No Solution For Haiti?

[Solace]

Haiti has been using inappropriate and old solutions and applied to every new government. Failure over failure, the country hasn’t learned from history. Aristide drove on the same lane Duvalier previously did. The official speech was certainly modified but no concrete measure were taken. Nothing changed.

The gap between the “elite” and the majority is enormous. Haiti was not able to totally get rid of slavery. A certain form of enslavement was somewhat repeated inside the country. It is sinking in the contradictions.

Something must be done. To hell with the auto-determination principle! It was tried and it failed miserably over and over again. Sovereignty is an illusion; Haiti is not able to govern itself.

Haiti needs to chose to put its “sovereignty” back for a little while so that it can be helped by the international community. The country needs to be re-built. Haiti needs continuous support. Up to date, countries like France helped Haiti during crisis but left as soon as the situation “calmed down”.

I suggest the formation of a collective assembly in Haiti, linked to the ONU. That could make it impossible for people to take power for their own interest, leave powers to Haiti to avoid neocolonisation and provide the backup the country needs.

So?

[VukBZ2005]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12 2004, 10:04 PM
Haiti has been using inappropriate and old solutions and applied to every new government. Failure over failure, the country hasn’t learned from history. Aristide drove on the same lane Duvalier previously did. The official speech was certainly changed, but no concrete measure were taken. Nothing changed.

The gap between the “elite” and the majority is enormous. Haiti was not able to totally get rid of slavery. A certain form of enslavement was somewhat repeated inside the country. It is sinking in the contradictions.

Something must be done. To hell with the auto-determination principle! It was tried and it failed miserably over and over again. Soovereignty is an illusion; Haiti is not able to govern itself.

Haiti needs to chose the put its “sovereignty” back for a little while so that it can be helped by the international community. The country needs to be re-built. Haiti needs continuous support. Up to date, countries like France helped Haiti during crisis but left as soon as the situation “calmed down”.

I suggest the formation of a collective assembly in Haiti, linked to the ONU. That could make it impossible for people to take power for their own interest, leave powers to Haiti to avoid neocolonisation and provide the backup the country needs.

So?
Solace - you are perfectly right. In Haiti - there is always someone
willing to take power for their own reasons. A collective Assembly
will help Haiti greatly.

Probably then Haiti would be Ready for Communism.

[Winston Smith]

The Hatian solution to a bad government is revolution and worse government. They could probably use a good dose of socialism. That or a Fascist government so they realize they didn't have it so bad.

[Solace]

The only way socialism might work in Haiti is if a revolution starts simulatenously in Dominican Republic.

The idea should not be rejected though. Less than 1% of the population owns 40% of the means of production. Their situation is so desperate, a revolution is possible.

Yeah, and I am using socialism as "left goverment" here.

[Morpheus]

The only solution is social revolution. One of the main reasons Haiti has so many problems is due to foreign intervention. The imperialists sell their intervention as "helping" but it actually makes things worse.

This was written just prior to the US-backed coup against Aristide:

Historic Roots of the Haitian Civil War
by Morpheus

The present civil war has brought Haiti back into the news again, along with its many problems that have afflicted the country for over a century. Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and now is stricken with a civil war that threatens to bring about a humanitarian catastrophe. The civil war has also prompted the Bush administration to consider military intervention in Haiti. Haiti’s problems to a great extend are due to interventions by foreign powers, mainly France and the United States. Further interventions cannot fix Haiti’s problems; they are one of the main sources of its problems.

Haiti was formed as the result of a slave uprising against their French owners two hundred years ago. Inspired by enlightenment ideology, they waged a decade long revolutionary war which succeeded in ending slavery in Haiti and obtaining independence from France. They named their new country Haiti, which is what the original inhabitants, the Arawaks, called the island. The United States feared that Haiti’s revolution might inspire a similar revolution in the US and, along with France and many other countries, became extremely hostile towards Haiti. France demanded that they pay reparations for all the slaves that were freed in the revolution. In 1825 Haiti was pressured into agreeing to pay France reparations for daring to infringe on French property by freeing the slaves. Schools, healthcare and other social programs were shut down in what some have called the first Structural Adjustment Program in the western hemisphere. France's insistence on this debt, and the decision of the Haitian elite to go along with it, plunged the country into deep dept and is part of the reason the country is so poor today. It's legacy lives on.

