Why We Are Not Shocked: Black-Led Governments Prepare to Invade Haiti
[scroll down to see Haitian Kreyol translation of editorial]
The pretense of a coming US/UN invasion with African and Caribbean political and armed forces in the lead does not surprise us.
We support the Haitian masses mobilizing to discard imperialist forces from their country. Like all anti-war movements, they must be organized before the forces of empire declare war.
But the situation in Haiti is not unique. As the Haitian anthropologist Michel-Rolph Trouillot once argued, Haiti is not odd — an aberration — but symptomatic of the ordinary politics of the hemisphere at large. Our approach to imperialist war cannot be separated from civil wars, wars for democracy, socialism, and the overturning of states and ruling classes. Haiti does not need the restoring of bourgeois order. It needs to press forward against the impending fraud of transitional government to demand that Haitian working people arrive on their own authority.
Haitian Revolution of the Past: Guide to Arriving On Our Own Authority
The distorted image and historical mistreatment of Haiti begins with its revolutionary origins. But too many talk about its history quarreling over who were its real leaders, the nature of its African heritage, or how it perfected American and Western civilization. These preoccupations neglect the defeat of the revolution within the Revolution.
The Haitian Revolution does not represent something narrow like “Black Power” in the form of sovereigns, kings, and big men. It does not represent the first Black nation-state or republic in which workers and peasants are subjugated by the iron fist of nineteenth-Century Black statesmen and latter-day Noiristes.
Shhhh! They Keep it Quiet: First Uprising Against Black Political Class
The Haitian Revolution does represent the first Black uprising that defeated multiple white imperialist powers (the British, Spanish, and French). But the revolutionary masses did something else, too. They waged the first confrontation with the Black political class by Black toilers. With all the global discussion of Haiti’s predicament, nobody dares to put on their party hats and blow their kazoos for this fact of history.
The logic of the decrepit old party politics mystifies for some that Haiti has been conquered and destabilized first by French and then by American imperialism. Further, it veils that behind the baz — gangs with high-powered weapons — lie the same aspiring bourgeois rulers that have sustained the exploitation of Haiti.
Moreover, this is not a symptom of Black “mis-leadership.” Our defense of the Haitian people does not presage a demand for another set of leaders to take their turn at the reins. So far, there has been a failure of Black political thought that claims to be radical and progressive on the question of Haiti.
Beyond Black Mis-leadership: Toward Caribbean Federation from Below
Black people are not inherently agents of humanization or pawns for the redemption of liberalism or the Enlightenment. Indeed, the “Black Jacobins” at the heart of the defining study by CLR James are not the masses themselves (who he later called the Black sans-culottes) but the military organization of Toussaint Louverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines. James warns us that such aspiring leaders will force the masses back to the plantation under the guise of “freedom” and seize power for themselves under the banner of “Black Power.”
When Black toilers rose up against Toussaint and the plantation system in 1801, they were violently suppressed and his adopted nephew, Hyacinthe Moïse, executed. After taking power, both Toussaint and Dessalines banned vodun and the playing of drums — the spirit and rhythms that made the revolution. This masks the reality that the Revolution (the enslaved masses) made Toussaint and Dessalines as historical personalities. Toussaint and Dessalines did not make the Revolution.
Who’s Afraid of the Revolution, Redux? (CARICOM, for one)
Who wants to rule above society (and advise rulers above society)? And who places forward a vision that ordinary people can hold the reins and directly govern?
The pretense that Haiti needs to have free and fair elections, that it needs to be restored to order as a result of vast gang activity, drug-lords and warlords, with high-powered weapons, distinguished by kidnappings for ransom and violation of women’s human rights masks much.
The defeat of the revolution within the Revolution came at the hands of its military generals who restored the plantation system. When Black peasants demanded access to land to cultivate crops and provisions, the Black leaders denied it to them. When the leaders of CARICOM and the African Union (AU) line up to defeat Haitian working people, they embrace this legacy. There is no contradiction to be found in Black leaders who collaborate to defeat Black working people. Their eager collaboration with the U.S. and U.N. confirms this. These are either imperialist institutions or not. They cannot be negotiated with or lobbied.
It is the job of anti-imperialists to organize ordinary people against states and ruling classes not to advise or dialogue with them. The Haitian struggle and most who analyze it reveal time and again that they share the same conception of politics and government as minority rule above society, with those who aspire to invade and conquer Haiti.
Who Permits CARICOM Daily To Wage War Against Caribbean Toilers?
