very impossible for him to get his choice for Prime Minister ratified -unless he accepts to compromise to pull a majority in the Parliament.

So like President Obama did after he lost the House of Representatives to the Republicans last November, President Martelly must compromise. That’s the political reality of the moment. Now that we know he must compromise, the issue is how he should compromise.

It has been noise in many political circles on the ground in Haiti that President Martelly may be opting for Bellerive to stay as Prime Minister. I strongly oppose to such idea. I hope it is nothing but a rumor, for it will not play well politically for the president.

Keeping Bellerive in his function as Prime Minister is political suicide for Martelly. The president should remember that he campaigned and got elected on the promise to break ties with the corruptive and failed Preval-Bellerive administration.

There is a reason why the people did not elect Preval’s protégé –Jude Celestin. The reason is simple: they did not want a continuity of the failure of the Preval-Bellerive administration. Let us not fool ourselves! Bellerive and Preval are the two sides of the same coin.

The people have already rejected Bellerive and his acolytes, why recycling them? Imagine what would have happened to Obama if the US had the same system of government as Haiti and he had decided to choose Dick Cheney as his Prime Minister. It would have been political suicide for him, would it have not?

President Martelly, as politically weak as he is now, needs to be very careful to not lose his political base –his only political strength. His political base is all that he has to live and die for. Losing that will render him very vulnerable to sustain the political storms he will have to endure during his term in office. So I am urging him to be very careful.

We are experiencing Bellerive fatigue; therefore, President Martelly should look the other way.

It is good for the sake of political psychology to have a fresh face in the Prime Minister position, explaining the reason why the Bellerive option has got to be off the table. Such will play in the president’s political best interest in terms of bragging points.

Recycling Bellerive would be like a political capitulation for the president, who had made it clear many times that Bellerive is a bad card -the continuity of the failure of the previous administration. For him to turn around and recycle Bellerive, that will be very bad for him politically speaking. So he must not go with that “bouyon rechofe.”

If I were to advise him, I would honestly convince him to go with Jean Henry Ceant, the former presidential candidate, for the Prime Minister position -just for the sake of compromise.

The question you may be asking is, why Jean Henry Ceant?

Politically speaking, Ceant, whom many see as a disguised Lavalas sympathizer, seems to be a guy who could inspire confidence and trust on both sides of the political fence. He is what you would call a political centrist with a high degree of political commonsense and cleverness. Do you sense what that means? It means that his choice could appeal to a strong majority in the Parliament, which is eminently necessary for him to be ratified.

Furthermore, since he was a presidential candidate in the last contest, I do not think there could be issues with his record -proof of nationality, proof of residency, criminal background, tax document, etc… as required by the Constitution. Those should have already been cleared by the officers of the Provisory Electoral Council (PEC).

I would definitely urge the president to push the Ceant card hard to pass the congressional gridlock. Ceant seems to be a consensus builder. If/when ratified, he will have the mandate to join head with the president to build a hybrid government to represent all the sectors of the nation’s political life in an effort to implement the president’s vision for the country.

This hybrid government will have a clear agenda to execute in a realistic time frame. It will have to:

1. work along with the Interim Commission for the Reconstruction of Haiti (ICRH) to take care of the housing projects for the victims of the earthquake;

2. bring the rampant insecurity under control;

3. revamp our economy by encouraging and/or attracting private investments, developing our sector of tourism, promoting our national production, reforming our agriculture, etc…

Finally, the political conjuncture in Haiti is called for compromise to solve the political stalemate (between the executive and the legislative) the country has been in since the inauguration of President Martelly, who does not have any political leverage do get anything done in the Parliament. President Martelly must compromise, but not compromise at any cost, making the idea of recycling Bellerive unacceptable and unpalatable. So the choice of a centrist in the caliber of former presidential candidate Jean Henry Ceant for the Prime Minister job -to build a consensus and inspire trust and confidence on both sides of the political spectrum -makes plenty of political sense. In all earnest, we are Bellerive fatigued. NO MORE BELLERIVE!!!

Aug 13 2011

MARIJUANA: IT MAKES SENSE TO LEGALIZE IT

This debate over whether or not marijuana should be legalized has been waged for years. Some believe that the cost to society of legalizing it outweigh the benefit. Therefore, it should not be made legal. And I wholeheartedly oppose to that argument from two important parameters: economic and social.

From an economic perspective of supply and demand, the one best way to control, suppress or discourage demand is to increase supply. This same rationale could be used in the case of marijuana. The best way to discourage its consumption is to decriminalize it. Doing so will automatically increase supply, which, in turn, will bring demand down.

