Tavis Smiley x Dr. Ron Daniels: Black Freedom Struggle, Black Activism, Haiti Crisis, Reparations
Вставка
- Опубліковано 11 лип 2024
- Tavis Smiley is joined by Dr. Ron Daniels, president of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century (IBW21), Founder of the Haiti Support Project (HSP) and convener of the National African American Reparations Commission (NAARC) to discuss his lifetime commitment to the Black freedom struggle, critique of Black activism, the crisis in Haiti and reparations.
***
About the Institute of the Black World 21st Century (IBW21)
IBW 21 is committed to enhancing the capacity of Black communities in the U.S. and globally to achieve cultural, social, economic and political equality and an enhanced quality of life for all marginalized people.
Learn more - ibw21.org/
Donate - ibw21.org/support/
***
#TavisSmiley, #DrRonDaniels, #BlackFreedomStruggle, #PanAfricanism #Haiti, #Reparations, #IBW21, #HSP, #NAARC, #BlackHistory
Glad to here from you tavis you have very powerful voice and agenda always.
USA and Haiti. For the USA, first was Declaration of Independence, second was War. For Haiti, first was War, second was Declaration of Independence. BIG DIFFERENCE. Years before 1776, the founders of the USA debated, argued, counter-argued about the requirements, attributes, qualities needed for nationhood, thus slowly forming a proper mindset and proper temperament of the american people for eventual nationhood. In the case of Haiti, there was first Rebellion, visceral Anger, most Righteous Anger, blood-churning lust for Revenge against the French colonists. War was engaged and won by the Haitian slaves. A war engaged without aforethought, without afterthought akin to a fight initiated by a hot-headed person driven by righteous anger. The war won, what now? Declaration of Independence of 1804 was the only valid alternative because re-inviting French rule defeats the purpose of the war. The key point is: in 1804 the Haitian people was not prepared for effective nation building.
That the French came back in 1826, required and actually got reparations from Haïti implies that Haïti's independence was a façade, a joke. With Independence comes responsibility and the (supposed) ability to defend oneself. After 1804 Haïti built 20-odd fortresses about 5 miles inland: they would concede coastal areas because France had a Navy and Haiti did not. But Haiti got overextended with their invasion of the Dominican Republic (1821-1844). Ooops!!!
Independence for independence's sake is a silly concept. Ask yourself: what is the purpose for Independence? What is the ultimate goal: winning the war? winning the peace? Since 1804 Haiti has been losing the Peace. A 5 year-old child is foolish to seek independence from the parents. Yes, France were terrible parents. There is no International Child Protection Services for Nations. So Haiti, the 5 year-old child, was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Bad Karma for Haiti. Haiti is still stuck between a rock and a hard place because of its own bad governance.
In 1804 Haiti found itself in an awkward position: a slave-less Nation amongst slave-full Nations. No Nation, past and present, is 100% self-sufficient and thus needs to trade non-militarily with other Nations. Haiti needed to make itself an asset, not a liability, to the community of Nations. An independent Nation is an actual Nation even if other Nations do not recognize it as such. Look at Taiwan: despite not being recognized officially by many nations ALL nations want to trade with Taiwan. Taiwan is an asset to the community of Nations. One cannot say the same about Haiti.
But, but, but Taiwan did not have to suffer the torture of French-style colonial slavery!!! Swing and a miss. The point of Taiwan, which suffered through Japanese colonialism, is that even when it is the object of the People's Republic of China's campaign to delegitimize Taiwan in the eyes of the International World, Taiwan is still thriving. But let us play the Victim Olympics Game. South Korea went through WW2 and the Korean War and by 1953 South Korea was in much worse physical state than Haiti has been in 1804. Yet today (2024 AD) South Korea is in much better shape than Haiti. Key difference: in 1954 the Korean people were more educated and civilized than the Haitian ex-slaves of 1804 who were utterly uneducated and very barely domesticated. Haiti had 200 years to civilize its population and no foreign power prevented the domestication of the Haitian people.
Sorry Marxist revisionists: Simon Bolivar would still have accomplished his goals against Spain without Haiti's assistance; Haiti's token help was appreciated but it was not essential. Slavery in South America would still be abolished without the advice from Pétion. The USA would still have won over Great Britain without the 200-odd freed Haitian slaves who died in the battle of Savannah. The Marxist advocates for Haiti have lost perspective: the relevant issue is the Present and the Future, not the Past. The Marxist revisionists are stuck and lost in the weeds of the Past, grasping at straws, acting like some aged movie star looking at reruns of the very distant (and very irrelevant) glorious past.
Where is the engagement of the people in this organization, with the videos that it produces, let alone the 30,000 subscribers to it? Smiley spoke about the lack of civic education among us. It follows that we lack civic involvement. Why is there not a call put forth, to have civics and all the other traditional courses, that were taught in our schools reinstituted? Daniels mentioned they have no are longer being taught, and this has been true for many decades, in many places if not most of our schools. If woke activists can call for the defunding and abolishment of police and prisons, why can't they call for this obvious need, which is fundamental to the development of our children? All of us nationwide should be demanding this. It could be expressed in the slogan 'refund the schools', if that is what it takes. Anyone can repeat this call, any place and at any time, and we then vote for candidates that work for this to come about. All of our problems must be approached in this manner - on a nationwide scope. Daniels mentioned previous efforts at various organizations working in concert. He mentioned a number of 200 organizations. 2000 would not be enough to cover the fractions that exist among us. This is why an ongoing nationwide effort is needed. We must be as systemic and structured as that force we say is in opposition to us. Where are our concrete efforts of that nature, down to the everyday person on the street, who represents the true "grassroots" - those uninvolved in the community, nor civics of any kind? They are the true grassroots, as you cannot go any deeper among us that them. So-called grassroots activists, are a part of the Black Vanguard, who lead the bulk of the troops (the grassroots - the everyday people on the street) into battle against the opposition. The outcome of the battle will be determined by how well they fight, they will do the bulk of the fighting. This is why the war on poverty was lost, because the people who were the target of the war effort, were also those who had to do the bulk of the fighting, in that effort. They were never made to understand this - given any marching orders, nor made to understand what was at stake, and the consequences of the battle being lost. We cannot repeat this mistake, in our specific battle of our own.
(5) Reparations to France: the Marxists' favorite bugaboo. Were the reparations the fundamental cause of Haiti's poverty? Answer: NO. Haiti was already entrenched in Poverty by 1826 when France demanded reparations. Mind you, the 1826 reparation demand was the THIRD request; the previous 2 were made to Christophe (refused), to Pétion (refused). The third time was the charm for France. Haiti's 1821 invasion of the Dominican Republic (DR) was a strategic error. Military adventurism and a moribund economy made for a very bad mix. France was not stupid. After 5 yrs of Haiti being stuck in the DR quagmire, France popped up (again!) and made the reparations demand. Haiti cannot fight both the French and the Dominicans. Haiti decided to pay reparations. France asked only for 1 year's worth of colonial output. In 1820, Haiti's output was only 1/40 of colonial output; that it took Haiti more than 100 years to pay the reparations is no surprise. From 1826-1844 Haiti plundered the DR of its wealth to pay as much as it can for the reparations.
You're free. What struggle? Your grandparents struggled. You're rich, successful. Shut up.