Letter
Cuba and Haiti and the elites have never forgiven
It is depressing watching the US up the pressure on Cuba, but not surprising. That this is happening when the US Secretary of State is a self-styled Cuban refugee is also not surprising. But Cuba does not stand alone in the Caribbean crosshairs. Haiti has been there for years. The link between these two independent nations is that both achieved their independence by militarily overthrowing their western rulers. Haiti threw out the French two centuries ago, and Cuba tossed the US out half a century ago. Former slaves in the first case and descendants of former slaves in the second, and the elites in Europe and North America have never forgiven them. Neither country has ever been allowed a clear path to integration into the larger world order. To give credit where due, former President Barack Obama did re-establish fledgling diplomatic relations with Havana. Unfortunately, and then along came Donald Trump with his obsession to negate everything Obama touched.
— Hal Duell from Alice Springs