In 1915 the United States invaded Haiti and occupied it until 1934. Woodrow Wilson, a Democrat who won election with a platform critical of the imperialist policies of his Republican predecessors, was President during the invasion. US troops broke into Haiti’s treasury, stole all the gold and shipped it to the First National City Bank in New York. The US installed a puppet government, writing a new constitution for Haiti favorable to US investment & control and forcing the government to accept a treaty ratifying American control. The US employed a policy of forced labor against the population; Haitian peasants were forced at gunpoint to build railroads, buildings and other infrastructure for American companies and the neocolonial administration. Charlemagne Péralte and Benoit Batraville organized and led a guerilla army called the Cacos against the US occupation. The US brutally suppressed the insurgency. Haitians who resisted were forced into concentration camps and innocent civilians mercilessly slaughtered. There were several massacres committed by US troops; in 1929 US marines gunned down 264 protesting peasants in Les Cayes.

The United States built up a brutal proxy army that was used to suppress resistance and maintain Haiti as an American satellite state after the occupation ended. The US supported several dictators after the end of the occupation, including Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier and his son Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier. Under their rule over 30,000 Haitians were killed and even more tortured by their death squads. As Haiti became the poorest country in the hemisphere they enriched themselves by exploiting the population and stealing foreign aid, including $16 million from a $22 million 1980 IMF loan. Baby Doc turned the country into a trans-shipment point for cocaine trafficking.

In 1986 Baby Doc was forced out of power. In 1990 elections were held. The United States supported Marc Bazin, a former World Bank official, and gave him millions of dollars plus all sorts of resources to win. The priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide, running on a left-wing reformist platform, won with 67% of the vote. Bazin only got 12%. The military didn't like this and launched a coup, with the quiet support of the US. Aristide was forced to flee Haiti. Over the next three years Haitian soldiers and paramilitaries launched a reign of terror and murdered several thousand Haitians.

In 1994 the US invaded and restored Aristide to power, on the condition that the new regime would implement neoliberal "free market" reforms such as IMF structural adjustment programs, privatization, and the like. The US gained by having Aristide implement neoliberalism because he had popular support and so would encounter less resistance than a military dictatorship trying to do the same. Due to these "free enterprise" policies 80% of Haitians live in abject poverty and sweatshops have proliferated. In the mid-90s Aristide allowed an ally to take over the Presidency, and in 2000 Aristide became President again.

Because Aristide’s policies have failed to improve the lives of most Haitians he has lost the popular support he once had. Now that he has worn out his usefulness, the US has allowed the old oligarchy to launch a campaign to overthrow him and restore themselves to power. Several leaders of the rebellion were previously leaders and death squad commanders in the military dictatorship of the early ‘90s, including Jean “Tatoune” Pierre, Louis Jodel Chamblain, Andre Apaid Jr., and others. Congresswoman Maxine Waters had alleged that the right-wing rebellion is covertly supported by the United States. One of their leaders, Guy Phillippe, told British reporters about the decision to wait on attacking the capital that "I heard the United States asked our men to stop their advance to Port-au-Prince. It’s on the news on the Net ... If they ask us, it’s because they have a better option, option for peace, and we always give peace a chance here, so we’ll wait to see for one or two days ... We will keep on sending troops but we won’t attack Port-au-Prince until we understand what the US means." This is basically an admission that the rebels are following orders from the US. After the US invaded in 1994 the Haitian army was disbanded, which has made it very easy for the current rebellion to defeat the government.

Some reports from the capitalist media have described the current civil war as “anarchy,” which is obvious nonsense. Neither the government nor the rebels have any intention of abolishing capitalism or the state. The rebels are simply replacing the current state with another one. There are no workers councils, no popular assemblies, no self-managed workplaces or anything else remotely resembling anarchy. No attempt has been made to abolish capitalism. Sweatshops, bosses, and many other hierarchies still exist. The media is just continuing a long tradition of slandering anarchism by pointing to hellholes and civil wars as “anarchy.” A few centuries ago similar slander was directed against “democracy” and “republics,” both of which were associated with chaos. Fortunately, the media’s description of the civil war as “anarchy” is not as common as it has been in other cases.

To think that any intervention by the United States into Haiti will be motivated by humanitarian concerns is totally a-historical and absurd. The United States has a long history of intervention in Haiti, none of which was designed to actually help Haitians. American interventions, from setting up concentration camps to supporting murderous dictators, have just brought death and misery. To talk of US humanitarian interventions is like suggesting that the Soviet Union was only engaged in humanitarian interventions in all of its client states of Eastern Europe. Haiti is an American satellite state, just as Poland, et al. were Russian satellite states. Any intervention will be undertaken to protect American imperial interests, not for humanitarian purposes.

