Why is Haiti so poor? A history of quake-hit island

[Muhaha]

Re: Why is Haiti so poor? A history of quake-hit island

"Despite receiving more than $8.4 billion in foreign aid since 1980, Haiti is poorer today than it was 30 years ago."

Haiti's population also grew about 60% since 1980 and now stands around 9 million - 10 million people.

Where is all of this money going?

Politicians over there just pocket it.

[KanadaHye]

Re: Why is Haiti so poor? A history of quake-hit island

Politicians over there just pocket it.

So we just keep giving them more... that makes sense doesn't it?

[Muhaha]

Re: Why is Haiti so poor? A history of quake-hit island

So we just keep giving them more... that makes sense doesn't it?

Exactly. I've said the same thing. Helping them in these types of emergency situations, I fully support. But giving them money throughout the year like they're our kids is just silly. Especially since we can obviously see there's no progress being made.

[KanadaHye]

Re: Why is Haiti so poor? A history of quake-hit island

Exactly. I've said the same thing. Helping them in these types of emergency situations, I fully support. But giving them money throughout the year like they're our kids is just silly. Especially since we can obviously see there's no progress being made.

I agree, welfare rarely helps people get back on their feet but instead chains them down.

“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime”


Haiti's revolt inspired U.S. black activists

Haiti's poverty has been much discussed since its massive earthquake, but little has been said of its rich, and equally fraught, history.

For African-Americans, Haiti's tragedy hits close to home. For more than two centuries the tiny, at times fragile, republic has inspired black political activism in the United States.

Born of the influence of the French and American revolutions, Haiti, once prized as the j3wel of the French Empire, changed the course of its history by engineering a revolution that startled the world.

Once a colony of slaves under French rule in the 18th century, Haiti transformed itself into the first black republic and one of the first nations in the Western Hemisphere to outlaw slavery.

It is a breathtakingly inspirational story: Slaves revolted en masse in 1791 under the leadership of Toussaint L'Ouverture, a brilliant statesman and military strategist who was influenced by the Enlightenment ideals of universal freedom and citizenship.

Ultimately, the rebels defeated Napoleon's army and England before declaring independence in 1804. The founders of the American Republic had celebrated the news of revolution in France, but news of the revolt in Haiti didn't receive the same applause.

News of this successful revolution led by slaves reverberated across the Caribbean to the United States and brought chills up the spines of whites -- including President Thomas Jefferson, who deplored the revolution and despised the new republic's existence. But it emboldened African-American slaves.

Fears that Haiti's successful revolt could inspire slave insurrections in the United States led to increased restrictions on the movements of blacks in Southern states.

Coupled with concerns over the stability of slavery in Cuba, Haiti represented a powerful threat to the comfort, safety and security of the new American Republic.

In antebellum America, and during the Civil War, black and white abolitionists saw Haiti as an example of the potential and possibilities of black political leadership.

In many respects, Haiti's liberation from French rule proved to be a high point, sadly followed by a seemingly endless cycle of economic poverty, foreign intervention -- including American occupation from 1915 to 1934 -- government corruption, and dictatorships.

Yet there is another, equally important aspect of Haitian history, one that black Americans identify with deeply.

During the period of antebellum slavery and after, Haiti profoundly impacted the imagination of African-American political activism. On the eve of the Civil War, Frederick Douglass spoke for most African-Americans when he referred to the "bright example" of Haiti. He called Toussaint Louverture "the noble liberator and law-giver of his brave and dauntless people." Douglass and other blacks considered Toussaint one of the greatest self-made men of the 19th century.

Caribbean migration to the United States, beginning in the early 20th century, transformed black political activism. Immigrants such as Marcus Garvey and Hubert Harrison emerged as street speakers in Harlem. And the Haitian Revolution remained a touchstone for radical black political activists.

C.L.R. James, a Trinidadian-born author and activist, wrote a 1939 history of the revolt, "The Black Jacobins," that remains a classic in Africana Studies scholarship.

The immigration of Haitians in increasing numbers after the passage of major immigration reform in 1965 has allowed Haitian culture to establish critical beachheads in cities such as New York, Boston, and Miami.

Haiti's culture -- its food, music, flag, and proud revolutionary tradition -- resonates alongside of contemporary African-American culture.

The popularity of hip hop musician Wyclef Jean, the proliferation of Haitian sports stars, and the prevalence of Kreyol [Haitian Creole] words such as "Sa k' Pase" in rap music attest to Haiti's influence.

