Why American college students are loaded with debt- something that did not happen until the antiwar generation successfully opposed the Vietnam War. Notice how all the songs of that time disappeared? Same cause.
Can't wait to read your recounting of the Pueblo Revolt. I'm particularly fascinated by the aftershocks I see manifesting in the Pueblo people of the present time. Thank you for all you do Alisa.
50 years ago, I came across a title that intrigued me at the library: “A Woman Named Solitude” by Andrè Schwartz-Bart. It turned out to be historical fiction about the beginning of the Haitian Revolution. I got a fascinating education and highly recommend that novel: https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-woman-named-solitude-andr-schwarz-bart/2b6010345fcd40a9
This post about Haiti's revolution smacked me in the face. I had to pause reading it several times because it felt overwhelming. It is beautifully written about the ugly truth. Truth will do that to you. Reality is a bitch, but I have come to respect and value her.
Love your writing Alisa but I feel this revolution series is doing more to obfuscate the true nature of revolutions than illuminating. You say the Haitian revolution "worked", but Haiti has been one of the poorest and least civilized countries on Earth since the time of the revolution and it continues as such today. Is that really a success? You describe its post-revolution challenges as a result of oppression / immoral greed on the part of the old masters but those financial flows represent the new balance of power, which the revolution was supposed to change but did not. So isn't that a sign that the revolution failed? The revolution abolished slavery, but as you say, the destitution and lack of options of the laborers continued unchanged. The "freedom" was symbolic only.
Every government follows the Iron Law of Oligarchy - elites control the organizational structures and thereby rule over the disorganized masses. The revolution destroyed the existing elites, but there are only two possible results: new elites take their place, and the laboreres/underclass return based on the economic forces within society; or no new elites take their place, resulting in anarchy. Haiti has had quite a bit of both.
Revolution is supposed to create a better government. Haiti has been one of the worst-governed countries on Earth for the entire period following its revolution. In that most important sense, the revolution was a clear failure. It serves as a warning of the perils of revolution if it is not accompanied by the vision of a better government , and the competence and leadership to make that vision a reality.
First of all, thank you for writing this, reminding us all of the power that lies in the hands of ordinary people when they are united and organized. Also, what I'd been taught about the US occupation of Haiti was that it was "brief", implying that it was, like our occupation of Grenada, a matter of months. It's valuable to be reminded that it was, in fact, two decades.
At the same time, I want to emphasize that the enormous debt could only be imposed through enormous military might. Although apologists for market economics like to make it out to be a natural human behavior, in fact it's kind of a hothouse flower. Many debts have been defaulted on over the course of history, when the debtors had more to gain by defaulting than by continuing to service the debt, and there have been times in history when governments have simply declared private debts forgiven on a mass scale, which in practice means that they declined to use their enforcement power to make the repayments happen. The power of debt is nothing without the kind of power that flows from the barrel of a gun.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/20/world/americas/haiti-history-colonized-france.html?unlocked_article_code=1.yVA.6P8U.CrtH_8ivXmcm&smid=nytcore-ios-share
Wondering if the financial burden continues on today? I thought Haiti was still paying France via Citibank for their freedom.
Why American college students are loaded with debt- something that did not happen until the antiwar generation successfully opposed the Vietnam War. Notice how all the songs of that time disappeared? Same cause.
Chris when you DM me, where do I pick it up? Sorry, Newbie
What books can we read to learn more about the dynamics of these revolutions, please?
A very poignant offering. Thank you!
Can't wait to read your recounting of the Pueblo Revolt. I'm particularly fascinated by the aftershocks I see manifesting in the Pueblo people of the present time. Thank you for all you do Alisa.
50 years ago, I came across a title that intrigued me at the library: “A Woman Named Solitude” by Andrè Schwartz-Bart. It turned out to be historical fiction about the beginning of the Haitian Revolution. I got a fascinating education and highly recommend that novel: https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-woman-named-solitude-andr-schwarz-bart/2b6010345fcd40a9
Another brilliant piece.
Excellent article. You are really very good! Thank you!
This post about Haiti's revolution smacked me in the face. I had to pause reading it several times because it felt overwhelming. It is beautifully written about the ugly truth. Truth will do that to you. Reality is a bitch, but I have come to respect and value her.
Love your writing Alisa but I feel this revolution series is doing more to obfuscate the true nature of revolutions than illuminating. You say the Haitian revolution "worked", but Haiti has been one of the poorest and least civilized countries on Earth since the time of the revolution and it continues as such today. Is that really a success? You describe its post-revolution challenges as a result of oppression / immoral greed on the part of the old masters but those financial flows represent the new balance of power, which the revolution was supposed to change but did not. So isn't that a sign that the revolution failed? The revolution abolished slavery, but as you say, the destitution and lack of options of the laborers continued unchanged. The "freedom" was symbolic only.
Every government follows the Iron Law of Oligarchy - elites control the organizational structures and thereby rule over the disorganized masses. The revolution destroyed the existing elites, but there are only two possible results: new elites take their place, and the laboreres/underclass return based on the economic forces within society; or no new elites take their place, resulting in anarchy. Haiti has had quite a bit of both.
Revolution is supposed to create a better government. Haiti has been one of the worst-governed countries on Earth for the entire period following its revolution. In that most important sense, the revolution was a clear failure. It serves as a warning of the perils of revolution if it is not accompanied by the vision of a better government , and the competence and leadership to make that vision a reality.
Thank you for this superb series.
Great essay. Why did Haiti pay France anything after they militarily defeated them?
https://youtu.be/Xv8FBjo1Y8I?is=I5j3uFvLL5sIyd1C
First of all, thank you for writing this, reminding us all of the power that lies in the hands of ordinary people when they are united and organized. Also, what I'd been taught about the US occupation of Haiti was that it was "brief", implying that it was, like our occupation of Grenada, a matter of months. It's valuable to be reminded that it was, in fact, two decades.
At the same time, I want to emphasize that the enormous debt could only be imposed through enormous military might. Although apologists for market economics like to make it out to be a natural human behavior, in fact it's kind of a hothouse flower. Many debts have been defaulted on over the course of history, when the debtors had more to gain by defaulting than by continuing to service the debt, and there have been times in history when governments have simply declared private debts forgiven on a mass scale, which in practice means that they declined to use their enforcement power to make the repayments happen. The power of debt is nothing without the kind of power that flows from the barrel of a gun.
Thank you for the piece on Haiti. 1913 is when Haiti paid its debt. My stomach churned reading this piece. I have archived it to read it again.
I have always suspected the current financial system needs to be broken for true freedom to take place. Debt is the key, as you said.