Why the U.S. owes Haiti billions?

[REDY]

Why does the U.S. owe Haiti Billions? Colin Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State, stated his foreign policy view as the “Pottery Barn rule.” That is – “if you break it, you own it.”

The U.S. has worked to break Haiti for over 200 years. We owe Haiti. Not charity. We owe Haiti as a matter of justice. Reparations. And not the $100 million promised by President Obama either – that is Powerball money. The U.S. owes Haiti Billions – with a big B.

The U.S. has worked for centuries to break Haiti. The U.S. has used Haiti like a plantation. The U.S. helped bleed the country economically since it freed itself, repeatedly invaded the country militarily, supported dictators who abused the people, used the country as a dumping ground for our own economic advantage, ruined their roads and agriculture, and toppled popularly elected officials. The U.S. has even used Haiti like the old plantation owner and slipped over there repeatedly for sexual recreation.

Here is the briefest history of some of the major U.S. efforts to break Haiti.

In 1804, when Haiti achieved its freedom from France in the world’s first successful slave revolution, the United States refused to recognize the country. The U.S. continued to refuse recognition to Haiti for 60 more years. Why? Because the U.S. continued to enslave millions of its own citizens and feared recognizing Haiti would encourage slave revolution in the U.S.

After the 1804 revolution, Haiti was the subject of a crippling economic embargo by France and the U.S. U.S. sanctions lasted until 1863. France ultimately used its military power to force Haiti to pay reparations for the slaves who were freed. The reparations were 150 million francs. (France sold the entire Louisiana territory to the U.S. for 80 million francs!)

Haiti was forced to borrow money from banks in France and the U.S. to pay reparations to France. A major loan from the U.S. to pay off the French was finally paid off in 1947. The current value of the money Haiti was forced to pay to French and U.S. banks? Over $20 Billion – with a big B.

The U.S. occupied and ruled Haiti by force from 1915 to 1934. President Woodrow Wilson sent troops to invade in 1915. Revolts by Haitians were put down by U.S. military – killing over 2000 in one skirmish alone. For the next nineteen years, the U.S. controlled customs in Haiti, collected taxes, and ran many governmental institutions. How many billions were siphoned off by the U.S. during these 19 years?

From 1957 to 1986 Haiti was forced to live under U.S. backed dictators “Papa Doc” and “Baby Doc” Duvlaier. The U.S. supported these dictators economically and militarily because they did what the U.S. wanted and were politically “anti-communist” - now translatable as against human rights for their people. Duvalier stole millions from Haiti and ran up hundreds of millions in debt that Haiti still owes. Ten thousand Haitians lost their lives. Estimates say that Haiti owes $1.3 billion in external debt and that 40% of that debt was run up by the U.S.-backed Duvaliers.

Thirty years ago Haiti imported no rice. Today Haiti imports nearly all its rice. Though Haiti was the sugar growing capital of the Caribbean, it now imports sugar as well. Why? The U.S. and the U.S. dominated world financial institutions – the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank – forced Haiti to open its markets to the world. Then the U.S. dumped millions of tons of U.S. subsidized rice and sugar into Haiti – undercutting their farmers and ruining Haitian agriculture. By ruining Haitian agriculture, the U.S. has forced Haiti into becoming the third largest world market for U.S. rice. Good for U.S. farmers, bad for Haiti.

In 2002, the U.S. stopped hundreds of millions of dollars in loans to Haiti which were to be used for, among other public projects like education, roads. These are the same roads which relief teams are having so much trouble navigating now!

In 2004, the U.S. again destroyed democracy in Haiti when they supported the coup against Haiti’s elected President Aristide.

Haiti is even used for sexual recreation just like the old time plantations. Check the news carefully and you will find numerous stories of abuse of minors by missionaries, soldiers and charity workers. Plus there are the frequent sexual vacations taken to Haiti by people from the U.S. and elsewhere. What is owed for that? What value would you put on it if it was your sisters and brothers?

U.S. based corporations have for years been teaming up with Haitian elite to run sweatshops teeming with tens of thousands of Haitians who earn less than $2 a day.

