Haiti: A three-minute primer

Ever wonder why Haiti is poor? Hint: it’s punishment for that slave revolt that led to liberty in 1804, the one Patwa calls a “deal with the devil”. Turns out, the devil…was France. (Zut alors!) And the deal…entailed a debt that took over a century to pay back, and still has Haiti mired in a cycle of debts, dictatorships and dependency. Only this time, the devil is the IMF. Whaddya know, it turns out that Satan really IS a master of disguise–and no, his name is not Papa Legba! (Legba is actually syncretized to St. Peter. He is likened to Peter because he opens the “pearly” gates to the spirit world, enabling Voudou practitioners to speak with the saintly figures called loa, and also their ancestors. And yes, I’ve paid him tribute too–and can attest that he is a beneficent old guy who listens. And he doesn’t care what color you are, either.)

BTW, the only things in Avi Lewis’s otherwise excellent reporting that I’d take issue with is that problematic “some say” bit (who are these “some”? Don’t do like FUX Snooze, Avi–let’s see “them” say it on camera!) and the part about Toto Constant “claiming” to be on the CIA payroll (uh, he was.)

PS: Far be it from me to not give credit where due. France has just called upon the Paris Club for debt forgiveness for Haiti. A wise move, and good for the karma. Très bien fait!