14660: Burnham asks Saint-Vil r.e. Haitian ruling oligarchy (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: thor burnham <thorald_mb@hotmail.com>

>From Thor Burnham in Port-au-Prince:

Saint-Vil states:

    "In fact, in a brief presentation of Katharine Kean’s film featuring the
life and assassination of Antoine Izmery, one reads: “Rezistans suggests
that Izmery, like thousands of other Haitians, is the victim of a brutal
oligarchy that conducts its reign of terror with the collusion of operatives
from the U.S. government.”

While I'm not arguing the existence of a ruling oligarchy, I'd like you to
name names. Earlier in 2002 there was another lengthy debate on this list
about the "nasty" Haitian elite. I asked then, and I'm asking again, let's
get down to brass tacks.  Let's examine the "possessing class" specifically.

The years 1950-2000:

1) Who controlled which industries?
2) Who controls those industries now?
3) Which have been ascendant since 1950 and which have waned in importance
and presence?
4) Name the monopolies the families which control them.
5) Which families financed the 1991 coup d'etat?

Karshan just posted the import statistics from the D.R. Who controls those
import monopolies?

And, while we're at it, let's discuss the implications of what Saint-Vil is
arguing. Were the Duvalier dictatorhsips working with or against said ruling
oligarchy? And, more importantly, is His Excellency Jean Bertrand Aristide
working with or against said oligarchy?

best,
Thor Burnham


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