I took a brief walk at noon today. I walked through the newly redone Piazza d'Italia, which is one of the few interesting outdoor spots in New Orleans. There's a colorful, faux-Roman columned wall, from which juts a marble fountain shaped like Italy. The New York Times once called it America's first postmodern ruin, and it long was a camping ground for homeless men. It's been cleaned up and repainted, and I hope people will return to eat their lunches there. Then I walked through Harrah's casino, with its Mardi Gras-themed interior. Some people think it's tacky, but I like the look of the place. I've spent about $1.25 there in the two or three years the casino has been open, but I do like walking there every now and again.

I was watching the news about Haiti this weekend and was reminded of something I've never really understood. What is it about Jean-Bertrand Aristide that has kept him so popular with the political left in this country? Yesterday John Kerry said that he would have used American military force to keep Aristide in power. Why? It seems to me that Aristide is no better and no worse than the thugs who started the current rebellion. He used terror tactics and rigged elections to keep his people in power, and the country is no better off than it was when he was elected. The United States shouldn't take sides between left-leaning thugs and right-leaning thugs when our vital interests aren't implicated, but we can take steps to ensure stability and humanitarian relief once a winner has emerged. In short, Bush got this one right.