As the Haitian people prepare to rebuild their republic, we would do well to remember that the tragedy of Haiti is not a failure of black power but ultimately the frustration of it, one that involves mistakes by not only Haitians but by Western powers as well, including the United States.

Haitians are the descendants of the great black revolution for liberation, imbued with a history of wrestling with crises. The spirit of the Haitian people is resilient and resourceful. These values will serve them well even during this unimaginable devastation.

The Haitian people can also take comfort in the knowledge that African-Americans continue to find deep kinship, one forged in the shared crucible of slavery as well as heroic resistance against this system, in their current plight and efforts to rebuild Port-au-Prince.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/01/2...ex.html?hpt=T2

[ashot24]

Re: Why is Haiti so poor? A history of quake-hit island

Why is Haiti so poor?

Just don't mention the "N" word.

The "N" word is one of the main reasons, sadly. Haiti is so poor because of the world potencies, interests alliances, and racism...it's all because of that.

You see, Haiti was the FIRST country in the Americas to declare itself independent of the European colonies by a successful revolution and the FIRST independent country in the world lead by black people (who as you may know, at the time they were seen as nothing more than simple slaves).

So what happened? The French Colonialists were so hurt that the "inferior black people" had defeated their powerful army, that a bunch of simple slaves had declared independent. The news spread all over Colonialist Western Europe (the Spaniards, the English, the Dutch, the Portuguese), who saw Haiti declared as an independent country as a dangerous move, for that might spread to other places who will want to be independent too, so Haiti was looked as the 'bad apple' who might damage the others. So something had to be done.

You can say, that the powers of Western Europe 'punished' Haiti for being a "bad apple", and most of all, punished Haiti for dearing to challenge their views that black people were inferior than the white man and nothing more than simple slaves. The French punished Haiti with a huge amount of external debt, saying they wanted "compensations" for the material losts they suffered in the "riots" (as they called the events), because they were preparing to strike back, seize the country, and retake power.

Other colonies, specially in South America, feared that the black people would as well be the leaders of some "riots", so they put them into more opression, securing that they would not dare to do such thing. However, that was exactly was happened...the black people stood up, along with all the other ethnics of the colonies, and supported by some people in power, they lead the revolution that followed in every other country in South America.

To the eyes of the colonialists, the one to blame for this was Haiti, so they all engaged in a huge game. The ones that helped the South, Central American countries to get their independence were the French and the English, the ones that helped the USA and Canada to get their independence were the French and the Spaniards, so practically, everybody had debts to the French, which became the country that imposed external debts to every almost American country (only the USA and Canada payed it full). At the same time, all the other "hurt" colonialists empires imposed external debts to Haiti because there was no law to stop them, because black people had no rights back then and were considered as sub-humans, so besides the ridiculous amount of money the French wanted them to pay, all other empires also asked for money, leaving Haiti as the only country in the Americas that owes the highest amount external debt. So Haiti owes more money that it can produce, and all the little they gather is given to their external debt, and just a little stays in the country...what's it's use? I don't know, but certainly it doesn't goes to the people.

But of course, that wasn't enough, so as time went by other countries gave Haiti money with the promise they will pay someday, to name some the USA, Mexico, and even if you don't believe it, the country that has lent more money to Haiti during its history is Venezuela, so Haiti also owes zillions to them.

To this, add the political issues that Haiti has gone through its history, is an amazingly unstable country when talking politically, and socially. Most of the governors they had have been answering to the interests of some superpowers, such as the USA, and have been taking the necessary steps to have people under oppression, silent, and obedient, not letting those who wanted change for their people got to power, of killing them if they ever did. They are dangerous for the Imperialists dreams of the USA and friends, which have been controlling the Americas since the beginning of the past century and enforced their power after the Cuban Revolution, successfully eliminating every leader that has presented real danger for them, such as Allende in Chile.

And also add the fact that because of the lack of resources Haiti has suffered, the desperate search for agriculture places for food have almost completely deforested the country. Just look at Haiti in Google Earth, compare the green places Haiti has in comparison with the Dominican Republic...it's amazing how deforested and deserted Haiti is.

But what has happened now? Haiti got struck by a devastating earthquake, and needs help. The UN(fair), now controls who can and who cannot send help to Haiti, what quantity of help they can sent, spreads fear amongst their population (such as they did to Mexico: Haiti did not accept help from Mexico because they feared that the A1N1 flu would spread in their country, although studies have been made that the flu doesn't spread through food. Mexico is extremely offended), and now has allowed the US to militarize Haiti with their soldiers.

