Submitted by Crusoe (as a comment on the Haiti We Are Sorry blog
You list some good ideas for the structural retransformation of Haiti [Responding to Commenter Dictionary on the Haiti We Are Sorry blog]. Each in of themselves they do not depend on improved education but do depend on improved technical training (farming etc). However, for all, the long-term success of those initiatives individually and collectively leading to a successful Haiti will certainly also depend on improved education, if as we have been informed, the literacy level is so low.
This has two implications.
Firstly, immediately after initial search, rescue, medical, temporary (short and medium term) and security issues have been addressed as priority, the early reformation must include an immediate education programme, for adult and youth, such that the transformation of Haiti can begin with the active participation of her people, not as ‘serfs’ but as active individuals and communities with an understanding of the reasoning behind the methods and the aim of the methods.
I must add, that ‘transformation’ in this context is not meant to refer to bringing Haiti to the same philosophical outlook as anyone other specific group. In this context it is meant to refer to bringing Haiti to a level of self-capability and self-determination. Now, to expect say a three or four year ‘crash course’ in education and technical skills may seem either impossible or unrealistic, but unfortunately, if this is not done as one of the foundations of the rebuilding (in the context of not only structural, but as a nation of people), than all else may eventually prove futile.
This is obviously along the lines of the old phrase of teaching a man to fish instead of giving him the fish. Merely putting up structures, farms etc may certainly alleviate some misery, but while in the short term foreign contractors etc may gain much from the aid given for this purpose, the long-term goal should be to have Haitians and not only elite, but the everyday Haitian, benefit from money flows and thus create an independent people and a vibrant economy.
It is my view therefore Caricom leaders, should address the education of Haiti, as a priority, as much a priority as any other redevelopment effort.
To reinforce a point, the initial effort must not only be to set up an improved schooling system, but implement as an interim measure, an ’emergency education programme’, with the help of international authorities and the Haitian authorities. If one wants a long-term Haiti, this is essential.
We must give thanks yet again, that Errol Barrow saw the necessity of education as a developmental tool. And, we must forever resist ANY attempts to take free education from Barbadians. Indeed, those of us who wish for an improved world, must seek the furtherance of a sound even if basic education, for all peoples, as a necessity for development.
1,421 responses to “The Reconstruction And Transformation Of Haiti: A Global-Moral Imperative”
BU is optimistic we can lift the debate a little concerning the way forward for Haiti. To be frank we have been somewhat disappointed at times at the level of debate on the other blogs dealing with Haiti.
@David
I have been trying to lift the level of discussion on the caricom blog.
@ David….
Are you going to close down BU too when it get this way on all threads?
There will always be good and bad in terms of opinions but I think we can sift through and take out the good ideas from the bad ones.
You yourself have started some very controversial topics at time and I am sure you knew or at the least, had an idea of the route most discussions will take. I am not condoning bad behavior but …it comes with most heated and sensitive discussions.
IMHO..I think you have been bullied into this one.
When the Haiti tragedy unfolded Sir Hilary Beckles a regional historian of some standing before he transitioned to that as administrator at the UWI submitted an insightful article to the Nation newspaper about the history of Haiti. It was refreshing although late in coming. The process of continuing to educate our people and the world must NEVER stop regarding the raising of Black consciousness.
Today Sir Hilary has surpassed his Part 1 effort and beyond a shadow of a down proves why the global community, especially France, USA, UK, Spain should be up front. He ends the below quoted article “It is now France’s turn to turn the page of its sordid sojourn amongst the dying, and dig itself out from under the rubble in Port-au-Prince.” A point which BU has been making Ad nauseam.
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Who is going to pay to educate the Haitian multitudes, which are constantly growing as a result of a birth rate that is more than twice that of Barbados? Where will CARICOM find the French-speaking experts to do the job? Why don’t you leave this to the European Community, the United States and Canada, which have begun to shower Haiti with money–out of fear that if it goes to hell, it will become a nest for Latin American drug barons and al-Qaeda terrorists (Think Yemen, Somalia and Afghanistan–700 miles from the US mainland).
