#2196: Poincy replies to Duran

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Jean Poincy <caineve@idt.net>

Duran's propositions are quite noble, but how one will uphold the
intention when there is no collective security? The assassination of the
French people in Jacmel tells a lot. For that to be considered by any
individual, a government would have to make collective security its
number one priority while ignoring hunger, shelter and education. It
does not seem to be a concern for Ayitian authorities, not that they
don't care or don't want to do anything about it, but they are too busy
to show the rest of the world they are democratic and respectful of
human rights. 

The known criminals can't be apprehended in Ayiti now because of a due
process; which, if in progress, gives the criminals ample time to sack
and destroy a whole community. The whole human rights affair is rubbish
in Ayiti. To talk of human rights, one must learn how to respect the
rights of others first. Until Ayitians learn that they are free when
they allow others to live free, human rights must be ignored. That's
very ironic when criminals are talking about their rights or when there
is a zealous group defending their human rights. I can't see any
government with the courage to discount the human rights now. We know
that only a strong man or group can do this.

 To change the tune, I do agree that Ayitians are quick to blame what
rich countries have done wrong to the country.  Starting with the debt
that Ayiti had to pay to France. That's no excuse to justify the
country's poverty. A good government would have done what must be done
not only to pay the debt while making the country prosperous. We can't
ignore the fact that Boyer along with the Petion's click was not capable
of building a society.

Boyer's incapacity caused the loss of Dominican Republic. Rather than
building on the richness of the eastern part to improve Ayiti's economy
and enable it to pay off the debt, he ruined it instead. The
compensation requested by France was a just one that any government
defending the rights of its citizens would do. Regardless its nature,
the French colons did invest in the colony and they had to be
compensated for their loss. If one needs to know if Ayiti could be
prosperous enough to pay the debt, just ask Christophe about his
economic policies that were making the northern part a flourish one of
the country. Had the whole island been directed by such policies, I
think the amount requested by the French would be just peanuts.

Of course keeping up with the payments would ruin Ayiti if the
authorities were not making the country productive. Now we are talking
about the misadministration of a newborn country in all aspects by one
group of people for a whole generation. That was right at a time when
foundations had to be laid but were not. 

Imagine the consequences of it at a later date especially when the same
click hanged on to power for almost a century and half continued the
same Petion/Boyer's ways of doing things and never thought of making
corrections. If we picture the situation how can we think of imputing
Duvalier for these wrongs? Let's weigh a century and half against thirty
years and see what weighs more. 

Yes Duvalier had done wrongs but his wrongs could not match up that of
Petion's click. Duvalier father came and found a country already in
decay. What we are seeing today in Ayiti is an accumulation of wrong
doing since the assassination of Dessalines and Duvalier was not there
then. Let's go back to history, reevaluate and make sound analysis to
understand what's going on today.

We must note that Duvalier father was hardly receiving international aid
from the American government the facts are to be reviewed. Ayiti began
to enjoy the international aids during Jean-Claude Duvalier period. We
can't put in a "lump sum" the whole Duvalier period. There is the
Father's and the Son's era and they were different in all aspects.

As far as the economic elite was concerned in Ayiti, Duvalier had to
make them budge to do something. Boulevard Jean-Jacques Dessalines,
Duvalier father had to force himself on these entrepreneurs to build it.
He thought it was right to do so because they were doing business there,
making a living there, how can they just sit and not doing anything
about it. With his iron fist, these guys decided to pitch in to build
the boulevard. Now look at Blvd. Jean-Jacques Dessalines now and the
merchants are still there. The same goes with many other things.  



Ayiti has lived, lives and will live
Mozeb