Duvalier apologises for 'wrongs'

[MdmeX]

Duvalier apologises for 'wrongs'
published: Wednesday | September 26, 2007


Duvalier
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP):
Exiled dictator Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier has ended years of silence to ask Haitians' forgiveness for 'wrongs' committed by his regime and urge supporters to [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]rally[/COLOR][/COLOR] around his small political party.
The comments, broadcast nationwide over the weekend in Haiti, were Duvalier's first public address in years and come amid a quiet campaign by allies to see him return from exile in France.
In a speech recorded from Paris, Duvalier said history will be the judge of his 15-year regime, known for killing and torturing opponents and pilfering the national treasury.
"If, during my presidential mandate, the government caused any physical, moral or economic wrongs to others, I solemnly take the historical responsibility ... to request forgiveness from the people and ask for the impartial judgment of history," Duvalier said. His dictatorship came to an abrupt end on February 7, 1986, when he fled the country during a popular uprising.

[MdmeX]

This man have some friggin nerves. Him should remit all the millions him & his daddy stole from the coffers. Him think is suh forgiveness work

[Gamma]

not to mention the damage causede by the ton ton macoutes to perhaps tens of thousands of families.....

haiti continues to pay the price for having the audacity whip napoleon's army on it's way to becoming the first free black country in the western hemisphere!

[MdmeX]

First free black country in the western hemisphere & the black Presidents have all backstabbed the people and raped the country.!

[Mosiah]

so simplistic

[Mosiah]

"If, during my presidential mandate, the government caused any physical, moral or economic wrongs to others,

IF...

[Gamma]

it's been turbulent ever since madame x....toussaint, dessalines, petion, about 3 american invasions.....

world embargoes since the early 1800's basically made a depraved state out of haiti....which is what makes what castro has been able to do even more remarkable!

note that in the 1800's the entire caribbean and the americas were colonies and the usa turned ther back on haiti too because they did not want the slave revolts to spread to the us. at least castro had the soviet union.

[Hortical]

so simplistic

Care to elaborate history pro?

thanks in advance

[Islandman]

As explained so brilliantly in song by David Rudder. I don't think this guy got as much respect as he deserves as a songwriter. I suspect its because he sings calypso/soca and not reggae. In my opinion he is one of the best songwriters to come out of the Caribbean

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Toussaint was a mighty man, and to make matters worse he was black!

Black, back in the days when black men knew their place was in the back

But this rebel walked through Napoleon who thought it was not very nice

And today my brothers in Haiti still pay the price.

Haiti, I'm sorry we misunderstood you

One day we'd turn our heads and look inside you. restore your glory

- David Rudder, Trinidadian musical prophet (circa 1990).

[Gamma]

yes...soca is not really seen as serious message music in my opinion....plus mi just nuh like soca!

if rudder did over the same song in reggae....top of the charts!!

[Islandman]

Not a big "jump up and wave" soca fan myself but I liked most of Rudders music because it was more a slower calypso style with a heavy steel pan influence.

He is a student of Afro-Caribbean history, moreso than even most reggae artistes.

[Rudi]

Care to elaborate history pro?

thanks in advance

Well maybe the fact that Haiti was forced to pay for their liberation, ie France demanded compensation for the Haitian slave owners/landowners who lossed property (land and Africans, the equivelant of Three billion dollars in todays money). This debt was purchased from France by the US hence the US invasions. The Haitians were literally and financially 'dead before them born' simply because they chose to be honerable. Those who talk about Mugabe might want to think about this.

"History doesnt repeat but it sure does rhyme" Mark Twain (Sic)

[Islandman]

I can see how reasonable people can disagree about the way Mugabe handled the white farm land issue, but he has gone so far down the road since then and done so much damage to his OWN people that I don't see how anyone can still have a favourable opinion of what he has done in the last decade or so.

It is hard for me to understand how a man who did so much good for his people for so many years has let it come to this. When I think that Ian Smith has lived to see Zimbabwe reduced to this desparate state I can only shake my head in sorrow.

[Mosiah]

No need to touch on Ian Smith. Come now, Islandman.

[Time]

France looted the bank before they left. The real reason President Aristide was overthrown was because he dared to deman the money back!