To the Editor:
A recent letter raised the issue of tragedy in Haiti and the limits of US aid due to debt. Haiti suffers from skewed priorities that have led to this debt.
While thousands of Haitians waited for rescue from the rubble and for lifesaving surgery, medical and aid flights were turned away from the airport to accommodate a U.S. military deployment. Yes security is an issue when starving people fight for inadequate supplies; the overemphasis on security has exacerbated delivery of aid and cost untold lives.
As we discuss Haitian recovery a look at it’s history is instructive. As a slave state that fought for independence from France, Haitians were forced to repurchase their freedom, leading to punishing indebtedness. U.S. military occupation and support for the brutal Duvalier dictatorships led to further indebtedness. Their economy was burdened by policies that damaged indigenous agriculture and displaced rural citizens to Port-au-Prince for poverty wage jobs in foreign owned factories. When Haitians chose Aristide to lead them, he was twice ousted by U.S. interference with a continuation of policies worsening debt and aggravating the lack of sustainable development.
We should support the call to forgive Haiti’s debt, whose interest payments have robbed their treasury. Also imperative is a look at our own priorities. Do massive weapons systems and military interventions that make more enemies lead to security? We should redirect, not just freeze “Defense” dollars to make our world more humane and safe and able to help in emergencies like this.
Georgeann Hartzog
Alto Pass
