Because of the trade agreements or lack thereof. Remember NAFTA, and now
CAFTA? The countries get together and I'll buy this for that and you send
me that for this. In 2000, I remember reading the trade magazine brought
by
the French Canadian macrobiologist who was working with the freres. An
article gave details on how Haiti was frozen out of the coffee market. It
was infuriating BUT
it is fashionable in the U.S. and on this list to blame everything on the
elites. Go to Yahoo.com, write haiti news photos then search then # 1 and
look at Morel's and Ariana's photos of the highjinks in the slums. These
are drug lords, they each have a corner of Cite Soleil, they steal middle
class and tourist cars, and it is they who scare people away from Haiti and
want Aristide back.
Oh, I was bragging about Dyamen roasting green bean coffee and grinding it
for me. I jsut checked with her on how soon I should buy for my return.
I've cut down my sharing to one friend only; it was a disastrous day when I
ran out last time, and the Brazillians who live in Gloucester only
partially
assuaged my hunger. Come to think of it, I must ask the Italians who run
cafes there where they get their espresso.
Back to trade agreements. The Belgian nun on the hill above mine was very
upset when she couldn't activate her new Dell in French; it is all numbers.
I told her she didn't have a problem if she needed English. For some
reason
(I found out why later), Haiti was delegated to instructions in Spanish.
Souer Rosa went around and found an international phone number to
accomplish
activation in English and it was a pleasure as well as a piece of cake to
do
it for her. Later, at the cybercafe in Hinche, I talked to Georges, who
runs the cafe. He says it's all due to the numbers - not enough French
speakers in Latin America, and certainly not enough Haitian buyers to
justify instructions in French or Kreyol.
Sort of like orphan drugs. If you have LouGehrig's disease, you are out of
luck with the worst (according to medical students) disease in the world,
because not enough people get it to justify research expenses by the drug
companies. Kathleen
--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .