Some Thoughts On Haiti

Haiti is the only nation that gained its independence as a result of a successful slave revolt. It also gained its independence from its European overlords with out outside help. Haiti then went on to provide arms and soldiers to Bolivar in his fight to oust the Spanish from South America. For all this the Haitians have been punished ever since. They have been plagued by trade blockades and armed intervention time and again. The U.S. Marines, ever the U.S. imperial enforcers, supported a coup in 1888, occupied the country from 1915 to 1934 and kidnapped the elected president in 2004. France, Germany, Great Britain and the U.S. have all literally looted the Haitian national bank at one time or another.

So when you see the awful poverty in earthquake ravaged Haiti where U.S. troops are once again occuping the country and shooting Haitians for the crime of trying to survive think of the history of imperial violence Haiti has had to endure.