Double Predestination in Haiti
In John Calvin's theological universe, only God could effect salvation. The logic of that position led to the notorious doctrine of "double predestination" by way of the argument that, should God choose not to cause any individual's salvation, his deferral was tantamount to a decree of damnation. It appears that American interventionism in a world with only one superpower has created a similar climate of thought in international affairs, such that, by the very act of refusing to guarantee the authority of Haitian president Aristide's government in the face of opposition by armed mobs of his countrymen, the United States is said to have removed him from office by a coup. If this logic is carried far enough, George W. Bush will be assigned moral responsibility for every burglary in Borneo.