Haiti is being called “a failed state.” Haiti was founded in 1802 when it broke away from France after a slave revolt. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Haiti had a series of rulers, all of whom were dictators and most of whom were forced out by a coup. Haiti began trying democracy in the 1980s, but most elected leaders were also ousted by coup. A country naturally progresses from a dictatorship to democracy over time. Why didn’t this happen in Haiti?
The elements that help a society progress from fiefdom or dictatorship to democracy include
- National institutions that dissolve ethnic-centricity and give pride to the population
- Population mobility that allows people see themselves as members of country instead of a local tribe
- Public works that link disparate parts of the country and improve quality of life
- Reinvestment into local communities, which improves quality of life
- Changes in regulations that facilitate trade and commerce, growing the economy.
When these are developed and people see how rule-of-law and democracy are benefiting them, they embrace it. In Haiti’s case, however, some things hindered these elements from developing:
- Isolationism: Haiti was shunned by the international community in the 19th century due to racism so Haiti never learned critical skills
- Crushing debt: The French demanded reparations in exchange for liberty. Haiti had to make payments until 1947, so Haiti didn’t have money for development
- Foreigners running things: The US occupied Haiti during the 1930s; since there was no training, it helped inculcate the idea that it took foreigners to run the government
- Brain-drain: Since the middle 20th century, Haiti’s best-and-brightest have gone to work in the US and elsewhere, leaving no critical mass of public servants to ensure progress.
- Constant humiliation: the psychological damage done to a country that is the continual victim of humiliation and debasement cannot be overstated.
The result of these factors was that a mindset for rule-of-law never developed; violence remained an acceptable method of regime change; and because society never stabilized, a strongman had to remain in power to keep order.
Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts: every society has to go through an evolutionary progression, if it was not established as a democracy. The good news is that it can be accelerated. The bad news is that the first step is for one ruler to emerge from the chaos, and tragically, that’s a bloody process.
Source:
Wikipedia, “Haiti,” accessed 8 April 2024
Neil Hamblin, World Leadership, 2017
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