BOOK REVIEW CONT.: Haiti: The Tumultuous History---From Pearl of the Caribbean to Broken Nation by historian Philippe Girard (2005)

This is a continuation of the book review of Haiti by Girard, a historian who specializes in the area of Caribbean history; Some quotations:

"Being a mulatto [yellow] had social and cultural implications going far beyond racial traits, and race became as important to one's identity as one's name. . . . mulattoes monopolized its businesses. . . . Blacks, representing about 90 percent of Haiti's population, stood for everything the mulattoes opposed.
Under Dessalines' leadership (1804-1806), the Haitian countryside thus bore an eerie resemblance to the colonial landscape . . . forced labor, monoculture, and social inequality remained the norm."
           
Aristitide convinced Bill Clinton to dedicate twenty thousand troops and two billion dollars to an intervention opposed by a majority of his constituents.  Aristide's single-minded perservance finally paid off, but it came at a price.  Haiti, a country already suffering from extreme poverty, a brain drain, and a notorious reputation abroad, endured three long years of embargo, emigration, and political violence that only added to its existing woes.  Cedra's and Aristitde's diplimatic feats were yet another example of Haitian politicians using their political genuis to serve their own career rather than their own people.

At the end of his book, Girard has a section entitled:  "Conclusion: Is There Any Hope for Haiti"  Girard's answer is a guarded, Yes.  Though " writing a book on the history of Haiti can be a depressing experience," and though Haiti's historical past haunts its sociological present, though "poverty begets poverty," though "political violence and poverty tend to be self-perpetuating," though "decades of economic setbacks have convinced many Haitians that their only chance of ever escaping misery is to leave Haiti altogether, thus depriving the country of valuable human capital," though an internal "predatory class" is in charge, "something must be done to stop this cycle of poverty."  Girard asserts that foreign aid hasn't worked; more of a grassroots model is needed for lasting growth:

1.  Education to correct massive illiteracy and limited education.
2.  Agricultural modernization.
3.  Labor-intensive light industry.
4.  "Heavy industry like ship building."
5.  "Service-oriented sectors such as information technology."
6.  Tourism

According to Girard, Haiti does have some unique assets:  cheap labor, young population, proximity to U.S. mainland, and the possible return of the Haitian Diaspora with their education, expertise and capital.

To be continued