Hip-hop legend Wyclef Jean has announced he is to run for the presidency of his native Haiti. He has stepped down from his posistion as Haiti ambassador and will run in the countries next election on the 28th of November. His vast wealth plus his popularity with the youth means he is now in a strong posistion to run for office. Wyclef was influential in aid for the country after a terrible earth quake caused havoc. His success in America is a rags to riches tale. Before forming The Fugees, Wyclef couldn't speak a word of English. Yet he built up his career from scratch and his become one of the most popular musicians of his time. In a strange twist, Wyclef's uncle has also decided to run president, yet the two were quick to play down any petty rivalries.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Wyclef Jean Runs For President
Hip-hop legend Wyclef Jean has announced he is to run for the presidency of his native Haiti. He has stepped down from his posistion as Haiti ambassador and will run in the countries next election on the 28th of November. His vast wealth plus his popularity with the youth means he is now in a strong posistion to run for office. Wyclef was influential in aid for the country after a terrible earth quake caused havoc. His success in America is a rags to riches tale. Before forming The Fugees, Wyclef couldn't speak a word of English. Yet he built up his career from scratch and his become one of the most popular musicians of his time. In a strange twist, Wyclef's uncle has also decided to run president, yet the two were quick to play down any petty rivalries.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Do you want Wyclef to be president because of his marked political credentials and because the return of this messiah in exile is the answer to this disaster stricken country’s prayers? Ooooor do you want him in power because he did a decent cover of killing me Softly? :)
ReplyDeleteNiall
I want him to be president because hes a native of Haiti and they need someone that understands their troubles instead of a schmuk in a business suit lacking in empathy ha, cus theres plenty of those. anyway wyclef as a symbol is bigger than wyclef the man, the people need a hero and he brings that. sometimes a feel good factor is all a country needs to help get back on its feet.
ReplyDelete"because hes a native of Haiti"- that is a constituional requisite, not a qualification.
ReplyDelete"understand their troubles"- the guy is more familiar with celebrity parties than the slums of Haiti, where was his empathy for poor Haitians before this became intenational news? It feels like he's in Bruno the movie.
Volunteers (incl. Sean Penn) have even questioned how much time he's spent their since the catastrophe.
"Champion of the people"- let him hold a concert or remain the country's goodwill ambassador! I'm all for him as a symbol of empowerment to Haitians, but the president of Haiti has real executive power. I'd question what credentials you think this man has over a grass roots politician who has been working in Haiti for the last 20 years and really knows the terrain and needs of his people.
ok first of all grass roots politics in haiti is corrupted, because nothing has changed for the last 20 years the country has huge problems. to suggest a continuation of this is a bit tiresome. im aware of what sean penn said but its interesting that youd value the opinion of that CELEBRITY so highly yet compare wyclef to bruno? wyclef is risking his life for this, many presidents of Haiti have been assinated, that shows hes serious about the commitment. when you say hes more familar with parties than the slums of haiti it makes me laugh, all politicians are used to lifestyles of excess, all of them could be accused of that. anyway hes been addressing issues of poverty for years, its only getting media attention now. for god sake he named his group "the refugees". this is similar to zach de rocha gaining power in south america and someone going, wait a minute, since when does zach de la rocha care about poor people. their entire philsophy on life is based on their love for poor people. at the end of the day it will be them that will decide and i hope he gets it.
ReplyDeleteI find it arrogant that you would suggest the only way of restoring hope for Haitians is by giving executive power to an American hip-hop star who wants to take away their sovereignty by giving the vote to Haitians living in America.
ReplyDeleteThis would mean Haiti would be partially governed by a million naturalised Americans. If someone proposed this strategy for Ireland, they would either be laughed at or lynched.
(find me an article where Zack de la Rocha invites giving the vote to Latinos living in America and some validity might be given to your comparison)
As you suggest, Wyclef is a refugee rather than a Haitian, I suggest this political ambition is an attempt to unite his native land with his adopted land, a strategy as politically naïve as electing him to office.
Here’s a link showing Wyclef will be excluded from the election on the basis he hasn’t spent five years of his life in the country:
http://www.nme.com/news/wyclef-jean/52565
You say their system is corrupt and that it is ‘tiresome’ to suggest a continuation of it.
There are no easy answers when it comes to culturally ingrained problems such as this, even a system as transparent as Ireland’s suffers from this, I do know one thing though- the answer is not Wyclef.
All politicians do not live ‘lavish’ lifestyles prior to election, most earn their stripes before taking office believe it or not. This stereotype can be easily countered with examples of people like Barack Obama whose political training ground was fighting for the rights of people living in the housing projects of Chicago not living a jet-set lifestyle.
RE Sean Penn- I am well within my rights to QUOTE a celebrity as a character reference for another celebrity with the slightly loftier ambitions of running for the office of President.