Are you sure? I couldn't find any cite that Haiti still pays this amount, rather that it was paid a century ago and Haiti is currently asking for reparations from France.
To be exact it was paid, but via refinancing. And then that debt was refinanced. So Haiti borrowed to pay that debt (along with others) then borrowed again to pay that debt. So yeah, part of Haiti's current debt is in fact for slavery. It is just indirect. Maybe the current government phrases it as "reperations" but Aristide referred to it as an end to Haiti paying reperations.
There's already a Wikipedia edit about the Pat Robertson remarks: [link]
It surmises that Robertson's remarks are about the role of voodou in the revolution.
And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, 'We will serve you if you will get us free from the French.'
THEY?!?!? Like every single person on Haiti? "they" all got together and agreed on that? Or Pat, are you implying that the leaders could speak for the souls of all the people they lead? That would mean Obama could speak for your soul, Pat, you stupid, hateful, ignorance-spreading, vile, un-Christian, pile of SHIT.
"Could you just die, Pat? Could you do that, huh?"
Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts
That's certainly all a country needs for its people to be happy. Tons of resorts.
My head hurts, bordering on a lot, and I am having a Bastard love child of Tino and a polar bear kind of day. I'm afraid if I look at the Haiti pictures I might start crying.
That being said,
It didn't so much ruin it as be WAY funnier. I wish I'd seen the show first, then both of them would have been funnier.
True, and good point.
However, I am continually amused by the Lem/Phil no look chest bump.
Me too!
That's certainly all a country needs for its people to be happy. Tons of resorts.
Yeah, people are always immigrating to the DR.
A lot of the economy of the Caribbean is based on reasonably well-off people looking for a place to play and spend money. (And I don't exclude Cuba from this -- we wandered into a travel agency in Amsterdam that offered package deals for vacations in Cuba.) (Decent prices, too.) (Stoopid U.S. travel restrictions.) The areas around the harbors contain some very pricey shops and such.
But all you have to do is look out of the tour bus to see very serious poverty. Homes that would be hard to dignify as "shacks." Kids 4, 5, 6 years old wearing literally no clothing.
So being full of resorts doesn't necessarily make a country prosperous. At least, not in a way that leads to broad-based prosperity.
Last night I picked an Office marathon over Haitian coverage and felt like a dick.
I hope I'm not, but sometimes things are too big.
