Canadian Author and Activist
Canada’s ‘paper of record’ sure likes the neocolonial ravings of a white American liberal imperialist regarding the most Black country in the western hemisphere. “Ottawa and Washington need to intervene forcefully to save Haiti from itself,” noted the opening line in a recent Globe and Mail column. Founding director of the Harvard Kennedy School’s program... Continue Reading →
When you’ve been beaten down so long, anywhere can look like up to you. The current crisis in Haiti suggests that if you subjugate another nation long enough its people won’t just hate you but will glorify your adversaries. Canadians and Americans are “monsters” responsible for “chaos” in Haiti, opined a protester two weeks ago... Continue Reading →
An important, if rarely mentioned, rule of Canadian foreign policy is the more impoverished a nation, the greater the gap is likely to be between what Canadian officials say and do. The primary explanation for the gap between what’s said and done is that power generally defines what is considered reality. So, the bigger the... Continue Reading →
A meme circulating among Haitians about a newly planned UN mission labels it MINUPAH (La Mission des Nations Unies pour la protection d’Ariel Henry). It’s a word play on MINUSTAH (La Mission des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation en Haïti), which occupied the Caribbean nation from 2004 to 2017. Imposed by the US and Canada,... Continue Reading →
What is the name for someone who speaks the words people want to hear, but then does the exact opposite? Politician, statesman, hypocrite, Justin Trudeau? At the United Nations in New York the Canadian prime minister recently declared, “we cannot continue to see external elements no matter how well-meaning try to determine the future of... Continue Reading →
A popular uprising has paralyzed life in much of Haiti. While police are violently suppressing protesters, don’t expect Canadian officials to criticize security forces they fund. Major centres across Haiti have been blocked for days. Protesters want foreign appointed leader Ariel Henry to go. They are angry about insecurity and the cost-of-living. Stoking the growing... Continue Reading →
Rosa Luxemburg popularized the dictum “Socialism or Barbarism”. Since World War I Leftists of various stripes have adopted or modified the maxim. In Haiti the struggle has been between those seeking “poverty with dignity” and oligarchic gangsterism. Unfortunately, Canada has been on the side of barbarism. In recent months gang warfare has engulfed Port-au-Prince and... Continue Reading →
If the Canadian government was really trying to “help” Haiti solve its political and insecurity crisis it would criticize police who kill protesters. In recent days Ottawa has aggressively taken up the Haitian cause. On Wednesday Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae met the president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, to talk... Continue Reading →
A government truly committed to a “feminist foreign policy” would support Haitians striking to boost their 70-cents-per-hour wage. But thus far Canadian officials have responded to the workers’ action by paying a celebratory visit to a sweatshop and ignoring protests repressed by Canadian-funded police. At the start of last week thousands of Haitian apparel... Continue Reading →
Nineteen years ago today the Canadian government hosted a meeting that significantly impacted two decades of Haitian politics. Jean Chretien’s Liberals organized an international gathering to discuss overthrowing Haiti’s elected government, re-creating the Haitian military and placing the country under UN trusteeship. Thirteen months after the “Ottawa Initiative on Haiti” meeting President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and most other elected... Continue Reading →
Media coverage of the Trudeau government’s recent conference on Haiti was appalling. To start with, despite official pronouncements, Ottawa is not an ally of Haiti. On Friday Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, foreign minister Mélanie Joly and international development minister Harjit Sajjan hosted a meeting of foreign ministers “to find sustainable solutions to challenges faced by... Continue Reading →
Pigs and Canadian imperialism. Most people would have difficulty understanding the connection. But for many Haitians the relationship is a historical memory. Recently, African Swine Fever (ASF) was detected in Haiti. Specialists were not surprised since a couple months earlier pigs in the neighboring Dominican Republic were detected with a disease that is harmless to... Continue Reading →
“Fascism is imperialist repression turned inward” Zak Cope People’s Party of Canada activists can rightly complain about liberal hypocrisy. They might ask why is the PPC odious when the federal government backs far more extreme groups all around the world? In fact, it’s almost a principle of Canadian foreign policy to support fascistic, far... Continue Reading →
Which is the Canadian political party most likely to stand up to the world’s rich and powerful? Which is willing to help the poorest of the poor gain a semblance of dignity and respect? Which can proudly proclaim, we stand for what is right, not just what is easy and expedient? Unfortunately, the answer is... Continue Reading →
In the vast history of imperialist exploitation few episodes match the depravity of Haiti’s debt of independence. Military blackmail of a small country by a superpower, prioritizing “property rights” over human rights, racial capitalism, a sellout “light skinned” local bourgeoise and the way our past haunts the present are all part of the story. After... Continue Reading →
If Will Prosper’s past transgression make him unfit to run to be Mayor of Montréal North, then what about Denis Coderre’s role in further impoverishing Haiti? On Thursday it was reported that Prosper was fired from the RCMP in 2001 for improperly accessing and possibly leaking information regarding a childhood friend investigated for homicide. Prosper... Continue Reading →
With “friends” like Canada, Haiti is in deep trouble. Justin Trudeau’s statement that this country was “standing ready” to assist after a massive earthquake rocked the western part of Haiti yesterday is not reassuring. Over the past two decades Canada has done too much to undermine Haitian sovereignty, democracy and living standards to be considered... Continue Reading →
Canada is a major player in a coalition shaping the fate of 11 million Haitians, yet few citizens of this country have even heard of the Core Group. Recently, the Core Group (representatives of the US, Canada, France, Spain, Germany, Brazil, UN and OAS) published a note saying Ariel Henry was the prime minister of... Continue Reading →
It is déjà vu all over again. Recently the Core Group (US, Canada, France, Spain, Germany, Brazil, UN and OAS) published a note saying Ariel Henry was the prime minister of Haiti. Within 48 hours the other individual claiming the position fell into line behind Henry, who was a member of the US/France/Canada created ‘Council... Continue Reading →
During times of instability in Haiti, progressives both in the Caribbean nation and abroad often fear impending US military intervention. This makes sense, given Washington’s long history of deploying soldiers to shape Haitian affairs. Since President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated Wednesday the Haiti Information Project has reported that combat vessel USS Billings is in Santo... Continue Reading →
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