[Solace]

American interventions, from setting up concentration camps to supporting murderous dictators, have just brought death and misery.

Concentration camp? I never heard of that one... Do you have links?

I hate to say it, but the American intervention was not all bad. They built schools, a good transportation systm and irrigation system. I've mostly heard good comments from Haitian peasants.

And the world is not composed only of the U$A. Several countries have debts to pay in Haiti, more moraly than monetary. What I suggest is a multilateral intervention to help Haiti stand on its feet that will take 20, 30, even 40 years overall.

But my suggestion is flawed from the beginning since it depends on capitalist countries that will certainly not help another country if they have no interest in doing so.

Your essay puts Haiti in the victim position, as usual. This kind of thinking is old and it is not helping anything. The consequences of the colonization were devastating, yes, but the main reasons for the actual shit is the "elite" of the country that is seeking power for its personal ambitions.

[CommunistRob]

Something must be done. To hell with the auto-determination principle! It was tried and it failed miserably over and over again. Sovereignty is an illusion; Haiti is not able to govern itself.

Haiti is able to govern itself.I am a Haitian and I garuntee you if any outside force comes into this country to completely take control and govern it you will have the bloodiest revolt anyone has ever seen in the Western Hemisphere.Up to date countries like France,Europe and the U.S. have absolutely no right to be in Haiti.They are the very countries that enslaved them and stole them from africa years ago it is there fault Haiti is in the mess it is now.If these racist Westernized countries never enslaved the africans in the first place Haiti would not be in the mess it is now.Haiti must repair itself by its own means.Although I think Western nations should pay reperations to Haiti for enslaving them and isolating them after they became a free nation.The international peace keeping forces in Haiti now should only stay there until Haiti reorganizes it's police force.

[Morpheus]

Originally posted by [email protected] 13 2004, 09:17 PM
Concentration camp? I never heard of that one... Do you have links?


http://www.iacenter.org/warcrime/leblanc.htm
http://www.boondocksnet.com/ai/ail/haiti_sd_soc.html
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43a/405.html
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43a/384.html


I hate to say it, but the American intervention was not all bad.

Which one? There have been several.


Your essay puts Haiti in the victim position, as usual. This kind of thinking is old and it is not helping anything. The consequences of the colonization were devastating, yes, but the main reasons for the actual shit is the "elite" of the country that is seeking power for its personal ambitions.

Utter crap. Of course the domestic elite has played a role in hurting Haiti, I said so in my article, but it's far from the main reason. Youv'e presented zero evidence to support such a claim, just the usual rhetoric used by Westerners when they want to avoid the role western "civilization" has played in screwing up the world. That kind of crap can be used to justify anything. Are you really going to pretend that repeated invasions, concentration camps, US-backed dictators and IMF structural adjustments are only a minor role in Haiti's history?

[Solace]

Haiti is able to govern itself.

History had shown the exact opposite.


I am a Haitian and I garuntee you if any outside force comes into this country to completely take control and govern it you will have the bloodiest revolt anyone has ever seen in the Western Hemisphere.

That is not what I am saying. I am not suggesting to annihilate Haiti or even annex it to another country. Go read previous posts.


If these racist Westernized countries never enslaved the africans in the first place Haiti would not be in the mess it is now. (…) Although I think Western nations should pay reperations to Haiti for enslaving them and isolating them after they became a free nation.

Oh, yeah! Damn those racist countries, but we kinda need their help, huh?

Crying for the past is useless. Haiti has been crying since 1804. It’s about time find we find solutions.


Haiti must repair itself by its own means.

How? HOW? They received money, they received international aid… the situation was a bit stabilised after the actions of the international community to totally decline as soon as Haiti was left by itself.

Nothing is the country can stand tall. Most of the population is illiterate and lives in rural areas without electricity, water, education or public servies. A whole generation of children indoctrinated in various rebel factions is sacrificed and there is no major industry. Most of the intellectuals, the artists and the scientists left for other countries.

How do you work with this?


The international peace keeping forces in Haiti now should only stay there until Haiti reorganizes it's police force.

It has been tried and as I tirelessly repeat it: it failed! You don’t work with elements that caused failures. It’s absurd.

[Solace]

Are you really going to pretend that repeated invasions, concentration camps, US-backed dictators and IMF structural adjustments are only a minor role in Haiti's history?

No.

I said the “main reasons for the actual shit is the elite”. We all know Haiti got fucked partly by outside forces. What about the inside?

