Nations can collapse. Collapse means that the rules written for order and safety are no longer in force.

It is happening right now in Haiti. Last week gunmen invaded the home of the president of Haiti and killed him. They wounded his wife. No guards fired shots back at the gunmen. Later, the police found some of the gunmen and killed or captured them. Most were from the country of Colombia. They said they were hired to “protect a leader.”

To say things are murky is an understatement.

A few Haitian politicians claimed they were next in line to lead the country. But can any governing body confirm this? The Haitian senate is no longer able to meet and vote. The Haitian courts are in disarray. The head of the highest court died recently from Covid-19.

Haiti has been in trouble for years. Unstable governments go back to occupation by U.S. troops in the early part of the last century. Today, some Haitians are calling for U.S. or U.N. to come back and restore order.

Roving gangs of Haitians control streets and neighborhoods. Sometimes they are at war with each other. No one feels safe.

Haiti had an earthquake in 2010. U.N. peacekeepers came in and left behind a trail of cholera. There were accusations of them molesting women.

The assassinated president had dissolved the legislature. He ruled by decrees. He said he would stay in office but promised there would be an election in the future. Unemployment, crime, and hunger are rife throughout the country. They combine with sanitation woes and housing problems to make Haiti a disaster.

The quest for political power is behind the madness in Haiti.

The lesson for the world is this. People can become leaders of countries in different ways. Choosing leaders in democratic elections is the best way. But leaders can sometimes come from military coups. What is going on in Myanmar is an example.

Another way of gaining power is what is happening in Haiti now. It also took place in Venezuela. The president set aside the governing courts and legislatures. Once the judges and lawmakers are under control, dictators can arise. What may follow are attacks on the press and media.

Left with no other choice, people will take to the streets to express themselves. It is happening in Cuba today.

How can it begin? Former U.S. President Donald Trump falsely said he was elected president in 2020. He was not. Voters chose Joe Biden. But many people believed Trump. Trump could not win in the courts. Trump encouraged a mob to storm the Capitol. That is what happens when the rule of law is ignored.

Republican politicians are afraid of his popular appeal. Some state legislatures controlled by his party are passing laws to make voting harder. The idea is to reduce the voting rights of minorities who tend to favor Democrats.

Changing laws is a classic example of how demagogues can damage institutions. In the U.S., counting votes has always been a sacred duty. Fraud almost never affects the outcome of elections.

In Haiti, the government is without authority. Little is left to hold the nation together. No one knows what will happen next.

All citizens have to be on alert to safeguard their democratic institutions.

Source: The New York Times