The argument that most of the people who are against the idea of legalizing cannabis are presenting is that such measure will turn more people into addicts than ever before, which will have a negative toll on society’s welfare and well-being. Such argument is to me baseless and preposterous; I refuse to be bought into it.

Alcohol, a more potent of a drug than marijuana by most researchers’ accounts, is legal, is it not? I believe it is. Does that make everybody an alcoholic? Absolutely not!!! So do not tell me that legalizing marijuana will turn more people into addicts. That argument is refutable.

Go on this website http://bit.ly/a7VLRG to access 25 scientific research studies published on the facts about marijuana and why legalizing it will not cause any more health-related harms than most of these legal drugs out there, such as alcohol and tobacco.

Marijuana has become a lucrative crop because of its limited supply on the market to meet the demand. Hence, now you have people making a living out of selling it; they are even willing to kill over it. If you legalize it, supply will increase and more structured points of access will be made available to the consumers, meaning all the violence that surrounds the distribution and sale of the product will cease.

Also, what seems to be funny, though, is that people are making a living out of the sale of the substance, yet the government is not getting its share of the pie. How stupid is that! If we legalize it, the government will tax it, meaning more tax revenue to go into our treasury. And the more money we have coming in, the better off we will be economically and socially speaking.

Criminalizing marijuana is to some extent destructive to the foundation of our society. People are getting years behind bars just because of a small possession of marijuana. And when they do get out, because of their criminal record, it is hard for them to find jobs and be reintegrated into society. What impact you think that is going to have on these people? Of course, they are going to go back in jail because they are left to commit illegal acts to survive. That’s the vicious circle of the American penitentiary system.

Those are my motives for being an advocate for the legalization of marijuana, though I have never smoked it in my life. I believe it is causing more harms to the people and the economy by keeping it illegal. Legalizing/ regulating the production, sale and consumption of it is the way to go and the right thing to do.

Aug 11 2011

JOBS: PR SPECIALIST NEEDED IN NU-LOOK!!!

Nu-Look, Haitian Konpa band

Nu-Look, Haitian Konpa band

NU-LOOK is not a rookie band. After so many years in the business, one does expect better and more from them. Some public relations missteps or rookie PR mistakes coming from their ranks are unacceptable. For such a high profile band, their PR sucks, meaning mediocre and subpar. And that is very sad.

First, it was the verbal exchange at that NU-LOOK party in Florida that involved a certain ROMEO STARK, whom Kompamagazine identifies as a journalist, and MAESTRO ARLY that made the press; then came the saga between MAESTRO ARLY and ALIX NOZILE, the band’s congas player. All in one night. See interview: http://bit.ly/piNsqj and http://bit.ly/rrzBTG

I cannot remember when was the last time I stumbled on a press release from NU-LOOK. In the midst of all this bad press the band has been getting as a result of these two incidents in one night, one would expect the band’s PR staffer, if there is one that is, to be on top of his/her game and issue an official press release to zero on the issues, explain exactly what went down that night and put the matters to rest. No, that would be too formal and professional for them.

Almost two weeks after the incidents, not one official press release from the band has made its way into the media. All we have got thus far is a bunch of conflicting statements from members of the band -RORO, PIPO and ALIX NOZILE -and this guy ROMEO STARK. Meanwhile the band is being slammed left and right in the press by people who have been waiting for it to make a blunder to run with it.

A new issue has currently made the surface of the ocean: ALIX NOZILE and his immigration status. There is a cloud of uncertainty and confusion surrounding this guy’s immigration papers, it is not even funny. For years, that man has not been able to travel overseas with the band because of his “undocumented alien” status. Not too long ago, he came out publicly on Kompamagazine with the news that he had obtained his green card, which everybody was happy to hear. Wouldn’t anyone expect his overseas traveling to be a done deal?

So will he be traveling to Haiti with the band or not? That’s the mystery of it all. Not even RORO IRENE, the band’s gongist, who has been with NU-LOOK since the early days of its inception, could answer that question. When Kompamagazine asked him to answer the question, in a dumbfounded twist, he put it like this: “I will know the answer to that on August 4th just like everybody else.” http://bit.ly/pQJ1Cp So even he does not have a clue as to whether ALIX NOZILE has his legal residency papers or not to travel overseas.

If management, in coordination with the PR staffer, was doing its job, why should the veracity of the news about ALIX NOZILE’s immigration papers coming to terms be questioned and challenged in the press, thereby making him (Nozile) look like a ridiculous joke? Shouldn’t management have physically seen his papers, made photocopy of and kept them in his file? Once confirmed, shouldn’t management have issued a press release to inform the press of this new development? I guess that would have been too much on Dolf Chancy, the manager of the band.

