Haiti: The cycle of political turmoil continues

surprisingly, haiti was at one time the richest country of the western hemisphere at the time of its 1804 independence. what the heck happened? i really don't know too much about this situation (not that that has ever stopped me. muhhahahah), but i don't know what to say about Aristide or the rebels. i know aristide is hated and probably fixed the elections.

i think the fact that so many people have died, and that their deaths have been so non chalantly reported by the press, cadavers have been shown on tv without coment, and their fellow countrymen careless is a bad sign. disturbing really.

MSNBC has the details.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Rebels rolled into the capital Monday and were met by hundreds of residents dancing in the streets and cheering the ouster of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. U.S. Marines and French troops secured key sites.

People clapped and waved as they yelled “Good job!” and called out the name of Guy Philippe, a key rebel leader. The convoy first rolled through Petionville, a wealthy suburb, before moving into the heart of Port-au-Prince.

When the rebels arrived at the plaza outside the National Palace and a nearby police station, thousands of Haitians converged on the square, shouting “Liberty!” and “Aristide is gone!”

Philippe later met in a hotel with members of the political coalition that had opposed Aristide, including Evans Paul, a former mayor of Port-au-Prince and a top opposition figure. Paul said Philippe “has played an important role.”

Not everyone was joyful as the rebels drove past. Some watched indifferently, their arms folded. At one point, the convoy stopped and rebels jumped out, sweeping their weapons from side to side, before moving on.