THE EDITOR, Sir:
FOR A long time I have been a very bitter Jamaican, complaining to whoever would listen that after nearly half a century of Independence and taking care of ourselves, we are still barely out of the starting blocks in terms of the socio-economic development of our country: Students graduate from high school without being able to read or write, many rural people are still carrying water on their heads from parish tanks and, for far too many of us, the pit latrine is the finest piece of plumbing that we know.
Then Haiti imploded. I did some quick research into why, after 200 years of Independence, this country which has inspired so many peoples and nations aspiring to shake off their shackles of colonialism, had itself become such an embarrassing caricature of freedom and all that is wrong and frightening about self-government.
Reading Haiti's history has caused me to calm down considerably. My neck veins and my eyes no longer bulge when I get into vociferous arguments with colleagues about the rightness or wrongness of the actions of CARICOM and Mr. Patterson, and the role of the United States, France and Canada in Haiti's affairs. You see, Mr. Editor, Haiti's history is like the story of the man in the movie 'Groundhog Day' - every day he woke up to relive the same experiences.
Every period of Haiti's 200-year history of freedom and self-rule has been basically a variation of the same theme: violence, mistrust and suspicion, corrupt leadership, murderous emperors, presidents and populations; year after year, ruler after ruler from 1804 right down to Jean-Bertrand Aristide. In fact when you consider the fate of many of his more than 40 predecessors Aristide has fared very well. He wasn't hacked to death, assassinated or executed.
As much as I hate to admit it, in my opinion Haiti's most stable period during the post-Independence era were the years 1915-1934. And can you guess what accounts for this golden age when peace and prosperity blossomed? It was when America occupied the island and saved them from themselves.
As Haiti is now a member of CARICOM perhaps we can teach them a thing or two about democracy - including garrison politics (surely even that is better than what exists there now) and if they still can't govern themselves we could ask President George W. Bush to oblige.
I am, etc.,
CLAUDETTE WHITE
umuganwa@hotmail.com
Kingston