NU-LOOK’s PR glitch is life threatening. Enough with the PR indiscipline! Enough with the rookie mistakes! So They need someone on board badly with the required skills to take care of their PR and institute PR discipline in the band. This is as urgent as a heart attack. If they do not move quickly and proceed intelligently with a sense of urgency on that to correct the deficiencies, I could foresee disaster in their ranks. The ball is now in their court to do whatever they see fit. At the end of the day, it will be their business that will be effected, not mine.

Aug 9 2011

NOT ALWAYS CHEATING IS BAD

No one should condone abuse in relationships -whether it be physical, psychological and/or emotional. Anybody who is in an abusive relationship or marriage MUST leave before the unthinkable occurs. There is no excuse for such behavior.

Now, having said that, some may see cheating as a form of psychological or emotional abuse because it tends to impact the psychological well-being of the person being cheated on. Well, that is, understandably so, a fair argument to make. But not always cheating is bad. Sometimes, it could be the best thing to have happened in a relationship.

Depending on the situation, the act of cheating itself -though deceptive and despicable -should NOT be used as a valid excuse to end a relationship or marriage.

That is why many people admire Hillary Clinton so much for her courage and strong-mindedness. They see in her attributes of a born-leader, who knows how to make the best decisions in times of crisis. She stood against all odds and tribunals of the world to save her marriage with former President Bill Clinton -when the latter had brought shame and deception to their marriage by lying to the world before he admitted having cheated on her with Monica Lewinski.

Unless the person does not really care about you, in this case you have no business being in a relationship or marriage with that person, people do not cheat for the fun of cheating. There is always something that triggers the person to take such a high risk.

Usually, when someone cheats, if you take the time to investigate the cause(s) behind the act, you would find evidence that something is missing in the relationship or marriage. It is not always about the great things that you had done; rather, it could be the basics that you had failed to do causing the person to go outside the boundaries of the relationship or marriage to seek remedy to their dissatisfaction. And if you do not have that level of communication already well-established between you and that person, you may never find out what it is that has been missing.

In Haitian Creole, there is this saying “se chyen ki pa byen manje k mache devant pòt kay moun,” meaning only those dogs that are poorly fed would leave their owners’ places to go look for foods elsewhere. So feed your dog fully and properly, he or she will not feel the need to be roaming outside seeking for self-gratification elsewhere.

Some may argue: “Well, he/she could have just been honest to leave without having to put me through this.” No, the person has never claimed not wanting to be with you, so it would not make any sense to leave you. He/she only wanted that emptiness, which you were incapable of fulfilling, to be fulfilled. That does not mean that the person he/she cheated on you with is better than you. Yes, it is the wrong approach to go about, but a real one at that if we really want to keep it real.

In the case of Arnold Schwazenegger and his wife Maria Shriver, for instance, many people feel for her for the pains and sufferings she has to endure. However, she could be the one at fault. Maybe she is not feeding her dog well enough. Or the worst case scenario, Arnold has a psychological issue that needs to be dealt with.

If a person just cannot stop cheating or has a pattern of documented cheating incidents, maybe that person needs to be psychologically evaluated to determine the underlying causes so necessary steps to help that person could be taken.

When a person cheats, it makes no sense for the person being cheated on to be too quick to walk away. Yes, it is always the first instinctive reaction, but not a sensical and logical one. Together, they should take a moment to evaluate the relationship to see what went wrong and how to fix things.

Cheating is the breaking point in any relationship. Though it is a shameful and despicable act, it could offer the opportunity for the couple to grow. But for that developmental growth to take place, they must assess the state of the relationship or marriage so together they could find ways to treat or cure the problem(s).

Finally, though no one can possibly condone cheating, many agree that it could be exactly what is needed to spice things up, bring some excitement into the relationship or marriage, and get the two individuals involved to pay more attention to and care more about the relationship or marriage. Keep in mind that cheating is a big risk for anyone to take, especially when you really care about the person you are with. So this is not the type of risk people take just for the sake of taking risks. The person accepts to go that far because something is missing and they go out on a mission to find it. Again, feed your dog the way he or she needs to be fed, unless that dog has a mental dilemma, you will not have to worry about him or her cheating on you with someone else. So not always cheating is bad.

Aug 8 2011

THE SILLY ARGUMENT WE HEAR IN KONPA

Last night on my radio talk show BRIKOURI on RADYO KONTAK FM 87.9 or http://www.radyokontak.com broadcast out of New Jersey every Sunday night at 10, some of my callers were making the most ridiculous argument I have ever heard in my life.