Those who reject CARICOM rallying its troops for an invasion of Haiti must also denounce the preparation of the RSS (the Barbados-led Regional Security Service trained by the Americans and British). This is a result that these political forces have promoted a “reparations campaign” while collaborating with the American imperialists.
If CARICOM governments are permitted to wage war against working people in their own jurisdictions, we should not be shocked when they direct this same assault toward Haiti. Do we merely oppose the overreach by CARICOM governments to police beyond their borders? Or do we advocate for the abolition of the police state in the Caribbean in all its guises — by puppet governments and self-styled progressive forces for reparations alike?
The Conflicting Tendencies in the Caribbean Revolution
The conflicting tendencies in the Caribbean revolution are not between the progressive and conservative traditions of Caribbean leadership. They are not within the state, its bureaucracy and cultural apparatus. They are in the streets where toilers and unemployed fight the police and armed forces.
The power of the Haitian people is their self-mobilization for popular and direct self-government. We do not simply denounce CARICOM intervention in Haiti and call for another round of free and fair elections. After all, free and fair elections have failed to empower Caribbean working people in most every state and territory in the region. When power is in the streets, elections are a tactic to restore order under a new face of charismatic leadership. We say let the Haitian masses take the reins and lead the region forward. They may take responsibility for economic planning, judicial affairs, foreign relations, all education and ecological matters.
How many leaders must fail before the Haitian people take the lead? Far more than we realize the CARICOM governments, all led by people of color, are not much different than the aspiring Haitian autocrats that defeated the revolution within the Revolution.
CARICOM Pretends to Gather “Activists” But Lives By Jungle Law
CARICOM is exposing that they think of Caribbean unity much as the old Organization of African Unity (OAU) and contemporary African Union. They maintain a polite agreement among “ladies and gentlemen” not to interfere across their borders supporting the self-directed liberating activity of the masses against any of their regimes. The fact is the autocratic potential of Haiti and the clash of popular forces in the streets, searching for control of their destiny, is the character of the entire Caribbean in embryo.
In invading Haiti, imperial and peripheral governments can be reconciled. All believe in a creolized empire, an ethnically-plural police state, and aspiring peripheral rulers playing their appointed roles as conquerors of their own people and subcontractors of guilt in the metropolitan cultural apparatus.
Activists on the left bloc of capital will lead sanctioned marches and rallies in collaboration with governments only to cry betrayal and repression after the fact. They will fumble the ball when they chatter about international law and human rights — notions that cannot be shared with their imperial spokesmen. It is crucial to remember how these “consciousness-raisers” really think about politics and government.
As we take direct action in defense of Haiti, we must remind the public to kick all aspiring rulers while they are down and show this by example.
Aba CARICOM! Aba US/UN! Aba diktati! Viv Ayiti!
Poukisa nou pa choke: gouvènman nwa ki ap dirije yo prepare pou anvayi ayiti
Pretansyon yon envazyon Ozetazini ak Nasyonzini k ap vini ak fòs politik ak lame Afriken ak Karayib yo an premye pa etone nou.
Nou sipòte mas ayisyen ki mobilize pou jete fòs enperyalis yo nan peyi yo. Tankou tout mouvman anti-lagè, yo dwe òganize anvan fòs anpi yo deklare lagè.
Men sitiyasyon an Ayiti pa inik. Jan antwopològ ayisyen Michel-Rolph Trouillot te di yon fwa, Ayiti pa etranj — -yon aberasyon — men sentòm politik òdinè emisfè a an jeneral. Apwòch nou an nan lagè enperyalis yo pa ka separe ak lagè sivil, lagè pou demokrasi, sosyalis, ak ranvèsman eta ak klas dominan yo. Ayiti pa bezwen retabli lòd boujwa. Li bezwen peze pi devan kont fwod gouvènman tranzisyon k ap vini an pou l mande travayè ayisyen yo rive sou pwòp otorite pa yo.
Revolisyon ayisyen ki pase a: Gid pou rive sou pwòp otorite pa nou
Imaj defòme ak move tretman istorik Ayiti kòmanse ak orijin revolisyonè li. Men, twòp pale sou istwa li a ki diskisyon sou ki moun ki te vrè lidè li yo, nati a nan eritaj Afriken li yo, oswa ki jan li te pèfeksyone sivilizasyon Ameriken ak Lwès. Preyokipasyon sa yo neglije defèt revolisyon an anndan Revolisyon an.
