POSTS
A Burning Building With No Exits
Thoughts on The Uses of Haiti by Paul FarmerThe Uses of Haiti is a harrowing testament to how imperialism has repeatedly subverted the first Black republic over the course of its 200-year history. Although author Paul Farmer rejects the title of historian, he adeptly weaves together so many ways Haitians’ lives are tied up in the affairs of far-off places. He even considers Nicaraguan and Salvadoran history (albeit in much-abridged form) to help explain the patterns of imperialism.
Farmer’s work really shines in his coverage of modern events, though. The majority of the book focuses on the country’s struggles during the 80’s and early 90’s, and it’s easily the most compelling writing. When drawing on his experience as an ethnographer, a resident, and a local physician, Farmer’s words become particularly spirited. A consistent critic of foreign influence and foreign media, his exasperation is most vivid when he discusses the tragedies he personally witnessed.
Twenty thousand U.S. troops began landing in Haiti the morning after Carter’s mission ended. They entered what in military parlance was called a “permissive environment”–that is, they had been assured that they would not be encountering hostile fire. This seemed to me self-evident: after all, the Haitian military was the step-child of the U.S. military. In its long existence, the Haitian army had no history of engagements with armed opponents. Its only enemies has been unarmed civilians.
To be honest, my take may be artificially positive given how highly I regarded Farmer even before reading. As a founder of Partners In Health, the man already proved himself an unbelievably adroit organizer, public speaker, and physician. The Uses of Haiti was, for me, about more than Haiti itself; it was further testament to its incredible author. Not even Tracy Kidder’s glowing praise prepared me for that.
More importantly, the book remains tragically instructive even today, over 30 years after its first edition. I learned, for instance, how my own community’s embarrassing opposition to refugee assistance is nothing new:
Contrary to the rumor of a “ground swell of revulsion” over ill-begotten policy towards Haitians, 20 percent of those polled [by Newsweek in 1993] said Haitian immigration should be made easier, while 55 percent said it should be more difficult. After a decade during which less than half of one percent of applicants were granted asylum, one wonders how much more difficult it could be.
More broadly, Farmer inoculates his readers against the still-prevalent subtext that Haiti is somehow incapable of self-governance, and he gives ample reason for continued skepticism of not only US foreign policy but also media coverage. This makes The Uses of Haiti feel like essential reading for understanding today’s unrest1. That said, I don’t think Farmer considered his book to be a complete primer on Haiti. Without an exploration of the country’s cultural heritage, it’s difficult to avoid understanding Haiti simply as a victim nation. Farmer himself didn’t write much in that vein, but he inspired me to seek out an author who has.
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It also gives ample context for my favorite Wyclef Jean song. ↩︎