Are you people crazy? Jamaica should be saving for its own future earthquake, which the experts say is now more likely because of the new geography of the stresses that the Haiti quake has created along the boundary of the Caribbean Plate.
Bear in mind, too, that it has been a struggle for CARICOM to find the resources to fund its own second-rate education system–so much so that there is still a woeful shortage of technical training schools, and the UWI depends on foreign governments to finance much of its research–which is why so many of its faculty publications reflect the academic fashions and priorities of North American and European countries, instead of local needs. With resources so badly needed at home, we are going to divert scarce capital to Haiti?
I said in an earlier post that the Haitians didn’t write their history, however Prof Beckles has expressed part of that history an eloquence that I couldn’t approach. “Liberté, égalité, fraternité,” and “All men are created equal” didn’t apply to those who were African or descendants of African slaves. The nations whom we see as successful nations have controlled what is written about them e.g. Japanese history books never expose the atrocities committed by Japanese soldiers during WW11, whilst all we hear about Haiti is Voodoo and the canard _ “Pact with the Devil”.
The earthquake; despite the death and destruction may be a blessing in disguise if the rest of the world can focus on rectifying the historical legacy left by all those nations who were complicit in reducing Haiti to its present status. That said I am not holding my breath, the world has a very short attention span, right now it is focused on Haiti, that focus will change when the next major crisis erupts in another part of the world
Germany didn’t make excuses when it had to pay hundreds of billions of dollars in reparations during the 20th century, and neither should Haiti, which has problems that go deeper than European and American imperialism. It is time for Haitians to abandon primitive agricultural practices, drastically curtail population growth, stop the endless political infighting and corruption, and get serious about their own economic development. They would do well to learn from the history of the Chinese transformation since 1948.
@Crusoe
Yes education must play a role as it did in Barbados with the Barrow model for Barbados. It is required to enfranchise the Haitian people. We should not forget there is a narrow band of Haitians who live very well. What is important to realise educational opportunities for all in Haiti can only come about with infrastructural strengthening which Dictionary we believe has alluded to in his several theses i.e. housing, communication and governance strengthening etc .
Mobutu
Germany didn’t make excuses when it had to pay hundreds of billions of dollars in reparations during the 20th century,
***************************
Germany invaded and occupied several countries in Europe, it looted the treasuries and cultural artifacts of these countries, what countries did Haiti invade?
Haiti has to dig itself out of the hole its in with manufacturing exports, and you don’t need a more educated population for manufacturing. The current literacy rate of 50% is much better than you need. So first you produce, then you use the profits from your production to finance secondary and tertiary education.
Mobutu
In addition Germany also benefited from the Marshall Plan which was established to help the countries of Western Europe recover after the WW11. If you want to talk about Reparations you should ensure that both countries were operating from a level playing field.
All these useful technologies in housing, health, communication, agriculture are well known and documented. How else does Dictionary (and millions more) know about them but not the Haitians? I believe there are many (hundred of thousands if millions) Haitians who know of these things. So why aren’t these things implemented?
What is it that stops Haiti from developing to a level that even the poorest Haitian has a stable weather proof roof over his head, three good meals a day, is clothed, can enjoy the camaraderie of friends, the love of family and can peacefully live to his three score and ten?
The answer may actually lie in a positive view of vaudou, kweyol and the Black Haitian.
On reading my post above, I realise that my last sentence can be misinterpreted. To make myself clear, successful development plans has to be based on the culture of the people. Kweyol, Vaudou and Black Haitions are positives that have in them the power to transform the society for better.
@Sargeant
Haiti is already getting a Marshall Plan. In the past week alone, the European Community announced $500 million of new assistance, Canada annaounced $100 million, the United States government announced $100 million, with another $75 million already raised by media and entertainment industry telethons. The US Navy has begun re-building the port at Port-au-Prince, Canada has landed troops and Navy ships to take over and re-build the town of Jacmel, which is the birthplace of Canada’s Haitian-born Governor-General. Haiti’s cup is overflowing, but you guys want to get in the way.