They were arguing that GAZZMAN COULEUR of DISIP does not know how to sing. When I asked them when does someone know how to sing, they could not answer in a way to make sense to me.

I have been hearing for years this silly and despicable argument from many of our Konpa music fans; last night I decided to take a bold stand to challenge it.

If GAZZMAN did not know how to sing, do you really think a man as picky as MAESTRO ARLY would have kept him around for over a decade in NU LOOK? And with him in the lineup, that band had dominated our Konpa music for years. If he did not know how to sing, do you possibly think a man as demanding and selective as MAESTRO RICHIE of ZENGLEN would have had him sing the songs “Ou Se” and “Adrienne?” If he did not know how to sing, do you think SHEDLEY ABRAHAM, one of the best drummers and producers we have in our Konpa music, would have had him sing the hit song “Sexy Love” on his latest Djaz La album? Of course, that would have not happened.

While the American Music Industry is looking at how commercial and “hot” an artist is, we Haitians are stuck on making the silliest argument of whether or not that person can sing. As a matter of fact, let’s go to Jamaica and take the Dancehall artist Elephant Man, for instance. I guess if he were a Konpa artist, some of us Haitians would have seen him as someone who does not “know how to sing.” I am literally laughing out loud and shaking my head in disbelief.

When I asked these callers when does someone know how to sing to them, they said it is when the person can reach the high notes. Huh!!! I asked them what would be said of someone with a soprano or alto vocal tune trying to do base vocals and cannot? Would they see that person as someone who does not know how to sing? They were rumbling. And when I realized that they were wasting my time, I hanged up the phone and picked up the next callers.

Let’s take JACOB DESVARIEUX of the Martinique-based Zouk band KASSAV, for instance. KASSAV has become what we know of it today mainly because of his contributions with the uniqueness of his unusual vocal tune. If that man were a Konpa artist, these Haitians in their silliness would have told you with a straight face that he does not know how to sing. This is so ridiculous to say the least. I am not trying to put my people down, but some of us have been making some of the most insane, silly and ludicrous arguments. Seriously, we need to stop.

Let me close by saying this: some of the myths and misconceptions we have in our circles must be eradicated. That’s the only way we can progress as a nation. I understand you can choose not to be a fan of a specific artist, but you must respect the person’s natural abilities and aptitudes.

Everybody can sing so long as they have a voice. That is why there are vocal coaches in the business to work with them. Can you believe a man as great as MICHAEL JACKSON, one of the greatest entertainers to have lived our world, had vocal coaches constantly around working with him until the last day of his musical journey? I guess some of us Haitians would say that “knowing how to sing” entails not needing anyone to coach you on how to take and keep a vocal note.

Someone’s vocal tune can be more liked or admired than others, but that does not give that person leverage over the rest of them in the league. So please quit this silly argument of knowing and not knowing how to sing. It is all a myth you would probably find only in Konpa.

Aug 4 2011

THE ERA OF LAVALAS IS OVER

Only in Haiti could a guy like MOISE JEAN-CHARLES, the Senator from the Northern District of the country, someone who can barely read and write his name, find himself in a position where he could humiliate a highly educated and qualified man (with a doctorate degree in law and years of leadership experience) in the caliber of BERNARD H. GOUSSE, who was chosen by PRESIDENT MARTELLY to lead the country’s government. Unfortunately, he got voted down in the Senate by the 16 LAVALAS senators.

Thanks to ARISTIDE and PREVAL, the fathers of the LAVALAS philosophy, such a character could be in the Senate -the respectable chamber of the wises -to legislate in a country as ill and desperate as Haiti, where values such as integrity, honesty, professionalism and savoir-faire should be praised and honored. That’s what “change” as envisioned and promoted by LAVALAS means.

We Haitians would be really dumb and stupid to bring these LAVALAS guys back in power again, seriously. In all earnest, we should be having billboards all over the country that read in bold and capital letters “THE ERA OF LAVALAS IS OVER!”

After 25 years, no one can keep blaming DUVALIER for the quagmire LAVALAS -with Aristide and Preval -has plunged the country in. We had voted these guys in power with hopes they would come and do better than DUVALIER; unfortunately, they failed the country miserably. They brought us institutionalized corruption, organized crimes (chimères, kidnapping, rape, etc…) and lawlessness. That was, indeed, an avalanche the country had experienced; it left behind a chaotic state, and it will take us decades to bring it back to its state of normalcy.

