'Aristide in, CIA out!'
From a talk given by Pat Chin at the Dec. 5 "Haiti: What
Is To Be Done" rally.
It's been 10 months since President Aristide was kidnapped
by U.S. Marines and forced into exile by the Bush White House
working with the French government. Haiti is once again an
occupied country.
Two hundred years ago, Haitian national hero Gen.
Jean-Jacques Dessa lines declared independence from France
after defeating the once-mighty French colonial army sent to
re-enslave Haiti. It was the culmination of the world's only
successful slave revolution, and it terrified the slaveholding
classes of the region. This included the United States with its
deeply entrenched racism and a sadistic need to punish those
who don't submit to its class interests.
Since then, Haiti has been economically besieged and kept
mired in wrenching poverty. Haitians have been demonized and
vilified like no other. "How dare these Black slaves overthrow
their white masters and declare a nation," the slave masters no
doubt asked themselves. Haiti has also been kept in poverty,
like much of Africa, to reinforce the myth that Black people
can't govern themselves and therefore need white saviors.
Since the coup-napping, horrific crimes, including police
killings and an alarming increase in the number of rapes, have
been unleashed on Haiti's poor majority. Most of them are
supporters of Aristide who are calling for his return and an
end to the occupation.
But the resistance is growing. Let's give a big round of
applause to our sisters and brothers in Haiti who, under the
most dreadful conditions, continue to organize and rebel
against imperialist occupation.
And a big round of applause to Fanmi Lavalas and the
National Popular Party, whose leaders had the foresight to
unite and organize this very exciting meeting as the struggle
in Haiti moves to a new level.
In 1802 the French government kidnapped and exiled Toussaint
L'Ouverture. But that led to the rise of Dessalines, who took
the struggle to a higher level. Presi dent Aristide has also
been exiled. But the fighting, uncompromising spirit of Dessa
lines is now moving the struggle forward!
In its arrogance, Washington surely didn't foresee this
level of resistance. They made the same mistake with Iraq. They
thought they could use a form of shock and awe in Haiti to
overwhelm and crush the liberation movement, to demoralize the
people into silence. But, as in Iraq, it's not working in
Haiti.
The anti-imperialist, anti-war movement must be linked to
the fight for workers' rights and against racism. Thousands of
Haitians--those lucky enough to find jobs--are being
super-exploited in sweatshop assembly factories for major U.S.
corporations such as Wal-Mart, Disney and others. The same
corporations that exploit the working class here and that are
fighting a war against Iraq pay Haitians the lowest wages in
the Americas, with no union rights. People get killed in Haiti
for trying to organize unions.
You can't talk about Haiti without mentioning Iraq and vice
versa. Likewise, it's hard to talk about what imperialism is
doing in the Americas and in Iraq without talking about the
struggle of the heroic Palestinian people. Long live
Palestine!
This activity couldn't be more timely. The war is raging in
Iraq. The occupation there is collapsing. Lots of people are
aware of what's going on there. What many don't know, however,
is that foreign occupation forces also don't control
Port-au-Prince as rebellion grows more intense in Haiti.
We in this country are living in the belly of the capitalist
beast. We're strategically placed to bring about change that
can have a global effect, and the people of the world are
looking to us to do it.
Forget about the elections. They were a
distortion--manipulated, superficial B.S. that doesn't reflect
where the majority of the workers of this country are. It's up
to us in the anti-imperialist movement to make sure that the
people of the world know that--by our words and, most
important, by our actions.
That's why we have to be at the counter-inauguration in
Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20. That's why we have to be out in
the streets on the second anniversary of the start of the war
against Iraq, set for mid-March.
There was an anti-war conference in New York yesterday.
Hundreds of young people of all nationalities, war veterans,
resisters, students fighting the draft, and trade unionists
met, and are raring to go.
They want to get over the hang-up of the election--to
re-ignite the struggle like a sweeping Lavalas flood against
imperialist war and occupation. They want to shake the system
up in a way that's more militant, that won't compromise the
fight for social and economic justice, that won't be
demobilized by phony elections.
This evening's meeting is a part of that human flood. It's
also "stop the war week." On Saturday in New York we'll be
marching again. Join us with your drums, flags and signs to
demand self-determination for Haiti, Iraq and Palestine and the
rest of the colonized peoples of the world. March against the
repressive Patriot Act.
Away with the coup regime. Away with the occupation. Let's
build a united front against imperialism. Ki sa pou-n fe
sisters and brothers, what is to be done? On your feet, on your
feet, on your feet get back to the streets.
Reprinted from the Dec. 16, 2004, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe@workersworld.net
Support independent news http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php)
HOME
:: U.S. NEWS ::
WORLD NEWS ::
EDITORIALS ::
SUBSCRIBE ::
DONATE
Email
this article
Printable
page