Revolisyon ayisyen an pa reprezante yon bagay etwat tankou “Black Power” sou fòm souveren, wa, ak gwo gason. Li pa reprezante premye eta-nasyon oswa repiblik Nwa kote travayè yo ak peyizan yo soumèt anba men an fè diznevyèm syèk eta Nwa yo ak dènye jou nwaris yo.
Shhhh! Yo Kenbe la trankil: Premye Soulèvman Kont Klas Politik Nwa
Revolisyon ayisyen an reprezante premye soulèvman Nwa ki te bat plizyè pouvwa enperyalis blan (Britanik, Panyòl, ak Franse). Men mas revolisyonè yo te fè yon lòt bagay tou. Yo fè premye konfwontasyon ak klas politik Nwa a pa travayè Nwa yo. Ak tout diskisyon mondyal la sou sitiyasyon an Ayiti, pèsonn pa oze mete chapo pati yo ak soufle kazoo yo pou reyalite sa a nan listwa.
Lojik ansyen pati politik dekrepite yo fè konnen pou kèk moun Ayiti te konkeri e destabilize dabò pa franse e apre pa enperyalis Ameriken an. Anplis de sa, li vwal ke dèyè baz — gang ki gen gwo zam — se menm gouvènman boujwa ki te soutni eksplwatasyon Ayiti.
Anplis, sa a se pa yon sentòm Nwa “mis-lidèchip.” Defans pèp ayisyen nou an pa prevwa yon revandikasyon pou yon lòt lidè pran tou nan ren yo. Jiskaprezan, gen yon echèk nan panse politik Nwa ki pretann radikal ak pwogresis sou kesyon Ayiti a.
Beyond Black Mis-lidèchip: Nan direksyon pou Federasyon Karayib anba a
Moun nwa yo pa natirèlman ajan imanizasyon oswa pyon pou redanmsyon liberalis oswa Syèk Limyè yo. Vreman vre, “Jakobin Nwa yo” nan kè etid definitif CLR James se pa mas yo menm (ki pita li te rele Nwa sans-culottes) men òganizasyon militè Tousen Louvèti ak Jean-Jacques Dessalines. James avèti nou ke lidè aspiran sa yo pral fòse mas yo tounen nan plantasyon an sou laparans “libète” epi pran pouvwa pou tèt yo anba banyè “Pouvwa Nwa”.
Lè travayè Nwa yo te leve kont Toussaint ak sistèm plantasyon an an 1801, yo te siprime yo ak vyolans epi yo te egzekite neve li te adopte a, Hyacinthe Moïse. Apre yo fin pran pouvwa a, tou de Tousen ak Desalin te entèdi vodun ak jwe tanbou — espri ak ritm ki fè revolisyon an. Sa maske reyalite ke Revolisyon an (mas esklav yo) te fè Tousen ak Desalin kòm pèsonalite istorik. Tousen ak Desalin pat fè Revolisyon an.
Ki moun ki pè revolisyon an, Redux? (CARICOM, pou youn)
Ki moun ki vle dirije pi wo a sosyete a (epi konseye chèf ki anlè sosyete a)? Ak ki moun ki mete devan yon vizyon ke moun òdinè ka kenbe ren yo ak dirèkteman gouvène?
Pretansyon ke Ayiti bezwen gen eleksyon lib e jis, ke li bezwen retabli nan lòd kòm rezilta nan gwo aktivite gang, chèf dwòg ak chèf lagè, ak gwo zam ki gen pouvwa, distenge pa kidnaping pou ranson ak vyolasyon imen fanm yo. dwa mask anpil.
Defèt revolisyon an nan Revolisyon an te vini nan men jeneral militè li yo ki te retabli sistèm plantasyon an. Lè peyizan Nwa yo te mande aksè nan tè pou kiltive rekòt ak pwovizyon, lidè Nwa yo te refize yo. Lè lidè CARICOM yo ak Inyon Afriken an (AU) fè liy pou defèt travayè ayisyen yo, yo anbrase eritaj sa a. Pa gen okenn kontradiksyon yo jwenn nan lidè Nwa ki kolabore pou defèt travayè Nwa yo. Kolaborasyon yo anvi ak Etazini ak Nasyonzini konfime sa. Sa yo se swa enstitisyon enperyalis oswa ou pa. Yo pa kapab negosye ak espresyon.
Se travay anti-enperyalis yo pou òganize moun òdinè kont leta ak klas dominan yo pa konseye oswa dyalòg ak yo. Lit ayisyen an ak pifò moun ki analize li revele fwa e ankò ke yo pataje menm konsepsyon politik ak gouvènman an kòm minorite domine sou sosyete a, ak moun ki aspire anvayi ak konkeri Ayiti.
