Today President Clinton, in his infinite wisdom, told us that we should look to Rwanda as an example of a successful post-crisis recovery for a state in the developing world.

Mr. Clinton can perhaps be excused for missing this Digital Journal article about his friend Paul Kagame’s involvement in repression of independent political parties leading up to Rwanda’s next election. But surely he’s heard of his own party’s condemnation of Rwanda’s proposed anti-gay legislation?

Is that the Rwandan example he thinks Haiti should be following?

Or perhaps he’s cynically thinking only of Rwanda’s recent success supporting American corporate interests, despite the fact that  these very same agricultural projects, rather than feeding Rwandans, might ensure many continue to go hungry.

Which is quite appropriate, when you consider very similar policies, implemented in Haiti, are at the center of the destruction of Haiti’s rice production. Given the role of NAFTA in destruction of Haiti’s economy, and the role President Clinton played in pushing NAFTA, one has to wonder what words passed privately between the two men before Mr. Clinton ensured Mr. Aristide’s reinstatement as President of Haiti in October 1994.

If this isn’t enough evidence that perhaps Rwanda is not a model for Haiti so much as Haiti was a model for Rwanda which has now become a model for Haiti, we could investigate the mention of Indonesia as another success story, but how will Mr. Clinton’s Christian supporters feel about that suggestion?