Mobutu
First you wrote about Reparations comparing Haiti’s plight to Germany (I see you didn’t respond to what Germany did as opposed to Haiti) and now you write about promised assistance from other countries which is in its infancy. No one disputes that Haitians have a role to play in rebuilding their country but could you explain what you mean by the following? “but you guys want to get in the way”
@Sargeant
The point about Germany is that Life is unfair, but every population sins and is sinned against, and must overcome great obstacles (whether self-inflicted or not).
France imposed reparations on Haiti because it argued that it had invested capital in Haitian sugar plantations, railroads and cities. Only some of that capital had been created by Haitian slave labour. So there is a sense in which Haiti did owe something to France.
Germans have argued that both world wars were the result of insults to them, but you have learned history as told by the British and think otherwise.
Even if you are correct in believing Germany ‘deserved’ its punishment and Haiti did not, why should pity for Haiti mean that CARICOM diverts scarce resources to Haiti? Have you seen the slums of Jamaica? We are desperately poor ourselves, and there are natural disasters ahead for us.
(2) We “get in the way” when we offer to “help” Haiti with “education” and other development projects that other countries are already planning for Haiti. Every dollar we come up with means many more dollars withdrawn by others, who will stand aside in those areas we insist on taking over.
How much will it cost to replace the Presidential Palace and Parliament? Together this is a hefty sum. Like we have not yet started the collection.
Haiti could use a good continous dose of Socialism, an even greater dose than that which is being prescribed by Chavez in Venezuela… but you know that US ain’ gun let that happen, not in her back yard, not when dey got eight million pairs ah hands still available fah exploitation…
Oh shoot sorry David, I might be guilty of lowering de standard of the debate again…!
Interesting perspective from a Canadian Repoter
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/haiti/article/754997–dismal-forecasts-on-haiti-s-future
Haiti’s literacy rate has never been and will never be a stumbling block in her advancement. Look at the ‘high’ literacy rate in Barbados….how developed is she really? What is her biggest income generating sector[s]? And doesn’t that sector[s] rely/depend mainly on external forces over which she has absolutely no control? How can you say that you are independent and developed when all it takes is the stroke of a pen to bring you to your begging knees? Aren’t the ‘leaders’ imcompetent/incapable?
Rebuilding the physical infrastructure of Haiti will not solve her problems. What Haiti suffers BLACKS all over this planet suffers but in differing degrees. We all catch hell.
The problem with us is that we would rather sit in controlled environments and DIScuss our problems academically. There are times when applying academics is detrimental and this is definitely one of those times. The problem with academics is that they think along well-trodden paths that have already been established for them. They will capitulate and compromise and the end-result is always betrayal to the cause. The function of academia is to be a buffer between the indoctrinators & his indoctrinated AND the free-thinkers. This buffer allows for controlled ‘growth & development.’
However, what this situation with Haiti and all other Black nations call for is REVOLUTIONARY THINKERS & MOVERS. Those who will take no PRISONERS.
The relationship between the Black Man and the White man is patronizing at its best, and PARASITIC at its worst.
So other than ignorance of self, the BLACK Man’s problem is the white man and our biggest downfall is continually looking to the same man to solve the problems that he created in order to keep himself on top.
We need to teach our BLACK children that before contact with him, the Black man had already established civilizations, that this parasite has not yet approached. Our foreparents had already established high cultures.
What has this white man contributed to this world that we absolutely needed, something that we could not live without. NOTHING. All his wealth has been through ill-gotten means. He has always used foul deeds to get what he wanted and passed it onto to his descendents. Who was he before his encounter with the BLACK MAN?
The white man has CONvinced too many of us thru his pseudo-science which is grounded in the hypothetical..[hereby making it subject to constant change], that he knows everything and that he is the closest thing to ‘god.’ But nothing could be farther removed from truth! The white man has deceived most of the world. [that sounds like the anti-C….. to me].
