So now we care? Now we feel Haitian pain?

It is not my intention to downplay the tragedy and destruction of the Haitian earthquake that struck on January 12th, but it’s an unfortunate trend in society to open their hearts and wallets only after natural disasters. It seems that we have forgotten our Haitian history lesson.

Haiti has known only exploitation since its inception. The Spanish mined it for gold and in return introduced small pox, slavery, and arbitrary execution. Haiti later became the crown jewel in the French colonial empire based in the immense profits from sugar, coffee and indigo and was often described as one of the most brutally efficient colonies in the world.

Following the ideals of the French Revolution, and inspired by the American war of independence, Haiti broke the chains of colonial domination only to be isolated politically and economically. Even the new American republic would not open diplomatic relations with Haiti or trade with them. This isolation would eventually force Haitian President Boyer to agree to treaty in 1825 paying France 150 million Francs in exchange for their recognition of Haitian independence, this was seen as compensation for the profits lost from the slave trade and a sum that crippled economic development. A Scene from the Battle at San Domingo

Haiti has offered the world many things; it is recognized now as the first independent Latin American country, and the first black-led republic. Furthermore, the republic was instrumental in aiding Simon Bolivar who is credited with contributing decisively to the independence of Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.

Even with all this history, Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere and has been plagued with political and social violence. Over its 200 year history it has suffered 32 coups, and the instability of government and society has crippled its progress. Factions of the army, elite classes, and foreign commercial class have constantly undermined the government. On more than one occasion, French, U.S., German and British forces allegedly claimed large sums of money from the vaults of the National Bank of Haiti.

In all aspects of the definition, Haiti is a failed state, foreign aid makes up 30-40% of the national government budget, it has consistently ranked among the most corrupt countries in the world and many of its citizens live on less than $2 a day. This extreme poverty has forced at least 225,000 children into slavery working as unpaid household servants. Further crippling Haiti’s development is the appalling 50% literacy rate, and the fact that approximately 80% of college graduates from Haiti have immigrated to other nations effectively draining the nation of the youthful skill and education that is essential in developing an economy.
Welcome to Haiti

So why do we care now? Where was this apathy and generosity over the past two hundred years where wealthy nations and individuals raped this nation? Honestly, does it take a natural disaster to get noticed? And with all due respect for the work being done in Haiti now, how much of this new found generosity will be lost in bureaucratic costs and how much will western firms profit for the ‘re-construction’ of Haiti? Haitians, if anyone, deserve better.