Hurricane Matthew and Super Hurricane Oppression

In neither America nor Haiti do most scholars---sociologists, historians, theologians---deeply analyze the hugely important role Western white oppression has played in creating and crushing the poor.  The historical past does haunt the socioeconomic present.

In the United States, sociologists have conducted dozens of studies of black culture, black dysfunction.  Rare is the sociologist who makes a serious study of the nature and impact of white American oppression and how it causes black dysfunction.  Oppression---damage---dysfunction; the oppression damage precedes black dysfunction.  Jonathan Turner is one of the few and he has only begun the process.  The same with American theology; almost nothing on oppression.  Few scholars seem to grasp that systems of oppression such as slavery never really end; they only get redesigned.  Read The New Jim Crow and Dear White Christians.

The same in Haiti.  Few scholars take a hard look at the 500 years of oppression and then tie oppression to current Haitian socioeconomic problems.  The book Haiti: State Against Nation or my title State Elite Oppress Peasants is one of the few books that do study oppression in depth.

Corruption in Haiti is serious and widespread, but it is not Haiti's number one problem.
Poverty is serious and widespread, but it is not Haiti's number one problem.
Illiteracy is serious and widespread, but it is not Haiti's number one problem.

500 years of oppression is Haiti's number one problem and it causes or impacts corruption, poverty and illiteracy.  But most visitors to Haiti will not see or recognize the systems of oppression---most of it is historical though some is current---they will see only the problems super hurricane oppression has created.  One current form---customs taxes which discriminate against the poor.