It was once said the Haiti was "La Perle Des Antilles" or the "Caribbean Jewel". I don't really know when this country had this title but I was there for six months in 1997 and a "Jewel" it was not.
Now for those of you who do not know, Haiti's demise as a country was when they sustained the last of many "coup d'état" that sent their dictator President to exile and with it the collapse of their entire economy, political structure and public safety. The whole middle Class left the country for a better and safer life abroad. Most came to the US and Canada but others fled to DR and other island nations. What was left of the population was a ratio of 5 and 95. That is 5% rich and 95% extremely poor; 5% literate and 95% illiterate; 5% mulatto and 95% black... get the picture?
If this was not bad enough, hundreds of thousands of people from the outlying villages decided that the promise of a new life existed in the Capital city of Port Au Prince. The influx of people and the lack of work and housing became so problematic that the formation of "Bidonvilles" or "Slums" was unavoidable and a very popular one in P-Au-P is called Cité Soleil. It is said that during market day in Cité Soleil, there are over a million people walking the garbage covered streets. The smell is unbearable and the danger of getting mugged is so high that it is not recommended for "Blancs" ,which means foreigners, to go into the market.
If Haiti was rebuilt with solid housing, hospitals and schools, a strong and honest military and police force lead by a innovative and ambitious government, the country might have a chance. This earthquake may be the solution to start anew but I doubt it. I doubt that the population of a country that cannot take charge and rebuilt its economy can do any better with all the money and food the world is throwing at them. I have seen first hand the mentality of the P-Au-P residents and they are LAZY. No one wants to start the recovery process. They all want someone to tell them what to do. They want DICTATORSHIP and that is the only way this country can survive in our world. Elsewhere around the country, small banana farms and sugar plantations are doing well but the are owned by the rich of P-Au-P and the farmers are exploited for a meager percentage of the crop to survive. They live in huts on dirt floors but they live clean and proud. The women travel by foot 10-15 hours to take their meager part of the crop to the closest market so they can get food and other essential goods. Kids learn to steal but cannot afford to get caught because there sentence is immediate amputation of the hand.
The western world will never let this country fall back into the throws of a dictator so we will keep sending money and troops every cycle whether it's because of a hurricane, earthquake or just the population growing restless. Haiti will unfortunately always remain a Sh.. Pit because the UN needs to keep it that way and keeps pocketing Aid the money coming in. These may be harsh words about the Haitian people, but unless you have witnessed it first hand and can give me a different view than what I SAW, I will always remain with this opinion of the country and its people.
Chuck
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