The Haitian people have resisted the economic and military power of the U.S. and others ever since their independence. Like all of us, Haitians made their own mistakes as well. But U.S. power has forced Haitians to pay great prices – deaths, debt and abuse.

It is time for the people of the U.S. to join with Haitians and reverse the course of U.S. -Haitian relations.

This brief history shows why the U.S. owes Haiti Billions – with a big B. This is not charity. This is justice. This is reparations. The current crisis is an opportunity for people in the U.S. to own up to our country’s history of dominating Haiti and to make a truly just response.

-- Bill Quigley is Legal Director at the Center for Constitutional Rights and a law professor at Loyola University New Orleans. He is a Katrina survivor and has been active in human rights in Haiti for years with the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti. He can be reached at: duprestars@yahoo.com.

Source:
http://aljazeera.com/news/articles/39/Why-the-US-owes-Haiti-billions.html#

Dïscuss

 

[RedRalph]

Pay up, Yanquis

 

[G-Man]

First, I just want to note that some of the things said in this article don't make much sense. "politically anti-communist" does NOT translate as "against human rights for their people". And many of the actions there are legitimate economical policies - Stopping loans or internationl trade tactics.

Secondly, I'm tired of people bringing up things from history and demanding compensations. The US doesn't need to pay complensations for an economical embargo (which is also a legitimate form of action) that took place 200 years ago. Maybe the US should ask for compensations from the British for the time they controlled the US? Or maybe the Italians should compensate the French for the actions of Julius Ceasar?

So far, the US has sent significant forces and supplies to help the Haitians - much more than any other country. If anything, the Haitians should be grateful for what the US is doing, because without it they'd be in an even worst situation.

 

[Shekwan]

So far, the US has sent significant forces and supplies to help the Haitians - much more than any other country. If anything, the Haitians should be grateful for what the US is doing, because without it they'd be in an even worst situation.

They're giving relatively little aid on a per capita basis. Canada has pledged over $50 million compared to the US' $100 million.

 

[Patroklos]

How much do you think 11,000 and three aircraft carriers cost a day?

Hell, our C-17 flights alone probably eclipse most aid given thus far.

 

[Zelig]

They're giving relatively little aid on a per capita basis. Canada has pledged over $50 million compared to the US' $100 million.

FWIW, Canada has pledged ~US$131.5 million.

 

[fugazi]

They're giving relatively little aid on a per capita basis. Canada has pledged over $50 million compared to the US' $100 million.

But that's not something he wants to hear! Hush

 

[emzie]

How much do you think 11,000 and three aircraft carriers cost a day?

Hell, our C-17 flights alone probably eclipse most aid given thus far.

+ hospital ship

+ relocation of tens of thousands to the US

... so a lot.

 

[Shekwan]

How much do you think 11,000 and three aircraft carriers cost a day?

Hell, our C-17 flights alone probably eclipse most aid given thus far.

Well even if that amounts to another $100 million of spending, that still wouldn't make the US as generous as Canada.

The US' resources dwarf that of Canada, and even if all the extra expenses the US incurs with the flights/shipping doubles the total contribution they make, it still wouldn't come close to Canada's generosity per person.

USA: 310 million people giving ~ $200 million in aid - .645 per person
Canada: 34 million people giving ~ $50 million in aid - 1.47 per person

Canada #1

FWIW, Canada has pledged ~US$131.5 million.

Must have been old data I was looking at. I found an ok source from the Guardian. Still highlights how much more generous the Canadians are:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/jan/14/haiti-quake-aid-pledges-country-donations#data

US contribution per person: $0.53
Canadian contribution per person: $3.89

I doubt that even the operational costs of US troop would make up that disparity.

 

[Patroklos]

Well even if that amounts to another $100 million of spending, that still wouldn't make the US as generous as Canada.

Not true. It is not just how much you give, but the utility of what you give. Without US airlift capabilities 90% of what is on the ground from all sources wouldn't be there.

The unity of command, the proximity of aid, the organizational mass, these are all things that only the US can provide.

And I suggest you look up the lease price for a C-17, considering there are multiple dozens being used pretty much exclusively for Haiti right now that constitutes billions of dollars in value if they keep it up much longer.

