13196: Saint-Vil adds to discussion of Haitian elite(s) (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Jean Saint-Vil <jafrikayiti@hotmail.com>

Dear Corbetters,

I would like to recommend 2 articles to anyone interested in this “Elite”
debate: “AN INSIDE LOOK AT HAITI’S BUSINESS ELITE” interview with “Patrick
James”, Haiti-based U.S. Businessman
http://multinationalmonitor.org/hyper/issues/1995/01/mm0195_10.html

And “Haiti's Misery: Who's to Blame?”by Patrick Keaney ,response to a
November 2000 Michael Norton article published in the Boston Globe.
http://www.bostonglobewatchdog.com/1126.html

These two articles speak specifically of the business elite, which some
would more accurately call a business mafia.

I also noticed the messages dealing with the role of other Haitian elites
(intellectual, political…) and can only add the following. In my humble
opinion, overall, these intellectual and political elites have also
miserably failed the nation.

I concur that, throughout its life, Haiti has produced great men and women
who have contributed to the wellbeing of the nation (from political
visionaries as his Majesty Jean-Jacques Dessalines, President Florvil
Hyppolite, President  Dumarsais Estimé, Daniel Fignolé  to literary greats:
Antenor Firmin, Pradel Pompilus, Jacques Stephen Alexis, Jacques Roumain to
modern researchers and educators: Bayinnah Bello, Laënnec Hurbon, Jean
Dominique, Lilianne Pierre-Paul, Boukman Eksperyans etc… No doubt, Haiti has
produced gems of human beings that have tried to take seriously their role
as elites. However, in the whole, when after 200 years one observes that a
foreign-rooted oligarchy continues to maintain a bloody system of Apartheid
in the country; and, that this system is hardly seeing a serious challenge
facing it… one must admit that the educators have miseducated and the
politicians have mislead and misbehaved. Yes, the Haitian Elite(s) have
failed – so far.

Here are (in their own words) a few quotes from the short articles cited
above, which you may want to read in their entirety :

>From  “AN INSIDE LOOK AT HAITI’S BUSINESS ELITE”


What are the leading empires?

James: There are probably a group of about 30 families, big families. Then,
after that, maybe another hundred or two hundred [at the] next level. There
aren’t many people, relative to the entire population, running the show.”

The first day I was at my office, one of the Haitian businessmen came in and
I said, “I can’t believe how poor these people are.” This guy was one of the
elite, light skin, blue eyes, and he said to me: “Oh yeah, we have to keep
these people tired and hungry, otherwise they’ll rise up against us.”

Do you think the U.S. government fears a possible uprising?

James: An uprising of the peasant majority? There’s no way that the Haitian
peasants can rise up. You have one section of the black population which is
now aligned with and making money with the rich. Not much, but more than
they could make as a farmer cutting mangoes. So now they have a gun and are
in control. They’re making a few bucks. The rich tell them to go out and
take down some village, shoot up a couple of people, chop their face off,
leave them in the street, and they’ll do it.”

>From “Haiti's Misery: Who's to Blame?”:

Norton, however, is willfully dishonest when he blames only the Haitian
"elite" for assuming "the cruel ways of the former slave masters," and his
description of Haiti's history as "unhappy" is the height of cynicism. After
all, the U.S. government has consistently backed the "elite" segment of the
Haitian population, moving in with its armed forces whenever the
"hovel-dwelling" mass of the population rose up and demanded their rights.

"The U.S. occupation was supposed to ensure elite control of the Haitian
peasantry and foreign control of the Haitian elite," according to Haitian
historian Patrick Bellegarde-Smith.”

And, finally, this eerie prediction from the author:

“Aristide has been set up to fail, and when he does, the old guard, the
"elite" with their "cruel ways," will return to power with the blessing of
the U.S. government”.


Jafrikayiti
«Depi nan Ginen bon nèg ap ede nèg!»
http://www.i-port.net/sd-in-j/



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