We witness the gangs still holding Haiti hostage. That poor country’s been in crisis for over two hundred years – from the moment the slaves under Toussaint Louverture drove out the French rulers in 1804. Imagine, this included a French army under the command of Napoleon’s brother-in-law!! It became personal, and the French – who fancied themselves more civilised than everyone on earth – were determined to teach the enslaved Africans a lesson. They’d never be allowed to enjoy the “liberty, equality, fraternity” their vaunted revolution introduced! That’ll show them!!
It was part of their “white man’s burden” that they had to take away the non-whites’ land, use their labour for free, and rape their women to create a new coloured group – who’d be a buffer against rebellion!! Poor them!! They were therefore quite miffed to lose their most valuable colony – the largest supplier of sugar to Europe – bringing in huge profits that paid for their “civilized” court life!!
They weren’t about to let bygones be bygones!! No siree, Bob!! France insisted in 1825 – backed by warships – that they had to be compensated for all they’d “lost” – including slaves!! They demanded, and received, what would’ve been US$32 billion today – that couldn’t be repaid till 1947!! It was ironic that the other revolutionary 19th century icon of liberty – the USA – took over receipt of the debt from 1922, and landed Marines several times to prop up various dictators when repayment was threatened!! So, when we hear about Haiti’s poverty, it ain’t so straightforward!!
But it’s rather pathetic that there still isn’t a plan to sort out the latest collapse of the Haitian state – following the assassination of President Moise back in 2021. How many interim governments have there been since?? They were supposed to govern the country after an UN-backed force that never was brought back order to the present gang-inflicted chaos!! The US had committed to providing $300 million, while France and Canada had committed US$11M!! Can you believe this, especially with the billions they gave to Ukraine?? But even those paltry sums weren’t delivered.
On the troops for the UN-backed force, the US has been pretty sensitive about its past pacifications, and has been encouraging countries from Mother Africa to step up to the plate. Benin had committed 1500 policemen, and Kenya has committed 1000 – but Bein’s commitments never came true, while Kenya’s were never met. But, most shamefully, the Caribbean – which keeps boasting about the “seminal” revolt of Toussaint Louverture, has remained on the sidelines uttering platitudes. Bahamas and Jamaica sent in a handful of policemen. So, any light at the end of this tunnel is rather faint.
Your Eyewitness wonders why there isn’t international pressure on France to send the thousands of troops they withdrew from the Sahel, who were “keeping the peace”?
…anarchy
For more than two hundred years after slavery, to become a civil servant was the dream of the freed slaves and their descendants. This wasn’t only wukking for the white man who’d lorded it over them, but the RULING white man, who’d lorded even those who ran the plantations and businesses!! To not only BE in their presence, but almost rub shoulders with them as they scribbled away at their journal entries, was to be in heaven!! And when they descended back to their homes, they NEVER let their neighbours forget it!! They cultivated the mores and manners of the whites, and snottily kept themselves apart.
But it all fell apart when they followed the despised masses and formed unions to bargain for money. They forgot that even if they’d been living in poverty, it was a GENTEEL poverty, and they could keep up their airs!! And look where it’s led them! Not only banging tables and behaving badly after losing elections, but loudly playing soca music!!
What next?? Vybz Kartel??
…Aubrey
Poor Aubrey…when it rains it pours like a monsoon!! Challenged by all these middle-class types, who feel he’s not “leadership material”, he’s now been sandbagged by the women’s arm that’s been the backbone of the PNC since Winnie Gaskin!!
