Haiti's Perpetual Provisional Problem
The news from Haiti, as dutifully relayed by ABC, describes the dissolution of a 'transitional presidential council' after a 'rocky tenure,' leaving an 'unelected U.S.-backed ruler' in charge. This framing, while superficially accurate, is a master class in euphemism, sidestepping the inconvenient history that makes Haiti's current predicament not an anomaly, but a tragic consistency. CASE A:
Haiti's 'Transitional' Illusion The current narrative paints a picture of a nation struggling to form a stable government, with 'gang violence' as the primary obstacle. The implied solution, again, seems to be a U.S.-supported figure maintaining control. The language focuses on internal dysfunction – 'rocky tenure,' 'dissolves' – as if these political structures simply materialise and
dematerialise spontaneously, rather than being carved out of years of external meddling. Curiously, the article notes the departure of 'an unelected U.S.-backed ruler,' but then explains that he remains . This linguistic gymnastics somehow permits both statements to coexist, effectively normalising the continued presence of a leader whose legitimacy is, by definition, internationally manufactured
rather than domestically conferred. This 'transitional' phase, we must remember, has been the default setting for Haiti for decades, particularly since the 2004 overthrow of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. CASE B: When 'Unelected' Really Means 'Illegitimate' Consider, for a moment, how the same journalistic outlets frame leaders deemed adversaries. Take, for instance, Nicolas Maduro of