Sept. 22 1957 Sept. 22 2007 Duvalier's legacy

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Reply to Msg 3436

I decided to devote my life to telling the story because I felt that having survived (the Nazi Holocaust) I owe something to the dead. And anyone who does not remember betrays them again.

Eli Weisel

I feel compel to post a comment about Francois Duvalier and his legacy inasmuch as we have just commemorated the 50th anniversary of his ascendency to the Haitian presidency.

In the last few days, I had the ignominy of reading people who should know better waxing poetry about this diabolically cynical man. Deliniated below are some of my observations concerning this man. The list is not exaustive by any means.

Therefore, others may want to add to or removed (if it is warranted) from the list. Here goes:

Duvalier the democrat:
Boss Peintre, Ti- Bobo, Laurent Lamar, Ti Kabish, Elois Maitre, Clement Barbot, Frank Romain, Clement Barbot, Les cargoulards, unicameral "assis pour, contre debout", ect.

Duvalier's victims:
Hariette Hakim Rimpel, Franck J. Seraphin, Hector Riobe, Jean-Jacques Dessaline Ambroise, his wife, Hugette Lafontant (sister to the Catholic bishop), Jacques Stephen Alexis, Les Vespre de Jeremie, George Rigaud, Shibbley Talamas, Fracois Benoit's parents, Clement and Ducasse Jumelle, Georges Petit, Andre Pointevien, Benoit Armand, Antoine Piquion, Casale massacre, Fort Dimanche, Fort La mort, etc.

Duvalier the loyalist:

Pierre Novembre, (brother in law) Dato Domecq, Jean Julme, Clemar Joseph Charles, Sonny Borges, Major Thomas, The Monestime brothers, Joseph Lemoine, Jean Tassy, Rameau Estime, Clement Barbot, etc. "La reconaissance est...

you know the rest.

Duvalier the supranationalist:

Punta del este, Mole St. Nicholas, L'isle Latortue ("Papa Doc et Lest Tonton Macoute", Diederich) Mohammed Al Fayed, broken diplomatic relation with Cuba, contract with Trujillo to cast our brothers into slavery.

Duvalier the honest politician:

Dealings with the mafia (see Leslie Pean's book), contract with Trujillo to cast our brother's into slavery, Regie du Tabac, Siclait, Minoterie D'haiti, Duvalierville, Duvalier the poor rural doctor who gather at his death (in the words of Duvalierist Rony Gilot) over $600.000 in 1971 money in today's fund it would be over $6.000.000.00, etc.

Duvalier the master builder:

Francois Duvalier's International Airport (pas de commentaire), high schools built (5) in 14 years, primary schools built (0), highways built (0), palais legislatif (pas de commentaire), etc.

Duvalier the intellectual:

Jacques Stephen Alexis, Rene Depestre, all our doctors, engineers, lawyers, writers, etc. exile or death (brain drained).

Duvalier the black nationalist:

Madame St. Victor, Luc Albert Fourcard over the black Max Dominique, given his daughter Denise to Mohammed al Fayed, etc.

Duvalier the Educator:

80% illiteracy rate when he arrived in power.

80% when he left (see Robert Rothberg's book "Haiti, the politic of squalor").

The economy:

The great exodus begins.

Grand Don, Zacharie Delva, March-a-terre, Piatre, etc.

Here, dear readers is the by no means exaustive legacy of this tyrinical, butcher, cynical, depraved, psychopathic, megalomaniacle, paranoiac lunatic of a man so much lionized by some. As I previously mentioned, in the words of the philosopher George Santayana, "those who failed to learn from history are doomed to repeat it".

Mckenzie.

Mckenzie, September 26 2007, 12:27 AM

Topic: jeanclaude duvalier

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