There shouldn't be no surprise if we see Haiti in some more time as an "independent" state under control of the USA, such as Puerto Rico. But who's waiting, Haiti already is...

That is why Haiti is so poor, they have always been punished for being the light that the Americas needed to fight for their independence, and for being black people who never accepted their conditions as slaves and asked for the same rights to everyone. That is why...

[Pedro Xaramillo]

Re: Why is Haiti so poor? A history of quake-hit island

It was only a matter of time before EVIL Hollywood took over and tried to get in on some of the action, GASP!


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_431936.html

When the US helps

[Armanen]

Re: Why is Haiti so poor? A history of quake-hit island

The "N" word is one of the main reasons, sadly. Haiti is so poor because of the world potencies, interests alliances, and racism...it's all because of that.

You see, Haiti was the FIRST country in the Americas to declare itself independent of the European colonies by a successful revolution and the FIRST independent country in the world lead by black people (who as you may know, at the time they were seen as nothing more than simple slaves).

So what happened? The French Colonialists were so hurt that the "inferior black people" had defeated their powerful army, that a bunch of simple slaves had declared independent. The news spread all over Colonialist Western Europe (the Spaniards, the English, the Dutch, the Portuguese), who saw Haiti declared as an independent country as a dangerous move, for that might spread to other places who will want to be independent too, so Haiti was looked as the 'bad apple' who might damage the others. So something had to be done.

You can say, that the powers of Western Europe 'punished' Haiti for being a "bad apple", and most of all, punished Haiti for dearing to challenge their views that black people were inferior than the white man and nothing more than simple slaves. The French punished Haiti with a huge amount of external debt, saying they wanted "compensations" for the material losts they suffered in the "riots" (as they called the events), because they were preparing to strike back, seize the country, and retake power.

Other colonies, specially in South America, feared that the black people would as well be the leaders of some "riots", so they put them into more opression, securing that they would not dare to do such thing. However, that was exactly was happened...the black people stood up, along with all the other ethnics of the colonies, and supported by some people in power, they lead the revolution that followed in every other country in South America.

To the eyes of the colonialists, the one to blame for this was Haiti, so they all engaged in a huge game. The ones that helped the South, Central American countries to get their independence were the French and the English, the ones that helped the USA and Canada to get their independence were the French and the Spaniards, so practically, everybody had debts to the French, which became the country that imposed external debts to every almost American country (only the USA and Canada payed it full). At the same time, all the other "hurt" colonialists empires imposed external debts to Haiti because there was no law to stop them, because black people had no rights back then and were considered as sub-humans, so besides the ridiculous amount of money the French wanted them to pay, all other empires also asked for money, leaving Haiti as the only country in the Americas that owes the highest amount external debt. So Haiti owes more money that it can produce, and all the little they gather is given to their external debt, and just a little stays in the country...what's it's use? I don't know, but certainly it doesn't goes to the people.

But of course, that wasn't enough, so as time went by other countries gave Haiti money with the promise they will pay someday, to name some the USA, Mexico, and even if you don't believe it, the country that has lent more money to Haiti during its history is Venezuela, so Haiti also owes zillions to them.

To this, add the political issues that Haiti has gone through its history, is an amazingly unstable country when talking politically, and socially. Most of the governors they had have been answering to the interests of some superpowers, such as the USA, and have been taking the necessary steps to have people under oppression, silent, and obedient, not letting those who wanted change for their people got to power, of killing them if they ever did. They are dangerous for the Imperialists dreams of the USA and friends, which have been controlling the Americas since the beginning of the past century and enforced their power after the Cuban Revolution, successfully eliminating every leader that has presented real danger for them, such as Allende in Chile.

And also add the fact that because of the lack of resources Haiti has suffered, the desperate search for agriculture places for food have almost completely deforested the country. Just look at Haiti in Google Earth, compare the green places Haiti has in comparison with the Dominican Republic...it's amazing how deforested and deserted Haiti is.

But what has happened now? Haiti got struck by a devastating earthquake, and needs help. The UN(fair), now controls who can and who cannot send help to Haiti, what quantity of help they can sent, spreads fear amongst their population (such as they did to Mexico: Haiti did not accept help from Mexico because they feared that the A1N1 flu would spread in their country, although studies have been made that the flu doesn't spread through food. Mexico is extremely offended), and now has allowed the US to militarize Haiti with their soldiers.