The only ‘mis’advantage he has over the BLACK man is his immoral physical fire-power. That’s all. He does not operate in any just, moral faith, he cannot be taken at his word, simply he cannot be trusted and sadly he has trained many of us to be like him.
Therefore to depend on him to rebuild Haiti or any other Black nation is to deceive ourselves and set up our children for failure. We will get more of the same.
What the BLACK man needs today is what he needed yesterday, TOTAL SEPARATION so that we can get back on the road to SELF-DETERMINATION.
We are fooling ourselves if we think that any of these white nations and their show pieces can bring any good to Haiti.
Generation after generation we continue to deceive ourselves because we operate within a paradigm that was set up for us by the enemy.
We can send all the aid we can afford and lord knows that they need it, but we can never build a just society if we stay yolked to a delusion.
Sad to see that a comment I made could have actually shut down a thread.
David……if I have personally brought any ill-repute to your BLOG, for that I sincerely apologise as it has NEVER been and will never be my intent.
BUT
To all those Christians who BELIEVE that I have offended them, I wish you could see my face right now! MY CUP RUNNETH OVER!
And on that note I shall impose a limited self-censure while I try to do a little more to help the Haitians.
I came across a very interesting article on carib daily today which explains another side of the haitian situation. http://www.caribdaily.com/article/249255/blame-haiti-s-politicians/
The article in the link below suggests that Haiti, by choice, adopted a system of subsistence farming from shortly after it’s independence and avoided the world economy.
Indeed, its own economy had been destroyed.
http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/haiti/history/earlyhaiti/boyeresult.htm
Here is a puzzle it creates.
What export crops did Haiti use to pay off the reparations it signed off on as owing to France?
Indeed, how did Haiti pay France after 1825?
… and before we rush madly to “do for Haiti what needs to be done” …….
…. have a read of this article, …
….. same writer.
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43a/108.html
Remember, Port au Prince is only a part of Haiti and we should be careful to rush to determine what Haiti needs based only on the experience of Port au Prince and its people.
By all means help … but respect Haiti’s independence and right to self determination.
@y.paris
I am not sure what is so interesting about that article. One thing caught my eye:
“that sovereign nations have the ability to make (and break) agreements.”
This author has failed to take account of the political realities. Let us take for example, with the precedent of the Aristide kidnapping, do you think that the President of Haiti would say no to a USA takeover?
According to Technician, Hilary has divided the word well; as simplistic as he puts it. One thing I would say to a lot of these academics who like to see essays and other historical works written in academic jargon, that is why our people don’t understand a word and stay ignorant.
I admire any academic who can translate and demystify so that the man in the street can understand accurately.
The view of the writer of your interesting article is either dead set in a Euro-centric view or simply innocent of the realities.
@John
I suggest you have a firm word with the president and military of the USA. They need to heed your advice.
We know that people come first, they don’t. They put thousands of armed personnel before humanitarian volunteers.
They put their agenda before that of the people of Haiti. While they were busy securing borders and airspace, effectively preventing supplies from landing, Haitians were dying and are still dying.
If you think that Barbados or any of the CARICOM countries (including Haiti) are going to have a say in the reconstruction of Haiti, think again. The first problem we have is how are we going to get the USA out of Haiti.
We Black people are our own worst enemy. The US is repairing Haiti’s port, it has hundreds of surgeons in the country and on the hospital ship ‘Comfort” operating on Haiti’s injured, it has hundreds of millions of dollars and hundreds of engineers and building contractors committed to re-building Haiti, and a black man in Barbados with no technical skills and no big money to finance Haitian re-building says, ” The first problem we have now is how are we going to get the USA out of Haiti.” So what are you going to do to transform Haiti?
@Mobutu
“We Black people are our own worst enemy.”
Sure bet. I am sure it makes all the sense in the world to you for the USA to be there? Talk about worst enemy? Yeah, right, because they have the money. LOL!
Well what USA put up is a small fraction of what Europe put up in the first instance with more to come. Therefore, should not Europe qualify for occupation of Haiti over USA? So the only way that Haiti can be reconstructed is with US Marines?
