12242: Re: 12223: reparations (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: LAKAT47@aol.com

In a message dated 6/2/02 11:43:06 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
JHUDICOURTB@aol.comwrites:

<<  My ancestor Jean-Pierre Boyer
 should never have accepted that Haiti owed any money to France.  I also
 believe that reparations should not be paid in Cash to individual Haitians or
 the the GOH.  I think those who are working on reparations should focus on
 some essential problems of Haiti:  Transportation, housing, technology,
 education. >>
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Here I disagree.  Let us assume that the money is given to the legal
government of Haiti for just the purposes you outline above.  With election
coming, it is in the best interests of the GOH to make as many improvements
as possible so that they can carry some credibility into the next term of
office.  IF they put the money into their pockets they should be prosecuted
to the full extent of the law (I agree it can't be spread around to just
ANYONE connected to the government but instead, controlled at the highest
level).  But to let foreigners come in and decide how to spend the money OWED
to Haiti is more paternalistic arrogance.  No thank you.  Let Haiti help
Haiti.  Trust that it will be done in Haiti's best interests, don't expect
the worst from Haitians.  It's so cliché.

Kathy Dorce~