Why Debt Matters

One of the phrases I frequently heard during coverage of Haiti's earthquake is that Haiti is “the poorest country in the western hemisphere.” It was repeated so often that it became sonic wallpaper. I was surprised that no one seemed concerned about the statement’s inaccuracy (Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas, not the entire hemisphere). I was less surprised that there was no attempt to put that statement into historical context. Haiti’s troubled economy did not happen in a vacuum but media portrays the country as though it is solely responsible for its economic problems. Most people were quick to look at the effects, but not the root causes. Between shots of shell-shocked survivors wandering the streets and correspondents breathlessly reporting about aid efforts, pundits pontificated about how government corruption is to blame for Haiti’s economy.

Immediately after the earthquake, media was focused on getting help to the people and rightfully so. However, during the subsequent four months there has still been no real effort to expose viewers to Haiti’s history or rich culture. Instead, there’s been a steady stream of reports about how tragic the Haitian people are. I thought that this would be an excellent opportunity for media to educate more Americans about Haiti and show that it is much more than a poverty-stricken country, but it never happened.

Perhaps media is reluctant to discuss the history of western countries’ relationship with Haiti because in doing so, it would also have to discuss issues such as France’s colonization and the U.S.’ occupation of Haiti. During the 18th century, Haiti was the largest sugar exporter in the world. Slaves toiled on the plantations until the Haitian Rebellion led by former slave Toussaint L’Ouverture. After defeating Napoleon’s troops, Haiti declared its independence in 1804. France demanded 150 million francs in gold from Haiti as reparations (read punishment) for the loss of one of its largest sources of income. Even though the amount was reduced to 60 million in the 1830s, the debt was, in effect, a crippling blow to the fledgling nation. Instead of building an infrastructure and institutions, Haiti teetered on the edge of bankruptcy while attempting to pay its debt. The U.S.’ relationship with Haiti also adversely affected its economy. In 1915, President Woodrow Wilson sent marines to Haiti to remove $500,000 of the country’s reserves. The U.S. tried to force the Haitian legislature to adopt a new constitution designed to be advantageous to U.S. interests. When that was unsuccessful, the U.S. dissolved Haiti’s parliament and was the country’s de facto government until the end of the occupation in 1934. None of this excuses Haiti’s political instability (some of which was also fomented by the west) and corruption as contributing factors to the country’s present challenges. However these issues only compounded the problems that started with a country mired in the quicksand of overwhelming debt.

I can only hope that the next time a viewer hears “poorest country in the western hemisphere,” they will also know that Haiti did not become a poor nation solely because of malfeasance. That‘s an overly simplified argument presented by those invested in obfuscating the involvement of outside entities. The financial abuse of Haiti has been long-term and systemic. But I guess the media didn’t want to open that Pandora’s Box and ruin the U.S.’ “feel-good” moment.