Take USA out of the picture and all the aid coming from the rest of the world would reconstruct Haiti; without a need for USA resources; including their doctors. Far from what you think, we can surely fend for ourselves.
Whether we like it or not the USA in there and Preval as we know has signed the MOU to give up control of the airport. What the US presence does is to limit Cuba and Venezuela involvement, maybe the Russians. It will be interesting to see what former Jamaican Prime Minister PJ Patterson comes up with in his report. Caricom has a narrow window to exert some leadership in the reconstruction plan for Haiti. Haiti has already sent out signals to the world the role they expect Caricom to play.
when all is said and done .Haiti needs a major recostructionof it’s sorry government who has shown absolutely no leadership to it’s people.Let’s start their first.a hefty bunch of losers.
David
USA presence also limits the French as well as control inflows from Europe; all in their own interest. To resolve that the USA are there whether we like it or not has to do with the politics that is playing out that is not in the interests of the people of Haiti or the Caribbean.
How can we the people effectively control our politicians to stop them from selling out? We cannot sweep this under the carpet. If we complain about the wholesale destruction of our west coast, well this is worse. The people must rise up!
Right now, Haiti is ripe for investment and we must be careful that land don’t get sold out to USA private sector cheap, cheap, otherwise the infrastructure which will be going up will be wholly owned by USA businessmen.
We will then be looking at another chapter of Haiti’s poor and now disenfranchised. Marl my word.
David:
The USA is NOT in charge of co-ordinating the restoration of the Haitian health care system. The Pan-American Health Organization is the lead agency for that. Cuba will have a big role in supplying doctors and training paramedics in Haiti, just as it did in East Timor, because PAHO loves the Cubans and is full of bureaucrats who hate the USA.
There is a conference to co-ordinate global aid for Haiti starting tomorrow, Monday in Montreal under Canadian direction. The foreign ministers of the United States and all the major donor countries will be there, as will President Preval and P.J. Patterson. You will see there is no shortage of funds for Haitian re-development.
@ROK
The situation in Haiti requires leadership from our regional leaders. If we are to judge from the Andy Johnson article you posted on your site to borrow a phrase from Sargeant, we shant hold our breath.
I am seeing this occupation as a means of keeping US Forces employed and deployed. It is also a move for USA to eventually own Haiti as it will first become a satellite and then another US State. We will soon have to get visas to go to Haiti.
This brings into question the plight of small open and vulnerable economies. It also bring into question standards of democracy. The politics can no longer be considered one of those open fields of activity where anything can happen. Politics cannot any longer make for strange bedfellows.
If this is allowed to remain this way, well we can throw all the UN conventions through the window. While you are at it, throw away all the OAS mandates; all the precedents and decision of the international courts and let us revert to a state of colonialism, where the massa rules.
@David
The longest journey begins with a single step.
That conference is a mere show. We will see. Everything about that conference is probably already decided and any decision which does not meet the fancy of the USA will simply get eroded.
We need to understand the creatures we are dealing with. Furthermore, we start on the right foot, yeah. In an atmosphere where the talk is free trade. How much protection will this afford Haiti? When the flood of goods hit Haiti, it will crush local business. Are these the matters on the table? Are there any concerns with the rich flashing money in the faces of the poor to get their land?
What about Haiti’s agricultural potential? Is that on the table? What will be the policy with respect to ownership of land. Will Haiti be offered any protection until it recovers or will it be simply opened to all and sundry?
What are the priorities for building the economy or will Haiti be continuously dependent on aid?
I will risk to bet you that none of these things will be on the table. Rather, investment will be on the table and we know where that one word leads.
@ROC
Haiti will never be a territory, protectorate, commonwealth, or state of the U.S. The United States government for all intent and purposes is broke and China is about to call in its debts. The U.S. already has a foothold in the Caribbean already with two islands, namely the United States Virgin Islands and The Commonweath of Puerto Rico.
@Mobutu
“You will see there is no shortage of funds for Haitian re-development.”
