US and Kenya keep freedom alive in Haiti

Haiti declared independence from France a mere thirty years after America declared independence from Britain, so you’d think those two fledgling republics, the first in the Western Hemisphere, would have much in common. Alas, that was not the case. That may have had something to do with the fact independent America was a slave-owning state, whereas the independent republic in Haiti was a slave state wherein the slaves had overthrown their masters. The US didn’t even officially recognize Haiti as an independent country until the southern slave-owning states quit the Republic at the onset of the civil war. Independent Haiti was not independent for long, and was crippled from the get-go by France’s demand for reparations. Gradually, “independent” Haiti became a virtual economic colony of the USA, and so it remains to this day. Meanwhile, a mere 80 miles away, exciting things were happening in Cuba, none more exciting than Fidel Castro’s revolution of 1959. While the US approach to Haiti could be characterized as benign neglect pre-’59, the Cuban revolution perked up a lot of ears in Washington. What if this commie stuff spread to other countries? And Haiti would be a prime candidate… it could be the first domino to fall! By 1962 America had imposed suffocating sanctions against Cuba. With a brief respite during the Obama years, sanctions remain to this day. Sixty plus years of sanctions have been a roaring success; communism has not spread to Haiti! Alas, democracy has not exactly taken hold either. Every time we let Haiti have an election, they elect the wrong guy! That’s why we had to take out Aristide, twice! Let’s face it; he may be a Catholic priest, but he sure talks like a commie! So here we are today. After 60 years of keeping communism out of Haiti, and imposing crippling sanctions on communist Cuba, the GDP per capita is $9500 in Cuba versus $1500 in Haiti. Cubans have 15 years more life expectancy than their neighbours 80 miles away. The literacy rate is 61% in Haiti compared to 99.7% in Cuba. Cuba has 5 doctors per thousand population vs. one doctor per 5000 population in Haiti. Thank God we saved Haiti from the scourge of communism!