European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 19, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Monday september 19, 1994 commentary the stars and stripes Page 15 Clinton May have a William f. Buckley Bill Clinton a Bugle blowing on thursday Wasny to a High moment in the exercise of the democratic self government in whose name he proposes we March into Haiti. A Usa today poll tells us that a random Survey of Public opinion shows a 15 percentage Point Rise from 41 percent to 56 percent in Public approval of sending troops. The same poll informs us that before the speech 43 percent of americans approved his ban doing of the haitian question. A a a but if what the president said on thursday is to be be tiered a that our own frontiers Are challenged and that the entire world is. Looking Over our shoulder to test our fortitude a then How is it that so Large a percentage of the population approved the policy that led us to that Brink the end of statesmanship the diplomatic axiom has it is to avoid crisis. Leadership is sound when the marines Are not needed. But of course Clinton a speech was self discrediting. There was to begin with the phony business about the a a International imperative to rout it. Gen. Raoul Cedras. The president went so far As to assure us that Poland and Bangladesh approve of an invasion. Why because a they think this is important to their future interest and their if a statement like that moves a Public that hears it the Case for self government is seriously set Back. But Clinton was As Ever so moved by his own thinking he went so far As to say that the United states has agreed to Lead a multinational Force a to carry out the. Will of the United there just Arentt that Many americans disposed to die for the United nations but then Clinton having concluded that he had finally discovered someone his a fat k sign in the window own size to pick on had to come up with some reason for doing so. And there is certainly every reason to Hope for an end to the regime of Cedras. Dan rather a historic journalistic coup placed the general at a lbs microphone to comment on the speech. Sometimes Providence obliges in arranging the physiognomy of evil creatures exactly reflecting their nature. Gen. Manuel Noriega of Panama could not have been made to look More menacing if Walt Disney a artists had put his face together. / and so it is with Cedras with the face of someone who could quite routinely give orders to go out and shoot the orphans. All that the general said of interest in speaking with rather was that he was determined to fight and if necessary die for the Honor of his worlds Are written Only hours after the presidents speech and events May write their own script. But of course nothing was. Clearer than that Clinton a entire Man Euver is designed to get Cedras to step into an air plane and Buzz off to the South of France which along with Spain and saudi Arabia collects dictators who decide to rusticated. As the Usa today poll reveals a summons to military action tends to mobilize Public enthusiasm As does the Landing itself. But the popularity of military action tends to be Short lived and whereas in Haiti we cannot expect anything vaguely resembling the Maginot line defense there will surely be a sniper or voodoo spitter Here and there to make trouble. And when Jean Bertrand Aris tide is Back in the Saddle there will be More people noticing his behaviour than during his Brief stay in office in 1991, when he effectively controlled any appetite he has for human rights. Clinton could not have made Hisky a pint More clearly if he had interrupted is speech to focus a camera on Noriega pining away in a jail in Florida having run afoul of the . Marines. Cedras Isnit the Type who embraces a cause larger than himself a Good communist a devoted nazi even a consecrated Tonton Mac outs can be expected to go Down in flames for the Honor of it All. Cidras in to made up that Way so that Clinton a Gamble was a pretty Good one. C Universal press Syndicate is critics of president Clinto ifs Liberal imperialism a the colonialism of compassion a miss the Point when they say Haiti involves no vital . Interest. _ the Pristine absence of anything As coarse As a vital us interest is what recommends this adventure to its enthusiasts just As in Domestic policy the proof of Liberal virtue is generosity with other Peoples Money the proof in foreign policy is willingness to spend the nations. Blood treasure and prestige for abstractions rather than Concrete National gain. There is a similar aspect to Clinton a simultaneous solicitous Ness toward the United nations and his disregard of a democratic controlled Congress and the Constitution. Madeleine Albright . Ambassador to the United nations breezily dismisses any constitutional obligation to consult Congress before invading Haiti saying this is a a police action a not an act of War. James Madison did not anticipate such Labelling of a full scale premeditated assault on a nation with which we Are at peace and which poses no threat to the United states. Albright evidently regards the English Lan Puree the Way Clinton regards the health care system a As properly government property. But her semantic sleight of hand is too intellectually feeble to be As dangerous As Secretary of state Warren Christopher s notion that Congress is implicit in any coming invasion because Congress has not acted to Stop it the idea is that congressional approval Tor any presidential use of military Force can be inferred from the absence of congressional action to prevent it a a the implication that no president is of heated to respect any constitutional restraint Only a Leash pm posed by Congress for each particular occasion a is in a word Nixon Ian. Reasons so far offered for an invasion include a we must invade because we said we would. A . Credibility with North Korea or something is at stake. _ a. A Clinton a credibility is at stake. A the credibility is at stake. A America this from a blame America first democrats is to blame for Haiti a condition because we trained the haitian military or something. A we Are duty bound to do All we can for democracy everywhere or in this hemisphere or at least a in our backyard. ,. A terrible things Are happening in Haiti and we must Stop terrible things a in our own the South Bronx is another matter and so on. So far we have not heard that the invasion is justified because the president a feels Haiti Spain a although that explanation would suit his style of government As autobiography. However a proliferation of rationalizations for a government action often be tokens reticence about the real reason. Accordingly consider the words of rep. Charles Rangel d-n.y., a Leader of the congressional Black caucus spoken angrily on in no a crossfire. And of course when you say a is this Little Black president Jean Bertrand Aristide Worth the loss of one american White life a the answer a hey it has to be Domestic racial politics has spilled Over into haitian policy. It is impossible to prove but plausible there would be no movement toward invasion if there were no Black caucus or if the caucus shared the priorities of the vast George f. Will majority of Black americans. Perhaps planners of the invasion have adequately considered All the a then what a questions. When japanese leaders asked Admiral Yamamoto if he could conduct an attack on Pearl Harbor he said with shallow running torpedoes and Luck yes. And i will run wild in the Pacific for perhaps a year but then what after . Forces have subdued their adversaries in Haiti then what. What if it. Gen. Rauol Cedras and his henchmen step across the Border into the dominican Republic from there to foment such trouble As Haiti does not spontaneously generate what if refugees in flight from haitian score settling anarchy destabilize the dominican Republic the administration that produced the Clinton health care Bill obviously is not impressed by the problem of the unintended consequences of government actions but still a a a a a a what if our efforts to prevent the assassination of president Aristide surely prevention becomes our responsibility fail if he survives until the next election Are we having committed ourselves to the a restoration of democracy a responsible for guaranteeing electoral proprieties these interesting questions arise at a propitious moment. The collapse of Clinton a health care overreaching coincides with his fling at colonialism and both come eight weeks before elections. Do americans want government hubris m Domestic policy and overreaching a nation building combined with obeisance to the . In foreign policy lets put it to a vote on nov. 8. C Washington Posl ,