The funds allocated and raised is already short by today’s prices; a mere drop in the bucket. What will be the provision for restoring houses? I will bet you that it will be land development plunging people into mortgages where they had none before.
The solutions which I expect to come out of that conference will be to the benefit of western expansionism.
The collapse of the sugar industry; the wrenching of the banana concessions from the ACP to give it to the Latinos is more than ample evidence that these people get what they want and that their only interest is themselves.
Contrary to what y.paris’ friend thinks, we had to accept what we were given (nothing) in return for opening up our markets to them (or get less than nothing). The Indian description of the white man as speaking with a forked tongue still holds true today.
@y.paris
Broke? What does broke mean? What is the criteria for being broke? The only thing that China can call in is WWIII.
y. paris // January 24, 2010 at 4:06 PM
The moral of that article that you posted is never trust European trained academics in leadership roles to truly look out for their own people (including Errol Barrow and Mia Mottley)
Haiti has plenty of opportunities. Haitian agriculture is overwhelmingly low-technology peasant farming on small plots, which cannot sustain the dense population. What is needed is better agricultural methods (fertilisers, pesticides, better seeds, reliable storage and transportatuion facilities, careful selection of cash crops to ensure the highest possible returns, etc), and development of an export-oriented manufacturing sector (since domestic demand for manufactured goods is trivial). The USA already offers Haiti the best market access of any country in the Americas for textiles, apparel and auto parts. Haiti’s coffee output has fallen short of its quota and it is up to the Haitians to do better.
y. paris // January 24, 2010 at 4:06 PM
Seems to me that Jean-Pierre Boyer following on from Christophe and Petion was in the same position that Mugabe finds himself in today, a Western Block trade embargo, abolished immoral system and no replacement expertise (so we are told). How do we help Zimbabwe which is quickly becoming a Haiti?
Mobutu you very pro-American…! All this trade oppurtunity spells reckless exploitation of labour.
ROK everyt’ing you say I agree wid…!
For Haiti the Bolivarian Alternative for Latin America and the Caribbean (ALBA) is its best option going forward…! Maybe that’s why the US got de shop shut tight…!
A study of the USA capitalist system will show its market has long since become saturated hence its expansionist strategy in the last two decades. We had Mexico and NAFTA and of late they have turned a blind eye to China’s way of governing because of the potential of that market to sell to and also its cheap labour. Haiti has the potential to add to that strategy but from a geopolitical perspective Haiti is just too close to the mainland of the USA to let Cuba, Venezuela, Russia operate so close unchecked.
BU does not know how this thing will pan out but Haiti and regional leaders need to bring their A-game to the table.
It is only a matter of time before the Caribbean wakes up and call for a withdrawal of USA in Haiti. I can her the cries now, “End USA occupation of Haiti”.
First, there was no reason to sign an MOU if you are going to give assistance to a country and don’t tell me it was to establish law and order or so US doctors could treat Haitian patients without a license.
Only the most gullible would believe that. The Cuban and Venezuelan doctors that went there after the earthquake had to get licences? Joke.
A country in the midst of a medical emergency, where all the government departments destroyed will have the personnel to issue licences and police it? A country that needs all the help it can get, even doctors without borders.
There is something sinister about USA signing an MOU with Haiti. Who signed an MOU with the Chinese to go in with help. Is there any time in recent history when this was done?
It must end. We have to control our politicians. Preval sold out.
I think few really know the facts about Haiti’s history and reconciled them with actuality ……
Professor Beckles is not really shedding any light.
There is nothing really new in what he says ….
….. just the same tired old appeal to emotionalism.
I think a man of letters such as he could really do alot better.
Had an event today in the Leewards, not far from the one we felt back in 2007, about 1 degree further north.
Alot smaller.