The US' resources dwarf that of Canada, and even if all the extra expenses the US incurs with the flights/shipping doubles the total contribution they make, it still wouldn't come close to Canada's generosity per person.

It is far more than double of triple, but then the dollar value is not the only value.

USA: 310 million people giving ~ $200 million in aid - .645 per person
Canada: 34 million people giving ~ $50 million in aid - 1.47 per person

Canada #1

I am not degrading Canada's aid, they also have a warship down there.

 

[Patroklos]

Must have been old data I was looking at. I found an ok source from the Guardian. Still highlights how much more generous the Canadians are:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/jan/14/haiti-quake-aid-pledges-country-donations#data

US contribution per person: $0.53
Canadian contribution per person: $3.89

I doubt that even the operational costs of US troop would make up that disparity.

It was recently reported that a US soldier costs 1 million dollars a year to maintain in Afghanistan. Given that non combat role closer to home requires vastly less in support, If we halved that to 500K then a year's stay for the 11,000 boots on the ground (note that leaves out over 5,000 sailors off the coast and many airforce people stateside) that would be a pricetag of 5,500,000,000 a year. I doubt we will maintain those levels for a year, but they will be that many for several months and several thousand for quite awhile.

Care to recalculate per capita now?

 

[Shekwan]

Not true. It is not just how much you give, but the utility of what you give. Without US airlift capabilities 90% of what is on the ground from all sources wouldn't be there.

The unity of command, the proximity of aid, the organizational mass, these are all things that only the US can provide.

And I suggest you look up the lease price for a C-17, considering there are multiple dozens being used pretty much exclusively for Haiti right now that constitutes billions of dollars in value if they keep it up much longer.

It is far more than double of triple, but then the dollar value is not the only value.

I doubt the US is the only country that could have got the aid there, but its the most practical so it makes sense for them to do it.

Even if your estimate is true, and it more than triples the contribution per US citizen, the Canadian figure is still a good bit bigger. This myth that US aid is lavish in comparison to other countries is all I'm trying to debunk. I'm not accusing you of belittling Canadian or any others' contributions.

 

[Patroklos]

I doubt the US is the only country that could have got the aid there, but its the most practical so it makes sense for them to do it.

Even if your estimate is true, and it more than triples the contribution per US citizen, the Canadian figure is still a good bit bigger. This myth that US aid is lavish in comparison to other countries is all I'm trying to debunk. I'm not accusing you of belittling Canadian or any others' contributions.

The US has 192 C-17s alone. Add up all the strategic heavy lifters of Europe and see if you get even half that number. And of course with the US there is no seperation of function.

Its not a myth, the resources the US brings to bear on these sorts of things and the quality of those resources in many respects are not able to be replicated by any other nation on Earth right now.

 

[RedRalph]

Do you dispute anything in the OP, Patroklos?

 

[Shekwan]

The US has 192 C-17s alone. Add up all the strategic heavy lifters of Europe and see if you get even half that number. And of course with the US there is no seperation of function.

Its not a myth, the resources the US brings to bear on these sorts of things and the quality of those resources in many respects are not able to be replicated by any other nation on Earth right now.

Fair enough. I'm going to take your estimate with a grain of salt though, considering you consistently underestimate everyone else's capabilities and overestimate the US' in most other threads.

 

[Patroklos]

Most of it, but honestly it is so much BS I don't see the value in trying.

The part I did refute was easier and of actual relevance beyond trolling.

 

[Patroklos]

Fair enough. I'm going to take your estimate with a grain of salt though, considering you consistently underestimate everyone else's capabilities and overestimate the US' in most other threads.

This is an easy one, just add up the heavy lifters of Europe. For a scale example, the UK has 8.

 

[Shekwan]

This is an easy one, just add up the heavy lifters of Europe. For a scale example, the UK has 8.

Where can you get this info?

 

[El_Machinae]

I hope Canada can continue our investment levels in Haiti. These dollars being spent are being used very effectively (in terms of immediate lives saved), but proper social investment will drastically reduce the cost of the next crisis.

 

[FeelGood]

Looks like the US has to pay to Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran ...

Hmm, which country owes the most to the world then?