US Occupying Haiti
link US accused of ‘occupying’ Haiti as troops flood in – Telegraph.
Even in the midst of a great humanitarian operation, there’s still room for politics and political sensitivities. Alain Joyandet, a French minister in charge of their relief effort, in a fit of exasperation, accused the American contingent of an occupying operation and not a mercy mission.
While certainly preposterous, given the expeditious and generous response of the Americans compared to any other nation, this shows again how America cannot be the good guy in the eyes of the world. The eloquent and charming Hugo Chavez expressed these same sentiments a few days ago as well. France however, notionally an ally, should know better.
From way back in the late 1400’s when Chris Columbus and his gang showed up claiming things for Spain, to the French who started occupation in the early 1600’s to the late 1800’s, Haiti has had a long sordid history of slavery, of confiscation of resources, extinction of much of the native people and almost permanent poverty. The short time that the U.S. occupied Haiti in the early 1900’s was a blink in time.
It’s widely known as a matter of fact, that for all the years the European occupiers were there, no one thought to build any roads. You’d think someone would think of this as they were carting away all the resources. When the Yanks showed up, they put in the most extensive system of roads the nation had ever had. Unfortunately, this was by mostly slave labor, but at least there was some attempt to build infrastructure. So, for 20 some odd years, the Americans were in there, the French for over 200 and someone yelps “l’occupation!” As if.
But Americans are sensitive to this perception, heck the article even says that U.S. Marines are coached to carry their weapons discreetly and in an unthreatening way so as not to arouse historic sensibilities. Really? Someone with serious wounds, no water and no food is going to complain about a guy with a gun providing security from looters and gangs? Only cynical pinheads for whom politics is always paramount in their mentality can think this. For their part, the Americans are acting like parents who have been accused of child beating so often, they go out of their way to be seen to act properly, walking on eggshells instead of just getting the job done.
In any event, why exactly would the Americans be interested in occupying Haiti? It’s a country in a permanent state of chaos. At the moment, even more than usual, there is anarchy. The people are illiterate. They are poor. The big bull market in spices has come and gone. There’s not even a lot of land involved. To step in would be to take ownership of the enormous challenges involved in bringing Haiti to decent modern standards, which means billions and billions of dollars as Carl Sagan used to say. The only real advantage is to get a closer platform to slingshot spitballs at Hugo.
It would be nice to see France and Spain, two genuine former occupiers send in some real help to rebuild the country. Send aid and money and maybe croissants, pass on the rhetoric.