Ki moun ki pèmèt CARICOM chak jou fè lagè kont moun k ap travay nan Karayib yo?
Moun ki rejte CARICOM rasanble twoup li yo pou yon envazyon ann Ayiti dwe denonse tou preparasyon RSS (Sèvis Sekirite Rejyonal Barbad ki dirije pa Ameriken ak Britanik ki fòme). Sa a se yon rezilta ke fòs politik sa yo te ankouraje yon “kanpay reparasyon” pandan y ap kolabore ak enperyalis Ameriken yo.
Si gouvènman CARICOM yo gen dwa fè lagè kont moun k ap travay nan pwòp jiridiksyon pa yo, nou pa ta dwe choke lè yo dirije menm atak sa a sou Ayiti. Èske nou senpleman opoze ak overreach ke gouvènman CARICOM yo fè polis pi lwen pase fwontyè yo? Oswa èske nou defann abolisyon leta polis nan Karayib la nan tout fòm li yo — -pa gouvènman mannken ak fòs pwogresis yo menm pou reparasyon?
Tandans konfli nan Revolisyon Karayib la
Tandans konfli nan revolisyon Karayib la pa ant tradisyon pwogresis ak konsèvatif lidèchip Karayib la. Yo pa anndan leta, biwokrasi ak aparèy kiltirèl li yo. Yo nan lari kote moun k ap travay ak chomè yo goumen kont polis ak fòs lame yo.
Pouvwa pèp ayisyen an se mobilizasyon pwòp tèt yo pou yon gouvènman popilè ak dirèk. Nou pa senpleman denonse entèvansyon CARICOM ann Ayiti e nou pa mande pou yon lòt tou eleksyon lib e jis. Apre yo tout, eleksyon lib e jis yo echwe pou bay moun k ap travay Karayib yo pouvwa nan pifò chak eta ak teritwa nan rejyon an. Lè pouvwa a nan lari, eleksyon yo se yon taktik pou retabli lòd anba yon nouvo figi lidèchip karismatik. Nou di kite mas ayisyen pran ren yo e mennen rejyon an pi devan. Yo ka pran responsablite pou planifikasyon ekonomik, zafè jidisyè, relasyon etranje, tout edikasyon ak zafè ekolojik.
Konbyen dirijan ki dwe echwe anvan pèp ayisyen an pran devan? Plis pase nou reyalize gouvènman CARICOM yo, tout moun ki gen koulè dirije yo, pa gen anpil diferans ak aspiran otokrat ayisyen ki te bat revolisyon an anndan Revolisyon an.
CARICOM Pran Pretann Rasanble “Aktifs” Men Lavi Lalwa Jungle
CARICOM ap ekspoze ke yo panse a inite Karayib la kòm ansyen Òganizasyon Inite Afriken (OUA) ak Inyon Afriken kontanporen. Yo kenbe yon akò politès pami “Medam ak Mesye” pou yo pa entèfere lòtbò fwontyè yo pou sipòte aktivite liberasyon mas yo kont nenpòt nan rejim yo. Reyalite a se potansyèl otokratik Ayiti ak eklatman fòs popilè yo nan lari, k ap chèche kontwòl desten yo, se karaktè tout Karayib la anbriyon.
Nan anvayi Ayiti, gouvènman enperyal ak periferik yo ka rekonsilye. Tout moun kwè nan yon anpi kreyolize, yon eta polis etnik pliryèl, ak aspiran dirijan periferik yo jwe wòl yo nonmen kòm konkeran pwòp pèp yo ak soutretan kilpabilite nan aparèy kiltirèl metwopoliten an.
Aktivis yo sou blòk kapital gòch la pral dirije mach ak rasanbleman sanksyone an kolaborasyon ak gouvènman sèlman pou kriye trayizon ak represyon apre sa. Yo pral foute boul la lè yo pale sou lwa entènasyonal ak dwa moun — nosyon ki pa ka pataje ak pòtpawòl enperyal yo. Li enpòtan anpil pou w sonje fason sa yo “fè konsyans” reyèlman panse sou politik ak gouvènman an.
Pandan n ap pran aksyon dirèk nan defans Ayiti, nou dwe raple piblik la pou yo choute tout aspiran dirijan yo pandan yo desann epi montre sa pa egzanp.
Aba CARICOM! Aba US/UN! Aba diktati! Viv Ayiti!