There shouldn't be no surprise if we see Haiti in some more time as an "independent" state under control of the USA, such as Puerto Rico. But who's waiting, Haiti already is...

That is why Haiti is so poor, they have always been punished for being the light that the Americas needed to fight for their independence, and for being black people who never accepted their conditions as slaves and asked for the same rights to everyone. That is why...

For much of the 19th century the u.s. did have explicit and implicit embargos on trade with haiti. But as far as the debt, unless a country is threatened by military force, in those days a country had more flexability to pay or not pay its debt. Other than nations, there were no international organizations, such as the WB/IMF to punish the debtor nation.

Also, the u.s. gained its independence before haiti. 1776 (u.s.) 1804 (haiti)

[ashot24]

Re: Why is Haiti so poor? A history of quake-hit island

For much of the 19th century the u.s. did have explicit and implicit embargos on trade with haiti. But as far as the debt, unless a country is threatened by military force, in those days a country had more flexability to pay or not pay its debt. Other than nations, there were no international organizations, such as the WB/IMF to punish the debtor nation.

Also, the u.s. gained its independence before haiti. 1776 (u.s.) 1804 (haiti)

I didn't understand what is your point in the first sentence.

And yes, the US gained independence before Haiti, but the US (and Canada) is a world apart of the rest of the Americas.

The US became independent in every sense of the word from the UK, and overshadowed the UK in every aspect afterwards.
The rest of the countries that became independent fell from one empire/superpower to another in a matter of just years, and in some cases, such as Ecuador, we are in heavy economical, political, and social dependence of both our past empire and the current empire. We have never achieved full independence, in any aspect, if you talk about independence here in the continent is just mere political independence (which I doubt in many countries).

[Armanen]

Re: Why is Haiti so poor? A history of quake-hit island

I didn't understand what is your point in the first sentence.

And yes, the US gained independence before Haiti, but the US (and Canada) is a world apart of the rest of the Americas.

The US became independent in every sense of the word from the UK, and overshadowed the UK in every aspect afterwards.
The rest of the countries that became independent fell from one empire/superpower to another in a matter of just years, and in some cases, such as Ecuador, we are in heavy economical, political, and social dependence of both our past empire and the current empire. We have never achieved full independence, in any aspect, if you talk about independence here in the continent is just mere political independence (which I doubt in many countries).

The U.S. didn't surpass the UK until after 1880s. For it's first 50 years, the U.S. was a threat to the English, who almost joined in on the side of the CSA, had Gettysburg been won by the South, England would have joined on their side in all likelihood.

As far as what I wrote above, it was in reference to you saying haiti had a lot of foreign debt. While this is true, I wanted to say that there was only military power forcing their hand to pay, where as today there is not just military but also organizational powers that carry just as much pressure as the threat of war.

And yes, Latin America missed its chance to be unified when Bolivar failed to maintain unity after the Independence wars were over. If Latin America, or at least S. America minus Brazil had become one nation, it would have posed a serious threat to the U.S.

[KanadaHye]

Re: Why is Haiti so poor? A history of quake-hit island

Here is some food for thought:

Stephen Pierce tells the story:

The Jan. 12 earthquake was on a fault line that passes near potential gas reserves, said Stephen Pierce, a geologist who worked in the region for 30 years for companies including the former Mobil Corp. The quake may have cracked rock formations along the fault, allowing gas or oil to temporarily seep toward the surface, he said yesterday in a telephone interview.
“A geologist, callous as it may seem, tracing that fault zone from Port-au-Prince to the border looking for gas and oil seeps, may find a structure that hasn’t been drilled,” said Pierce, exploration manager at Zion Oil & Gas Inc., a Dallas- based company that’s drilling in Israel. “A discovery could significantly improve the country’s economy and stimulate further exploration.

...The Greater Antilles, which includes Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and their offshore waters, probably hold at least 142 million barrels of oil and 159 billion cubic feet of gas, according to a 2000 report by the U.S. Geological Survey. Undiscovered amounts may be as high as 941 million barrels of oil and 1.2 trillion cubic feet of gas, according to the report. Among nations in the northern Caribbean, Cuba and Jamaica have awarded offshore leases for oil and gas development. Trinidad and Tobago, South American islands off the coast of Venezuela, account for most Caribbean oil production, according to the U.S. Energy Department.

