The scope of the tragedy unfolding in Haiti is so overwhelming that it obliges each and every Canadian of good will to contribute what they can to support the rescue effort and alleviate the suffering of the Haitian people that is bound to go on for the foreseeable future.  That is a primary duty of every person who considers themselves human.  CPS calls upon its readers and supporters to contribute to the agencies that have a proven record of partisanship and solidarity with the people of Haiti and their struggle for democracy and sovereignty.

Focus on Socialism attaches two appeals we consider worthy of support.

At the same time we are not obliged to participate in the cynical cover up and blatant political grandstanding now under way by the Obama and Harper Governments that attempts to put a benevolent face on the history of imperialist military intervention in the interests of foreign investors.  It is this legacy of imperialist intervention that is responsible for perpetuating the terrible poverty that has rendered the people of Haiti so vulnerable to this natural disaster.  Fidel Castro has reminded us all of that reality and we publish his latest statement on Haiti.

The media campaign supporting Liberal calls for political neutrality in the face of the vast scale of the human disaster in Haiti should be condemned not supported.   The Liberals enthusiastically participated in the military intervention in Haiti and have no credibility whatsoever in attempting to stake out some moral high ground on this tragedy.

Such a campaign is designed to cover up Canadian government complicity in the military intervention by the USA, France and Canada, and MINUSTAH (United Stabilization Mission in Haiti) in the internal affairs of Haiti.  The intervention resulted in the overthrow and exile of the duly elected Aristide Government and its reform program that continues to have the support of 75% of the people.  The intervention effectively ended a popular reform movement to place the interests of the poverty stricken Haitian masses above those of an oppressive elite of wealth and privilege backed by US capital and military power that continues to exert power over the state.

The disaster unfolding in Haiti has not changed that reality.  In fact it has become the pretext for a further tightening of US control over Haiti.

Today the Obama administration claiming it would not let the people of Haiti down, authorized the sending of up to 10,000 more U.S. troops, their primary task to “prevent potential rioting” a euphemism for suppressing mass protest against starvation.  Long term construction aid help has been pledged.  One wonders if it will be similar to the type of “construction” aid now underway in Afghanistan which is primarily a gigantic permanent military construction program to support US strategic interests in Central Asia.

Progressives must demand that US imperialism not be allowed to use the Haiti earthquake disaster as a pretext to carry out a massive build-up of its military presence in Haiti directed at Cuba.

The people of Haiti, suffering every imaginable atrocity brought on by a natural disaster made worse by foreign intervention to prevent them from asserting their right to organize a society not beholden to any imperialist plots.

Haitians are people with a glorious revolutionary tradition.   They are not “rioters” or children in need of paternalistic foreign oversight from “donor nations”. Aid yes! Foreign military intervention No!

Don Currie

Chair, Canadians for Peace and Socialism 

Aid yes!  Foreign military intervention No!