#1753: Declining Haitian Infrastructures : Stritch comments

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Greg Stritch <thandtw@mail.jax.bellsouth.net>
References: Hudicourts reply to Simidor
           1
        Many have commented before on the economic effects of ridding
the
island of all the blancs following independence.  Lack of profesionals
and tradesmen of any hue did not contribute positively to the
maintenance of the infrastructures that survived the independence
years.  Hudicourt sites remaining 19th century houses in Canada and the
U.K. as examples of maintained infrastructures, and seems to use them as
a valid comparison of infrastructures not maitained in Haiti.  I'm not
sure that the comparison is entirely fair.  
        In Hawaii, as in Haiti, there are few examples of colonial
infrastructure.  And as in Haiti, the chief culprit is the termite.  My
guess is that wood mites that do well in tropical paradises do not fare
well in Canada and the U.K.  The wonderful examples of colonial and
territorial Hawaiian archetecture that remain are infested with
termites, and as in Haiti with gingerbread examples in Port, only steady
concientious restoration efforts will save them.
        I guess my point is that the Haitian people are not completely
to blame
if their tropical climate is overly kind to the termites and their
several brethren.  In addittion to manioc, we also inherited termites.

greg stritch