# Baby Doc returns to Haiti **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 17, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898 "2011-01-17T03:05:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898/1 "2011-01-17T03:05:02Z")
This can’t be good. Recipe for disaster. Haiti is rudderless, with a great deal of discontent against a givernment that’s gotten millions upon millions in aid and yet somehow failed to pass it all on to the people that need it, post-earthquake. And now comes Baby Doc, flying to to “help.” I bet the Tonton Macoutes will be excellent builders. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898/2 "2011-01-17T03:10:07Z")
Right now, they **could** use the 250 lbs. of well-marbled meat . . . ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898/3 "2011-01-17T03:11:19Z")
Darn, didnt think he was still alive. Is he counting on some former Duvalier’s supporters who would think those times were better than today? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898/4 "2011-01-17T03:11:41Z")
I hope he gets what is coming to him. I’m not sure what is likely to happen here, though. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898/5 "2011-01-17T03:12:36Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Right now, they **could** use the 250 lbs. of well-marbled meat . . . well marbled? what do you mean? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898/6 "2011-01-17T03:14:19Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > well marbled? what do you mean? Reference to fat content. See [here.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marbled_meat) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898/7 "2011-01-17T03:37:00Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > Darn, didnt think he was still alive. If I’d been asked yesterday, I’d’a thought he was dead, too. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898/8 "2011-01-17T03:51:33Z")
How many Haitians still remember Duvalier rule? I wonder if he’ll try to mount some generalized nostalgic appeal to a sanitized, mythical version of his reign. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898/9 "2011-01-17T03:58:40Z")
Good grief. This is almost nightmarishly bad. Has no one pursued an indictment for his old atrocities? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898/10 "2011-01-17T04:01:33Z")
Nothing soothes the suffering masses more than an order of Baby Back ribs… ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898/11 "2011-01-17T04:04:23Z")
I doubt that a debate is going to break out with someone explaining how wonderful this news might be, so I am sending it to IMHO. [/Modding] ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898/12 "2011-01-17T04:06:59Z")
On further reflection, though - how important is this? I mean, no one in the international community is going to engage with this bloated, dimwitted excuse for a waste of human tissue. And absent such engagement, he can’t deliver much to his old tonton macoutes, can he? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898/13 "2011-01-17T04:10:12Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > Darn, didnt think he was still alive. Can we be sure he really is? That is the question, _mon **Capitaine.** _ ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898/14 "2011-01-17T07:32:06Z")
Who is **Baby Doc**? ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898/15 "2011-01-17T07:41:31Z")
Man, Haiti is one country that CANNOT catch a break. I’m beginning to believe that old story about Toussaint and the Devil. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898/16 "2011-01-17T07:43:11Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > Who is **Baby Doc**? [Jean-Claude Duvalier](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_Doc_Duvalier), son of “Papa Doc” Duvalier and former second-generation dictator of Haiti. You know, no matter how bad someone was/is there is always a group of people that worships the ground they walk on. I have no doubt that there are people in Haiti that would absolutely love to have Baby Doc back. The question is, are there enough of his loyal followers to restore him to his former status, either legitimately or through force? Wouldn’t that be a kick in the pants, the restoration of Baby Doc? I can barely think of a worse thing for Obama to have to deal with. If you’re Obama do you continue giving aid, depose the bastard, or actually deal with him in spite of his distinguished history? I’d rather see Aristide, round three. Hopefully the older Haitians have good memories. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898/17 "2011-01-17T07:43:35Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > Who is **Baby Doc**? Jean-Claude Duvalier, dictator of Haiti from 1971-1986. He took over from his father, Francois Duvalier, who, before he became President of Haiti, was a medical doctor, and therefore got the nickname, “Papa Doc”. So, Duvalier the younger, got the nickname “Baby Doc”. The rule of the Duvaliers was pretty awful. They engaged in severe repression (they had a secret police force/private army called the Tonton Macoute, which was pretty much a law unto itself, kidnapping, torturing and killing anyone they thought was a threat), corruption (when Baby Doc was forced to flee, he had millions in Swiss banks, and his wife’s family were major drug traffickers), and horrible mismanagement, and deserve a high place in a dictator’s hall of shame. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898/18 "2011-01-17T07:52:12Z")
Thanks **Airman** and **Captain**. After reading all that, I can’t see how he could be voted back into office (legitimately). ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898/19 "2011-01-17T08:07:24Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Nothing soothes the suffering masses more than an order of Baby Back ribs… Or Baby Doc ribs. My first thought was if this guy survives a week, Haiti’s much more stable that I thought. Btw, the news report I read was chock full of “He may have been brutal but things were stable & we had something” quotes from the people. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898/20 "2011-01-17T09:10:00Z")
Heavens, I thought he would be in his 8o’s. He’s only around 60. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-doc-returns-to-haiti/567898.md?page=2)