5.1 Mb – LEEWARD ISLANDS
Preliminary Earthquake Report Magnitude 5.1 Mb
Date-Time 24 Jan 2010 22:43:23 UTC
24 Jan 2010 18:43:23 near epicenter
24 Jan 2010 18:43:23 standard time in your timezone
Location 15.953N 60.984W
Depth 67 km
Distances 35 km (21 miles) ENE (78 degrees) of Grand-Bourg, Marie-Galante, Guadeloupe
41 km (25 miles) SSE (167 degrees) of La Désirade, La Désirade, Guadeloupe
46 km (28 miles) SE (138 degrees) of Saint-François, Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe
80 km (50 miles) E (94 degrees) of BASSE-TERRE, Guadeloupe
350 km (217 miles) NNW (335 degrees) of BRIDGETOWN, Barbados
Location Uncertainty Horizontal: 11.0 km; Vertical 9.2 km
Parameters Nph = 141; Dmin = 135.8 km; Rmss = 0.55 seconds; Gp = 97°
M-type = Mb; Version = 6
Event ID US 2010rwby
Preliminary Earthquake Report Magnitude 7.3 Mw
Date-Time 29 Nov 2007 19:00:19 UTC
29 Nov 2007 15:00:19 near epicenter
29 Nov 2007 15:00:19 standard time in your timezone
Location 14.921N 61.264W
Depth 145 km
Distances 21 km (13 miles) NW (322 degrees) of Le Morne-Rouge, Saint-Pierre, Martinique
22 km (14 miles) NNW (336 degrees) of Saint-Pierre, Saint-Pierre, Martinique
23 km (14 miles) WNW (296 degrees) of Le Lorrain, La Trinité, Martinique
41 km (25 miles) NNW (331 degrees) of FORT-DE-FRANCE, Martinique
269 km (167 miles) NW (319 degrees) of BRIDGETOWN, Barbados
Location Uncertainty Horizontal: 5.7 km; Vertical 6.9 km
Parameters Nph = 137; Dmin = 267.4 km; Rmss = 0.80 seconds; Gp = 50°
M-type = Mw; Version = 6
Event ID US 2007kha5 ***This event supersedes event AT00299322.
BAFBFP
The Chinese used low-technology manufacturing exports to the USA to accumulate trillions of dollars in export earnings in just two decades. They are now the second largest economy in the world–larger than Germany, larger than Japan, and larger than their old patron Russia.
What’s good for the Chinese is good for Haiti.
A country like the USA don’t make agreements because they plan to make sport or because they don’t mean it. I can just imagine that conference where the USA will constantly remind them that they control the airspace and that they will implement their own security system.
As it is right now, USA is in full control and will not let go very easily. Like a leach they will bury their feet in Haitian soil. There is no conference where the USA will not get up and let them know before they start, who is in control.
The immediate effect of that will be to muzzle mouth to gain consensus. Consensus by mental assent. You can be sure that if the USA went the length of an MOU there is something there for the USA in the long haul. That is why they don’t too much care about the medical emergency.
Let’s talk expansionism. The fact is that the more Haitians die, the more that will benefit the USA, because with a depleted population, especially the intelligensia; teachers, lawyers, engineers, civil servants, etc. in a country where there is virtually no education system replenishing the stock of professionals and workers, the word will be that Haiti needs a lot of workers, not because they don’t have people but because they are not trained. Don’t think for a minute that USA will not be getting first pick at these jobs.
Haiti will therefore open up job opportunities for consultants and many other professionals and all those Euros will be headed to USA.
It will take nothing for the USA to round up all those Cuban doctors and put them out. You think that security in there purposelessly. If Cuba don’t like it let them start a war. Venezuela too. All of them, out! Then USA will say to Europe, you don’t need to send personnel, send foreign exchange.
Understand that Haiti is USA doorstep and if a disaster of this magnitude had happened on Europe’s doorstep, there is no way USA would have gotten in there. This is about spoils.
Let there not be any argument. There is more in the mortar than the pestle.
@Mobutu
“The Chinese used low-technology manufacturing exports to the USA to accumulate trillions of dollars in export earnings in just two decades.”
So what did you say that to say. If the Chinese do it Haiti can too? My Lord! No, man. The two are not comparable.