9553: Written in Blood (Saint-vil says: mèsi anpil) (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

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

Thank you for your response Mr. Heinl. Although disappointed, I do respect 
your decision not to back up your matter-of-fact statement that the U.S. has 
«so often helped Haïti in the past».  It seems to me that this is the kind 
of statement that can and ought to be effectively weighted on the basis of 
cold  hard historical facts. Emotions not withstanding, if the U.S.A has 
helped Haïti, Americans, Haitians, or anyone interested to know should be 
able to identify the specifics of this help.

I would, respectfully, suggest that some pointed questions could be asked in 
order to determine whether your statement is based on  sound facts or not.

For instance:

Did this U.S. help materialise itself in 1791, when Africans in Haïti were 
fighting against the forces of slave-holding White Supremacy?

Is it truth or fiction that the U.S. sold defective guns to Toussaint 
L'ouverture and even collected from this famous Haitian freedom fighter 
money for guns that were  never delivered to him?

Did the U.S. help to Haiti materialise in terms of ready recognition of the 
Black Republic in 1804 ?  or is it true that it was no earlier than 1860 
(when racial slavery became illegal on its soil)  that the U.S finally 
recognised Haïti's independence.

Did U.S. help to Haiti materialize at the turn of the century when great 
scientific discoveries were fueling the industrial revolution? Or is it true 
that, instead, U.S governments were actively encouraging internal strife in 
Haïti (playing north against south / black blacks against mullato blacks in 
1888 -89) with the goal of securing control over Môle Saint Nicholas.

Did U.S. help  to Haiti materialise in 1914-15?

I am at awe to note how WIB indicates in great detail how Haitian President 
Zamor was deposed after refusing to sell out to the 1915 white supremacist 
superpower, yet tries energically to absolve the U.S. by concluding that the 
it was «on the verge of intervening to SAVE the Zamors when their regime 
collapsed too soon for Marines to arrive».  I am puzzled by this incredible 
conclusion, in view of evidence that the authors had access to very good 
information about what really went down in 1914-1915. In fact, the author 
makes a special effort to discredit the articles published by The Nation 
which, of course do not support the «benevolent Captain America» theme.

As for what transpired between 1915 and 1946, I find that the following two 
testimonies summarize quite well the kind of help Haïti seems to have 
received from the U.S.

1) U.S. Major General Smedley Butler  ( I paraphrase because I don't have 
the original source at hand but a Kreyòl translation I made of it & from 
which I am re-translating)

«I spent 33 years and 4 months serving my country as a military man…during 
this period I spent most of my time playing the role of strong-armed bully 
for the interests of Wall Street and of our banks. All in all, I was useful 
as a crook working for capitalism. In 1914, I helped pacify Mexico and 
Tampico for Ameriken oil companies. I helped the National City Bank suck 
away wealth from Haïti and Cuba etc…I was compensated with nice medals, 
honour and promotion for my troubles. But, when I take a look at all  these 
things that I have done, I feel that Al Capone himself could take a few 
lessons from me because he was operating his mafia ring in three cities 
whereas we, in the Marines, were doing it on three continents ».

Common Sense (1935) cited  in Lionel Paquin's « The Haitians, Class and 
Color Politics» (1983).


2)  «For the duration of this war I would like your government to think of 
Haïti as another state of the Union of which I am governor» Elie Lescot (one 
of a host of mulatto puppets put in power by white supremacist Uncle Sam - 
starting with Dartiguenave in 1915), The quote is taken from Written in 
Blood, p 510.

As for the role of the french Catholic priests, one needs only take a look 
at very reliable books such as «Les Marrons de la liberté» (Jean Fouchard, 
1972) and Laennec Hurbon's « Les Mystères du Vodou» to see how, most of 
these robed warriors served as very efficient and powerful agents of both 
official and unofficial White Supremacy in Haïti. Of course there were a few 
exceptions, and there may well have been a difference or conflict between 
Vatican-approved white supremacist mercenary and that of the rogue french 
priests that were doing their thing on the island. However, from my 
perspective, the saying that best describes this situation is «senkant kòb 
ak degouden - pase pranm m a pase chèche ou» (a quarter or 25 cents - same 
difference» rather than "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king" 
. I  find strange that the «Rejete» ethnocide and religious terrorism of 
1940-42 is almost ignored (Thanks for the reference Allen) in a book that 
many consider to be the  most complete history of Haïti ever written in 
english.

Nonetheless, so many intriguing religious details are recounted in the book. 
E.g.: «Early in the new year, after due consultation with spiritual 
advisers, the president donned his magical Secte Rouge scarlet robe and, 
assisted by Dodo Nasar, chief bocor of the Palais National, made two dire 
ouangas-à-mort: one for the Marines' commander, the other for John F. 
Kennedy….On 22 November - what other date? Asked Haitians - John F . Kennedy 
died in Dallas. When word reached Duvalier, champagne was served in the 
Palais National».

Now, for someone who thought he was well versed in both conspiracy theories 
having to do with the Kennedy Assassination and with Haitian common 
knowledge, I must say I jumped off my seat when I read this part.  «What 
other date? Asked Haitians!!!».

I thank Mr. Heinl as as well as the other American list members, including 
those who wrote directly to me saying they too found WIB' author to be 
overly patriotic and biased but felt it better not to voice such opinion 
openly on the list.

«… delighted to see that you have understood the underlying bias of the 
Heinl WRITTEN IN BLOOD», said one.

«In order for Americans to see the truth about the US and Haiti, they must 
first lose their innocence and come of age.  Some of us never do.  Some of 
us need to see the USA as the good guys and we have been fed propaganda to 
support that need all our lives», said a second.

Yes, Allen, Haitian writers are not at all immuned against bias. Although, 
one can at times prove that their bias is also, strangely enough, 
anti-Haitian. But, that's another impossible and endless debate.

To me, the moral of this story is: we are all human and, after all, 
rationality and emotionality  have no nationality.

Now, how about a new script for Dany Glover's dream project:

«Home of the Free / Land of the Brave: the story of the Haitian People for 
real -  to be Written with courage».

Any takers?


Respè epi lapè Boukmann ak nou,



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


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