Since its creation, Haiti has been following the same pattern: dictatorship, revolt, stabilisation of the situation and another dictatorship. The rich clique is overthrown by a social uprising and replaced with another rich clique. This is Haiti’s biggest problem. Sure you can trace the causes of this issue to foreign actions, but the ones we need to hold responsible for this are inside the country!

Look at history if you want evidences!

Why didn’t work with Duvalier? Why didn’t work with Aristide?

Both worked with a certain populism and placed Haiti as the victim. The society was disjoined between the victims and the oppressors. No concrete political or economic program was created. They used nationalism to fuel the fissure between two sides while they worked for their own interest.

The time of the "Pas fot moin" is over. Haiti need to wake-up!

[LuZhiming]

Originally posted by [email protected] 14 2004, 12:15 AM
Why didn’t work with Duvalier? Why didn’t work with Aristide?

Both worked with a certain populism and placed Haiti as the victim. The society was disjoined between the victims and the oppressors. No concrete political or economic program was created. They used nationalism to fuel the fissure between two sides while they worked for their own interest.

The time of the "Pas fot moin" is over. Haiti need to wake-up!
Duvalier was a dictator that was serving the rich. The very fact that they stayed in power as long as they did is a result of the U.S.' "foreign aid." Aristide did actually create excellent reforms, until the coup(Which had U.S. involvement.) Then the U.S. delayed his return until he made free market policies, and Aristide began to implement them in Haiti. So you are partially right, but both examples have a significant U.S. role in them still.

[CommunistRob]

What authority do you have to tell a Haitian how his mother country should be run?

And you can never forget the past.Because the past is what controls the future.

[Severian]

Originally posted by [email protected] 13 2004, 06:15 PM
I said the “main reasons for the actual shit is the elite”. We all know Haiti got fucked partly by outside forces. What about the inside?
What makes you think the two are counterposed?

Haiti's elite are the accomplices of imperialism, and imperialism has always made sure that Haiti's elite remains in the saddle.

The "international community" - which, in practices, always turns out to mean the imperialist powers - always "helps" the elite, not working people. There have been several invasions of Haiti, and they haven't fixed Haiti's problems. Why do you think this time will be different?

One definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

[SittingBull47]

Solace is right. If you're going to overthrow the government, at least have your shit together.

[redstar2000]

I am very curious as to why there is no Maoist party in Haiti?

It ought to be a "natural" for them; a wretchedly impoverished country oppressed by a small arrogant elite in partnership with imperialism, mostly inhabited by subsistence farmers, etc.

Some kind of guerrilla warfare ought to be possible there (almost all of the countryside has been deforested, but still...).

The grip of ancient superstitions is supposed to be very strong...perhaps that's the reason no revolutionary group has made an appearance there yet.

Or perhaps there are other reasons.

In any event, it's most unlikely that the present occupation will make any positive difference; I'm not aware of any country that has been "changed for the better" by imperialism.

Usually, things get much worse. (The BBC reports that U.S. Marines have already murdered six Haitians.)

:redstar2000:

The Redstar2000 Papers (http://www.redstar2000papers.vze.com)
A site about communist ideas

[Solace]

Things need to be cleared up.

I am not suggesting "invasion" or "occupation".

The potential for a social revolution is enormous in Haiti. It will be lead by the people and for the people. They take power, not the rebel clique, but the people. They form the collective assembly I stated earlier and they chose, if they want to, to be backed up.

All they will receive from the international community (i.e UN) is money, food and health care. There is no formation of a “substitute” government by the U$A and no foreign troops present. The people rule like they wish to and they get the help of the UN when they want to.

This has not be tried, yet.

All we’ve seen is rebels coming out of the blue and backed by imperialistic powers.

If the people have a chance to speak, they will.

But like I said earlier, it’s a very idealistic “solution”.

[Severian]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12 2004, 04:04 PM
Something must be done. To hell with the auto-determination principle! It was tried and it failed miserably over and over again. Sovereignty is an illusion; Haiti is not able to govern itself.

Haiti needs to chose to put its “sovereignty” back for a little while so that it can be helped by the international community.
versus

Solace:

I am not suggesting "invasion" or "occupation".....All they will receive from the international community (i.e UN) is money, food and health care. There is no formation of a “substitute” government by the U$A and no foreign troops present. The people rule like they wish to and they get the help of the UN when they want to.

Which one is it?

[Solace]

Ya know, I don't see where I am contradicting myself there, bro'.

Give Haiti the stuff they can't have on their own...