For the record, Haiti has a large reserve of oil and natural gas. How could it not? It shares the waters with oil producing island from all around. We noted this also. Besides, this is not new or a surprise to the United States and certainly shouldn't be new to "a geologist who worked in the region for 30 years for companies including the former Mobil Corp."

There's always been oil in Haiti. The US /USAID guaranteed an oil contract for an American businessman named Charles C. Valentine back in November 1962 that gave his company a monopoly control over pretty much everything to do with oil in Haiti and seems to have also paid him to back out of it.

The US has been trying to get rid of Haiti's democratically elected government since 1991 so they could get to "their" strategic reserves without any fear of a populous president nationalizing the oil and gas reserves to benefit the miserably poor majority in Haiti as has been done in Venezuela or elsewhere in Latin America. (See, Haiti is full of oil, say Ginette and Daniel Mathurin, where these scientist say there's more oil in Haiti than in Venezuela.) No one has been listening. Not even the white liberals who are such defenders of Haiti. To the best of my knowledge, other than Haitians, over the long years before the earthquake, the only non-Haitian observers who ever paid attention and picked up on our reports and concerns about the plundering and pillaging of Haiti's riches, were John Maxwell and Chris Scott of CKUT Radio in Canada.That's it. All the others bought the State Department line that Haiti was a charity case and had no resources to mention. I supposed if they acknowleged Haiti could be self-reliant, these savoirs, wouldn't have a gig to support themselves and their heroic self-image, right?

Today Haiti has oil and it's all good cause 20,000 troops are down there to secure it and Haiti's other riches while the vision is to perhaps herd the displaced earthquake victims - who don't die from their TV-aid - into hastily constructed pre-fabricated houses and let the ghettos fester as they do in Kingston, Jamaica, while the areas the whites and Haitian oligarchy want are developed into tourist havens and all capital is flown out of Haiti.

Notice where the earthquake fault line is and its juxtaposition to the Bay of Port au Prince where the drilling was taking place and the damage at Kafou's Morne Cabrit, the epicenter of the earthquake and where the poor built their houses on the mountainside and all around the Southern coastal towns by the Bay of Cayes where there's oil according to Haitians and the geologist map of Haitian resources in the Lavalas white book. Notice how the earthquake was LOCALIZED to these areas and Port au Prince and never reached the Dominican Republic and there was no tsunami...



The Lavalas map of Haiti's resources shows that Kafou's Morne Cabrit housed a huge reservoi of oil. Here's the article I wrote, last year documenting that Haiti had oil and that was the reason for the US/UN forced removal of President Jean Bertrand Aristide. I do so hope, this time, to honor the lives lost and really help protect the remaining survivors of Bush the first and Bush the lesser's two regimes changes in Haiti and now this total occupation, that conscious Americans and all decent folks on this earth, are paying attention and will help us stop this latest travesty.

The just thing for now, is to allow former President Aristide who was kidnapped out of Haiti on a rendition plane by the US Special forces and has been practically under house arrest in South African for 6-years, forbidden first by US Secretary of State Condi Rice and now Hillary Clinton from returning home, to return to his country. He ought to be returned to Haiti so he may assist Haiti’s majority at this agonizing time and help in the relief and rebuilding of the nation. (Go to: Part I, Oil in Haiti and Oil Refinery - an old notion for Fort Liberte as a transshipment terminal for US supertankers )

Don't fall for this hoax. The powers-that-be are already drilling and for years, HLLN has been pointing to the Lavalas' white book detailing Haiti's
resources as part of the reason for oustering President Aristide and putting in Haitian puppets to empire. Now that 20,000 US troops are in Haiti behind the pretext of humanitarian aid, oh yeah, by the way the EARTHQUAKE "may have left clues to petroleum reservoirs that could aid economic recovery in the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation, a geologist said"!!!

Never mind that stealth offshore and on-land drilling may have disturbed the fault line, those Haitians are Black idiots anyway. Just yesterday, I was called CRAZY for saying Haiti had oil and substantial mineral resources. But today, today, if the white man says it, it must be true! Don't fall for the empire's latest spin and clean-up job. Two many defenseless people are still dying behind this earthquake and classquake. Too many long-suffering flesh and blood who won't get rescue, recovery, relief and rebuilding, but the cold steel of military occupation.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.p...t=va&aid=17293