Who Really Believes Campoare Will Support Ellen Over Taylor?

Who really believes Campoare will support Ellen over Taylor? You are even dumber than you look.

The trick is to “support” the opposition in an election that Taylor would win. An election victory over credible opposition, would give Taylor a mandate that he could NEVER have if the opposition never contested/participated in the election. The rest of the world would be powerless to advocate the removal of Taylor. The OAU and ECOWAS will then congratulate their brother-thug for his "democratic" election, and pledge anew to work with him. At which time, the true democrats in the OAU like Campoare, Ka-daffi, Eyadema (30 years), Moi (150 years) and the other assorted lifers will all pledge their support.

If you want to know how I see it? It's this simple: anyone who participates in an election against Charles Taylor, is a party to legitimizing him. It's a canard!!

Secondly, why would Ellen and/or Sawyer want the support of Campoare? In my mind that already disqualifies them. When you have to make bedfellows with the very companions of Taylor, what other compromises will you make.

Power must be sought and attained with honor and dignity so as not to injure the credibility of the holder.

What does Campoare know about Taylor today, that he did not know over the past 10 years? How many of you believe Campoare has had an epiphany? I don't!!!! Not for one second.

Plain and simple any conditions for free and fair elections DO NOT EXIST, and cannot be brought to bear before 2003. In a country 85% of the people are illiterate, without an independent media, without infrastructure, how do you plan to educate the population about the election? How do you plan to reach them? Do you plan to erect radio transmission and get permission to run it?

The problem with most Liberian politicians, is they get a twinkle in their eyes when they hear the word elections. Charles Taylor is a lot of horrible things, but he is cunning and slick. He never gets enough credit for that. Tsun-Tzu says we must know our enemy.

An election win by Taylor, over Brumskine and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, even if it is 51% - 49%, with a few irregularities, that is sanctioned by Taylor's Election Commission, confirmed by Taylor's Supreme Court, and announced on Taylor's radio station, LEGITIMIZES Taylor!

Remember irregularities in African elections have never been the source of outrage in the West. Do not expect the UN or EU to order a new election. Liberia is not the focus, Afghanistan and terrorism are.

The worst thing that can happen to Taylor right now, is for the entire opposition to refuse to participate in an election farce.

The opposition must first put aside all their individual ambitions, and band together and pressure the EU and the UN to:

1) remove recognition from the Taylor government.

2) place all monies from Liberia's foreign trade (i.e. logging, shipping) in an escrow account from which humanitarian funds will be made available to the people of Liberia. Charles Taylor is like a tumor. It will cause the body too much havoc to excise him, so we must starve him of blood.

3) establish a caretaker government headed by an elder statesman, who is limited by his age (i.e. E Sumo Jones, George Toe Washington, J Rudolph Grimes) that will stay in office for 5 years. This period will allow Liberian refugees, and those in the Diaspora to return home.

During that 5 year transition period, let everyone with presidential aspirations work to establish their base, and re-introduce themselves to the Liberian population. We must embark on a massive education program so the a woman in Bonkwenemah knows what an election means to her, and what her vote means.

There are those who will argue that 5 years is to long. My response: when Taylor wins he will be president for another 6 years!!!

The second question for the contestants: what becomes of Taylor and his entire cabal? What force (military) do you have in place to ensure that you can indeed take power if you win an election? Taylor has no other option but to remain president of Liberia or go to jail. I submit he will die with his boots on.

The thought that there will be an election that Charles Taylor will lose, and Taylor), Gus, Benoni, Gloria Scott and the others will just ride off into the sunset is not just a pipe dream. It is a crack pipe dream.