23618: Esser: Re: 23609: Walton: RE: 23570: radtimes (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser <torx@joimail.com>

"Fan of Dessalines"? Jean-Jacques Dessalines has a stature in Haiti -
he is regarded as one of the leading figures in Haiti's successful
revolution - that puts him above the level of soccer star or pop
musician. Dessalines defended Crête-a-Pierrot, led the final
battle against the French troops at Vertieres and was an accomplished
General in Toussaint Louvertures army. Under him the name of Ste.
Domingue was changed back to the native Haiti and Dessalines
is credited with the creation of the Haitian flag. (Facts that the
article you reference manages to leave out.)

If you desire more knowledge of Jean-Jacques Dessalines you should
read the text of his proclamation of independence in Gonaives, on
January 1, 1804, available on the net, as well as other works of
good standing among those with a deeper knowledge of Haitian history.

'The Black Jacobins' by C.L.R. James might be a good start and this
book is widely regarded as one of the seminal books written about the
Haitian struggle for independence. The Library of Congress document
mentioned, unfortunately is not acknowledged to be a good  source of
information when it comes to Haiti, it's history and it's politics.

Jean-Jacques Dessalines was assassinated for his attempts at land
reform, namely the redistribution of land to the poor masses, by
taking it away from the land owning class that largely acquired their
wealth in the times of slavery and contrary to widespread myth,
wasn't for the wholesale slaughter of Non-Africans in Haiti as
evidenced i.e. by his treatment of Polish soldiers.

"Dessalines' nationalization and democratic distribution of land led
to his assassination in 1806 by jealous elements of a new ruling
class, both black and mulatto, emerging from the ranks of the Haitian
generals. The alliance between the formerly freed – the freedmen or
affranchis – and the newly freed – the former slaves – was dissolved
with Dessalines' murder. A new ruling class of big landowners and a
merchant bourgeoisie supplanted their colonialist predecessors."

from  'Haiti - A Slave Revolution' - Part I  Haiti in history


You write: "Papa Doc was also "democratically elected."" Well, I
guess it depends on your standards. François Duvalier ("God and the
people are the source of my power. I have twice been given the power.
I have taken it, and damn it, I will keep it" F. Duvalier a.k.a. Papa
Doc) To quote the same document you are fond of: "Although François
Duvalier came to power through elections in 1957, he lost all
credibility because of a fraudulent re-election in 1961, a rigged
referendum in 1964 that confirmed him as Haiti's president for life,
and the severe and unrelenting repression he dealt out..." What the
text's authors  forget to mention: the 1957 election is usually
regarded anything but free and fair, the army for example
participated in voter fraud.

Jean-Bertrand Aristide on the contrary is refered to as the first
democratically elected leader of Haiti, because he came to power in
credible democratic elections and had a mandate given to him by the
absolute majority of the Haitian people.


you wrote:

> If you are a fan of Dessalines, perhaps you should read the portion of
> a
> Hait Country study