#2007: Economics of Sugar Industry:

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

BOB, CAN YOU PLEASE POST THIS ANONYMOUSLY OR NOT AT ALL....THANX


I am not an economist but my reading of history is that the wealth of the 
United States was made possible by the system of slavery and the conquering 
of lands belonging to indigenous peoples. The former proved by the fear the 
US slave owning class had for the Haitian Revolution. The US Senate of 1806 
declared the Haitian revolution to be the greatest threat to US interests at 
and abroad which began an unofficial boycott of Haiti that lasted for nearly 
100 years.

As for HASCO, when you drive to the south toward Leogane you will see a 
large rusty and abandoned sugar refinery built by the Mevs family. 
People familiar with it have told me that it was never put into 
operation and was merely a ploy in their leveraging a buyout of HASCO. 
They did eventually assume control of HASCO and then proceeded to break 
it up and sell it piecemeal. Most of the processing factory was sold for 
scrap metal putting hundreds of people out of work.

Their plan, which can still be seen today for those who trace imported sugar 
sales in Haiti, was always to dismantle it because a greater profit can be 
made with sweetheart deals they have made to import sugar from the Dominican 
Republic.

If that falls within the definition of free trade I am not sure the people 
of Haiti need it.


Anonymous