Obviously, after the collapse of the DUVALIER regime, we, as a people, have proven our incapacity to do better. That’s why for the past 20 years, we had 4 terms of LAVALAS. In other words, we had voted in power nothing but these guys to literally emulate the system of corruption and organized and systematic violence they had been criticizing the Duvalierists for. I guess we could not do any better.

LAVALAS -the political movement said embedded in the philosophy of Justice, Transparency and Participation, which most of us stood for and strongly supported in 1990 (the year that witnessed the emergence of ARISTIDE to power in Haiti), sadly, had been substituted with ignorance, stupidity and mediocrity.

This time, my fellow Haitians, let us challenge ourselves by showing to the international community watching us that we can do better by yelling loud and clear at the top of our lungs “THE ERA OF LAVALAS IS OVER!”

We will not and must not forget. So for the record, here are the names of the 16 LAVALAS senators who rejected in the Senate the choice of BERNARD H. GOUSSE for prime minister:

01- Exius Piierre francky (South)
02- Sainvil Francois Lucas (Northwest)
03- Privert Jocelerme (Nippes)
04- Lebon Fritz Carlos (South)
05- Lambert Joseph (Southeast)
06- Lambert Wenceslass (Southeast)
07- John Joseph Joel (West)
08- Bastien Kelly C (North)
09- Cassy Nenel (Nippes)
10- Pierre Louis Derex Lucien (Northeast)
11- Bien Aime Jean Baptiste (Northeast)
12- Moise Jean Charles (North)
13- Wesner Polycarpe (North)
14- Buissereth Yvon (South)
15- Desras Simon Dieuseul (Central)
16- Beauplan Evalliere (Northwest)

For the record, the following is the integral text of GOUSSE’s reaction after he lost the bet of becoming the country’s Prime Minister:

PROMESSES D’AVENIR

Haïti: Chers Amis Compatriotes,

Le Sénat a pris une décision qui met malheureusement fin au cheminement qui devait me permettre de me mettre au service de mon pays. Malheureusement … mais momentanément.

Ma désignation a soulevé un débat public salutaire où les forces saines de la population se sont exprimées en faveur du bien, de la vie, de l’éducation, contre le mal absolu incarné dans une barbarie s’étant abattue éhontément sur les bébés, les femmes âgées, les petites marchandes et les ouvriers.

Je remercie Monsieur le Président de la République, Michel J. Martelly, d’avoir désiré m’associer à l’oeuvre de son mandat populaire.

Je remercie les parents et amis qui n’ont jamais fléchi dans leur support. Je remercie surtout les anonymes rencontrés dans les rues, sur les places, qui, discrètement mais chaleureusement, m’ont encouragé dans un combat qui était devenu le leur.

Je remercie aussi mes compatriotes sénateurs du groupe des 16 pour la publicité faite autour de mon nom avec un zèle quotidien dont n’aurait pu faire preuve la meilleure agence de publicité. J’ai pu grâce à eux me prouver à moi-même et démontrer à mes compatriotes mon endurance à garder le font haut et la tête altière, le regard porté vers un destin collectif de grandeur, indifférent aux crachats et aux vulgaires piaillements. Je ne manquerai donc pas de leur faire parvenir leurs honoraires s’ils me soumettent une facture pour un travail décidément bien fait.

Le débat parlementaire du 2 août 2011 a permis que des sénateurs désintéressés défendissent le droit et les valeurs morales avec une opiniâtreté, un panache et une éloquence pour lesquels je les félicite. Ils n’ont pas été vaincus et ont, j’espère, suscité des vocations de parlementaires valeureux, nourris de courage et de science. La défaite fut celle, éphémère, du droit, et celle, peut-être définitive, de l’honneur du Sénat, alors que languissent sous les tentes et dans les masures, dans les écoles comme dans les conseils d’administration, dans une patience de plus en plus ténue, les espoirs déçus d’une Haïti studieuse, travailleuse et reconstruite.

Le combat dans lequel je suis engagé dépasse désormais ma personne ; je ne peux l’abandonner. L’horizon de ce combat ne s’arrête pas à la question de premier ministre. Le temps est venu pour que la dignité, le travail honnête et l’éducation soient les valeurs proposées en exemple et récompensées, pour que soient vaincues l’immoralité, la corruption, les richesses spontanées et l’arrogante ignorance.

La vie publique bien conçue, en dépit de ses vicissitudes, mérite que l’on s’y consacre quand la guident l’accès généralisé aux services sociaux de base, la modernisation de l’Etat, la libération des énergies créatrices et surtout le regain de la dignité nationale.

Je resterai donc parmi vous
Au revoir

GPR, Gousse Pi Rèd.