It was a French colony, so maybe France should help. And yes I am fairly aware of the French, free, and American parts of Haiti’s history.
Funny how the Dominican Republic is on the same island and it’s a tropical paradise.
One should read the history of Haiti. They were the first slaves to revolt and become free, so France wanted them to pay for “lost business”. So they had to pay off a huge debt. And the U.S. didn’t want Haiti to succeed because it would have encouraged slaves in the U.S. to revolt. So Haiti got roadblock after roadblock.
And France still hasn’t owned up to it.
Greedy fuckers.
Aristide called for reparations from France. Then a bunch of paramilitary units came across the border from the Dominican Republic and staged a coup, at the climax of which the US offered him a plane trip into exile in Africa.
the U.S. didn’t want Haiti to succeed because it would have encouraged slaves in the U.S. to revolt
What’s your source on this?
From Wikipedia:
Fearful of the potential impact the slave rebellion could have in the slave states, U.S. President Thomas Jefferson refused to recognize the new republic. The Southern politicians who were a powerful voting bloc in the American Congress prevented U.S. recognition for decades until they withdrew in 1861 to form the Confederacy.
Later:
Fearing possible foreign intervention, or the emergence of a new government led by the anti-American Haitian politician Rosalvo Bobo, President Woodrow Wilson sent U.S. Marines into Haiti in July 1915. The USS Washington, under Rear Admiral Caperton, arrived in Port-au-Prince in an attempt to restore order and protect U.S. interests. Within days, the Marines had taken control of the capital city and its banks and customs house. The Marines declared martial law and severely censored the press. Within weeks, a new pro-U.S. Haitian president, Philippe Sudré Dartiguenave, was installed and a new constitution written that was favorable to the interests of the United States. The constitution (written by future US President Franklin D. Roosevelt) included a clause that allowed, for the first time, foreign ownership of land in Haiti, which was bitterly opposed by the Haitian legislature and citizenry.
And how long ago was that? And we’re still saying “it’s someone else’s fault?”
I’m from a developing country and while I agree that leaders of former colonies tend blame their former colonial masters to distract the public from internal corruption, the case of Haiti is unique and the unquestionably exploited. Long after independence, they have been subjected to economic imperialism both by France and US.
The New York Times wrote a report detailing the history of Haiti being forced to pay by France at gunpoint after independence, as “reparations” for damaging French properties, i.e. slaves being freed. France then increased the amount and few decades later, the responsibility of creditor has been passed on to American banks, in which the debt doubled-- or double indemnity.
Haiti became independent in 1804 but the debt only became fully repaid in 1930s. Over 130 years after Haitian independence. Imagine that, 130 years being in debt! It is almost as good as being a slave but in a different name. They became free from physical servitude but became slaves by finance.
Haiti’s debt burden made them desperate from invading Dominican Republic in early years to totally exhausting their natural resources to service the debt. You could see the massive deforestation in Haiti compared to neighbouring DR as a result.
If you’re still not convinced at US and French direct influence on Haiti’s downfall of its well-being, it is too much of a coincidence that the democratically elected former Haitian president, Jean Paul Aristide, was supported militarily by France and US to return to power. But when Aristide asked France and US to return the $22 billion worth of assets to Haiti due to double of indemnity, paramilitary groups stormed the presidential palace and Aristide was forced to go on exile to Africa. And France and US never returned their support to him.
If you’re still not convinced, look at neighbouring Dominican Republican as comparison. It shares the same island as Haiti; were both former colonies; both underwent dictatorships; and both got invaded by US, and yet the DR is projected to become a developed country by 2030. It is unquestionable that Haiti was intentionally screwed and the world isn’t paying enough attention to it.
Why isn’t the US sending peacekeepers?
Please no. Somehow someway we would just make it worse. There are plenty of ways to help without guns.
Why should they? Why isn’t the UN? Why isn’t the French?
Then why is the US involved in Ukraine, hmmmm.
Cause its a chance to hurt russia
Because they’re white and look out for white interests.
How does helping the people of Haiti benefit white people?
Spotted the liberal.
It sounds like UN and French aid would be welcome, too. The article talks about the US’s refusal to send military aid.
The US would be well-suited to send military aid in the near-term, they have military bases with helicopters in range of Haiti. They could secure the capital from the rebelling gangs within a day.
I’m not familiar with the situation in Haiti, but keep in mind that organized crime is inherently fascist. I would like an explanation from the developed countries in the area why they don’t think they should prevent an entire country from tumbling into fascism.
Pottery store rules.
-
Haiti is not strategically important.
-
Haiti is a failed state. It isn’t just a matter of re-establishing peace. The whole society has to be re-built.
-
The US invested billions and billions and BILLIONS of dollars and a ton of social capital trying to rebuild a failed state in Afghanistan and it didn’t work. Not only did it not work, but the US has got nothing but scorn for it. No one thinks it would be any better in Haiti.
The US had a moment of glory when it won WW2 and then rebuilt both Japan and Europe into world class economic powers. Of course, those were highly civilized, sophisticated, and industrialized states and so America’s job was easier. Places like Afghanistan, Haiti, and most of Africa…not so much.
Any Western government would be crazy to set foot in countries like that. Maybe send some humanitarian aid, but otherwise stay the fuck out. Let their cultural peers help them out.
…The US had a moment of glory when it won WW2 and then rebuilt both Japan and Europe into world class economic powers. Of course, those were highly civilized, sophisticated, and industrialized states and so America’s job was easier. Places like Afghanistan, Haiti, and most of Africa…not so much.
Sooo much ewww.
How in the world, I wonder, did a beautiful island become suddenly swarmed and populated with an essentially non-homogeneous group of people from across the ocean? Surely their “uncivilized and unsophisticated” nature wouldn’t have allowed them to cross such a vast expanse. Such a mystery!
Any Western government would be crazy to set foot in countries like that. Maybe send some humanitarian aid, but otherwise stay the fuck out. Let their cultural peers help them out.
You’re right, it’s best that outisders remain totally uninvolved and let nature take its course amoungst this anthropologically typical country and neighbors… Well, I guess yeah, we can pitch in some goodfeels and be a tiny lifeline for a limited to few, after all, we gotta sleep at night.
Your sarcasm is not appreciated, but yes, Haiti was created by European colonialism. No one is defending that. The answer isn’t more European colonialism. Western nations can provide the money to help, but some other nation that is more culturally similar needs to provide the boots on the ground. Do you have a better idea, Captain Sarcastic? Remember that the comment I was responding to asked why the US isn’t sending peacekeepers.
-
