International Meddling

by Theo Sitther

In Haiti we have a joke,” Djakoli told me while I was in the country as part of an MCC-organized learning tour.

The story goes like this: a woman is sitting on the side of the road, selling vegetables. A slick new shiny car pulls up, driven by a Haitian. A white man gets out, who also looks slick in his new suit and tie.

The man asks the woman, “If I tell you exactly how many onions are in each box, will you give me one box for free?”

The woman is intrigued and agrees. The man then pulls out his computer. The screen shows a satellite image of the woman and her vegetables. Then it zeroes in on one box and computes a calculation. A few minutes later the man looks at the woman and says, “There are exactly 250 onions in each box.”

The woman is thoroughly surprised. “That’s exactly right!”

So she gives the man a free box, then she looks at him and offers a counter bet, “If I tell you who you are, you will give me back the box and pay me the cost of one box.”

The man, who is also intrigued and with little to lose, agrees. The woman exclaims, “You are an International Expert!”

“That’s exactly right! How did you know?”

“There are three things that gave it away. First, you came to me; I did not invite you here. Second, you told me something that I already knew. Third, these are not onions, they are turnips.”

The story of Haiti began when African slaves overthrew the French, abolished slavery and established the first free black nation and the second independent state in the Western Hemisphere in 1804.

By all accounts, Haiti should be a wealthy nation. However, France forced Haiti to pay $21 billion in today’s dollars for loss of property, including slaves. The United States, France and other European nations refused to recognize Haiti and since then Haiti has been embroiled in a state of poverty and political instability, which has included several U.S. military interventions, United Nations peacekeeping forces, dictatorships and economic intrusion.

Today, Haiti stands as the poorest country in theWestern Hemisphere. Over 80 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day. The country pays international creditors debt payments totaling $56 million each year, while much of the population lacks access to food, healthcare and education.

Haiti also stands as the most open country in the Caribbean in terms of trade. Until the 1980s Haiti was a self-sufficient rice producer. However, due to intervention and structural adjustment by the IMF, Haiti opened up its markets to foreign imports. This has resulted in a flood of subsidized rice from the United States causing the loss of jobs and livelihoods.

U.S. policies today continue the legacy of slavery. During my visit to Haiti, the people that I met were clear in calling for an equal relationship with the United States and not one of intervention.

The Bible calls us to love our neighbors.As U.S. citizens we must call for policies that respect and love our neighbors in Haiti.