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43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dawn of Consciousness--A soldier in Haiti, March 4, 2001
This review is from: Hideous Dream (Paperback)
Sgt. Stanley Goff, a Special Forces veteran with service in Viet-Nam, had, by his own declaration been moving "leftward" for some time prior to his assignment to Haiti as part of President Clinton's mission to reinstate deposed President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. At last a military operation in a truly just cause--on behalf of the oppressed instead of the oppressors: Sgt. Goff's redemption, to be followed by retirement and return to civilian life with his new family. However the author quickly becomes suspicious that the "liberation" that he is involved in is not purely to restore democracy but also to buffer the anti-democratic Force Armee and the CIA-linked FRAPH and to shield them from an enraged population. He feels that the Carter-(Colin)Powel-(Sam) Nunn pre-invasion agreements constitute a betrayal of the Hatian people and their aspirations for political and economic justice. Goff writes vividly and compellingly of the day to day experiences of his unit in Haiti, sometimes humorously but always with keen moral intensity. He poignantly describes the irony of his position as a good soldier trying to make faulty policy work--at least as well and humanely as possible. Hideous Dream might perhaps have been a little more rigorously edited and included a brief survey, separate from the main narrative, of Hatian-American relations, but those are minor complaints. Enjoy the book and reflect on what you have read.
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48 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Demystification of 1994, January 3, 2002
This review is from: Hideous Dream (Paperback)
"Hideous Dream" has taken politics, foreign policy, and the Special Operations military down the Lane of Lost Mystiques. This highly personal, and highly emotional account, of what for most of us was yet another CNN Docu-drama, puts a fallible human face on this amazingly cynical operation--the US invasion of Haiti in 1994. Having read some of the other reviews of HD at Amazon.com , I think they are telling us how powerfully our system organizes the thinking of the individuals in it. One man gives HD a glowing review, then when confronted with what it quite likely his own credulity in the face of that other monument of US cynicism, the aggression against Yugoslavia, he retracts everything he has said. And the fellow who says he served with Goff in Haiti... well, his final words tell us a lot. "[A] white guys journey to becoming black..." What is THAT about? I found the book to be brutally self-critical throughout. Contentiousness there was plenty. Arrogance... nah. What I found was a book that humanized two groups who are frequently stereotyped, one for public villification, and one for public worship: Haitians and the military. The whole book plays out like an "I am a camera" documentary, with some very emotional editorializing in the interstices, and the result, while a little jarring from time to time (Goff admits he is a novice writer, more than once), is a remarkable demystification of the events and the social forces that underwrote them. Buy this book.
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64 of 76 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An inside look, September 6, 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Hideous Dream (Paperback)
First let me start by saying that many of those critical of Goff's observations drip with a need to discredit MSG Goff, and with that discredit all the insiders who openly speak out against the agenda's that have guided U.S. foreign policy for most of its history. The most tried and true tactic of those who support the foreign policy decisions of the U.S. government has always been to discredit the individual, hoping then that what they say will also be discredited. I wish to say that those motives stand out in the reviews, as does their lack of factual evidence to counter claims made by not only Goff, but by countless other former employees of Uncle Sam whom claim that the military is the muscle for the business interests of the wealthy elite, (pretty much an all white club) and ethics and morality are not what we fight for abroad. Of course, the more surprising the credentials of the disodence, the more low blows it takes in the desperate attempts to just make what they are saying go away so we'll never have to face that we have to get off our butts and actually think about how we'll make a difference in a situation that seems more and more hopeless every day. Goff is not the only insider who has come out and spoken about the contradictions they witnessed that took the innocence away from them. Others include (plesae look these folks up on your own) Marine Corps General and Medal of Honor receiver, Smedley Butler, former CIA operative Phillip Agee, and former U.S. attorney General Ramsey Clark. All support Goff's ascertations. Countless others do as well, but this is not about them, this is a review of MSG Stan Goff. The personal attacks to discredit Goff instead of standing up to his ascertations were not effectively masked at all. I agree with another reviewer that the comment made about Goff "becoming Black" is not a very effective way to critique Goff. Nor is another reviewer's comments about Goff breaking General Order one by drinking alcahol. In case you've not heard, once you cross into a brother hood that embraces killing and dying as a way of life, drinking and other destructive behavior (such as bar brawling) that is officialy against the rules is practically a rite of passage and to judge Goff for drinking with his men is to judge a huge population of the military. I would hope that their would be more straight forward and factual criticism for those whom disagree with MSG Goff. One reviewer claims that Goff distorts facts, please, tell us which ones he distorts if you are going to make those claims so readers can better examine the attack on Goff's credibility. One reviewer doubts Goff's membership to the elite Special Forces unit, "Delta Force." I would direct that reader to Eric Heney's recent book, Inside Delta Force, where Goff is clearly recognizable as one of the Delta Operators in one of Haney's pictures of B Squadrdron, 1982, Greneda. Of course, Goff is the only one pensively looking away from the camera, conflict plain as day on his face. Haney took the liberty of changing Goff's name for his privacy, calling him Stan Johnson. Most people who criticize Goff would be advised to take note of the fact that, Heney, while less open about his criticism's of foreign policy than Goff, openly expresses the morally corrupt and oppressive role he saw the U.S. plaing in Central America in the 1980's. Right wing death squads? Murder of thousands of civilains by men equiped, trained and advised, and often led by U.S. forces? Heney expresses the torment he felt about being involved in these kinds of operatoins. These things are old news and are not disputed, even by men like Heney who write not to critique U.S. foreign policy, but are simply telling of the role they played and how they felt. It is far more watered down than Goff's criticisms, showing even more that many can see the contradiction, but shy away from opening pandora's box too far, for it usually signals the super patriots attacks on their credibility and loyalties. These should stop being the knee jerk reactions to those with opinions that differ from the status quo. Much is at stake in these times and better infomred is better equiped to make decisions that best honor the good in the spirit of humanity. My advice to those who are considering this book: Do your research. Be open minded. Think before you attack those who criticize the status quo. It is in all of our best interests.
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