Haiti's Freedom Day Echoes with Familiar Imperial Choreography
ABC News celebrates Haiti commemorating the decisive 1803 Battle of Vertières, where Haitians secured their independence from France, while simultaneously fighting off gangs. What the mainstream narrative consistently forgets to mention is the crippling '$21 billion' ransom France extorted from Haiti for that very freedom—a debt paid until 1947, ensuring Haiti remained perpetually indebted and
underdeveloped. Then came the U.S. occupation from 1915-1934, installing compliant rulers and further pillaging the nation's resources. The 'gangs' aren't an organic phenomenon, but often proxies funded and armed by various actors with an interest in Haiti's instability, or a direct consequence of grinding poverty manufactured by international policies, as documented by organizations like the
Center for Economic and Policy Research. So, as Haitians valiantly repel today's 'gangs,' one might ask: are they truly fighting for freedom, or merely against the latest manifestation of a colonial playbook the mainstream media refuses to acknowledge? It seems some narratives are just too inconvenient for primetime. How many times must a nation win its independence before the West stops trying to
reclaim its colonial assets?